My First Kiss Under the Coconut Tree: A Childhood Romance Revisited I remember my first times each and every one of them. My first kiss, my first blow job given and the first time I was taken to bed. My first kiss was with Larry. Larry lived next door to me and we played with each other everyday when he lived there. We’d play hide and seek, we’d play tag, we’d play soldier and we’d play doctor. Two boys playing doctor is a recipe for only one thing but at the age of nine it was still innocent. We just wanted to look and see what we had and it was better looking at another person than it was looking in the mirror. I remember the day was hot. It was summer and we were out for school. His father worked days and my parents worked days as well. On the island it wasn’t a big deal to leave your kids alone at home at that age because the neighbors kept an eye out not that it was a good idea but it was what was done. With the day halfway gone and having hand butter on white bread for lunch we were behind his house under the coconut tree trying to figure out what next to do for the day when Larry asked me if I’d ever kissed a girl. “No,” I said. I laughed. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to kiss a girl but what would I do? I’d seen them on television and in the movies but I knew there was more to it than just putting the lips together. They had to be. He said, “I wanted to kiss Katie but I don’t know…” He said. Katie was his cousin. She was cute, she was a year older than us. “I don’t think that’s right? Kissing your cousin I mean.” He shrugged his thin shoulders. “I’d need practice anyway. I’d want it to be good.” I ventured forth. “Why don’t we practice?” Larry scoffed and laughed. “Boys don’t kiss boys!” He exclaimed. The breeze picked up and he pushed off the tree having been leaning on it all this time one leg on the ground the other braced against the tree. “Why not? It’s only practice,” I said. Larry had his back to me. …the next moment changed everything
