Paul:

YIKES! Did this really happen? Do you mean to say that TEN YEARS after what would seem to be a relatively minor offense this woman not only remembered the incident but cared enough about it to curse you to your face?

There's got to be more to this story than meets the eye. What did you REALLY do to this woman?

But as long as we're on the subject of women scorned, I must admit that a similar thing once happened to me.

When I was a senior in high school, a sophomore by the name of Melissa Hagood developed something of a crush on me. She never actually said anything, but she kept stealing my pencils and ripping up my calculus assignments. On my last day of school she astonished me with a very tender note in my annual which ended with a confession of love.

I am ashamed to say that I never acknowledged this note. I was caught up in an equally hopeless crush of my own and thought that the easiest way to deal with Melissa's note was simply to ignore it. To this day I have no idea how serious she was and to what extent I might have hurt her feelings, but it was thoughtless of me and cruel to turn my back on a heart freely given. But at the time I hardly gave it a second thought.

Years passed, more than five, less than ten. By this time I had a bright red beard and lived in Salt Lake. But once, on a visit back to Idaho Falls, I went to see a movie and was sitting in my seat when who should appear but this same Melissa Hagood, now much older and decidedly more attractive.

I started to say hello but before I could get out the first syllable she stepped up to me and yanked my beard as hard as she could. The lights fell and she was gone.

I was astonished by this behavior, and it took me some time to figure out an explanation, but by the time I did it was too late. I still look for her from time to time, but I never found her and never got the chance to apologize.