ELLA

"ELLA"

Gimme an "E"........

I often heard her coming before I would see her and came to recognize her laugh. A shy, conservative 7th grader, I was immediately impressed. Who could have that much confidence and joy? She soon became one of the most popular girls in school & she wasn't even a Cheerleader.

Ella Belliveau was a "Cockawitter;" that meant she was from Wood's Harbour and proud of it. Assigned to my classroom, we were just 2 of approximately 30 boys and girls. We had been schooled until that year in our individual, respective communities; I was in Barrington and she in "Cockawit."

I was already in awe of her before she was assigned to be my "shower" buddy in Phys. Ed. Our Gym. teacher was a Miss. Balcolm who was more popular with the boys due to her youth and heavy bosom.

I had never had a shower in my whole life; my family didn't even have a bathroom. Even though I had 7 older siblings, I had modestly kept my body covered night & day.

I dreaded the day when we had to disrobe down to what God gave us and "bathe" together. I laid awake worrying about it the night before and tried to find the largest towel in the house, for my Gym bag.

We had P.E. for our last class (7th Period) and we did our exercises, tossed the basketball, whatever. I was thinking of only one thing....THE SHOWER!

Ms. Balcolm came inside our locker rooms to make sure we were undressing and showering. One had to hurry or miss their school bus. I removed everything but my panties and stepped into the hot shower with Ella, who was yelling and laughing over top of the shower, to her friends. She was just wearing a shower cap!

I felt like I was 9 years old! Ella had a woman's body at aged 13; I had NOTHING! I mean, I didn't even have hair under my armpits yet, let alone anywhere else. I was totally and completely humiliated! She must have noticed I had my underwear on but she said not a word and she never laughed at my shyness and embarressment.

That's how I first met my friend, Ella. I watched as she roamed the hallways of BMHS with her girlfriend, Effie or her sister, Mary. One could hear them coming, arm in arm, a whole floor away. In class, she would laugh aloud and was very "smooth". People liked her instantly, especially the boys as she was VERY cute & bubbly.

Unfortunately for me, so did the new boy in school, Gordon Hill. Gordon moved to town with his Canadian Air Force family and I immediately had my first crush. I thought of nothing, day & night, but Gordon Hill. My grades started to take a dive; I was smitten. I became friends with his popular and gorgeous sister, Francis just so I'd learn more about him. But then they moved from Barrington to Centreville.

On Saturdays, we'd all try to go to the local cinema and one would leave a seat vacant next to them if one was hoping (and praying, in my case) that their "crush" would sit beside them. The only times Gordon came to sit beside me was when Ella wasn't there. I used to cringe when I'd "hear" her arrival.

But we were friends at school and we were both close to Michael Pierce. We'd all sit next to one another in class and share or trade sandwiches. Of course, she had known Mike all of his life. I thought the world of him, like he was my brother. When I heard he'd been killed in a car accident at aged 19 or 20, my heart broke. And I immediately wondered if Ella knew & I longed to speak with her.

My birthday and hers are exactly 1 month apart and I am one month older than she; we always remember our mutual birthdays. My niece married one of her brothers and we have stayed in touch. Ella is now a grandmother and resides in the land of the free.....Mass.

We both left home and moved to the USA when we were very young. I am now a Cape Islander and she will always be a Cockawitter to me. Her birthday is Feb. 28th and I wrote this to make her smile.

Happy Birthday, girlfriend; behave yourself or Ms Hendry will make you go stand out in the hall (AGAIN!).

With Love,
Heather