I loved girls, but no one knew

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 13:00:00 +0000

The following has been excerpted from Renata Costa's Open Salon blog. As a matter of privacy, all names have been changed -- including the author's.

I held hands with Rosa Chávez Taylor every Friday morning. That’s when Sister Ana would lead my third-grade class across the field stretching behind our school — the shortcut to church. We were 33 girls walking in a gala-uniformed, alphabetically ordered double line bathed in sunlight and surrounded by wildflowers. My last name made me the luckiest girl, for it paired me with my best friend. Rosa was tall, freckled, long-haired; kind and articulate; admired by all. When the breeze blew my way, I would catch whiffs of her clean skin combined with the anise and chamomile growing around us. When our palms sweated together, we changed sides. We chatted and laughed. I knew my privilege: For those 20-minute walks, I did not have to share her with anyone else. I was thankful.

Salon.com > In the closet

I loved girls, but no one knew