The cameo

"It's beautiful" Janice said has she looked in the heart-shaped box
Eric had given her at the start of the St Valentine's dance that
evening. When she opened the box there was a small cameo pendant
nestling in white tissue paper. The white tissue paper set off the pink
and white cameo pendant, on a silver chain. Eric hoped it would please
Janice because his mother used to wear a complete set of cameo:
necklace, earrings, and a large brooch, and to complete the set there
was finger -ring, also a cameo. All that was left of the set now was
the pendant; now Eric had to start saving for another set, this one for
his lady love; his mother's set was sold at varies stages in his
growing up. No one knew where the original pieces were now.

They had only been going out together for six-months, Eric wondered if
the present would be suitable, and would she love a cameo set as his
mother did. Dressed in her finery, Eric's mother was often the
'Bell-of-the-Ball'. A shimmering white satin dress, with pale pink
accessories: gloves, shoes, finished off with a gold-link chain belt,
with a tiny gold lock and key. His mother joked this was her chastity
belt, to make sure she knew that she had a husband waiting for her at
home, Eric's father had died many years before but his mother still
talked as if he was still alive, no-one ever bothered to remind her;
after all what harm was she doing to any one. Sadly Marion, his mother,
died two years ago and Eric could not bring himself to be rid of the
dress as it hung in the clothes closet. The other jewellery that he
found had to be sold to finance the funeral, but the dress; he could
not bear to part with.

Janice Truman, a shy sixteen year old girl, had just begun her first
job at the Electronics factory were Eric worked in the machine shop,
there was a garage workshop next door, where Eric had been working for
nearly two years. It was a very lonely life for Eric. He joined has
many clubs as he could afford: bought some new clothes, had his hair
cut in the latest fashion, even joined a dating agency; but still he
could not find the girl of his dreams. One of the introductions was a
woman with two children who could not tolerate Eric with his constant
reverence to his mother. Another was a 'Wild-Child' who would only eat
vegetarian food, which Eric understood but it was the way of eating it
that put him off. Clarissa insisted they sat out in the fields under
the stars, sheltered by only the twiggy shelter she had made, singing,
more like chanting, to some god he had never heard of. He got quite
nervous after the third meeting and was sure Clarissa had put a spell
on him because he was quite ill for many days when he told her he would
not be seeing her again.

Eric and his workmates had challenged the typing pool to a game of
Bowls at the local Bowling alley. Eric was really enjoying himself; he
reckoned he was club leader in scoring the top marks, three weeks in
succession. They, the group of mechanics offered to take on all-comers.
The factory was buzzing as to who could topple King Eric! Eric decided
this was better than waiting to 'score' with the female species. No
more dressing up, or buying the fashionable gear to impress. A mixture
of opponents, meant Eric got to meet a variety of girls, who did not
impress him one little bit! They all fell into the same trap of
overdoing the make-up, silly one-line jokes, that had more hairs than a
gooseberry. Others dressed as if it was a fashion parade and no-way
could they play a game of Bowls in the tight skirts, revealing a little
too much stocking top, or not in at least one young misses idea of a
night out Bowling.

Eric Sebastian Fowler had found his vocation! All he needed now was a
girl-friend to celebrate with, and not a girl who had only 'celebrity
eyes' knowing Eric maybe seen as a man who could be going places in the
entertainment field; the media were always looking for a new angle as
to capture the publics attention; here was a man who had not been
beaten on a one-one game of Bowls for at least three months, the local
papers were full of Eric's achievements and contenders came from other
parts of the county, then other counties.

Janice Erica Truman, JET, as she was known had only been at the factory
a few months, she barely had had time to workout were the different
departments were, delivering different memo's to the relevant
department meant she had to walk from office to office passing on the
instructions to the head of that particular section. Janice had to pass
the workshop on many occasions and thought, maybe, one day I will ask
about this one chap she had taken a fancy to. Knowing the girls would
think her naive, she dare not let on who this fellow was. When the
challenge to the game of bowls was put to the girls, Janice was first
on the list. With a casual 'I have nothing special to do that night'
she was barely able to write her name properly. Insisting on being
called JET to seem to be a modern miss.

Eric knew he had attracted the media, and set about doing a big score
to impress the crowd; everything was going great, he saw Janice
settling down to take her Bowls; he could see she didn't have a clue as
to how the game should be played. Watching her he thought. 'Silly
little girl. We are here to play not, not mess about!' As a man not
given to embarrass, even shy young girls, he played her to his lowest
standard to give her at least a chance to improve her game. His score
of twelve to nil did him no good at all! He went on to his next
challenge and scored with his first Bowl, again. When this game was
over, he ran to Janice's table and threw his arms about her. The media
thought, she, Janice was his girl friend and latched on to them both
the rest of the evening, trying to find out how long they had been
together. No matter what they said, no one would listen. Eric whispered
in Janice's ear, "Thanks for putting up with that crowd. How about
coming to the Curry House in the town. My treat. It's the least I could
do after that shindig in there."

It was several months later when they had been seeing each other that
Eric thought it would nice to go to an St Valentine's dance. He was
never in a relationship when the romantic time arrived each year. He
had longed to see, and be part of, romance, and all the soppy bits that
went with it. Buying flowers and chocolates, singing or writing soppy
poetry. At the age of twenty-three-he thought his chances had long
gone!