Joanie Goes to Fantasyland
- 4 years ago
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March 18, 1995, Chicago, Illinois
“Good morning, Mitsuko!” I said when she came into the dojo on Saturday morning.
“Good morning, Sensei Steve! This is my friend Dyani. She’s a Freshman at UofC and is interested in martial arts.”
“Welcome!” I said. “Were you hoping to start today, or just watch?”
“I think I’ll just watch today,” she said.
“OK. I’ll come talk to you afterwards to see what you think. Mitsuko, are you participating this morning?”
“Yes! I need to change.”
“Dyani, you can just stay here in the vestibule,” I said. “That will give you a good view of the class.”
“Thank you.”
I checked the clock and it was nearly time to start, so I went to line up in the front row with Jolene, Therese, Will, and Kara to my right, and Hannah right behind me. The other students lined up according to their belts, ending with a white belt, Martin Alsip, who had joined the dojo two weeks earlier. Birgit and Felipe both had their yellow belts and were standing to his left.
Sensei Jim came to the front of the dojo just as Mitsuko came out of the changing rooms. Sensei Jim nodded, giving her permission to take her place in the ranks, and everyone to the right of Jolene had to move to the right, with Kara moving behind me. Will was asked to lead exercises, and when we finished, Sensei Jim divided the class, though I took Marcia to the corner of the small training room.
“Sensei Steve, I’m not sure how I can train sparring with you if you can’t spar.”
I smiled, “You get to beat up on the bag for now. I’m going to teach you to defend yourself from me. When I think you’re ready, we’ll get Will or Therese to actually spar with you. Put on your sparring gear.”
We both got into our gear, and I put on my headgear even though she wouldn’t be throwing any punches or kicks at me.
“All I want you to do is block,” I said. “We’ll worry about counter-punching once I’m happy with your blocking. The same will be true of grapples and throws - you have to keep me from grappling you or throwing you without throwing me. If you get proper hold of my arm, wrist, or gi, we’ll call it a win for you. OK?”
“Got it!”
“You’re a Sophomore?”
“Yes.”
“OK. You’ll be competing in the 2nd group of purple belts which is kids from thirteen to seventeen. I’ve watched quite a few of those matches, so I have a good idea of what you can expect. That said, I’m going to use brown belt and black belt techniques as well.”
“You’re going to kick my butt!” she laughed.
“Only at first. I’m a good teacher. You just have to be a good student! Take your position. I’m going to go half speed. I want to watch your technique. You should be able to block every combination at half-speed. If not, we’ll work on why not. Ready?”
“Yes, Sensei!”
Over the next fifteen minutes I ran through all the standard combinations, as well as some I’d worked out on my own with guidance from Sensei Jim. Marcia did an excellent job, only allowing a couple of kicks to land, and those were the final moves of my personal combinations.
“I’ve never see those last two moves before,” she said.
“Because I don’t spar,” I said. “Only that workout bag ever sees them.”
“You had a head injury, right?”
“Yes. Brain damage according to my kids!”
Marcia laughed, “Your daughter is a real smarty-pants!”
“Yes she is! Are you ready to try again, this time at three-quarter speed?”
“I think I’m going to be black and blue before we’re done!”
“You want to win, right?”
“Yes, Sensei!”
“Then let’s begin!”
We spent the rest of the time with me correcting Marcia each time I landed a punch or kick, until she was consistently stopping me at three-quarter speed.
“What did you learn?” I asked as we took off our gear.
“Hips don’t lie!” she laughed. “Except when they do!”
“You won’t run into that kind of thing in your competition sparring. I didn’t learn it until 2nd Dan. When you start sparring with brown belts in competition, it’ll become more of an issue. And when you earn 1st Dan, you’ll start to see it a lot. Next Saturday, we’ll run through three-quarter speed drills again and work on precision for your kata.”
“I’m not very good at that.”
I nodded, “I know. But to win the overall City Championship for your age group, you need to be.”
“No way!”
“You can do it,” I said.
“You really think so?”
“I do.”
She beamed and we went out to join the rest of the class for dismissal. When Sensei Jim released us, I went to talk to Dyani while Mitsuko changed into her street clothes.
“What did you think?” I asked.
“Pretty cool. How difficult is it to learn to do those things?”
“It’s not difficult, really. If you have five minutes I can show you how to throw a proper punch.”
“Five minutes?”
I nodded, “The technique is simple. It just takes a lot of practice. Mitsuko is changing, so I think we have time.”
“Sure.”
I had her remove her shoes and led her to the small training room and the workout bag. I showed her how to stand and how to hold her arms, and throw a simple punch. She did, and her hand basically bounced off the bag, which was common for a beginner.
