Silver Anniversary

During this time Chuck would run into Marcy at the local grocery store or the department store. He was now able to stand and talk for a while with her. At first their conversation centered around people they both knew who were still around town. Later their conversations became more personal with comments that went kind of like, "Do you remember when we. . .?"

Marcy had an agenda that Chuck didn't realize for a while. She was using those casual conversations to remind him of the good times they had shared along with the friendship. If he started to view those memories without rancor then maybe they could get back to what she had wanted all along. She never wanted him to leave her, just allow her a little latitude. She was insanely jealous of any woman that even looked at him though. That double standard came back into play years later.

Now as Chuck sat in the bar and thought about his past with Marcy he could see where she had carefully manipulated him to do what she wanted. He didn't regret it as he had wanted to be manipulated many times. He tossed down the next shot and gestured for another one. When he had been served he stared deeply into the pool of bourbon again and continued to sort through his memories.

He remembered when he finally asked her out again. They went to a movie and then to a café for coffee afterwards. They talked about the movie and what all the symbolism was. They then laughed when they realized their poor English teacher had been trying to get them to do that with movies and books while they were in high school and it never seemed to make any sense.

They had a great time. Chuck could almost believe that Marcy had just been an immature schoolgirl when she had hurt him. They made more plans to go out. Soon they were an established couple again.

It was now 1960. The new decade filled with promise. World War II and Korea were just subjects for movies vying for their hard earned dollars among the romantic comedies, westerns, and musicals. Most movies were now shot in full color and stereo sound. Way different from the small black and white TV screens with the small speaker that was sometimes hard to understand.

As they became closer as a couple they did stay in more often. They had some new friends so they would have a card night, or play charades, and sometimes even a board game. Finally Chuck asked Marcy to marry him and she immediately agreed.

Their physical relationship was also evolving. They would still sit on the couch or a swing on the front porch and kiss for extended periods of time. Chuck would casually, with purpose, caress Marcy's breasts while Marcy would run her hands through his hair as they kissed and necked. Rarely she would tentatively touch his penis through his jeans.

There was no sex education in schools at that time. Pregnancy prevention consisted of condoms, the diaphragm, the rhythm method, or the man pulling out before ejaculation. Sex was a serious subject and not lightly engaged in. There was Playboy magazine but not much else other than Tijuana comics to help with education. This was not a subject discussed in polite society. Mothers told their daughters that it was their duty to submit to their husbands and that sex before marriage made a girl a whore.

Thus the couple did not know much more about sex than the gossip in the street. The lucky individual had an older person to teach and guide him or her but most like Marcy and Chuck just muddled through.

Both had heard of blowjobs but Marcy firmly believed only a whore put her mouth on a man's penis. Likewise the thought of putting his mouth or tongue on a woman's sex was abhorrent to a man like Chuck. Only a wimp would do something like that.

Thus they had little to no education or experience to help them in the bedroom.

Leading up to their nuptials was a different story. Chuck found a lot on the edge of town and they designed a house they could afford. It was a simple ranch style over a basement. Chuck, though, looked at a basement as a potential living area instead of a storage space that was the norm. He planned for larger windows and a higher ceiling. He also opted for that new fangled thing called central air conditioning.

When building began he was involved in every area. He helped with the lot preparation and digging the basement. Forming of the basement floor and footings was his responsibility. Then came pouring the concrete. After curing then block was laid. Chuck came in the evenings after a full day on other jobs to lay a course of two of block as his contribution to the house.

He helped frame the floor then the walls. Each and every part of the house got something from him. He even helped put in the drains for the tubs, sinks and toilets. The final finishes were done by him just days before the wedding. The plan was for them to take a short honeymoon, a week at a large resort in the mountains before moving into their new home together.

Chuck never asked Marcy what happened during her bachelorette party but his was a little embarrassing. The construction workers got together and threw his party. There was no stripper as their little city didn't have any strip joints. Instead there was a huge amount of beer and blue movies. The call went out and everyone with a 8 mm projector and a black and white porn movie came to the hall that was rented for the party. A large screen was put up and Chuck was placed in the position of honor directly in front just off to the side from the projector.

