Prom night

Just after 6:30 p.m. today the three of us were back at the site of the Derby party, exactly seven days earlier, to drop off Vincent for prom night, take pictures, and send Vincent and Jessi on his way to the Irish Rover restaurant, driven by Jessi's parents, Lewis and Debbie. We took pictures (though I mistakenly deleted one of our favorites) and then essentially followed them, eating down Frankfort Avenue at Sari Sari, a Filipino restaurant. Then the two of them emerged with nearly a dozen other high school students - mostly Brown seniors and juniors and a few other non-Brown dates like Jessi - and we drove them to the Water Tower, site of Louisville's old water works that now hosts an art gallery and various events. Waiting for us there were the triumverate of Tim the principal, Jim the guidance counselor, and Tina the special education teacher whose photographs grace our dining room and who advised Vincent on the mousetrap car project. A number of other teachers were there - including Vincent's current teachers Carrie and Alice who were helping run things - but we were the only parents we saw (we peaked in inside). Most of the kids had driven themselves or were being driven by other students. Lewis and Debbie were to pick up Vincent and Jessi around 11:30 p.m. and take them to an after-prom party, near my old apartment and not too far from Jessi's family's new house. Then I'll pick them up around 12:45 p.m., in time to get Jessi home by 1 p.m. We'll see how it all works out.

P.S. I barely got Jessi back to her house at 1 p.m., the time her parents asked her to be back. The host of the party after the prom was the parent of one of his Vincent's friends, and it turns out I had met her before at a Phoenix Hill Neighborhood Association meeting - she's friends with the president. Not all of the people from the prom were invited, but there were other friends of the family from other high schools and other proms. Jessi got to talk with two of her best friends who were there, she said - they go to another nearby high school, Atherton. Vincent and Jessi seemed to have enjoyed themselves - Vincent apparently danced, even though he said before that he wouldn't dance. Vincent also said he can't believe he didn't want to go to the prom at all until the last moment (he's been to some Brown students' Sweet 16 parties with dancing that he didn't enjoy). Vincent said another teacher of his, Becky (see "Mousetrap Race/Ring Ceremony" entry), was there. Despite my best intentions, I ended up parking too close to Jessi's house. I got Vincent to get out and walk her to the door. But, instead of going to the side door, they went to the front door, near my car, and knocked straight one the door (and then soon afterwards, Lewis opened the door), giving them little or no time for a good-night kiss, which Vincent said later he didn't want anyway. I'm not sure everyone is on board as much with this no romance thing. But at least it sounds like they had a good time (and are home safe if a little smoky - apparently kids were smoking cigarettes at the party). Pentecost Sunday, tomorrow, and we haven't decided if we're going to awaken Vincent for the service too.