“You aren’t selecting the right target,” I said. “You want to drive your hand forward. Imagine the target is actually about five inches into the bag and try again.”
She nodded and this time the bag moved.
“Wow!” she said.
“It’s a common beginner mistake. You don’t want to throw yourself off balance, but you need to drive your hand through the front of whatever it is you’re striking.”
“How do I sign up?”
“Come on. I’ll get you a uniform, a set of rules, and an instructional packet. There is no charge for the first few lessons so you can decide if you want to join the dojo. If you do, there is a price sheet that allows for weekly, monthly, annual, and one-time payment plans to take you all the way through your brown belt.”
“Then what happens?”
“Once you earn a black belt, an appropriate plan would be worked out with Sensei Jim. Everything will depend on your situation. That’s when this becomes a true commitment.”
“You’re a full instructor, right?”
I nodded, “Yes, I’m 5th Dan, but this is Sensei Jim’s dojo. Let’s get you a uniform and the other things.”
We left the small training room and went to Sensei Jim’s office. I looked over Dyani and selected the correct size uniform and white belt, then went to the filing cabinet and took out a ‘new student’ packet. I handed everything to Dyani.
“When did you want to start?” I asked.
“Tuesday evening, I think.”
“See you then.”
She left just as Sensei Jim came into the office.
“She’s taking the introductory lessons?”
“Yes. She’ll be here Tuesday.”
“Good. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure.”
“I spoke to both videographers and I’m going to go with the teacher because we can film in the school gym. Trying to set up video equipment in the dojo would make for very tight quarters.”
“That makes sense,” I said.
“I did talk with your friend about filming a class with a hand-held camera, and she’s going to do that. The teacher will edit everything together.”
“Cool. When?”
“Sunday, April 23rd for the demonstration video. We can’t really do it sooner because of Palm Sunday and Easter. I’m going to ask Will, Hannah, Birgit, and Felipe to participate.”
I nodded, “Felipe is doing really well; losing those twenty pounds made a huge difference.”
“What’s up with the Indian girl?”
“Dyani?”
He nodded, “Navajo, I’m pretty sure. And probably 100%.”
“She said she’s going to be here on Tuesday.”
“OK. I’d like you to supervise Will in training her. He needs to learn how to teach.”
“Yes, Sensei!”
“See you on Monday evening.”
I bowed and went to join my wives, Michelle, and Birgit for the walk home.
“You have a new admirer,” Kara laughed.
“Marcia? I don’t doubt that because I told her I was going to help her become citywide champion for her age group.”
“No, I was talking about Mitsuko’s friend. The girl with the long black hair down to her waist. When you were in sight, her gaze didn’t leave you.”
I shrugged, “I’m sure Mitsuko told her about my karate skills. I’m also VERY sure Mitsuko didn’t say a word about anything else. And you know where I am at this point.”
“No kissing except my mommies and Michelle!” Birgit giggled.
“Pumpkin, one of these days...” I threatened, but I was laughing.
“She is right, Tiger,” Jessica said.
“She is,” I agreed. “And we’ve talked about this. I have enough on my plate at the moment. We all know someone will catch my eye or pique my interest at the right time, and I’ll consider it. Within the rules.”
“I’m not pushing,” Kara said. “But have you considered relaxing your rules for Melissa?”
I chuckled, “Of course I considered it! But I don’t think it makes sense to risk the relationship between M&M and NIKA for that. And before you suggest the new white belt, you know Sensei Jim would KILL me if something like that were to happen. I was lucky he never found out about Jacqui. Or about Jolene.”
“Why do you girls do this?” Michelle asked.
“What? Tease Tiger about girls?”
“Yes. He’s limited himself, voluntarily, to the three of us. Why not let it be?”
“Michelle,” Kara said gently. “If you have some starry-eyed view that Steve will never, ever have someone besides the three of us, you probably should give up on your plans for a child you want to raise in our household.”
“If you think about it,” Jessica said, “it’s not logical. If he’d followed your thinking, he’d never have been with you, and you wouldn’t be here with us. And, if you think it through, you made the same basic agreement I did. Kara could have had him to herself, but neither you nor I could have.”
“I like having two mommies!” Birgit interjected.
“There’s one vote,” I chuckled.
“As if she’d ever go against you!” Jessica laughed.
“Only if I side with Jesse!”
“Dumb boys!” Birgit said firmly. “The more boys, the dumber!”
Jessica, Kara, and Michelle all laughed.
“You have that one right, sweetie!” Jessica laughed. “When boys get together, they get dumber!”
“And girls?” I asked.
“Girls are smarter!” Birgit declared.
