A Well Lived Life 2 Book 2 StephieChapter 21 Lagom
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May 15, 1987, Chicago, Illinois
“Another year done!” Kara exclaimed when I came home from work.
“One more to go, and then you start on your Master’s.”
“I also start on our baby soon!” she said happily. “But Elyse looks like she’s going to burst!”
I chuckled, “Tell me about it! She complained that all she does is go to school, eat, and pee.”
“She just has to hang in there for a couple more weeks!” Kara said. “I assume you have everything arranged?”
“Of course. My bag is packed and sitting just inside the walk-in closet. We’re going to UofC, so it’s close. She used the same OB/GYN as Jennifer.”
“I know. That makes three of us. I switched once Jennifer told me how good Doctor Robertson was.”
“I think Doctor Robertson is going to have some interesting things to say to me!”
“I think Doctor Robertson will want to find out exactly why four women are coming to you to get pregnant!” Kara giggled.
“She’s old enough to be our mom, Honey! Is everything ready for tonight? Elyse usually handles all the details, but she’s obviously in no condition to do that at this point!”
“Elyse is a bit grumpy, isn’t she?”
“You will be, too, at that point in your pregnancy. Jennifer was. So is there anything that needs to be done?”
“No. Everyone will be here around 7:00pm. All you have to do is dance with cute girls!”
“You and Jess!” I grinned.
“And Penny! And Shari! And Leila!”
“Penny?”
“She’s eighteen now, and she’s going to IIT in the fall. Alice will let her come to parties now, so long as we promise that she doesn’t drink.”
“I suppose Effy will be here?” I asked.
“Yes. I’m sorry that she annoys you. I asked her to please behave tonight. I hope she does.”
“Me, too.” I said.
True to Kara’s word, we had just finished cleaning up after dinner when her friends began arriving. Jessica wouldn’t arrive until around 8:30pm, so I spent some time talking to Kara’s friends. She’d invited fifteen people, and there were a few more girls than guys, which didn’t surprise me. Nearly all of them were either chemistry or chemical engineering majors. About 7:20pm she introduced me to a short, cute, perky redhead.
“Steve, this is Shari Kimball. Shari, this is Steve Adams.”
“Hi!” she bubbled, extending her hand.
I shook it gently and her green eyes sparkled. She was very different from Kathy, but the red hair and green eyes had a similar effect. Where Kathy was a few inches shorter than me and athletic, Shari was a good eight inches shorter and curvier and softer. Like Kathy, she had mischief in her eyes and a stunning smile. If what Kara had suggested were true, and Jessica gave permission, I might actually decide to sample Shari’s charms.
“Hi!” Penny said, neatly stepping between me and Shari.
“Hi, Penny!” I said. “You still have almost two more weeks of school, right?”
“Yes,” she grumped. “But I don’t have to take finals for any class because I have all A’s!”
“Great! I’ll be at your graduation as promised. But you interrupted a conversation, Penelope Margaret!”
“Uh-huh,” she said, looking warily at me and giving Shari an evil look.
Penny was jealous! I suppressed a laugh that would have thoroughly pissed her off as she directed her look to me, then moved over to talk to Elyse, who was sitting in an easy chair in the great room. When the rest of the guests arrived we headed up to the attic room. I talked with some of the guys, including Zane, who I’d met before.
Zane and Kara had met in their very first chemistry class, and were taking most of their core courses together. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and I found out that he and Kelly, another of Kara’s friends, were dating. They’d met through Kara and discovered that they had some common interests and started going out. Zane was from Houston, Texas, and his dad was in the Army. While I was talking to him, Penny came up to me and asked me to dance. I excused myself, and took Penny in my arms to dance to The Glory of Love by Peter Cetera.
“What’s with the redhead?” she whispered as we danced close.
“She’s a friend of Kara’s. I just met her when you tried to step between us!”
“She had this look in her eyes like she wanted you!” Penny hissed.
