Long, Long, Long

The first time I kissed a girl I broke out in hives from my head to my toes.

Freddy Muller threw a party down his 414 East 83rd Street cellar shortly after New Year's Day in early January 1969. The party was un-sanctioned by his parents, Whitey Muller, a double for the little bald guy on the Benny Hill Show and Mrs. Muller who made a mean Sloppy Joe sandwich. Freddy's parents were the building's super.

Freddy caught crap all the time. Mr. Muller liked gathering Freddy's friends together and complaining about his son. We loved Freddy, so we'd humor Dad to keep him off Freddy's back. Most dads complained to your friends about you when they could, it was a standard Yorkville practice.

The day after the party, I snuck back to the cellar with a girl I liked from my St. Stephen's eighth grade class. We were freshman in high school moving in different directions but our flirting continued.

Aquarium dim light lit the damp cellar, we could smell the steam pipes and hear them sizzling. It was Sunday morning, everything else was quiet. We'd left our stereo equipment & records down there the night before. There was no furniture except the card table the music sat on. Everyone took home the folding chairs they borrowed from their houses.

I put on the Beatles White Album ~Long, Long, Long, by George Harrison, a close dancing song, I thought. I awkwardly moved into position, put my cheek against the nape of the girl's neck, slid my cheek up against her cheek and eased my mouth up. I blindly tried to find her lips, it worked. It felt amazing, my head spun, I think I temporarily lost consciousness, then my throat closed. I felt warm all over my head, neck, chest and arms. I was swelling up like a Macy's Thanksgiving Parade float. Then lumps appeared. My throat was on fire, not good fire.

"What's wrong with you?" The girl asked.

"I, I, I, I don't know."

"Well you're scaring me, stop it!" she said.

This wasn't helping, I needed someone to say, "You're going to be O.K." She was panicking, which is never one of my calm down triggers.

"Stop what you're doing!" she said.

This got me mad, but it worked. Whatever excitement I had over the kiss passed, my hives eased and my heart slowed down.

My next kiss was uneventful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmMA9Qqxcts

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The piano on Long, Long, Long sounds an awful lot like, Go Now, by the Moody Blues but don't blame George, Chris Thomas, George Martin's assistant, is playing piano.

It's been a long long long time.
How could I ever have lost you?
When I loved you.
It took a long long long time,
Now I'm so happy I found you.
How I love you.
So many years I was searching,
So many tears I was wasting,
Oh, Oh--
Now I can see you,
be you
How can I ever misplace you?
How I want you.
Oh, I love you.
You know that I need you.
Ooh, I love you.

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