Editor's Pick
JULY 30, 2009 11:47AM
Rate: 35
Holton Farkas french horn, the matchmaker
The girl was dressed in black from head to toe. She arrived for her first day at the new school with a brand new shiny French Horn under her arm, walking in while the orchestra was already practicing. All the topsider, khaki & Izod polo wearing eyes turned to her. Almost all.
The boy, with pencils and a slide rule in the pocket of his button-down shirt, was sitting in 4th chair holding his dented, not so shiny French Horn. The girl was pointed to second chair. She scooted past the 4th chair boy, but not before stepping on the toes of his black tie-up shoes. He hated her from that moment forward. But not for long.
The girl loved playing the French Horn, but could not count at all. She had the gift of hearing the whole musical score in her head, but if she was distracted for even a second, all was lost. The boy's presence distracted her a lot.
The boy scorned anyone who could not count. To a geek, counting was as basic as breathing. You really didn't have to listen to the music (or the crappy clarinets) if you could count. He would go home and bluster about the girl who stole 2nd chair and could not count. His parents said little, but raised an eyebrow or two. He had never spoken about a girl until then.
The girl could play well enough to keep up, but the boy's omnipresence was making her nervous. When they managed to sneak a look at each other, eyes meeting, she would blush and lose her place, and the boy would turn beet red and scowl.
Now, that was love.
They took the slow road because they had no skills to do it any other way. They would hang out before orchestra, sitting on the floor near enough to feel each other's existence, but never, ever closer than 3 feet. They never talked to or looked directly at one another. But even with the silence, eventually that space disappeared. They still didn't talk, but they let their hands accidentally touch without twitching.
Detente.
And wasn't everyone surprised when one early summer day they slipped away on a Greyhound bus to begin a life together not 30 days past their 17th birthdays.
The mission? To get to Massachusetts to visit one of the top Geek schools in the country. These two had plans. Along the way they called their parents to let them know they were alive & well and enjoying the campus very much, thank you.
When they arrived back to their little home town because of the promise of permission to marry, the village clerk was surely surprised to find two teenagers with their parents in tow ready to sign the marriage license. That would be fodder for months in that small town.
They were married in the living room of the girl's house with the closest thing to a Rabbi. A Jewish Judge, friend of the family, married the two one summer day in 1972. The bride wore a slightly used, oddly fitting bridesmaid dress and the groom wore his first real suit.
They said it wouldn't last or that she was pregnant. Both not true as it turns out.
Standing in love, 13,514 days later, the former teenage nerds, best friends still, nerds still, celebrate another anniversary remaining quite smitten with one another.
The girl's French Horn moved with them for a very long time, but when it was time, the horn was re-homed with another lucky teenager.
the nerdy bride and groom (center) : vintage 1972
Comments
Happy Anniversary! Great photo too! Love the re-horning tidbit too.
Oh, this is lovely! All those days together, being nerdy and silly and sad and happy and tired and fed up and -- just -- together. I'm a little envious, I think. I was married 33 years before my hubby died--and it's been 10 years and I still miss him some. But I never counted the days--it's a neat thing to think about. Thank you for posting this! Rated. D
How lovely! Happy anniversary.
:~) Beautiful story, just wonderful!
Aw, what a *great* love story - and the fact that it's true makes it even sweeter. So glad the bus ride, and everything else, worked out. Happy Anniversary, L&P!
I am Jealousing with a big capital Jealous. Beautiful.
Aw, what a lovely story. A big happy anniversary to you both!!
I guess our recent 365 is nothing compared to your 13,514!
Time to celebrate BIG!
I guess our recent 365 is nothing compared to your 13,514!
Time to celebrate BIG!
Happy Anniversary! I see how much you two still love each other, and it is an inpiration for sure! People are amazed when I tell them the story of you guys, and they are in awe! I am too!
Oh wow, I'm teary. Congratulations!
Mazel Tov, Nachess und Glick.
Rated
Oddpotter
Rated
Oddpotter
So jealousing! How wonderful for you both. Great story. Happy Anniversary.
Loved this! And I played french horn! (Talk about nerd cred - that was one instrument you couldn't hide in your locker or backpack!)
So sweet! It reminds me, in some small ways, of the romance between the first-chair flautist and the third-chair trumpet player who sat behind her and gazed mournfully at her back for almost three years. Much, much happiness to both of you.
Happy, happy! Band nerds are the best nerds of all. Well told!
Happy Anniversary! And looking at that photo, there was never any doubt that it was taken in the early '70's!
what happened to the hot blonde on the left?
this is such a sweet tale...and i'm usually hardened in every emotional sense to being affected by anything that smacks of romantic sentiment...but i swear this time i was REAL close to having a rusty tear slide down my cheek
and i'm curious... what is it about clarinets that raises your husbands dander?
and i'm curious... what is it about clarinets that raises your husbands dander?
Happy Anniversary! I love the way you told this story.
I like everything you write---but this is a masterpiece. Amazing what a motivator love can be for art. This piece will live forever.
Congratulations. For ALL of it!
Congratulations. For ALL of it!
What a sweet love story! Wishing both of you the happiest of anniversaries, followed by many, many more.
lovely lovely. I am smiling now, just relishing your fabulous love story.