He was then subjected to multiple three to five minute short films of various sex acts. There were dumpy looking women performing oral sex and letting the guy spurt on their faces and into their mouths. One woman blew bubbles with the sperm as the movie ended.

There were other movies of just getting naked except it seemed all of the men kept their black socks on while fucking the skanky looking women. There was mostly just hopping on and slamming away until pulling out and shooting sperm all over the woman.

A rare movie showed two women licking each other after feeling each other up. Chuck was strangely turned on and also disgusted with each and every one but the beer kept flowing as the movies continued.

Chuck woke in the morning with a huge hangover. He was laying on a couch in the hall. It seemed most of the others also were in the same condition. As they slowly tried to become part of the living again they all agreed it was a hell of a party.

Chuck would only admit to himself that the education factor of the movies was the most sex education that he had ever gotten. It was too bad that it never showed him how to seduce and the value of foreplay. The films were just too short to show any activity that would actually help.

Their wedding went off with only minor glitches. Extended family came from all over. Both mothers were ecstatic that the couple had overcome their earlier misstep and were now married.

Their wedding night was the culmination of their courtship. In the honeymoon suite they found a round bed, red velour wall coverings, pink Champaign, and chocolate covered strawberries. They each tasted the offerings and discussed the décor. Chuck had his cummerbund off and his tie undone. Marcy was itching to get out of her gown and disappeared into the bathroom to change.

When she came back out she was wearing a new nightgown. She told Chuck that it was a present from her mother and mother-in-law at her bridal shower.

It was a vision. Actually it carefully hid and yet exposed her body. Chuck knew her body while clothed but this was something new and exciting. She was still the girl next door in looks and body type. Her breasts were full and her waist was trim. She had a glorious smile even though it was a little tentative as she had never appeared in front of a man in such a revealing garment before. She had the normal critical outlook on herself. She couldn't see how good looking she was. She only saw the things that she would improve if she could. Chuck was gazing at a woman that put the whores in the blue movies to shame and she was his woman.

He came to her and kissed her. He told her how much he loved her. She told him that she loved him more. They both smiled and kissed again. He stroked her breast and she stroked his chest while unbuttoning his shirt. They were soon kissing parts of their respective torsos that had never been touched so intimately.

Chuck tried to take his time and arouse his wife but his cock was hard and throbbing. He was so afraid he might actually ejaculate before giving his wife any pleasure. So he rushed things a little. He pulled off her gown and started to stroke her pussy. He was surprised that there didn't seem to be much moisture.

He kind of pushed her toward the round bed. When her knees hit the edge she fell back and he fell on top of her. He was still kissing her as he tried to work his slacks off. Marcy didn't know how to tell him she wasn't ready yet but she had been told that her job was to submit and she was ready to do so.

He finally got his slacks down and he kicked them off. Marcy didn't even get a look at his erection before he had her legs apart and was trying to push into her. His aim was off and he pounded against her mons multiple times before he suddenly got the head of his cock in the right placed. Unfortunately he was stabbing his cock into her so hard that he suddenly was blasting through her hymen and was suddenly fully imbedded in her unprepared vagina.

Marcy let out a scream as he thrust through and her legs came up and around his waist in an attempt to keep him from pushing in farther.

While Chuck was ashamed that he had thrust too hard he was also on a hair trigger. He suddenly shook and shuddered and moaned as his first ever vaginal penetration overcame him. His sperm shot out and his cock pulsed again and again as he lost control.

The feeling of shooting into her pussy was the best ever feeling he had ever had. Even though he had shot off so suddenly he already wanted to repeat this act over and over again.

