A Well Lived Life Book 8 StephieChapter 43 Six Girls Part I
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July, 1983, Milford, Ohio
Joyce arrived about 5:30pm and we had greeted each other coolly. It was going to take some time to get things back to even a normal level of friendship. Dave arrived just as Stephanie, Bethany, and Kathy were setting out the food and Pete and Larry were putting out plates and silverware and making sure everyone had something to drink. Stephanie invited everyone to dig in and my friends descended on the food like a pack of ravenous wolves.
Everyone was on their best behavior and with only a little bit of joking around, and it was mild by our usual standards. I was happy to see my friends respecting Tatyana’s sensibilities. Of course, those sensibilities also gave me pause, because I very much enjoyed the usual ribald hijinks that ensued when my friends got together. Perhaps another year or two at Harvard might make Tatyana more tolerant of our coarser jesting.
After we all had finished eating, Kurt stood up and said, “I have something I need to share with all of you!”
I knew what was coming, because Kathy had talked about this before.
“Last night I asked Kathy to marry me, and she accepted!”
Everyone cheered and the girls mobbed Kathy while the guys shook hands with Kurt.
“When?” Bethany said above the hubbub.
“Right after graduation,” Kathy answered. “June of ‘85.”
“No ring?” Stephanie asked me quietly.
“I bet she has it in her purse or something so they could make the announcement without everyone figuring it out,” I whispered back
“Should we reenact it?” Kathy smirked.
Kurt nodded and they moved to the center of the room. He took a small box from his pocket and went down on one knee, and once again asked her to marry him. Amidst giggles and clapping, Kathy accepted, and Kurt slipped the ring on her finger. Kathy showed it off as the girls gathered around her. It was a very nice stone in a nice setting and I was sure it had mostly wiped-out Kurt’s savings since he’d told me that he was borrowing money for his last year of school.
“He gave you that last night, didn’t he?” Joyce asked.
“Yes, but we wanted to surprise all of you!” Kathy said.
“OK, he had it, but I was sure that was the case,” I whispered to my sister.
When the hubbub died down, Stephanie brought out two half-gallons of hand-packed UDF ice cream and everyone served themselves. When we finished our dessert, everyone pitched-in to clean up, then we put on some music so people could dance and let everyone know they could swim if they wanted. Nobody chose to swim, but pretty much everyone wanted to dance. The girls outnumbered the guys so the guys were kept VERY busy, especially Larry and Dave who didn’t have partners at the party.
Kathy and I shared a slow dance and held each other tight, but looking in each other’s eyes instead of her resting her head on my chest.
“I’m happy for you, Kathy,” I said.
“I’m happy for me!” she giggled. “Though I guess now I’m permanently off-limits.”
“You were before because I could never hurt Kurt that way, and even with permission, I don’t think he’d really approve.”
“True,” she sighed.
“What’s bugging you?” I asked, knowing the answer before she said it.
“Oh, I was just thinking about how you and I might have been a permanent couple. But then I realized how much you had helped me and encouraged me to be with Kurt. I’m NOT having second thoughts at all, so don’t worry.”
“You’re going to have a wonderful life and lots of kids! God help you if you have a girl who looks like you!”
“And I’ll have to keep her away from your sons! Or maybe even you!” she giggled.
“I hope we’ll still be good friends when that happens!” I said.
“We will, Steve. Kurt and I love you like a brother. Well, I do now! Before, well, that wasn’t very sisterly!” she giggled.
“And I’m never going to get to see that red pubic hair again!” I groused.
“No, probably not!” she laughed. Then, in a lowered voice, “Unless it’s in a sauna!”
I chuckled, shaking my head.
“Anyhow,” she whispered close to my ear. “Kurt likes it shaved so you wouldn’t see it anyway!”
I groaned, dropping my head to her chuckles, “Now THAT is a travesty!”
When the song finished, we kissed softly and she went to Kurt and I went to Tatyana. I pulled Tatyana out to dance with me.
“You two were once lovers, I think,” she said.
“Yes, long ago. We had teenage crushes on each other, but it never came to anything other than dating a bit.”
“And now you kiss another man’s fiancée in that way?” she asked. “And he is not upset?”
