Patti, Part 1

Patti's story
Part 1

Virginia Clark enjoyed smoking very much.  She had started at age 15 with
several of her friends.  She thought that was how she attracted her husband.
One night when she was in college, she and a couple of friends went to a bar.
The three girls were sitting at a table when this handsome man came in by
himself and ordered a bottle of beer.  Virginia said, "I'm going to check
this one out." She walked up to him, cigarette in hand, and said. "Got a
light?"

He produced a Zippo from his pocket, lit it, held it out to give her a light,
and she took a very long drag and french-inhaled.  His face lit up in a big
grin and she knew she had him if she wanted him.  He sid, "Hi, my name is
Bill."  He intently watcher her smoke as she did a lot of tricks:
French-inhales, big wide snaps, nose exhales, and double pumps.  They talked
for about two hours and when her friends started to leave, Virginia took a
napkin, borrowed Bill's pen, wrote her phone number on it and said, "Call
me."

He called the next day.  They were married two months later.

Virginia was happy with her life.  She had married Bill two months before she
graduated from college. She had a drgree in elementary education but never
had taught.  Bill was an over the road trucker, an independent who was very
good at his profession.  He liked to brag that each year he had driven in all
49 states on the North American continent.  He made a good living and also
had a large inheritance he received when both his parents died in an
automobile accident before he was married.

So Virginia did not have to work.  She stayed at home and was full time Mom
to their daughter Patti who was born eight months after they married.
Virginia had had severe cramping, went to the emergency room at the hospital,
was taken to surgery, and after delivering Patti by Caesarian, the doctors
removed a tumor from Virginia.  She was told she would not be able to have
any more babies.

Since Virginia had a teaching degree, and she didn't want to stay at home by
herself, she decided to home school Patti.  Patti was very intelligent, had
learned the alphabet by age 4, and before she was 5, had learned to read
enough words she could read most of the comics by herself.  She especially
loved Snoopy in Peanuts.

One day when Patti was 8 years old, about the first of October, while
Virginia and Patti were doing school lessons at their dining room table,
Virginia lit up a Marlboro 100.  Patti asked, "Mommy, why do you smoke?"

Virginia said, "I like the taste, and the warm feeling.  Smoking makes me
feel good."

Patti asked, "What does smoke taste like?"

Virginia thought for a few seconds and said, "There is only one way for
you to know what smoke tastes like and that is for you to taste it."

Patti asked, "How do I do that?"

Virginia said, "Take the cigaretee, put the brown end between your lips, suck
a little on it like taking a drink with a straw, then bloew the smoke out.
You will get a taste that way."

Patti did as instructed.  She said, "I kinda like this.  Can I do it again?"

Virginia then let Patti take another puff.

Patti asked, "Is this all there is to it?"

Virginia said, "Well---no.  Do you know what it means to inhale?"   Patti
said she did not know that word.

Virginia explained, "To inhale means to breathe in.  Most people when they
smoke inhale or breathe in the smoke.  Watch me."  She took a long drag
off the Marlboro 100, opened her mouth to show the smoke inside, took an
exaggerated inhale and blew out a long stream.

Patti's eyes became big and round.  She said, "Wow!  Can I try that?"

Virginia said, "OK, try, but just take a very little sip."

Patti took a small puff, opened her mouth, inhaled and started coughing.  She
said, "How do you do that?"

Virginia said, "It takes some practice, but people get used to it and then
enjoy it very much."  

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