Eleven-year-old Eric Darnell Pritchard was a solitary kid. They preferred reading romance novels to playing sports, and watching soap operas to hanging out with the neighborhood kids. Although they were obsessed with love, they felt too different to find a romantic connection of their own. Then, a cute boy moved in across the street. To Eric’s surprise, they both “like liked” each other. But when Eric told the wrong person about their new boyfriend, things quickly spun out of control.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Anna Martin: From "The New York Times," I'm Anna Martin.
This is "Modern Love."
And today, a story from Eric Darnell Pritchard about their first love.
It was 1989 in Jamaica, Queens, New York.
Eric was 11.
And while other kids were spending their time playing pickup basketball, or riding bikes,
or hanging out on stoops, that wasn't exactly Eric's style.
Eric Darnell Pritchard: I spent a lot of time alone.
And my older brother was really into sports,
so he was always trying to coax me outside to play football.
And no. [LAUGHS]
Anna Martin: Instead, Eric is what I want to call an inside kid.
They liked inside things like watching TV, mostly soap operas,
and reading their mom's romance novels.
Eric Darnell Pritchard: I remember specifically her Lucky Santangelo books.
Anna Martin: Wait. I don't know who that is.
Eric Darnell Pritchard: Oh, Lucky Santan — Anna, go back and read them.
Lucky Sentongo is like the heroine of all heroines in romance novels.
Lucky Santangelo is strong, and men get in her way.