Buffy - thank you so much! it is the wedding photo...always makes me giggle.
Yarn - thank you as well. I do treasure the days, and your comment makes me appreciate it all the more! I am so sorry for your loss.
Steve - thank you! I was hoping for a Steve-arcasm though!
Owl - Thank you too!
Donna - Me too. I cannot even imagine two 17 year olds doing that these days. Yikes! My hair just got a little more gray. Thanks for the anniversary wishes.
VR - aw, that is really sweet. no one has ever jealoused over us before! espc. not in high school with those giant french horn cases on the school bus. : )
Plumm - 365 is too a big deal! You gotta start somewhere. 13,514 is older than you...... yikes.
zz - you know that we love you. Even when you were 17!
sweet - aw, thanks!
oddpotter - Thank you odd potter!
Deborah, thank you to you too!
annette - now that is a small world. and yep, no way to hide that thing. the yellow school bus ride was always fun on band days.....I really miss playing it.
Ash - wow, I can almost see that. The timpani guy behind us was in love with the 3rd chair horn. That was fun.
Hells Bells - band nerds, hehehe. yep.
Procopius - phew. I was hoping people would see 70's all over it. The hair and the skirt length, huh?
noah - the hot blond is my SIL and still is both. She is a wonderful elementary school teacher and the sweetest person in the universe.
angus - now that made me giggle, and smile. thank you! his little sister "played" the clarinet and squeaked. nothing like the Mozart clarinet piece though - that one is a beauty. But high school clarinets....sometimes not so much.
Suzn - thank you and thanks for coming by!
Roger roger! You make me blush. Thank you. It was a surprise for The Geek.
Lisa, my sistah, thank you very very much!
Yarn - thank you as well. I do treasure the days, and your comment makes me appreciate it all the more! I am so sorry for your loss.
Steve - thank you! I was hoping for a Steve-arcasm though!
Owl - Thank you too!
Donna - Me too. I cannot even imagine two 17 year olds doing that these days. Yikes! My hair just got a little more gray. Thanks for the anniversary wishes.
VR - aw, that is really sweet. no one has ever jealoused over us before! espc. not in high school with those giant french horn cases on the school bus. : )
Plumm - 365 is too a big deal! You gotta start somewhere. 13,514 is older than you...... yikes.
zz - you know that we love you. Even when you were 17!
sweet - aw, thanks!
oddpotter - Thank you odd potter!
Deborah, thank you to you too!
annette - now that is a small world. and yep, no way to hide that thing. the yellow school bus ride was always fun on band days.....I really miss playing it.
Ash - wow, I can almost see that. The timpani guy behind us was in love with the 3rd chair horn. That was fun.
Hells Bells - band nerds, hehehe. yep.
Procopius - phew. I was hoping people would see 70's all over it. The hair and the skirt length, huh?
noah - the hot blond is my SIL and still is both. She is a wonderful elementary school teacher and the sweetest person in the universe.
angus - now that made me giggle, and smile. thank you! his little sister "played" the clarinet and squeaked. nothing like the Mozart clarinet piece though - that one is a beauty. But high school clarinets....sometimes not so much.
Suzn - thank you and thanks for coming by!
Roger roger! You make me blush. Thank you. It was a surprise for The Geek.
Lisa, my sistah, thank you very very much!
Oh. How. Lovely. Happy anniversary. Hoping that you and my goddogs get cake.
Those chairs you're standing in front of are still around. I swear! Love that photo. Happy 37th! And many, many more.
I love a good story about lasting love and horny teenagers. =o)
This was lovely. Marrying your best friend--best way to make a marriage last.
This was lovely. Marrying your best friend--best way to make a marriage last.
Congrats! and that photo ROCKS!
:)
Pawed!
:)
Pawed!
Happy Anniversary! The photo is priceless, and the girl who plays the horn reminds me of Victoria Tennant's character in Steve Martin's film, & love story, L.A .Story which is a guilty pleasure of mine. It is sweet, surreal and poignant....
Remember, the nerds of yesterday, become the hipster role models for the future.
Congratulations and many, many more.
Congratulations and many, many more.
Sometimes young love remains and flowers and that might be the most wondrous of all. Congratulations, and 13,514 more!
M - thank you so much. they did indeed get some cake and shared with us.
sara - holy crap. I hope they've been recovered.
Shiral - ah, the teenage hormones....
Miko - thank you! It is so vintage now, isn't it?!
Nelly - I love that movie. Have to watch it again.
Stellaa - no more pencils in the pocket, but still a nerd. grateful though. if he has a paperclip, we will never be at a loss for a car repair.... thanks for the good wishes!
Lea - you are so sweet. thank you so much. another 13K would be wonderful.
sara - holy crap. I hope they've been recovered.
Shiral - ah, the teenage hormones....
Miko - thank you! It is so vintage now, isn't it?!
Nelly - I love that movie. Have to watch it again.
Stellaa - no more pencils in the pocket, but still a nerd. grateful though. if he has a paperclip, we will never be at a loss for a car repair.... thanks for the good wishes!
Lea - you are so sweet. thank you so much. another 13K would be wonderful.
Happy anniversary. Great post, too.
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