“Penelope Margaret O’Neil! You’re jealous! What happened to Ned?”
“I’m still going out with him! We haven’t quite gotten to the best part yet, but he’s a good kisser, has gentle fingers, and he tastes good!”
Penny smirked and licked her lips provocatively.
“It sounds like you’re close,” I said.
She giggled, “If he kisses as well down there as he does my lips, then he’ll get to experience the best there is!”
She rubbed her body against mine and pulled me tight to make sure I knew exactly what she meant.
“I never had any complaints at all!” I said.
“Of course not!” she whispered in my ear.
We finished our dance and I went over to stand by Kara, who had a silly smile on her face.
“Penny making another play?” she asked quietly.
“No. She let me know that she was jealous, but then told me that she and Ned are having fun. She’s conflicted, like we knew she would be. But the fact that she and Ned are doing the things they’re doing is a good sign.”
“I was a bit worried about that diamond, but it looks like you were right about it.”
“So it would seem! Dance with me?”
Kara smiled and we walked out to the center of the room and danced closely to The One That You Love by Air Supply. As always, Kara felt good in my arms. We danced quietly, without talking, just enjoying the feel of each other’s body. When the song ended, we got drinks and went to stand by a small group of Kara’s friends, including Kelly, Zane, and Shari. All of them were heading home on Saturday, and would be back in August. From the conversation, it seemed like all of them were good students, which didn’t surprise me.
“Would you want to dance?” Shari asked after the group had been talking for about ten minutes.
“Sure,” I said, leading her out to the center of the room where we were joined by Zane and Kelly and one other couple whose names I couldn’t remember. We danced carefully to Take Me Home by Phil Collins, with Shari never breaking eye contact with me and smiling the whole time. It made me wonder exactly what Kara had said to Shari. I also wondered what Jessica would say if I asked for permission, should it get to that point.
The next song was Hard Habit to Break by Chicago, and Shari stepped closer. I held her so that our bodies didn’t quite touch, trying to keep things from escalating too far, too fast. Shari accepted the limits and we completed the dance and then went back to stand with Kara and her other friends. I noticed Penny dancing with one of the single guys, and she was dancing a lot closer than I suspected Ned would appreciate, but from my perspective, Penny was eighteen and made her own rules.
“Kara,” I said. “Jess should be here in the next fifteen minutes or so. I’m going to go wait for her, if you don’t mind.”
“That’s fine. I have all my friends here!”
I kissed her and left the attic by the elevator, heading to the front porch to sit on the swing and wait for Jessica. She arrived almost exactly on time, and I hurried to her Camaro and hugged and kissed her as she got out of the car.
“Where’s our wife?” she asked after we kissed a second time.
“With her friends in the attic room,” I said.
I grabbed Jessica’s overnight bag and we went inside and up to our room.
“Did you meet Shari?” Jessica asked, the corner of her lip showing just a hint of a smile
“I sense a setup!” I chuckled. “Have YOU met Shari?”
“Yes, last weekend when you had your Guys’ Night.”
“Spill the beans, Babe!”
“Why?” she smirked. “Wouldn’t you rather find out?”
“Find out what? Are you and Kara playing some kind of game here? Honestly, this almost feels like what Jennifer and Melanie did back in High School.”
“Oh! No, that’s not it at all. Neither Kara nor I promised her anything, nor talked about your skills as a lover.”
“Then why is she interested in a married man? What’s going on, Babe?”
“I promised not to tell, but I guess at this point I need to. Shari was going to go to a fraternity party tonight. She wanted to lose her virginity before she went home. We talked her out of it, saying that a random fraternity guy was a bad idea.”
“So you offered stud service?” I said, a note of annoyance in my voice.
“It’s not like that,” Jessica said defensively. “She’s here for the party. We made no promises.”
“Then why is she acting the way she is around me?”
“Maybe she likes you. Who knows? But we didn’t promise her anything. I swear it, Tiger.”