“Kurt is one of my best friends, right up there with Pete and Josh. Melanie and Mary will kiss me the same way when they leave or when I dance with them.”
“This is quite strange. In Russia that would be a blood insult!”
“We’re not in Russia, Dorothy!” I joked.
“Dorothy? Oh, yes, girl in The Wizard of Oz. These men do not get upset with you for kissing their girlfriends?”
“No. They know I wouldn’t touch their girls no matter what. A kiss to express love is very different from making love with them!”
“I suppose is true. Russian kisses on cheek are much safer and do not cause misunderstandings.”
“That does make sense,” I said.
We finished our dance and got something to drink, then we each danced with different partners, finally ending up with each other again just before the party was supposed to end at 10:00pm. We had our final slow dance and then everyone pitched in to clean up before my parents arrived home. As I had predicted, both Melanie and Mary kissed me, as had the other girls, though the kisses from the other girls were more pecks than anything. Joyce was one of the last to leave.
“Thanks for inviting me,” she said. “And thanks for the dance, even if it was a fast song.”
“You’re welcome Joyce. It’s going to take some time, OK?”
“Yes,” she said.
We hugged briefly and she left. I thanked my sister, and then she left to take Zach home. Tatyana and I got in my car and went back to the Spencers’ where we saw Pete and Melanie sitting on the couch with Frank and Trudy. I introduced Tanya to Frank, but then we went right up to bed.
On Saturday, after my usual trip to see Stephanie, Tatyana and I did indeed spend the day at the Spencers’ making love, coming out of our room only for lunch and for a quick trip to Frisch’s for dinner. By the time we fell asleep Saturday night, we’d made love six times, including once in the sauna.
On Sunday morning, Tanya and I made love both before and after going to my parents’ house, and after doing so back at the Spencers’ house, we hung out in the basement with Pete, Melanie, Bethany, and Stephanie. Just before dinner I excused myself briefly to call Carie and confirm our date, then went back to the basement. We had dinner at 2:00pm, and when we’d finished eating, Tanya and I went upstairs so she could pack.
“I enjoyed visiting you and your friends, Stepa. I see why you would be unwilling to leave them. You all care for each other very much. I have much to consider if I wish a future with you.”
“Tanya, that’s something to worry about a few years from now,” I said, pulling her into my arms. “There’s lots of time.”
“I know,” she sighed, putting her head on my chest. “But the more I see you with your friends the more I worry that our future requires great change for one of us.”
“I think that’s true, but you have three more years before you graduate from Harvard. Do we need to worry about that now?”
“I suppose not,” she said, hugging me tightly.
We reluctantly released our hug and then Tanya finished packing her things. We went downstairs to say goodbye to everyone, and then went out to my car for the drive to the airport. As usual, there was little traffic and we were able to sit together at the gate for about twenty-five minutes before her flight was called.
“I will miss you, Stepa Rayevich!” she said, kissing me Russian-style.
“I will miss you, Tanya Ivanovna!” I said, breaking tradition and kissing her deeply.
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “Such a kiss in public!”
“That’s the American way, Tanya!” I grinned.
“You are naughty, Stepa!” she said as I walked her to the Jetway door.
“I expressed my love, Tanya, that’s all.”
“See you in September, Stepa Rayevich.”
“In September, Tanya Ivanovna.”
I watched her walked down the Jetway and onto the plane, then turned and headed for my car to drive home to hang out with my sister for a bit, because it was too early to head to the Blanchards’. When I arrived, she dragged me down the hall to my old room.
“Steve, Becky called. She sounded frantic. She’s said to call her at her parents’ house. Is something going on with you two?”
“Only what I told you, Squirt. Let me call her. I need some privacy, though.”
She gave me a hard look, but then left my room, closing the door behind her. I pulled out my address book and found the number and dialed it. Ben van Hoek answered and I identified myself and asked for Becky.
“Steve, it’s good to hear from you. It’s been a long time. Becky told me that you two have lunch regularly. You should come by sometime!”
“Thanks for the invitation!” I replied, with no intention of accepting it.
A moment later I heard Becky answer and her dad hang up the other extension.
“Steve! I tried to call your house but I got your machine! I didn’t know where you were so I came home!”
“Becky, what’s going on?”
