Gennie was going to write Page a letter, but decided against it. She didn’t think it would make things any better.
Over the next month, she stayed with Ben, attended her classes, looked for a new apartment and spent her weekends with Rory. She also spent about an hour nearly every night talking to him on the telephone. She didn’t pay much attention to what Ben and Val were doing. They were hardly ever at the apartment. When they were, she noticed their relationship was a little lackluster. Val seemed to be annoyed at every little thing Ben did, though they never really fought. Gennie noticed Ben seemed tense and a little angry when Val was around.
She thought Page would get over her anger but she didn’t. She gradually became a hippie. She grew her hair very long and dressed in shabby looking clothes. She became increasingly involved in the Vietnam Day Club, even when the group was kicked off campus. She became Bad Ass Betty’s right hand girl, giving speeches, walking around carrying signs and attending sit-ins. Her name was in the campus newspaper constantly, as she racked up a rap sheet. It mostly involved blocking public ways, loitering and disturbing the peace, though once she was arrested for possession of a small amount of marijuana.
Nearly a year later, she and Page were strangers. Page never looked at her or acknowledged her. It was as if they had never met. Gennie felt sad, but had resigned herself to the fact that there was nothing she could do about it, and continued on with her life.
She was a month into her sophomore year at Berkeley when Rory took her out to their old haunt Valben, but this time she noticed he was acting very distracted. Gennie was worried.
“Anything wrong?” Gennie asked him, as they waited for a waitress to bring them their meals.
“No, not at all,” he said, tapping on the table with his fingers.
“You’ve been acting weird all night,” Gennie said. “If you have some bad news to tell me, you don’t have to wait any longer.”
“I don’t have any bad news.”
“You’re sure?”
“Of course. What were you expecting?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you’re getting sick of me.”
“I’m not sick of you. I love you!”
“You’re not dumping me?”
Rory laughed. “No!”
Gennie sighed. “Okay, I believe you, but something’s up.”
“Our dinner,” Rory said.
Ben came out of the kitchen with a cart. The single dish had a silver plate cover on top of it.
“Where’s the rest of our food?” Gennie asked him.
“It’s coming out in a second. Actually, this isn’t your dinner at all. This is something Rory ordered special just for you. Want to see what it is?”
“Well, yeah,” Gennie said, growing annoyed. She assumed it was soup or an appetizer.
Ben lifted the cover up to reveal a small velvet box.
“Oh, it’s a present,” Gennie said. “That’s so nice of you, Rory.”
Before Gennie could grab the box, Rory lifted it up and opened it. Gennie was astonished when he got down on bended knee.
“You don’t know this,” he said quietly, “but the first time I saw you, I knew you were the one. It was at the first Dart Club meeting last year. The reason why I didn’t ask you out sooner was because I asked one of my friends if you were taken and he said that you were going out with Foster Conrad. That night at the party, when you ran out in the rain crying, all I wanted to do was hold you and protect you forever. I wanted to propose to you after our first date, but I was afraid that you would think it was too soon. Well, it’s been more than a year since we first met and I think you know as well as I do that we’re meant to be. So, now I want to ask you the big question…Gennie, will you marry me?”
Gennie was stunned. This was something she thought would never happen to someone like her.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” she said, tears coming to her eyes. “I didn’t think anyone would ever want me as their wife, but the answer is…yes.”
The whole restaurant stood up and applauded.
“Good answer, Sis,” Ben said. “Rory was hoping you’d say that.”
Rory slid the ring on her left hand. Gennie couldn’t believe how big it was. He must have taken out a huge loan in order to pay for it. It looked odd on her hands, but she liked it.
“Thank you, Rory,” she replied, hugging him. “You’ve given me an excuse to go get my nails done.
Chapter 41: March 30, 1968
What They Left Behind Page 40