“I don’t think I can argue with that one,” I replied with a silly grin, “given a doctor, a soon-to-be-doctor, and my office manager are here. Not to mention my Pumpkin.”
“Michelle,” Kara said gently, “you accepted the terms when you asked Steve to bring you home from the monastery. Yes, there’s been a lull because of a change in his thinking, but remember what caused that.”
“A girl,” Michelle sighed.
“Several girls,” I corrected. “You were one of them. Add in a couple of trips to Japan and time by myself and with the monk.”
“And your Cherry Blossom,” Kara added. “Of all the girls, that’s the one I want to meet, though I know it’s nearly impossible. She had a very profound impact. Similar to Michelle and Anala, and to a lesser extent, girls like Elena or Karla, the Dutch one, I mean.”
“And you, Kara,” Jessica said. “You recognized what he needed and were able to compromise.”
Kara shook her head, “No, it was Steve who compromised. He was going to ask me to marry him, with no plans for dalliances. I threw that away when I walked out on him. When I came back, I didn’t feel he should have to compromise. Remember, I was already dealing with his open relationships.”
“But I proved I couldn’t keep my word,” I protested.
Kara shook her head, “You would have kept your word. You would have been extremely unhappy, but you would have kept your word.”
We arrived home and Birgit and Michelle went to their rooms to shower and dress, while my wives and I went to our bedroom where we undressed and went to the bathroom to shower.
“Steve, I think there’s an important point to prove here,” Jessica said.
“When you use my name, it’s always serious,” I said, stepping under the spray.
“I hadn’t thought about it, but you’re right. Anyway, please don’t take this the wrong way, and I’m not pushing, but Michelle is living in a fantasy world.”
I chuckled, “And you’re suggesting I have a very public dalliance to shock her back to reality?”
“I’m concerned about how she’ll react if that happens AFTER she’s pregnant. Or after she has her baby. We all know eventually it will happen. Well, everyone except Michelle.”
“I think Jess may be onto something,” Kara said. “And no, I’m not pushing, either. I’m just agreeing that Michelle could have her own meltdown.”
I stepped out of the shower and Kara got in. I took a towel and began to dry off.
“There aren’t really any candidates,” I said. “OK, Melissa, but I’d have to violate a fairly important rule. And the same is true of Dyani, if your assessment is correct. And none of the girls from the Rap Sessions even hold my interest in the smallest way.”
“What about your friend in San Diego who calls you occasionally?” Jessica asked.
“Meredith? I’ve put her off so long now, I don’t think there’s anything there. And she hasn’t called in months, most likely because of the fact I’ve put her off.”
“You haven’t met anyone you’re interested in?”
“No. And I know you aren’t suggesting anything like the twins.”
“Oh heavens no! It has to be someone you have some feelings for. We don’t need another episode like THAT disaster.”
“Which kind of rules out the girl in Pittsburgh,” I said.
“Have you met anyone recently?” Kara asked.
“The only girl who piqued my interest is totally off limits. I COULD see waiving the rules for Melissa, but not for Eve.”
“The new girl you hired? The one you said was a kindred spirit?” Kara asked as she got out of the shower.
“That’s the one! Once she said she’d use participation trophies for target practice, I knew she and I were on the exact same page. But I simply can’t even consider violating that rule under any circumstances. I’m already going against Jamie because we’ll most likely hire Claire in a few months and Jodie when she graduates.”
Jessica got into the shower as Kara dried herself.
“I think this is the first time since I’ve known you there hasn’t been some girl you had your eye on and could act upon it,” Kara said.
“Probably true. But remember, they usually came to me. Very rarely did I choose them. And given our situation, that’s probably the wisest approach. A girl who approaches me has already come to terms with the fact that I’m married to the two of you.”
“That’s a good point,” Kara agreed. “And given how you’re handling yourself now, it’s not likely to happen because any girls you meet would mostly fall under one of your rules.”
“I think that’s true,” I said. “Maybe I can just talk to Michelle and make it clear.”
“The thing is,” Jessica said, “every day you limit yourself to the three of us reinforces her belief. If she can’t come to grips with it, you have to reconsider your agreement to raise a child together.”
I nodded and sighed, “I know.”
“I’m curious,” Kara said. “Where are you on this topic? I mean in general?”
“I’m happy with how things are right now,” I replied. “I know I have freedom, but I choose not to exercise it at this point.”
“Just be careful with Michelle, Tiger,” Jessica said, getting out of the shower. “She’s living in Fantasyland.”
“I’ll figure something out,” I said.
The phone rang just as we finished dressing. It was Karl calling to say that Howard and Jeri had a son, and had named him Caleb Nicholas. I congratulated him, then called Kimmy at home and asked her to have flowers sent to the hospital.
