SUDDENLY - YOU'RE IN LOVE - Mar-APRIL 1986 - Part 1 (original)
- Oct 10, 2021
- 12 min read
Suddenly by Billy Ocean
March 31, 1986
Mr. John Arthur Knight
Box 559 USMMA
Kings Point, New York 11024-1699
Dear Wonderful Art(istic) John:
I want to first say that this letter will be rattling on, because that’s how I feel today.
I had to write some right now because I just heard “Rock the Boat” on the radio, and of course, it reminded me of the cruise. You know what? I Love you! Yes, I do. I still can’t get over it. I was really upset because most of the people at work and that I eat lunch with are not here. Boo hoo! (lower lip sticking out.)
Now I’m listening to “Even the Nights are Better” and I have never thought much about the song but it pertains to us. God, I love you. “I never dreamed there would be someone to hold me, but now that you show me that even the nights are better, now that we’re here together, even the nights are better since I found you.” Guess what’s playing now? “King for a Day.” Every song pertains to us. RATTLE, RATTLE, RATTLE.
I took my film at noon to get it developed. It should be ready no later than 5:00 p.m. When it’s ready, I’ll mail this letter also. It’ll probably take it all to Mom and let her mail it from the office, then the mailman can figure out how much it’ll cost.
Everyone here is SO envious of me. One friend, Garla, said “Of course, it would happen to you, everything does. I don’t even want to hear about it.” (She turned 32 today.) Later, she came back and said “Oh, alright, tell me everything.” So I laid it on her.
OH Minor Detail! I have definite flight arrangements for New York. It’s all set. By the time you get this letter you may already know most of this, but big wooee! I will leave Dallas on Friday morning, May 2 at 9:00 a.m. Braniff, and should arrive in New York at 1:03 p.m., Flight No. 598. So plenty of time to run around. If you can, make arrangements to see CATS as soon as possible, or if not possible, some leading Broadway musical. (If My One and Only is still showing, I’d love that.) My flight back is May 4 leaving at 5:10 p.m. arriving in Dallas by 7:52 p.m., Flight No. 587. But, I don’t wanna think about coming home already. When arriving in New York, some WILL have to take a cab, because there will be the same six. Later, Cathy (Dad’s secretary) and her husband, Leon, will come. They’re great fun. I’m going to want to spend much time with them, as long as we get SOME time for ourselves to be alone. That’s mandatory.
My workload has not been so great today. Your fault. I’m going to get back to it right now.
I can’t decide which pictures to keep here at work or put in the photo album. You know, (change of subject), I have been wondering what song to sing next in my voice class. I like to do songs that show my true emotions at the time. The last one I did was “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” it would be funny if I sang “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy” next. What a switch, huh? That would be very apropos’. (I had to look that one up, weird spelling.) Or I could do “You Took Advantage of Me.” Tee HEE! Oh baby, it’s catching up with me. I’m all of a sudden exhausted. I had to have a cup of coffee at 1:30 p.m.; earlier I didn’t even have one cup, I was so hyper. (And that’s unusual.) Well, back to work for a while.
3:10 p.m. - You know, baby, our relationship has to work. Everyone thinks it’s a fairy tale story and has to work out. I’ve even had some acquaintances come to me and ask me if I fell in love on the cruise, and I blush and say ”yes.” Their reply usually is “Well, if anyone would, it would be you.” I LOVE YOU! Yes, I do. I hope you are telling everyone about me also. That means a lot to me when I’m important enough to brag about. Elvira, a girl who works with me, said you looked like Tom Cruise. Do you like that? I think maybe a little bit, but… I like you better. I like your sweet, kind, honest, smiling face. Tom looks a little deceitful. I trust everything about you. I need to work on my journal notes and get everything straight in my head about the past week’s events. (2021 comment - I always thought he had a Robert Downey, Jr. way about him)
“You Are the Only One” by James Taylor is playing on the radio now. Remember last night during this song?
Well, I’m closing the letter out. It’s now 4:35 p.m. I am going to pick up the pictures at 5. I’m excited! I want to apologize for the typed letter, but it’s really easier this way. Maybe in a week or so, when I more news to say, I’ll write you a pretty letter on stationery.
Well, I love you with all my heart! Take care of yourself, or I’ll be mad. And remember only 31 days exactly until we see each other again. (Only, haha)
Yours Forever,
Jane E. Boren
1035 E. Centerville, #501
Garland, TX 75042
JB Luvs JK
Letters written to me and From me April 1986
How Will I know by Whitney Houston
APRIL 3, 1986
Thursday
Today's Laura's fourth birthday. We are all going over to Bryant’s tonight to celebrate. I bought her a Cabbage Patch Dolls porcelain figurine. It has two little girls (one blonde like Laura and one red-headed like Margaret) playing on the beach. I Guess I just have beaches on my mind. It’s cute.