The intensity of his orgasm, though, drained him. The full day, the buildup to the day, the reception, the drive after, and finally seeing Marcy in the nude and then the lovemaking took its toll. He collapsed onto his new bride almost knocking the wind out of her. In his excited but exhausted state he did not realize that she was not as ecstatic as he was.

He finally rolled off her and was soon snoring lightly. Marcy took a lot longer to get to sleep. His sperm was leaking out of her sore pussy. She was sure that there was some blood mixed in. She slowly got up and went into the bathroom. She drew a bath and was soon soaking her sore recently abused muscles.

After easing her pain as much as possible she let out the water and got out of the tub. On exiting the bathroom she was under the full glare of the lights and realized that there had not been much romance in the bridal suite tonight. She turned off the light and was soon asleep next to her new husband.

The rest of the honeymoon was great except for the sex. Chuck didn't know how to excite his wife and she didn't know how to tell him so. There was little communication on the subject. It set the pace for the next number of years.

It was exciting times. They were married in 1961. Their daughter Rebecca, Becky to her family and friends, was born in 1963. They survived the death of a president. Marcy cried all night the day he was shot and all day on the day of his funeral.

A son was born to the couple in 1965. His name was John. He was a beautiful baby and loved by his mother and father, his grandparents, and his sister. Then came the day of absolute terror and grief. One morning when John was six months old he was found cold and still in his crib.

Marcy was destroyed. Chuck felt he had to be the strong one and not show how much he was destroyed by the death of his son. He was the rock that all could count on. He was the one who had to try and explain to a two year old why her little brother was no longer in his crib. The doctors couldn't explain why John was taken. They called it "crib death." There was no other explanation. The doctors didn't want to talk about it. Apparently they hate having to admit they have no clue as to what happened.

Marcy wondered if she was to blame somehow. Chuck wondered if she should have taken John to the doctor more often. Marcy wondered why Chuck didn't seem bothered as much as she was. He even went back to work only a couple of days after the funeral leaving her alone to care for Becky. She went back to work a couple of weeks later.

Family kept asking what happened. No one knew the answers. On the day of his death the police had responded to the emergency call. There was no 911 then, just dial "0" and ask for emergency services. The cops seemed to think that Marcy and Chuck had done something wrong but couldn't pin anything on them. Even years later when having any contact with law enforcement the officer would check something and suddenly the attitude would change and become very aggressive.

Chuck could now look back at that incident and see that things had changed a little then. Marcy had wanted sex less often. Hell, she had never really initiated any sex between them but after John died she seemed to resist his advances more often. Soon it became a reluctant heavy sigh when he would try to snuggle with her. They didn't touch each other lovingly as much any more.

They did still entertain about as much as before. They had friends that had children so they would get together with them for a night out, a barbeque, or a card party.

Their little city was spared the worst of the race riots that paralyzed much larger cities but their thinking had to change. While not blatantly bigoted they remembered telling "N" jokes and were ashamed. Then came the debacle called Vietnam. Friends went and died there. Even the ones who survived were changed forever. The populous treated them horribly. We walked on the moon. A great moment in time.

A space capsule had burned up on the pad before that. Another one almost didn't make it back and never completed its mission. At least the three crew members were home safe. Russians and Americans met up in space and shook hands. A president resigned in disgrace. Inflation was rampant and unemployment was also high.

Free love was the slogan of the day for the younger generation. Chuck had a hard time understanding them. LSD, speed, barbiturates, and weed were now in the mainstream while still illegal. Woodstock was a success that was legendary. Also, was not to be repeated as a huge unplanned event.

There was a new birth control method, The Pill, that gained popularity immediately. Women could now have sex with multiple partners with little regard for unplanned pregnancy. With the legalization of abortion even unplanned pregnancies could be dealt with.

Chuck felt further and further out of touch with the modern world. Their daughter was now getting ready for Junior High School and puberty was a real possibility in the near future. He had always been there for her. He attended her grade school functions. She was baptized in the church and now was ready to take confirmation classes. She was active in sports all year round. She was a lovely girl on the cusp of adolescence.

