James Dodge and the black prom dress

Prom Night 1974

In my last post I mentioned James Dodge. That set me to thinking about James. It is such a mystery to me how two people could be such close friends that they finish each other's sentences and then drift so far apart.

I met James when I was in Junior High School and he was in Catholic School. We had what I would call a crush back then - harmless crush - the kind where you say he's your boyfriend and sit by him at the show but that was the extent of it. The school combined at freshman year and although I don't remember it now, I'm sure we went to high school together that first year. Then my parents separated and I moved from Santa Rosa to Albuquerque with my mother, sister and nephew.

I would return to Santa Rosa to visit my dad quite often. My father had two restaurants there on Highway 66, now called I-40. He was busy running between the two businesses and I was left on my own for the most part. I didn't mind at all because I spent all my spare time with my best friend Marilyn. (Now there's a story, another time my friends, another time - ).

We were at that whirl wind age where the world is in full bloom. All you can think about is boys and hanging out.

Being too young to drive we often ended up with other friends who did have transportation. It must have been this factor that brought James Dodge..."Dodge" ... back into my life. Marilyn and I hung out with Dodge and Matt Encinias at every chance. The four of us never paired up - just good friends having the time of their lives. Then suddenly the winds shifted.

After spending the summer in Santa Rosa with my dad (really with my friends, my dad was just a cover) I returned to Albuquerque to go to school. Marilyn found a boyfriend and a new best friend (out with the old, in with the new). Matt went to visit family in Denver and returned with a wife and James was just someone I would occasionally see around town when I ventured back for a visit.

Then the winds shifted again. Out of the blue my mother decided to send me home to live with my father. Actually there is a story there too but one at a time...okay? I was a junior in high school and living with a father who barely knew I was there and consequently I began running the streets like a well fed orphan. Marilyn and I picked up where we had left off in being best friends and step by step James and I once again became buddies. James drove Marilyn and I around constantly. The only odd change was that Matt was no longer in the picture but his soon to be ex wife (Dee Dee)was - the four of us were as tight as a group could be. Those were good people - valuable people in my life.

At that time there would be a dance almost every weekend in the Jr. High School gym. The local band made up of the "it" guys of our time would play and we'd file in and sit on the bleachers waiting for some guy to get up the nerve to walk across the gym floor and ask a girl to dance. Once the ice was broken the party was in full swing but I bet we'd be there almost an hour before anyone would dance.

A thing began to happen. Not planned, just a natural thing that sprouted wings on its own. I would be sitting there with my friends dying to dance and James and Harold (who is now my brother in law - isn't life funny?) would walk in about six inches off the ground and feeling no pain. He would walk straight from the door, across the floor and over to me. He'd always say the same thing, "Let's get this dance started". and there we'd go. Beginning the summer between my junior and senior year I dance exclusively with James Dodge.

Marilyn moved away that summer and my first real boyfriend went off to the army. If it hadn't been for Dodge I'm not sure I could have faced my senior year. He was a wonderful friend to me. We continued hanging out and dancing together at the dances but as the year wore on we each eventually fell into other relationships. No hard feelings, at least none that were allowed to surface at the time. I think the last dance we attended together was the Snowball Dance at Christmas. That last semester he was dating Susie and I was dating Robert. However James and I made an art out of truancy. During the school day we were inseparable - in and out of school.

I can remember like it was yesterday that Prom was rolling around and it was assumed that each of us would go to prom with our partners. James and I were ditching school (as usual)and at one point we were driving south on 3rd street, passing Andy Baca's house to be precise, when James said to me "It just doesn't seem right not dancing with you the last dance of high school".

Back then the teachers and administrators would dictate what was the appropriate dress code for this event. One of the few edicts they set forth was "no black dresses to be worn by young girls attending the prom - it wasn't considered the proper thing to do".... he he he...sometimes they just made it too easy, ya know?

I remember my parents (who had reconciled, if that's what you want to call it, by then) looking out window as Dodge parked the car and came walking up the sidewalk. My dad was a man of few words. He stood there, himself bald as a cue ball, and as James came walking up he mumbled "Would you look at all that hair." I still smile when I think of that.

For many reasons, some obvious and some still a mystery, this was the last night of our famous friendship. James became very angry at me and at the time I didn't understand what it was all about, now I think I do. We were finally able to put it all behind us but it was never the same again.

The photo below was taken at my 30th high school reunion. Left to right is Tommy Trujillo, me, James Dodge and James "Beak: Quintana hamming it up front and center. For what its worth, all three called me immediately when they heard about my heart attack. I love these guys, and James, in my heart I'm still dancing with you while Tutor and Hokey sing Nights in White Satin...