Joe was tall, strong, and athletic, and the Leland High girls thought he was oh so handsome, but as much as he longed to, he never talked to any of them. He couldn’t. Around guys he did okay, but around girls, he felt shy, and when he felt shy, he stuttered.
About halfway through February, along came one of those Saturday afternoons perfect for football … a sunny, windless day when you could easily be in mid-April, yet a day when one cloud before the sun would set you back in December. Joe and his teammates challenged their arch rivals from nearby Greenville to a sandlot duel, and classmates from both towns gathered to witness the war.
As the teams readied for play, Joe glanced at a gaggle of Greenville girls giggling on the sidelines. One stood out from the rest, the one with her back to him … the one in the daffodil yellow dress. Suddenly she turned and locked her bright, laughing eyes with his. Deep inside, something told Joe he’d never be the same. Her name was Julie.
From that day on, Julie was always on Joe’s mind. How he ached to talk to her, but c-c-couldn’t. Constantly he slipped off to Greenville, hoping to get a glimpse of her. Sometimes he did, and always she waved and fixed those bright, laughing eyes on him, but mysteriously … she never spoke.
Valentine’s Day was just around the corner, and Joe could no longer hide his feelings from Julie. Somehow he had to show her, and more importantly, had to tell her.
The daffodils were blooming, reminding him of that afternoon when he first saw Julie in the daffodil dress. Flowers — that was the answer! I’ll pick a bouquet of daffodils, he thought to himself, and then go to her house on Valentine’s Day, offer them to her, and without stuttering, ask, “Julie, will you be my Valentine?”
Late into the night, he stood before the mirror, chanting those words over and over until his speech smoothed out and his confidence soared. He was ready.
On Valentine’s Day, Joe gathered the sprightly, spring-smelling flowers, wrapped them in fancy paper, neatly combed his hair, donned his letter jacket, and set off to face the most daunting challenge of his life.
Just as he knocked on her door, he felt his courage begin to slip. He was trembling. But before he could rush away, the door opened on a yellow explosion. It was Julie in the daffodil dress! Struggling with all his might, he stuttered, “W-will y-you b-be…? His head drooped and his eyes moistened. He had failed.
Suddenly, Julie grabbed the flowers and threw her arms around Joe. Then the mystery of why she had never spoken was revealed to him. Locking her eyes with his as she’d done that first day, she stuttered, “W-will y-you b-be…?”
Joe held Julie tightly, and in the clear, strong voice he’d longed for all his life, said, “Yes, Julie, I’ll be your Valentine.”
Jimmy Reed is an Oxford, Mississippi resident, Ole Miss and Delta State University alumnus, Vietnam Era Army Veteran, former Mississippi Delta cotton farmer and ginner, author, and retired college teacher.
This story is a selection from Jimmy Reed’s latest book, entitled The Jaybird Tales.
Copies, including personalized autographs, can be reserved by notifying the author via email (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)).
