by Judy Harkins

Created on: March 03, 2009

My First Trip to a Foreign County

It seems so long ago. When I ventured to Mexico (the only foreign place I've seen). My sister and I went on a shopping trip via bus. The long drive down, was accompanied by people we didn't know, lots of time and alcohol.

She was single and I was married in our early twenties. We met a couple of interesting people on the trip to Matamoras. When we arrived in Mexico and ate our first meal. How silly I was not to order the fine Mexican quizine that was presented. Instead I ordered what I felt was a "safe" food. Fried fish. I am telling you, I was totally shocked, when it came crisply fried and staring at me like no bodies business. I immediaely covered its head with a tortilla and nibbled on chips dunked in salsa, while consuming beer which I did not normally por take of.

As the day wore on. My sister and shopped and ate and drank. The two gentlemen we had met on the bus walked around with us as they knew Spanish and the value of a peso and we didn't. We really had a good time. That night a group of people were going deeper into Mexico than Matamoras and of course we decided to tag along. They went to a place called "boys town". We had never heard of it and decided it would be something to talk about. No one explained what we might see there.

Innocent, what an awakening. In more ways than one. Women of "ill repute" danced around every table trying to entice any one that would go to have a turn with them. My sister and already well to lit. Laughed and had a great time. Then the Federallies came in blowing their whistles wrangling in a couple of people. Finally we decided to leave, the two young men and ourselves. We walked down the moonlit streets and watched the night life come into full bloom. And then I think I had my first taste of lust for someone other than my husband. My husband I never really got along.

On our return the last day on the bus, champagne was passed around and everyone was drinking. No one had eaten. I eventually kissed one of the young men. When my sister saw us, she tried to get my attention and I wouldn't pay any, so she poured her glass of champaign on my head. This totally sobered me up, to who I was and what I was doing. I was P.O.ed the rest of the way home and into the next week.

This adventure into another county, really affected the my life more than I thought it would. I paid for the mis-deeds in my heart and at home for a long time after that. I recall this time, when I hear Freddie Fender's "When the Last Tear Drop Falls".

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