This is a little dopey story of a time when I was younger, around 14. Mom left us and dad became a bachelor. We moved into his bachelor friend's house and I was designated as lady of the house; responsible for all shopping, cooking and house cleaning. Some days it was overwhelming the way dad controlled my time. I didn't feel like a normal teenager at all.
I decided it was time to set him up to date. We shopped and fit him with a couple of Angel Flight suits and a new hair style to prepare for the disco clubbing scene of the late 70's. One night he met a Puerto Rican lady who had a daughter my age. We got together a few times. The daughter and I hit it off really well, so dad agreed that we could hang out together while he and the lady go out for dinner and dancing.
We did all the usual teenage things; talked about boys, music, and mischief. She asked me if there was any alchohol in the house. Of course, I was proud to show her the fully stocked party bar...after all this was a bachelor pad. There was even a player piano in the bar area. She quickly found the rum and mixed it with some Coke, but I had never done anything like this before, so I decided to get the bartender's guide out and prepare a drink that I knew my grandmother loved. A Manhatton. It always seemed impressive with that cherry on top. Following the directions, I mixed the Wild Turkey, Coke and Grenadine and even put a cherry on top. It was delicious!!! My grandma had good taste.
Through the night we laughed and called boys and she had a friend who drove, so he came over and took us cruisin for a while. I had two good sized Manhattans before I left. I remember the car ride being a lot of fun. We were riding in a black Trans Am and I was in the back. I leaned over the front seat, because it was hard to hear the conversation. The stereo was so loud! Pretty sure it was mostly the Commodores he played. I remember the first part of the ride pretty well and I remember beginning to feel sick. I reall y felt I was going hurl, so the guy drove us home and my friend realized I was pretty drunk when I could hardly walk into the house without leaning on her.
She stuck me in the shower and made a pot of coffee. After she made me sip the coffee, I can only remember being in the shower and getting sick. I remember nothing after that except the next morning and my father's wrath. So here is what I was told. I had lost my balance and fell through the glass shower doors. My friend was trying to clean me up when my dad and her mom returned. My dad apparently accused her of giving me some kind of drugs. His date left angry at him for accusing her daughter of such a thing.
The daughter told the story of our liquor cabinet escapade, but dad didn't believe that was all it was, because I was such a mess. I think I was overly generous with that 151 proof Wild Turkey (Or was that 101? I can't remember). We both didn't know there was a difference between that and the Meyers Rum she was having. The taste was all covered up in sweetness.
Dad had to clean me up and get me to bed, but he stayed by my bedside for much of the night. The next day, his girlfriend called to check up on me and she had forgiven my dad. She understood his concern and I'm pretty sure because of her sweetness she convinced him to go light on me. The hangover was enough punishment. I thanked her for that. My dad took me for a ride around the lake and talked to me calmly about what had happened and that would not normally be the way with him. He told me that he feared for my life when he saw me like that. The conversation was so sincere and caring that I really had no desire to disappoint him like that again. Not to mention I was embarrassed that he had to see me totally naked and clean me up...That's enough to cure a teenage girl. I'm not saying I never got drunk again, but the next time was many years later.
I decided it was time to set him up to date. We shopped and fit him with a couple of Angel Flight suits and a new hair style to prepare for the disco clubbing scene of the late 70's. One night he met a Puerto Rican lady who had a daughter my age. We got together a few times. The daughter and I hit it off really well, so dad agreed that we could hang out together while he and the lady go out for dinner and dancing.
We did all the usual teenage things; talked about boys, music, and mischief. She asked me if there was any alchohol in the house. Of course, I was proud to show her the fully stocked party bar...after all this was a bachelor pad. There was even a player piano in the bar area. She quickly found the rum and mixed it with some Coke, but I had never done anything like this before, so I decided to get the bartender's guide out and prepare a drink that I knew my grandmother loved. A Manhatton. It always seemed impressive with that cherry on top. Following the directions, I mixed the Wild Turkey, Coke and Grenadine and even put a cherry on top. It was delicious!!! My grandma had good taste.
Through the night we laughed and called boys and she had a friend who drove, so he came over and took us cruisin for a while. I had two good sized Manhattans before I left. I remember the car ride being a lot of fun. We were riding in a black Trans Am and I was in the back. I leaned over the front seat, because it was hard to hear the conversation. The stereo was so loud! Pretty sure it was mostly the Commodores he played. I remember the first part of the ride pretty well and I remember beginning to feel sick. I reall y felt I was going hurl, so the guy drove us home and my friend realized I was pretty drunk when I could hardly walk into the house without leaning on her.
She stuck me in the shower and made a pot of coffee. After she made me sip the coffee, I can only remember being in the shower and getting sick. I remember nothing after that except the next morning and my father's wrath. So here is what I was told. I had lost my balance and fell through the glass shower doors. My friend was trying to clean me up when my dad and her mom returned. My dad apparently accused her of giving me some kind of drugs. His date left angry at him for accusing her daughter of such a thing.
The daughter told the story of our liquor cabinet escapade, but dad didn't believe that was all it was, because I was such a mess. I think I was overly generous with that 151 proof Wild Turkey (Or was that 101? I can't remember). We both didn't know there was a difference between that and the Meyers Rum she was having. The taste was all covered up in sweetness.
Dad had to clean me up and get me to bed, but he stayed by my bedside for much of the night. The next day, his girlfriend called to check up on me and she had forgiven my dad. She understood his concern and I'm pretty sure because of her sweetness she convinced him to go light on me. The hangover was enough punishment. I thanked her for that. My dad took me for a ride around the lake and talked to me calmly about what had happened and that would not normally be the way with him. He told me that he feared for my life when he saw me like that. The conversation was so sincere and caring that I really had no desire to disappoint him like that again. Not to mention I was embarrassed that he had to see me totally naked and clean me up...That's enough to cure a teenage girl. I'm not saying I never got drunk again, but the next time was many years later.
2 comments:
manhattans are pretty deadly. My first horror story with liquor was with whiskey sours. I still cant drink them without wincing to this day. Sounds like your Dad was a good guy.
great story! :)
Yeah, he's a god guy...He's very dramatic actually and if not for that sweet girlfriend of his, I would have been on restriction and made to do extra hard labor for six months. He was always a very protective father. I've only had those whiskey sour candies...I love the taste of those. You probably wouldn't:~/
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