“Do you know WHY she wants to have sex?”
“According to Kara, she’s wanted to all year, but was scared of her own shadow. You know, away from home for the first time, wanting to sow some wild oats, that kind of thing. She finally worked up her courage, but Kara dissuaded her from going to a frat party and having some drunken frat boy be her first. It’s up to you. If you want to try, go for it. If not, don’t. She’ll go home to Iowa tomorrow either way.”
“And why are you OK with this?” I asked.
“It fits our agreement, she’s a nice girl, and you’ve been extremely well-behaved. You want to, with someone, but you won’t ask. It’s up to you, Tiger.”
I chuckled, “I actually had thought about asking you about a girl I knew back in Milford who’s here in Chicago, but decided against it.”
“Because you didn’t want her, or because you didn’t want to ask?”
“In the end, I decided that I didn’t want her. It’s a long story. She wasn’t close back home, and I hadn’t seen her in six years or so. We used to tease a lot back when I was in High School, but never moved beyond teasing. She started it up when we ran into each other while I was working and that’s all there was to it.”
“Well, you aren’t actually asking about her, so I don’t need to answer. But I’m OK with you being with Shari if you want to.”
“Why?” I asked. “Because you made a promise two years ago?”
“No, because Kara is right. Remember our conversation about doing something fun? This would be fun. This is who you are, and doing this every once in a while will keep you properly balanced. I think the Swedish word is «lagom», right?”
I nodded, “It is. Let’s go upstairs and I’ll take it under advisement. How was your day?”
“Good. Two more weeks and I’m done!”
“I know!” I grinned. “That makes me happy!”
“Me, too!” she said.
We walked out of our room, down the hall, and into the elevator. Twenty seconds later, we exited into the attic room to see Jorge and Stephanie putting on a dance exhibition.
“They’re showing off again!” I observed.
“Jess!” Kara said excitedly.
The two girls hugged and exchanged a brief kiss, and I went to get Jessica her 7-Up. I brought it back to her and stood with my wives, apart from the others.
“He made me tell him,” Jessica said to Kara.
“Made is such a strong word,” I said. “I asked. Jess said you didn’t offer Shari anything at all, or talk about my skills or anything. Is that really true?”
“Yes,” Kara said. “We just talked her out of getting drunk and screwing some random, drunken frat boy for her first time. I told her there might be a better opportunity here, but I didn’t name names. If you want to give her a good first time, go on. If not, don’t.”
“What about being married?” I asked.
“She’ll deal with it or she won’t. But you won’t know until you try, Snuggle Bear.”
“So this really is just putting us in the room together and seeing what happens?”
“Yes,” Kara said. “She’s a better choice than your Ohio friend for sure.”
I nodded. I still wasn’t sure what to do, but starting with another dance was probably right. I waited for the right song, and when Almost Paradise by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson started playing, I took Shari’s hand and led her to the dance floor. This time, I pulled her close, but not tight. She responded by putting her head on my chest and slipping her arms around my waist. As the song played, she pulled me tighter to her and I felt her firm breasts pressing into the bottom of my ribcage.
“You know I’m married,” I whispered.
“Uh-huh,” she said softly. “But it feels so nice to dance with you. Kara said it was OK to dance with you, even close. I asked her when you went downstairs.”
“It feels nice to dance with you, too,” I said, squeezing my arms tight for a moment.
She did feel nice and I found myself wondering what it would be like to be with her.
“And Kara really won’t get mad if we’re this close?” she asked.
“Kara won’t get mad if we got even closer,” I chuckled.
“Closer?” she whispered.
I slipped my hands down to her butt and pulled her closer for a few seconds, moved my hips a bit, then moved my hands back up to her shoulders.
“Closer!” I whispered.
“I uh, uh, I don’t know,” she stammered nervously.
“This is absolutely something you need to be sure about,” I said.
