Outandabout-Magazine-Oct-issue-191

40 | OUT AND ABOUT COSTA BLANCA
ANNE RODGER
The Roller coaster
Part 7
BY
ANNE RODGER
Since I first introduced you to my
Autobiography in December, I have
given you a glimpse into my humble
Black Country “Beginnings”, my Grammar
School Days, Student Days, and, last month,
my career in “Teaching”.
Alongside these times, there existed my
private life and the extreme situations
and emotions that make
me describe the “Roller
coaster”.
Until I was 19, you
could describe my
life as “Normal”.
The usual ups
and downs and
“Ordinariness” .
Then I fell in
love. Big time.
We literally
“bumped into” each
other. With less than an
hour to go, I had decided
to “ditch” the boring chap I
had been with most of the evening.
Said I was going to the loo, and was on my
way out. Coming in was a group of lads
who were pretty drunk and on their way
home from a night out. They decided to
make one last stop, and I was caught up in
them as they barged their way in.
Before I knew it, I was grabbed by one
of them and pulled on to the dance floor.
Within minutes my head was literally
spinning in a very enthusiastic Gay
Gordons. Other dances followed until I was
so dizzy I had to be helped from the dance
floor by this gorgeous man who was so
apologetic that the Bar had closed and he
couldn’t revive me with a drink.
“That’s OK” I said. “I have
to go to the bus in the Car
Park that takes us back to
our accommodation.”
He saw me out to the
bus, but before he let
me get on it, we had
a passionate embrace
under the trees and
arranged to meet at
7 pm by the college
gate on the following
Thursday.
I don’t remember the bus
ride back. Or even signing in.
But I do remember sitting on my
bed in a kind of daze. Bring out all the
clichés. The lightning strike. Love at First
Sight. Whatever.
The days passed slowly, and Thursday
seemed the longest day of my life - but there
I was by the gate at 7 pm. By 7-30 I wasn’t