| 11/19/08 12:04 AM |
#182
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John Nardelli
I went to Memorial field this morning at about 7:40. I dropped my son off at the high school here in Deptford; he got out of the car at 7:11, I took 130 north; the traffic was pretty light, I made the right onto Church. I got out of the car and took a slow walk around an empty soccer field the jogging track was the same, Yes, Dan, the track stopped jogging long enough to say hi. Even the fence looked the same. The stands were gone. The score board was gone, and the field seemed smaller and the silence melancholy. This morning was a cold November with a light overcast not a bright June 15th 30 years ago.
I went to the high school, Now I'm positive that there's a new addition out front, the lady inside told me it was the guidence wing (I wonered if there were couches in there with softly coloured rooms and a dreamy melody pervading from Boze systems placed unobtrusively) I did feel a thrill I as I walked into the old main entrance and the lady asked if she could help me I told her I didn't know and that this was a stroll down memory lane and then about the reunion then she told me that Mr. Wanamaker was still there but I had to admit that I never met the guy, then she asked a question that nearly floored me; would I like to visit the media center they have quite a few year books there. Now off and on for the past thirty years I've been trying to find out what became of my Kndergarten teacher, sorry every one only those who went to Lenola know Mrs. Lord and even They may not know how much she meant to me. I'm on two other school websights and I've asked people from Lenola, I've gone into archives every thing short of calling a PI. at any rate some one had to remember Jennifer Lord, her daughter, all I can say about her is, You had to know her, but I couldn't find her either not even in my Alumni Directory she's not even listed with her class, If I had her picture. I accepted the ladies suggestion enhtusiastically. The books they get in the school library are donated or if you're lucky unclaimed. The entire senior section of the '75 nutshell had been butchered; almost every picture had been individually cut out with a razor or something, some cuts were too close to the binding for scissors (yes I needed a dictionary). The librarian was a helpful guy younger than me, when he walked me out he said I could try the town library. Their copy was mint I showed this guy her picture. and he said he thought there might be a copy of an alumni directory, when he got it I kept trying to tell him I had a copy and she doesn't exist; but he only pointed, there it was Jennifer Lord Phone number, adress Just a couple of blocks away From the library I was standing in. That is not in my copy. Then he told me their's is a 1994 publication maybe she didn't update after that. I could have walked to her house, but the infomation was 14 years old. This was my last card, of course the phone number was a bust so I was faced with knocking on a strange door and asking who ever answered if they knew who lived there 14 years ago the one thing I was afraid of happened an old lady answered the door Jennifer was only three years older than me so this was the end of it. I had stepped off of the porh so the lady came out said nothing but her eyes were querrious
"Ma'm I'm sorry to bother you," I told her. "I'm tryng to find someone who lived here. You woudn't have any idea would you?" I knew it was a stupid question,
"Who was it?" She asked.
"A girl, Jennifer Lord"
"She moved to Haddonfield. How do you know her?"
"You know where she is?!" I was surprised she knew.
"I'm her mother."
My search was over; my heart started to race. I smiled
"Mrs. Lord!?" she looked at me "John Nardelli" I told her
She smiled; it was her, "Johnny!" I hugged her and she started telling me things that confirmed it, She reealy remembered me. This has been a good day.
Oh, by the way the librarian who walked me out of the school today told me that we could arrange for a tour of the high school for Our Reunion, Interested?
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