NPR 09-24:'My First True Love'我的初恋——谨以此纪念我的前夫

Though they were long separated when he died, Rebia Mixon-Clay still has fond memories of her first husband

Time now for StoryCorps. This project is collecting stories from everyday people across the country. Today we hear from Rebia Mixon-Clay in Chicago. During her interview she remembered her first husband the late Frank Mixon.

I was pregant when I met him, and he saw me, and walked over towards me he said, "You're gonna be my wife." And a year later, we just one day went down the city hall and get married, and we had no rings, he tried to give me his class ring, big ugly thing to put on my finger. It feels like, ah ah. And I remember coming home one day, and he wasn't there, and there was a note on the back of the door, and it said go on the bedroom and look on a dresser. And I went in the bedroom and looked on the dresser, and there was the ring box--a beautiful wedding ring and engagement ring in the box. I grabbed those things, I didn't put them on I just ran out of the house because I knew where he hang out at, and when he saw me coming, he said did you find them? And I was like, yeah. I was shaking the stuff like I had just met him, and I handed him the rings and he got down on one knee. He said, "Would you be my wife, really be my wife?" I said, "yeah."

He would come home and he would say what's for dinner, and I would tell him whatever dinner was going to be. And he made me feel like it was magnificent: I mean if, I burnt popcorn¹ it was the best, you know, that was a kind of guy he was. I was married to him for 17 years, and we seperated. And he moved to Michigan. I don't know the details, but Frank got into an altercation². They say that this woman was a damsel in distress³, and Frank was helping⁴ her. And the woman's boyfriend shot him in the back.

I have my fourth child with him, and he is exactly like his father, exactly. He never talks above a whisper, he is always happy and laughing, he is the gentleman of all gentlemen. And even my other three kids are like that, because they had him. My oldest son, he will tell you, my biological father's name is so-and-so, but my daddy's name is Frank Mixon.

And out of all the years that we were seperated I still remember Frank Mixon, because I honestly believe he was my first true love.

Rebia Mixon-Clay, at StoryCorps in Chicago. Her interview is part of StoryCorps Griot, that's a collection of African-American stories to be housed at the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History & Culture. All StoryCorps interviews are archived at the Library of Congress, and you can subscribe⁵ to the project's podcast at npr.org.

1 popcorn   

n.爆米花

参考例句：

• I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.当我在家观看电视剧时，喜欢吃爆米花。
• He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收银机后，嘴里塞满了爆米花。

2 altercation   

n.争吵，争论

参考例句：

• Throughout the entire altercation,not one sensible word was uttered.争了半天，没有一句话是切合实际的。
• The boys had an altercation over the umpire's decision.男孩子们对裁判的判决颇有争议。

3 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 subscribe   

vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助

参考例句：

• I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。
• The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。