“Richie and Arthur were murdered yesterday! It was all over the news! Somebody killed both of them with a shotgun in Cicero! In broad daylight! I’m scared, Steve!” she said, barely taking a breath.
“Holy crap! Are you sure?”
“It was on the news this morning and in the newspaper! Their pictures and everything! What do we do?”
“Nothing right now, Becky. I’ll ask Theo, but I’m not supposed to call him and I certainly don’t want to talk about this on the phone with him. I’m heading back Tuesday morning, but I’ll only be home for a couple of days before I leave for Georgia to see Stephie.”
“I don’t want to go back to Chicago alone. Could we caravan on Tuesday? And can I hang out with you until you talk to Theo?”
“Sure. That makes sense. I’ll call you on Tuesday morning. For now, just stay at your parents’ house. Everything will be fine, I’m sure.”
“I’m really scared, Steve!”
“Becky, you’ll be safe at home. Just don’t talk to anyone about this!”
“I won’t. I told my parents I missed them and just wanted to come home.”
We said goodbye and after I promised to call her on Tuesday morning we hung up. I picked up the phone and called Don Joseph’s house and asked to see him for lunch the next day. He quickly agreed and told me to arrive at 11:45am. I promised that I would be there. I hung up the phone and went to find Stephanie to say goodbye.
“What was that about? Are you involved with her again?”
“No, Squirt. I am NOT. I know we talked about it before, but I promise you, I have not done anything with her. You know that Becky is high strung. It’s just a business thing. I’m keeping her at arm’s length.”
“Steve, something is going on.”
“Don’t worry about it, Squirt. Everything will be fine.”
I was trying to convince myself as much as I was trying to convince Stephanie, and I wasn’t sure how successful I was being. I said goodbye and then went out to my car and drove to Kara’s house, trying to think about how to talk to Don Joseph about the situation. I didn’t think I needed to tell him about the incident with Theo, but I’d seek his advice and counsel on what to do, and if I had to, I’d relate that story as well.
At Kara’s we sat in the kitchen and drank tea - Kara, me, and her bear. Nancy came in occasionally to chat, but for the most part I listened to Kara talk about work and about her talks with Doctor Mercer and the time she spent with Susie. Kara was a bit more animated than she had been, but still spoke slowly and in very simple sentences, and she kept a death grip on her bear.
“Will you call me sometimes?” she asked when it was time for me to go.
“Yes, Kara. I’ll call you every couple of weeks and you can always call me.”
“When will you come to Milford again?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. Thanksgiving, I guess. And probably Christmas.”
“OK. I hope you’ll come see me when you come here.”
“I will, Kara, I promise. You keep talking to Doctor Mercer and work on your issues, OK?”
“I will. And Steve, thank you for telling me that God loves me.”
“You’re welcome, Kara. Remember, I love you, too,” I said.
She smiled and hugged her bear tight. I got up and said goodbye to Nancy and promised I’d call and asked her to please call if there were any major changes or if they needed me for anything. She said she would and I headed out to my car.
Carie lived in downtown Milford, about two blocks from Ruth. I found her house and walked up to the door and rang the bell. Carie opened the door, called goodbye to her parents and then walked with me to my car. It was about 85°F outside, and when Carie asked me to take the T-tops off, I obliged, and after stashing them in the back, we headed to Mariemont to Graeter’s.
“This is an awesome car!” Carie said. “How long have you had it?”
“I bought it just before the start of my Senior year, so about three years now.”
“And your sister said you bought a house in Chicago?”
“Yes, with my dad.”
“She also said she’s going to live there when she comes to school. I’m planning on going to Loyola or Northwestern. Is it close?”
“Loyola isn’t too far, really. Northwestern is a hike, though.”
“Interesting. It would be cool to not live in the dorms, if I didn’t have to. You’re studying computers?”
“Yes. What do you plan to study?”
“I don’t know yet. I’m into science, but I’m not sure yet. Maybe biology. I still have to take chemistry and physics, of course, so maybe I’ll decide on one of those. Or maybe electronics. I have a lot of time to decide.”
“True. But you know where you want to go to school?”
“My brother graduated from Notre Dame, but I don’t want to go there. He played football in the NFL for a while and also was a sub at the Junior High. He suggested I go to Northwestern.”
“What’s your last name?” I asked.
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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...