John has called me every night this week, but I haven’t been home yet. Boy, he must love me or something. I left a message on my machine for him to call me at Bryant’s tonight and I also said “And John, I love you very very much! Please call me at my brother’s house 285--- then I said “Only John, Only John” to call, that is. So, we should be able to talk tonight.
Last night when I finished going to eat with Bill Flynt and telling him about my trip, I went home to check my mail and there were two messages for me on my door; one being from the post office saying there is a package at the office that needs to be picked up. The next was a message from a florist saying that some flowers were waiting for me at the florist. They had tried to deliver and I wasn’t home. I had to go pick it up this morning. They were six, beautiful red roses. I’ll have to give him my work address so I don’t have to miss work again to pick them up. That is SO fun to get flowers, and especially roses. He is SO thoughtful. I think he’s smitten with me. I think I am smitten with him. Oh God! This is sooo nice!!
Barry called me this morning here at work to find out if I had had a good time. I didn’t know quite what to say. I told him that I had a wonderful time but didn’t go into details. He said he wanted to see me and look at pictures, but I remained rather evasive. That’s not something I relish in doing; telling Barry about John. It’s kind of rubbing it in and I don’t want to do that. I can just see his face when I tell him. It’ll be like “Oh, I’m really glad for you.” But, there will be a very hesitant, blank look on his face that tells all.
APRIL 4, 1986 (Page 1)
M/N John Arthur Knight
Box 559 USMMA
Kings Point, New York 11024-1699
My Precious John:
OOM OOM OOM GOOD! Tee hee! I love you. Now, that I got that out of my system.
I just sent you the Gone with the Wind card this morning, but wanted to write again. I wanted to tell you about the cute birthday party we had for Laura last night. As you know, she’s four years old. (Writing letters is a good way to get to know each other and our families better.) She was awfully cute last night. By the way, she and Margaret talked to you more than most people on the phone. Bryant and Barbara (Barb is her step-mom, but you’d never know it) are going to let her take ballet lessons this summer. Barbara went out and bought her ballet slippers, tights and a darling pink tutu. It was darling. When Laura put on the tutu, Barbara squealed with delight. You would never believe that Barbara wasn’t her real mother. Mom, Dad and I all got tickled at her delight in Laura. And what’s great is the kids are just as receptive to her as she is to them. Bryant and Therese (Bryant x-wife and their mom) have joint custody over the kids. (Oh, by the way, Barbara is four years older than Bryant, nanni nanni poo poo.) It’s a true shame that Bryant hadn’t met Barbara first. She’s so much better for him than Therese, but then we wouldn’t have the same darling three children. Margaret, the red-head, is the oldest, six years old. Bryant III is next in line at five. And then Laura comes in a close third at four. Close together, huh? A little too much in my opinion, but they’re all really close. That’s great. What’s SO neat about Barbara is she’s incredibly spunky. In case you don’t know, I have a great admiration for spunk. That’s one reason I love you so much. Anyway, my brother can sometimes be a little stuffy. It’s more than just the lawyer in him, he’s always been a little stuffy. He always felt he had to be perfect in everything he did; and he can do almost anything he puts his mind to. He could have been a doctor, journalist, musician, comic. But Barbara… Ah, she’s top notch. She plays the piano like a concert pianist, cooks well, dances, sings (has a good ear, etc.) We can’t really figure out what she can’t do; and Bryant loves it. He’s so proud of her. You can tell all the time. Mom, Dad and I were saying on the way home last night that whether Bryant likes it or not, Barbara is going to keep him young. Sometime this Summer, we’ll have to all go dancing together. I would love to do that.
I LOVE YOU!
I really like talking about Bryant and his family for some reason. I just wanted to tell you a little about Therese (his ex.) It was all really strange for them to divorce because we were all so crazy about her. Of course, he was engaged to a girl a long time ago named Liz and I was crazy about her too. I seem to like everybody!
Page 2
The song So Far Away reminded me of John
Page 2
Mary Faye is gone today and all the girls are over at her desk giggling. They’re looking at pictures that Elvira has just now developed from Christmas. But, I’m a good girl and doing my work. (This is where we clear out throat.)
I guess it’s about time for me to go home.
I LOVE YOU!!
(I didn't sign it)
APRIL 8, 1986
Tuesday
Today I picked up my package from John at the post office. It was more pictures of the cruise that he had taken (totally different from mine) and a tape that the Merchant Marine Band had made. It’s very professional sounding. (John was in this band - John was a Merchant Marine stationed out of Long Island, NY) I Have talked to my baby every night practically. Oh, how I love him. I know I’ve said this before with other guys, but John is different:
He is attentive, sweet and nice-looking like Barry
Fun and adventurous and full of pride like Randall (free-spirit)
A dancer and an intellect like Arnold, (and brunette/brown eyes)
Witty and crazy like Carl
A romanticist, thoughtful, gentle and loaded with talent, and gregarious like “my Russell.” (2021 - Russell was my first love if you forgot or weren’t reading in h.s.)
