I mentioned my Pop commuted with my across the street crush in a previous post about the Long Island Railroad. The crush’s name was Tommy. Tommy Mickens. I’ll never forget the first time I saw Tommy. I was eight years old, or however old you are supposed to be when you go to third grade. It was the first day of school. My family and I had just moved from Queens to Long Island in August of that summer. I had never taken the bus to school before. In Queens, everybody walked. I was pretty nervous, as one always is for the first day of school. But even more so because it was a new school in a new neighborhood, and I didn’t know anybody.
My Mom walked me to the bus stop on our corner. There, I met Mary, who was also in my grade and class, and lived just around the block. My new best friend. Then we saw someone walking toward the bus stop. Mary was talking, but her voice went into the distance as I stared. He was a bit chunky. As he came closer, I saw two beautiful crystal pools of blue coming toward me. I stared. I never saw anything like it in Queens! Are they real? Is that possible? How could a person’s eyes be so blue? I stared and stared some more as he came closer.
It was Tommy Mickens. Our neighbor from across the street. As our Moms introduced us, I barely heard what they said as I was hypnotized by his eyes.
I mean, I was only eight. Could I really understand anything about attraction then? I don’t think so, but there it was. I had such a crush. But I didn’t even get it. I just knew he was beautiful. It took my breath away.
I had a crush on him ever since. I still do. It never went away.
Our families became very close and we all saw each other all the time. The crush definitely got worse during puberty. And I think he may have had some kind of attraction to me too at some point. But nothing ever happened other than a friendship that lasts til this day. But I was just a buddy on the block to him.
He’s since married and has teenagers of his own. But the last time I saw him, it was as if I was eight years old at the bus stop again. Lost in the blueness of the pools of his beautiful eyes. And there, it would stay.
My Mom walked me to the bus stop on our corner. There, I met Mary, who was also in my grade and class, and lived just around the block. My new best friend. Then we saw someone walking toward the bus stop. Mary was talking, but her voice went into the distance as I stared. He was a bit chunky. As he came closer, I saw two beautiful crystal pools of blue coming toward me. I stared. I never saw anything like it in Queens! Are they real? Is that possible? How could a person’s eyes be so blue? I stared and stared some more as he came closer.
It was Tommy Mickens. Our neighbor from across the street. As our Moms introduced us, I barely heard what they said as I was hypnotized by his eyes.
I mean, I was only eight. Could I really understand anything about attraction then? I don’t think so, but there it was. I had such a crush. But I didn’t even get it. I just knew he was beautiful. It took my breath away.
I had a crush on him ever since. I still do. It never went away.
Our families became very close and we all saw each other all the time. The crush definitely got worse during puberty. And I think he may have had some kind of attraction to me too at some point. But nothing ever happened other than a friendship that lasts til this day. But I was just a buddy on the block to him.
He’s since married and has teenagers of his own. But the last time I saw him, it was as if I was eight years old at the bus stop again. Lost in the blueness of the pools of his beautiful eyes. And there, it would stay.
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