“You, uhm, would really, uhm, want to do it with me?” she said, still clearly nervous.
“I’m certainly thinking about it, with our bodies pressed together like this. Do you want to go someplace to talk?”
“Talk?” she asked apprehensively.
“Talk. Nothing more.”
“Uhm, sure, I guess.”
The song ended, and I released her. I walked over to Kara and Jessica and let them know that Shari and I were going to find a place to talk privately. Kara arched her eyebrow and Jess smirked, but I pointed out that I had said ‘talk’ and I meant ‘talk’. Anything else was off the table until Shari and I talked. They agreed, as I expected they would, and Shari and I rode the elevator down to the first floor. The ‘Indian’ room was empty, so we went in there. I shut the door, put on some music, and we sat in a couple of the basket chairs.
“So, I know that you’re from Iowa and that you’re a chemical engineering major, and that you’re finishing your Freshman year.”
“Yes. When I came to IIT for my campus visit, it was the first time I’d been out of Iowa. My family has a farm outside of Sioux City, and that’s pretty much where I grew up. We didn’t go too many places, and when we did, it wasn’t far from home.”
“I’m pretty much the opposite. I was born in California, but I mostly grew up in Milford, Ohio, which is a small town east of Cincinnati. I’ve traveled a lot - with my parents when I was little all over the western US, Canada, and Mexico, and then in tenth grade I went to Sweden for a year as an exchange student, and I’ve gone back there a few times. And I’m going to Russia at the end of July.”
“Wow. What do you do for a living?”
“I run my own computer software company.”
“Really? But, you’re like only twenty-four!”
“Yes, really,” I said.
I asked about her family and told her about mine, and then we talked about High School, hobbies, sports, and interests.
“So you never had a serious boyfriend in High School?” I asked.
“I wasn’t allowed to date one-on-one. I could only go out in a group, or with my parents. That’s why I wanted to go to school somewhere away from my parents. It was tough, but I talked them into it because IIT is a great school for chemical engineers. I’ve always been a bit shy, so I really didn’t meet too many people this year. Kara started talking to me in February, and she was my first real friend in Chicago.”
“So what did you usually do during your free time?”
“Mostly I stayed in my room and read or watched TV. I finally worked up the courage to go to some parties at the end of last semester. I was going to go to one tonight, but Kara talked me out of it.”
“Which party?” I asked.
“Alpha Epsilon Pi - the ‘Apes’.”
The ‘Ape House’ had the wildest, most unruly parties on campus, with nobody watching out for how much anyone drank. If something bad happened at a party at IIT, the odds were that it was at Alpha Epsilon Pi.
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September 3, 1989, Chicago, Illinois “Good morning, Sensei,” I said, bowing to Sensei Jim. “Good morning!” he said waving me to a chair in his office. “How was your trip?” I asked. “Enlightening. I spent most of my time acting as a manservant to Sensei Robert and Sensei Hiro.” “He who will lead, must first serve,” I said. “Someday, I’m going to send you to Sensei Hiro, should he live long enough. You understand.” “Does that mean you are now 6th Dan?” I...
October 29, 2000, Chicago, Illinois Birgit followed me as far as the stairs, then scooted upstairs when I went to the front door and opened it. “Hi!” Sophie said. “Hi!” I replied and held the door open so she could come into the house. I closed the door behind her then led her to my study where I waited until she went in, and then walked in, closing the door behind me. I nodded to one of the wingback chairs, she sat down in one, and I sat down in the other. “Is something wrong?” she...
August, 1983, Chicago, Illinois I walked in the near 90°F heat to Carla’s place. I was grateful that the humidity of the morning had dropped significantly; otherwise the heat would have been unbearable. By the time I walked up the steps to the apartment over the photography studio and knocked on her door, I had broken into a light sweat. Carla answered almost immediately and invited me inside her studio apartment. The air was moderately cool, and the window air conditioner was running full...
