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Love Beyond the Grave?

St Charles was a two story brick building. One day a week a group of girls would stay inside and help clean the classroom. To make matters easier, they would simply open the windows to clean the chalkboard erasers by pounding them together.

In the courtyard below, a few friends, my brother Dan and myself would usually meet for a game of foot-hockey; whereby our feet were the hockey sticks, and a smashed up pop can was the puck.

Next to the school, was the "massive" St. Charles Catholic Church. Outside of the church was a dumpster. Inside the dumpster was our source of hockey pucks.

One day, after a wedding, the dumpster was filled with fresh flowers. With the brilliance that can only be grasped by other 7th and 8th graders we each grabbed a "bouquet" and waited for the girls to open the second story window. When they finally did, they witnessed a spectacle never before seen at St. Charles Elementary School.

There, kneeling on the asphalt, were 8 good looking boys dressed in white shirts and St Charles Ties, asking for their hand in marriage.

Unfortunately, their giggling and mock acceptance drew the attention of one Sister Mary somebody. She, unlike our fiancees, was not amused. At first, I assumed it was some consequence of her rejection of a similar proposal and subsequent decision to become a nun that triggered her anger. "Unrequited love," I reasoned to myself.

Out of the sheer kindness of her heart, she came downstairs and outside to speak to us privately. In a low tone she explained that the flowers we held in our hands were from a funeral, not a wedding. In shock and embarrassment we returned them to their former resting place.

Now, I am not sure if the Spirits of the Dead linger after their demise, but if they do, I cannot help but believe that they got a good laugh at the expense of a group of boys proposing to a young group of girls with a handful of their funeral bouquets.

Learn more about this author, Paul Drockton.
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