2.2: How Kissing was Discovered

Road To Avonlea: Season 2 (Buy This Season) | 2.1: Sara’s Homecoming | 2.2: How Kissing was Discovered | 2.3: Aunt Hetty’s Ordeal | 2.4: Of Corsets and Secrets and True, True Love | 2.5: Old Quarrels, Old Love | 2.6: May the Best Man Win | 2.7: Family Rivalry | 2.8: The Sea Ghost | 2.9: All That Glitters | 2.10: Dreamer of Dreams | 2.11: It’s Just a Stage | 2.12: A Mother’s Love | 2.13: Misfits and Miracles

The Annual Cricket Match has everyone buzzing, the more so because Alec King is resident Cricket champion. The solidarity of the King family unit is threatened, however when young Felicity King accidentally meets and develops a hopeless crush on the visiting teams champion, the handsome young David Hawes.

The tension in the King household is further aggravated by the arrival of Great Aunt Eliza, and by Janet King’s flu like symptoms and irritable temper.

Young Gus Pike, working as part-time help on the King farm, is worried about Felicity’s attempts to captivate the handsome David Hawes and decides to keep an eye on her. Felicity’s desire to grow up too fast eventually prompts her to disobey her father and attend the post Cricket match ball where her illusions about Hawes are quickly shattered. To add to the embarrassment, Alec races to the dance to bring Felicity home which makes both of them look quite foolish.

Lets not be coy Janet. Everyone knows that you chased me like a bull terrier. – Alec King

Gus Pike, moved by Felicity’s disappointment following the dance, helps her to regain her perspective and winds up being the unexpected provider of her first kiss. Meanwhile the keen-eyed Great Aunt Eliza surmises the real cause of Janet’s “flu” and begins to knit baby-booties for the arrival of the newest member to the King clan.

Notes & Inspirations

• Originally Aired December 9, 1990
• This episode, featuring the first appearance of Gus Pike, was written by Suzette Couture. Suzette was also co-writer of the mini-series Conspiracy of Silence for which Mahonen won a Gemini Award.
• While in the show, Gus and Felicity are only about 3 years apart. In actuality Michael Mahonen was 12 years older than the 14 year old Gema. Michael was very aware of this and was careful to only kiss Gema on the cheek in this episode.
• Hetty and Olivia do not appear in this episode.
• This episode gets its title from chapter 18 of Montgomery’s book, The Story Girl.