July 1982, Milford, Ohio On Tuesday morning, I kissed Kara goodbye and headed to my parents’ house for my usual morning routine with my little sister. She was happy that I could spend the morning with her and asked to take a walk, so we weren’t in the house with my mom. “Let me guess — this walk will end in the clearing,” I said with a smile. “Yes,” she said, taking my hand as we walked down Overlook towards Klondyke. As usual, we turned around and walked back, taking the path to the...
March 13, 1994, Chicago, Illinois “Hi, Steve!” Ailea said when she opened the door. “Hi,” I replied, accepting the offered hug. There was no touching of lips, just of cheeks, and I wondered if I’d misread her intentions at her birthday lunch, or if, perhaps, she detected my reluctance to return the offered affection. “Lunch is ready, so go ahead and sit. I’ll bring it in from the kitchen.” I went to the low table, sat down, and a minute later, Ailea brought miso soup and sushi, our usual...
April 3, 1997, Dallas, Texas “Remember what I said about drinking too much,” I said, as I poured bourbon into three cups. We’d stopped at a liquor store, bought a bottle of Blanton’s, and then returned to the small suite I’d reserved at the Westin. Deborah’s room was down the hall, and Krissy’s was two floors below. Krissy’s comment had caught me a bit off guard, but I hadn’t reacted visibly. I didn’t know her quite well enough to know if she’d been teasing with Deborah, so I was being...
March 28, 1991, Chicago, Illinois “This day belongs to you, Kara!” I said when the three of us woke on Thursday morning. “Happy birthday!” Jessica said. “Thanks,” Kara replied happily. “I think I’d like an amazing birthday fuck from our husband, and then a nice loving shower with my wife!” Kara said. “Do we have enough time?” I asked. Jessica giggled, “I set the alarm for thirty minutes earlier!” “Then let’s not waste any of it!” I said pulling Kara to me. Kara’s squeals as I plunged...
September 4, 2000, Chicago, Illinois On Monday morning I went to my study to make a surreptitious call to ensure that the surprise I’d planned for Kara was still going to happen, and after confirming that it was, Jesse, Matthew, Michael, and I began preparing for the Labor Day party by getting beer and soda into coolers, getting the grill ready, setting up tables and chairs in the backyard, and ensuring the liquor cabinets were stocked while my wives and daughters worked on food prep in the...
September 1, 1987, Chicago, Illinois “I heard that you have some kind of plan to help Ed,” I said to Connie. “There’s no plan,” she replied. “A witness who saw the shopkeeper alive after Ed left came forward.” That sounded convenient, and I wondered if the witness was real or someone that Anthony had put forward to solve the problem. Certainly, the videotape was real, because I couldn’t imagine how Anthony could have faked that, but the witness? Who knew? “So is he being released? Or is...
August 17, 1997, Chicago, Illinois We finished lunch and Marissa and the younger kids went to play, but Natalie sat with the adults to talk, with coffee, tea, or soft drinks. The Sarcus were very comfortable, but the Heaths were still struggling. But, vitally, they hadn’t left and hadn’t insisted Natalie leave the group. “Can you explain how you developed this attitude and approach?” Chris asked. I nodded, “It started when I was just a bit younger than Natalie. My mom was a total control...
July 1979 — Falkenberg, Sweden On Friday, when I got back from my run, Pam was in her bra and panties again. I whistled at her, she giggled, then finished dressing. I showered, and we went to breakfast and finished up our last day. Once class was done, we were pretty much free. On Saturday, we’d have several optional activities and then on Sunday we’d head back to our host families. After dinner on Friday, I took Pam’s hand and we walked towards the river. It was quiet and peaceful, and...
July 1980, Over the North Atlantic We reached cruising altitude, and I settled back to read my book. Pam raised the armrest between us, snuggled close to me and read as well. The cabin crew offered drinks, and I had my first Coke in a year! Meal service began about an hour and a half into the flight. After the cabin crew picked up the trays and offered drinks again, they passed once more, offering headsets for the movie. Trevor and Maria took them, but Pam and I didn’t, instead we turned on...
