You and Only You

Brooklynites waiting for the B63 bus reminisce on love found, and lost.

From a series of interviews spanning three days.



Louise P.

SA: Louise, who was your first love?

Louise: (Laughs) My first love? Well...when I was a girl, 16 or 17, I loved a boy named George. He was my first love! Oh my, that was a long time ago. It was 1941. . George was a gentleman for a boy of his age. They moved up here from Georgia, I believe, and he had manners like that. Southern. He called me Miss Louise. Aw, that made me laugh! We don't talk like that in Brooklyn. My family is Italian. He would bring me little trinkets, flowers. We'd go up on the roof of the building I lived in, my family lived in. Oh my parents liked him fine, but they would send my younger brother up there with us, to keep an eye on me! (Laughs)

SA: Have you ever thought about trying to find him?

Louise: Oh no...no. Never. He's married with a family, I'm sure. The memories I have of George...I wouldn't think of touching that. I want it just the way it is. They say you never forget your first love. I guess I never will. If I haven't by now,then I never will.




Arthur R.


SA: Arthur, how did we meet?

Arthur: Cathy (a mutual neighbor from my 5th Avenue days) introduced us. She said, "Arthur, this young woman is a whiz at
making ice cream. I though to myself, "Shoot! I thought you were bringing her by to be my new girlfriend!"

SA: Arthur!

Arthur: (chuckles) And later, you brought me some ice cream. It was peach.

Sarah: I made peach ice cream for most of the neighborhood last summer. I was buying peaches by the dozens.

Arthur: (pointing to a car going by) There goes Mike Mancuso. They live on Carroll Street. He has a beautiful wife, just beautiful.

Sarah: Arthur, what has life taught you about love?

Arthur: Oh my...Well...the big thing is, you have to look for real love. Not some flavor of the week. I married my wife because she we laughed together and she could dance. (Laughs) I knew it was real. And we were married 54 years before she passed on. And we had such a life. We saw California, Canada, Mexico, Arizona, Florida. We raised four good kids. She was such a woman. Beautiful and with a head on her shoulders. We laughed all along the way, through our life together. Danced too. Can you dance?

Sarah: I know how to merengue.

Arthur: Let's see what you're made of.

(Arthur and SA dance together next to the bus stop as incredulous teenagers look on)

Sarah: Arthur, where are you taking the bus today?

Arthur: Doctor.




Man with a cane, about 75, name unknown

SA: What can you tell me about love?

Man: Love is a very deep thing. It's very personal, and it's private.

(Several minutes of silence. The bus pulls up. Man gets up to get on the bus, but at the last second turns and grips my hand, hard.)

Man: If you find love, you hold on to it. Hold on to it.



*This update typed while listening to the Beach Boys.