My Man Gene... Part I

Yesterday, I took the kids to peruse around at a local antique store. The store itself is as old as the goods they market, smells like the 70's and is a collection of stalls that offer everything from antique butter churns to collectible smurf lunchboxes. And it's a lot like going to Goodwill, in that you have to sort through the stalls to really find what you're looking for.

Dominick always wanders toward the collectible metal trucks, Diana usually skips over to look at vintage Barbies, and I found myself in the "antique kitchen utensils" stall. (You just can't find a good flour sifter these days...) Anyway, while I sorted through the ladles and graters and churns, a little black book caught my eye. It was about 4.5" x 6" in size and had the word "Record" written in gold on the front.

I was weary to pick it up thinking that maybe it was the record book for whomever operated that particular stall, but lucky for me the weary feeling only lasted a millisecond and was replaced by a much stronger sense of curiosity. So, with a quick look over my shoulder I reached down and picked up the little black book. I don't often go snooping around in other people things (OK, so not all the time) but after skimming the first page of the book I realized what it was: A Diary. The last time I'd actually gone looking for a diary I'd been around 15 and was trying to dig up dirt on my then 8 year old sister. (Not exactly the stuff of Anne Frank.)

But holding THIS diary was intriguing, the first page was written in a beautiful blue loping script and there in the front cover was a price tag. $3.00 to take home the diary with pretty handwriting. Three bucks didn't seem like a lot to ask, but the idea of BUYING someones innermost thoughts and secrets , while intriguing, seemed a little tacky, even for me. Which is why I hid it in my purse just as soon as I'd coughed up the dough for the little treasure.

The book is small, about 30ish or so pages and while I originally thought it was written by a women, it's actually the handiwork of a man called Gene V-----, and most of the diary is about his admiration and love for a woman called Linda.

Page 1:
November 03, 1981
The last few weeks have been miserable for me and my mind. Crazy things have crossed my mind I convinced myself that you no longer care or need my love any longer. But in truth, I know she cares and I feel to look at your circumstances.
Linda, I am sorry for doubting you so much at times but I care so deeply and at times it hurts so much.

November 04, 1981
Today, like many of the past few days, I am longing to be with Linda. Damn, how can a man stand and love someone so much and still know that in reality she can never be there always?
But today I have the hope of being with her and spending some time with her.
-Something happened tonight and we never had that time together. But I went to her home and she was as good as being with me. For as long as she is near me, I am being satisfied.

Am I the only one who's picturing Gene sitting in Linda's rosebushes peeping through her bedroom window spending "quality time with her?" I've only read page 1 thus far and Gene already has a 7 on my Creep-o-meter. Let's hope there is more to this story!! :)

Stay tuned in the upcoming days for more pages!