July 8, 1997, Chicago, Illinois “Is it really that surprising?” Leah asked. “I suppose not,” I replied. “I just didn’t read too much into the kiss on the cheek.” “I didn’t think it was a good idea to kiss you on the lips with all those people around, because I had no idea who they were or what they would think. You were VERY careful with our dance, so I kind of followed your lead.” Which showed very mature thinking on her part. Both of these girls were exactly the kind of students I...
November 8, 1993, Chicago, Illinois A dark fog swirled before my eyes as I tried to take stock. My head hurt, badly. I felt something on my face and realized, dimly, it was an oxygen mask. My right hand was uncomfortable and I recognized the feeling of an IV and pulse-oximeter. My left arm ached fiercely. On my chest I felt the pads and wires of an EKG. I didn’t feel anything else wrong as I continued taking inventory. I tried to open my eyes, but the fog didn’t clear. I tried to speak, but...
August, 1983, Chicago, Illinois In the morning Anala and I ran as we had the previous time, then showered together, carefully washing each other’s bodies in an intimate but non-sexual way. After our shower we went to the kitchen and I made breakfast and we sat down to eat. “Steve, may I make a suggestion?” she asked. “Sure.” “Broaden your circle of friends. Other than me, all of you are white, nominally Christian, 20-year-old Americans. And you don’t invite me to your Sunday...
June 23, 2000, Chicago, Illinois “Steve,” Kimmy said over the intercom, “I have a Suzanne Aavik for you.” “Thanks,” I replied. “Put her through, please.” A few seconds later, Suzanne was on the line. “Hi!” she exclaimed when I greeted her. “I’m in Chicago for three weeks. Can I still run away and join the circus?” I chuckled, “You might want to find out what the circus is actually like before you join! If you’re free, you’re welcome to come to the house tomorrow or Sunday and meet the...
March 1979 Monday was back to the normal routine of school. Debbie Courtney, who lived across the street and had turned fourteen the last week in February, started flirting more with me on the bus each day. Debbie Vaughn, who lived just down the street, would turn fourteen on March 16th and invited me to her birthday party. And Donna Woody, who lived just down the street in the other direction, would turn fourteen on March 20th. She had made it clear what she wanted for her birthday, and in...
June 2, 1990, Chicago, Illinois “My office, please,” Sensei Jim said after class on Saturday. I followed him to his office and waited for him to bid me to sit. He did, and I sat in the usual chair across from him. “She has a real problem, you know that, right?” he asked. “I do. That’s why I insisted she start seeing a counselor.” “I run a huge risk having her here with that kind of temper and her violent acts.” I nodded, “I understand. May I ask what you intend to do?” “I really don’t...
February 21, 1991, Chicago, Illinois “Hi, Sweetheart!” I said, greeting Bethany at the door. “Uncle Steve!” Nicholas exclaimed. I took him from his mom and he hugged me tightly. “Is Jesse with his moms?” Bethany asked. “Yes. They won’t bring him back over tonight so you and Nicholas can surprise him in the morning.” “Perfect!” “How was the drive up?” “The same as usual. Just a bit of traffic in Northern Indiana. Otherwise, smooth sailing. It was driving the other direction that was a...
November 4, 2000, Chicago, Illinois “Good morning, Sensei,” Miyu said when Kara, the girls, and I walked into the dojo on Saturday morning. “Good morning, Miyu.” “Do you have a moment, please?” I nodded and we went to the small practice room for privacy, as Sensei Jim had a family in his office. “What can I do for you?” “I need you to meet a young man,” she said. “I think you might be taking this ‘not do anything without permission’ a bit too far!” Miyu shook her head, “No, I’m not....