Cosmopolitan magazine was listing the top sex positions. Marcy read them all but still didn't communicate with Chuck about her desires. She read books, best sellers, all about sex but she never discussed her needs, wants or desires with her husband.

There was now an adult theater downtown in place of one of the mainstream theaters but good upstanding people did not frequent those places. There was even an adult bookstore next to the theater. Again a place no upstanding person would be caught dead in.

Marcy had gained some weight with her pregnancies but neither Chuck nor Marcy was all that concerned. Chuck still loved her with the intensity that he had always had. In his eyes she was still the girl he had fallen in love with.

Chuck had gained a few pounds also but his work was very physical so he kept in better shape. Marcy was now the personal assistant, PA, to her boss. It was a new job title. Initially a glorified secretary but later to be extremely needful in the business world.

Both were making good money. Chuck was still making the bulk of the income but Marcy's contribution wasn't chicken feed. Their house was mostly paid off and would be before Becky graduated from high school. There was money being saved for her education and they all hoped that she would qualify for grants and scholarships as she wanted to be a physician.

They were proud of their daughter and in the recesses of their minds still grieving for John.

They didn't fall into the trap of trying to keep up with the Joneses. They resisted trading up their house every few years like some of their contemporaries. Their house payment was low and so it helped with the high inflation years. Their cars were paid for and continued to run well. About the time Becky was slated to graduate high school they had actually purchased a camper and went on a trip every summer.

Chuck and Marcy also avoided one of the traps so many fell into. Most couples their age fell into two basic groups. One group was looking for extramarital thrills and the other group was the stay at home, watch TV and slowly descend into oblivion. They continued to go out for supper and movies, occasional dances, and visiting with other couples. They continued to discuss current events, their jobs, and their daughter and her activities. Chuck told Marcy that he loved her every morning when they parted to go to their respective jobs and every night before they fell asleep. Marcy echoed Chuck every time without fail.

Becky graduated high school with honors and was soon in a four year college to get her undergraduate degree and working in a nursing home for spending money. She was a lovely young woman. She had dated a couple of boys throughout high school but didn't seem ready to be serious. Maybe after med school they both surmised.

Chuck was feeling no pain as he finished his thoughts about his earlier years and his relationship with Marcy and his daughter. They had quietly celebrated their twentieth anniversary the year that Becky had graduated. They placed more emphasis on her accomplishments. Every year they acknowledged their anniversary with a dinner at a high end restaurant. Their gifts to each other were thoughtful and lovingly picked out. Even though Chuck had a secretary/PA of his own he never allowed her to choose a gift for Marcy. This was unlike Marcy's boss who wanted Marcy to choose every gift he gave out.

Chapter Two—The anniversary party

Now Becky had graduated with her degree in pre-med and was awaiting her placement letter. Because it was her parents' twenty-fifth anniversary year she had planned for a large celebration to commemorate the event. So many of their older friends had never gotten close to twenty-five years so this made the celebration even more needful. They had beaten the odds. They still loved each other.

Chuck paused in his ruminations and sipped his drink. He was getting very fuzzy. It was hard to focus on the most recent events. These events were causing the most pain. Not since the death of John, not even the death of his parents in the intervening years had he felt so alone and in such visceral pain.

Chuck suddenly had to get up and leave the bar. It was starting to stifle him. He needed out in the fresh air before he heaved. He stumbled as he got to the door, almost going down. No, not here, he screamed in his head. I have to get out. I have to be alone. I can't break down here.

He managed to get the heavy door open. It hadn't seemed that heavy when he came in. He lurched away from the bar and the lights of the parking lot. Out there was darkness, blessed darkness. It matched the darkness in his soul. As drunk as he was he couldn't stop thinking about the celebration. It had been scheduled on their anniversary. Becky was very adamant about that. Because it happened to fall on a Saturday it was seemed to be divine providence. All of their friends and their remaining family could attend. It started at two pm and was slated to last a couple of hours.