The Undergraduate

Cherry

By Silver Spun Sand

Fri, 04 Jul 2014
  • 2374 reads
8 comments
 
To set the scene, it was 1968; Jonathon – seventeen, and me?  
Shall we say…a year or more his senior? A tennis coach, 
for my sins, and I was teaching him at his mother’s behest. 
 
In her eyes he was a Wimbledon champ in the making. 
Who was I to contradict? Tell her she was pissing in the wind.  
She had more money than sense, so what the heck! 
 
It’s mid July...hot and close, and sticky.  More to life 
than tennis;  play a couple of sets, then call it quits – 
drive him home in my beat-up Morris Minor – windows
down,  wind in our hair; you get the drift.  He asks me inside...
his mother – not there, but he was sure she wouldn’t mind.  
 
‘I’ll show you round,’ he suggests.  ‘Perhaps you could use
a shower. I’ll fetch a towel,’ and then he shows me his room;
a garish red Dansette – on the floor beside his bed. “Would madam
care to dance?” he asks...proffers his hand. 
 
Vintage  ‘dirty dancing’,  as he undoes, with finesse, every last button
on my Mary Quant  dress, keeping step, to perfection, with Ravel 
and his Bolero;  a much loved LP, evidently, 
with its tatty cardboard sleeve.
 
The rest is history...until his mother comes home – invites me for tea 
when I’m forced to admit, “His technique quite belies his age; a natural, 
I’d say,” when she enquires as to the state of the afternoon’s play.
 
“So, in your opinion, you think he shows great promise...ten
out of ten, you might say?” 
 
“Absolutely,” I reply. Couldn’t have put it better myself.
Thought we’d have another session – tomorrow morning."
 
“Yes, of course, dear.  No expense spared for this son of mine.
And I daresay you’ll soon be needing new balls.  What do you say,
Jonathon?"
 
Jonathon chokes on his Garibaldi.
Certificate 15
Poem
Silver Spun Sand Poems
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Comments

Submitted by Bee on

This is fab, Tina. So humourous as well. I absolutely loved the ending. 'called it quits – ' - should that be  call ? 

Brilliant!

Bee

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Hi there, Bee.  Pleased you enjoyedsmiley

I guess it could be 'call' ... it seems to sit more comfortably in context, so have changed it.  Couldn't quite make up my mind, and you have done it for mesmiley

Hope your Saturday is a good one.  It's horribly drizzly here at the moment, but as they say, 'The garden does need a good watering'.

Tina

 

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Perfect timing, Tina for this very entertaining poem, good historical detail with the Quant frock too. Murray has balls on him; now he's out I want Djkovich to win                    Elsie

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Thanks so much for your inspired comment, elsie...really pleased you noticed the little details, such as the Quant frock.  I'm with you too about Djkovich...all the waysmiley

Tina

 

Submitted by Yvonne Anderson on

Witty and fun Tina and loved the period detail - down to the (disgusting) garibaldi. Took me back! 

Best wishes. Yvonne

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Thanks, Yvonne...pleased you enjoyed.  And as for those Garibaldis...dead-fly biscuits we used to call them

as kidssmiley

Tina

 

Submitted by Denzella on

Tina

Fabulous poem.  Laughed out loud. Conversation with     mum hilarious!

moya

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Glad you enjoyed, Moya...and from 'the queen of conversation' herself, I feel highly honouredsmiley Thank you.

Tina