May 1979 The limo dropped me at home about 9:00pm. I took my stuff to my room, stripped, and hung up the tux. The rest of the things went into the hamper. I took a shower, put on shorts and a t-shirt, and walked down the hall into my dad’s office. I saw no reason to put this off any longer. “Stephen, you need to explain yourself!” my mom demanded. “I was in Mrs. McGrath’s, well, Mrs. Sanders’ now, wedding, as I said.” “You walked her down the aisle! You’re sixteen and not even related to...
November 3, 1990, Chicago, Illinois “I still don’t understand why you told everyone to leave Katy alone last night,” Elyse said on Saturday morning. “Because we weren’t going to talk her out of it. I could tell by the way she told us. I hoped letting her sleep on it would allow her to hear what we had to say. Obviously I was wrong.” “I was surprised that she wouldn’t talk to Jennifer at all,” Kara said. “I thought Jennifer would be the one to get her to listen to reason this morning.” I...
February, 1983, Chicago, Illinois Our first joining since the previous summer was slow and sweet, trying to express our deep love for each other through the motions of our bodies. When we finished, Karin held me tight and refused to let me move off of her. “Sleep there, please,” she whispered. I kissed her once more then adjusted my pillow so that I could rest my head next to hers. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but it was what Karin wanted. The feel of her firm body under mine,...
July 3, 1996, Chicago, Illinois I blinked several times and took a breath before responding. It didn’t help. The best I could do was contain my visceral reaction at her completely out-of-line request and her wrong-headed assumptions when she had NO idea what had happened in my life the previous eight months. “What makes you think you can make that request after refusing to talk to me for nearly eight months? And equally importantly, without explaining Alexi? And without giving me the first...
August 12, 1994, Chicago, Illinois “Fuck ‘em all,” I sighed. “Especially Donald Fehr. Running to Federal Court, the NLRB, and Congress? I’m really tired of the government putting its thumb so heavily on the scale.” “Well, we’re not going to resolve that problem today,” Elyse said. “Jackie and Jeremiah want to come over.” I chuckled, “Why am I not surprised? I bet you anything he had a rough sketch done ten minutes after they hung up the phone.” “They want to discuss options. Kimmy felt...
July 1983, Milford, Ohio My drive to Ohio was filled with wild swings of emotion. After quickly driving Anala home I had set out for Milford, driving as fast as I thought I could get away with, slowing only when warned to do so by my radar detector. I’d told Nancy that I’d come straight to her house and asked her to call my dad and let him know so that Stephanie wasn’t worried. I pulled into the Blanchards’ driveway at 3:30pm, having managed to avoid any run-ins with the Indiana State Police...
June 1980, On the Train, and in Abisko, Sweden As the train sped across the Swedish countryside towards Stockholm, I reflected on the fact that there were less than three weeks to go until I had to be in Copenhagen to board a flight home. I was torn between wanting to go home and wanting to stay, but in the end, I didn’t have a choice. I really liked my life here, the freedom I was given, the friends I had and, the respect I had from adults. I hadn’t run into a single adult who had treated...
May 18, 1997, Chicago, Illinois “As I said last time, today we’re going to talk about decision making and how to make good decisions. I think we’ll start with what I think has to be the easiest decision with the least controversy - is it ever OK to drive drunk?” “No!” came a chorus from several of the students. “And yet, people do that every day,” I replied. “And they die or kill people because of that bad decision. You have to ask yourself why people would drive drunk; and often it’s...
March 6, 1987, Chicago, Illinois “This is a big improvement,” I said as the green flag dropped for the Goodwrench 500 at North Carolina Motor Speedway. Bill had taken the pole, and when the flag dropped, led the field into turn one. “His car seems fast,” Kara said. It was. Bill led the first 89 laps, most of them under green, though there had been a yellow flag for seven laps when Richard Petty had wrecked in Turn 1 on lap 19. From lap 90 to 143, the lead shifted a few times, mostly...