March 21, 1995, Chicago, Illinois
“Lucas said to stop in,” I said to Elyse when I walked into her office late on Tuesday.
“Where were you today?”
“Out,” I said.
“Obviously. Where?”
“Just out.”
“You’ve disappeared all day, twice. With nothing in your calendar. And with Kimmy saying she doesn’t know where you are. What’s going on?”
“Let it be, please.”
Elyse shook her head, “No way. Not with everything that’s going on. Spill it, Mr. Adams.”
Until the government worked its magic, or failed to, I couldn’t reveal my visits to Lisa at the Logan Correctional Center.
“I can’t tell you.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Can’t. Just let it go, please.”
“You know my concern.”
“I do. Trust me, please. This is NOT that.”
Elyse shook her head, and changed the subject.
“I assume you heard about Tokyo?”
“The sarin gas release? I listened to reports on the radio while I was out. Eight dead and over five thousand injured.”
“Do you think it was the same group that used nerve gas while you were in Japan?”
“I’d have to imagine so,” I said. “Although Kara said it’s fairly easy to produce sarin, along with a number of other chemical agents, so who knows?”
“That’s nowhere near your friends, right?”
“Correct. This attack was in Tokyo and they’re hours away from there by train.”
“The world is crazy,” she sighed.
I nodded, “It sure is.”
I left her office and walked down the hall to mine.
“Melissa called for you earlier,” Kimmy said. “That’s the only pressing item.”
“Thanks. Was she going to be in the office?”
“Yes. Should I get her for you?”
“Please.”
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September 7, 1992, Chicago, Illinois “That went reasonably well,” Michelle said when her parents drove off. “There were a few times I thought my expression would give away something I shouldn’t. You were messing with me, weren’t you?” She grabbed both my hands and smiled, “I was telling the truth, in my own way. Thank you!” She leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “So, what’s left?” I asked. “To visit UofC tomorrow and formally withdraw from classes. To spend some time with you and your...
October 1981, Chicago, Illinois I arrived back at the apartment just before 10:00pm and saw the address for the party. I decided I wasn’t particularly interested in going so I put on some music, poured myself a glass of wine, and started reading more about Russia. I was alternating between the history and culture book and the Communist Party book, decided on the history and culture book for this time. I didn’t get much reading done because I was thinking about Tatyana, which led me to...
January 23, 1996, Chicago, Illinois “Father, bless!” I said, greeting Father Basil with upturned palms. “Bless you, Stephen,” he said as I kissed his hand. The waiter showed us to a quiet table along the wall of Roditys in Greektown. He took our drink orders and was back quickly. We placed our food orders right away and he left to put them in with the kitchen. “I’m not quite sure how to address this, so I’m just going to ask you bluntly. Are you the father of Michelle’s baby?” I shook my...
June 29, 1995, Chicago, Illinois On Thursday, I finally had lunch with Melissa again, something I hadn’t been looking forward to. Much like with Cèlia, Melissa and I had passed an inflection point and I was left with sub-optimal paths forward. I’d been struggling with the possible solutions, and all of them had pitfalls. When I walked into Takumi, I had something of a plan. Whether it was good or not would only be known once everything played out. “I spoke to my wives,” I said after we’d...
December 5, 2000, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota “I had a good time last night,” I said. “I was surprised you invited a friend!” Mary laughed as we walked into the exam room, “Naomi had a good time as well. You know what a Resident’s life is like.” I nodded, “No social life.” “Exactly. You guys seemed to hit it off pretty well.” “Yes, but I’m not here for that!” “You’re everywhere for that, and you know it!” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Let’s just say that you hit the sweet spot -...
March 1980, Hovås/Göteborg, Sweden I woke early as usual, but just enjoyed being in bed with Katt. When she woke, she hopped out of bed and pulled a robe out of her closet and handed it to me. “There’s a spare toothbrush in the bathroom. Go have your shower, then we’ll have breakfast after I have my shower.” I quickly showered and brushed my teeth, and went back to Katt’s room. She went to shower and came back a few minutes later. She dressed, and I got a very good look at her sexy body...
April 5, 1997, Chicago, Illinois “You missed cuddles this morning!” Birgit said accusingly when I walked into the house about 9:30am. “I know, Pumpkin, but I had a work emergency and had to go see Aunt Joyce and Grandpa A.” “And now we have to get ready for karate!” “I know. We’ll have some family time this afternoon. I don’t have any plans.” “Good!” I hugged her and the rest of the kids, then went to find Kara. We hugged and kissed, and went straight upstairs to get ready for...
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...