He’s different because he is the only person with all these qualities; plus he’s very handsome, sexy and I could go on for hours. He’s more mature than anyone; yet childlike. I love him. For everything these guys are, he’s MORE! And on top of it all he is more sophisticated and talented than any of the above could ever wish to be.
I just canceled my voice lesson because I have had a headache all day. But, I admit I am going over to DeeAnn’s. I am just not in the mood for my lesson. Brian will be working late so this will be the first time in ages that DeeAnn and I have been alone.
John is no good for me. I can’t seem to function normally. Oh, how I can’t wait until weekend after next.
Might as well face it “You’re Addicted to Love”
APRIL 9, 1986
Wednesday
Today is Mary and John’s 10th anniversary. Through their times and turbulence, they have seen it all through and are a very happy couple right now. I am excited for them.
Last night I canceled my voice lessons (I had had headaches all day long and didn’t feel like going) and went straight to DeeAnn’s so we could really get some good visiting in. Oh, it was a blast! I still had a headache through the evening , but my mind went away from it now and then throughout the fun. (2021 - that didn’t make sense - ha). We planned our day on the 19th with John. We are going to have brunch I guess around 11:00 a.m. or so and then from there go bowling. Just the four of us. That'll be great. She thought John is the best looking guy I have ever dated. Oh, I love him. Brian went and took a LONG bath so it gave DeeAnn and me some time to ourselves and we could talk sexually. I made some type of comment about John and me getting together on the cruise and somehow she thought I meant intercourse. She asked how it was; whether I was disappointed or not and I said it was wonderful, but we were on totally different tracks. I just meant being with John and she was specific. When we realized what was going on I said “No DeeAnn, I am STILL a virgin. She said with a sigh of relief “Oh, good!” That was funny.
John called twice while I was gone. Once at 9:00 p.m. and later at 10:30 p.m. The latter call we missed each other by about 3 to 4 minutes. But, it does no good to call him. Not only is it too expensive, he’s hard to get in contact with. I nearly cried when I found out we missed each other by so little; he kept saying on the machine “Oh, I want to talk to you so badly, I love you” in a sad, little quiet voice. It made me sad that I wasn’t there. He also told me on the first message that he finally received all my letters and my tape, but he hasn’t picked up the tape from the post office yet. The tape was pretty serious. On one side it told about the whole ordeal with finding out that most of my friends were gay and what I went through. But, how I still love them whether I agree personally or not. On the other side, it is much lighter and I tell jokes, sing songs, etc. I hope he gets a lot from the tape.
Apr 2 - My girls were Bea Knagg, Diana Lawson and Melinda Propes - I was CA-razy about my Axe Church married girlfriends!
Also Out with Bill - Bill Flynt (our accompainist and organist at Axe -- he and I really were good friends!- tho he was old enuf to be my dad)
April 12 - Another time I sang - This time at a Mother's Day Luncheon.. I sang two songs (one I didn't remember and "Til There was You"
APRIL 10, 1986
Thursday
John called me last night and we talked for nearly 30 minutes. Bless his heart, he has it bad for me. He said that everyday he says to himself, “Today I am going to have will power and not call Janie” and then he has to. I love him SO much!
Today Arnold came by to show me some pictures of him dancing in a showcase. So, I of course, had to show pictures of me and John. Oh, how I loved doing that. I showed him also a picture that Dad took in Grenada of graffiti stating how they loved the U.S. Then he said “Well, we could talk about Kadawlfi/Gaddafi” (spelling is wrong, I’m sure.) I really don’t know what one has to do with the other, but he’s so pompous. It felt great to tell him about John. I told him that John sings, dances, plays the piano and hates football. Arnold said he really sounded like my type. Well, he is! I can’t wait until next weekend when I can hold him. Oh how nice that will be! He said he’d go to church with me on Sunday. I can show him off to everyone. Oh, I can’t wait! (2021 - Arnold was very much a gentleman in how he handled this.. -he was kind)
I called DeeAnn to tell her what I did to Arnold and how great I felt by doing it. She said that’s natural, she always wanted to see Kenneth Trent and show off Brian. (But between you and me, Brian doesn’t compare to John, especially in looks.) I also told DeeAnn that I saw Perry Tatum in the elevator earlier. He was working, pushing a file cart. I hope he does more than that. He was President of the class, Showboaters, etc. and always nominated for stuff. But sometimes the most popular people don’t do much later in life. It’s a shame! He still, though, is very good looking.
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