AdultMatchMaker
- 1 year ago
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May 30, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio
It was with more than a little trepidation that I drove home from karate class. I didn’t really want to talk to April, but I knew I had to. The bottom line was church. It didn’t matter to a lot of people, but it mattered to me. I feared that my conversation with April was simply going to go around in circles, and end with her crying again. Unfortunately, I didn’t see how that could be avoided.
“You should go see her,” Mom said when I came downstairs after my shower. “Having that kind of conversation on the phone is too impersonal.”
I sighed, “I know. It’s just she’s going to cry and beg.”
“Mike, if you’re mature enough to contemplate what you were planning, then you have to be mature enough to handle this responsibly and as kindly as possible.”
“I broke up with her, Mom. I don’t think ‘kind’ fits the situation.”
“Do you think you were mean to her?”
“No, of course not!”
“And do you want to be mean to her now?”
“No. She’s a nice girl. I like her. But she was expecting a commitment from me I couldn’t make because of her views on church.”
“So, be a nice, gentlemanly young man, and explain it to her as gently and nicely as you’re able to. But face to face, Mike.”
“OK,” I said. “I’ll call and make sure she’s home.”
I went to the kitchen and lifted the receiver from the wall phone and dialed each number in turn, waiting while the dial spun back. I was glad her number had mostly digits less than six, as it was faster to dial than our own, which annoyingly had three nines. I wondered, distractedly, who at the phone company hated my dad enough to give him a phone number ending in 9799.
“Nash residence,” April’s father said when he answered the phone.
“Mr. Nash, this is Mike. April left me a note and I’m calling to talk to her. May I, please?”
“One moment,” he said gruffly and with a tone that told me he disapproved.
That meant her house was a bad idea, and I didn’t want to bring her to my house. Perhaps Grant Park would work. The weather was nice, and we could certainly find a quiet place to sit and talk. Assuming she wanted to.
“Hi,” April said a moment later.
“I got your note,” I said. “You asked me to talk to you, and I will. How about I pick you up, we get some Cokes at the Pony Keg, and we head to Grant Park?”
“I guess,” she replied.
“See you in ten minutes or so.”
“OK.”
We hung up and I went to tell Mom the plan. She nodded approvingly and wished me luck. I thanked her, grabbed my baseball cap, and headed out to my Mustang for the drive to April’s house. She was waiting on the porch, and by the time I got out of the car, she was already at the passenger door and let herself in. I got back into the car, backed out of the driveway, and drove to Martin’s Pony Keg where I bought two ice-cold Cokes. From there, I drove to Grant Park.
After I parked, we got out of the car and walked towards a shaded area not far from where we’d spent Prom night. We both sipped our Cokes but neither of us said anything. I didn’t know what to say, and I wasn’t sure why she was being quiet, but we weren’t going to make any progress this way, and I had church and a date later in the day.
“You said you wanted to talk,” I prompted.
April took a long drink from her Coke, then lowered the bottle to her side.
“Dad and Cassie are going out this afternoon,” she said quietly. “We could go back to my house.”
“April...” I sighed.
“What? It’s what you want. It’s what you always wanted. I just wasn’t ready.”
“That’s not why I broke up with you,” I said gently. “I told you the reason, and it’s not that.”
“Church?” she laughed derisively. “Seriously? You want me to believe that when I refused to go to the motel, that was OK, but when I refused to go to your dumb church, that wasn’t OK? I’m not dumb, Mike.”
I took a deep breath and let it out.
“No, you aren’t. But in this case, you are mistaken. I DO want to, but if you’ll never go to church with me, we can’t be together, and it wouldn’t be right for me to do it with you.”
“Do you know how dumb that sounds? Church is more important than sex?”
“If I do it with you, I’m committing to giving you the engagement ring you want, and that means leaving the church. Sex would change everything and commit me to a course of action. One that meant not going to church as a family.”
“You don’t believe that! You don’t believe that you should only have sex with your spouse!”
“No, I don’t. But I do know that’s what it would mean to you. Be honest with me here, April. The reason you’re offering is because you know what it means! You’re sure if you can get me to make love with you, then we’ll end up married, have kids, and live happily ever after. But I can’t live happily ever after without the Orthodox Church. And think about it, if you were right, then I’d take you back to your house and make love to you.”
“Why won’t you?”
We were going around in circles just as I feared.
“Because I want to marry someone in the Church and raise my kids Orthodox. If it was what you said, I’d do it. We’re going around in circles here.”
“But I love you!” she protested.
“You do, but not enough to go to church with me at least three times a week for the rest of our lives.”
“You and that dumb church! It’s just a church! There are dozens within twenty miles. I’m sure we could find one we agreed on.”
“I’m Russian Orthodox,” I said. “I like icons, incense, priests, a capella singing, Mary, and all the other things you think are ‘too Catholic’. Do you want me to be unhappy for the rest of our lives?”
“You’d have me! A girl who loves you! Who wants to have your children! Who you think is pretty!”
“But who won’t go to church with me. Come on, let me take you home. Neither of us is going to change the other’s mind.”
“You did it with her, didn’t you? That girl you went to the Drive-In with last night!”
I remember Mom saying never to talk about things like that, but in this case, both Emmy’s reputation and mine where being attacked, and I couldn’t let that go.
“Oh for Pete’s sake, April! I did no such thing! I took her to dinner, we played mini golf in Rutherford, then saw Urban Cowboy! Then I took her home. Come on, I’m taking you home.”
“I’ll walk,” she said, dropping her unfinished bottle of Coke in the grass and walking away.
“April, it’s three miles to your house, and there are no sidewalks and no trails. Let me drive you home.”
“No!” she screeched. “Leave me alone!”
Now I had a real dilemma - let her walk alone, or walk with her. If I walked with her, I’d have to walk back to the park and I’d likely be late for church. I couldn’t let her walk alone, and there were no pay phones to call her dad, who might not even be home. I wondered if I could drive slowly along the shoulder of the highway where she’d have to walk. I decided I could, so long as I turned on my emergency flashers. I picked up her discarded bottle, and carried it with me back to the car.
I made my way out of the park and to the main road. I pulled to the side and put on my emergency flashers and waited. About three minutes later I saw April come onto the shoulder about 500 feet further down the road, and put the car in 1st, and slowly drove along the shoulder. I pulled up next to her, leaned over, and rolled down the window.
“April, please get in. Stop being foolish.”
She ignored me and kept walking. I sighed and slowly followed her. I checked my watch and saw that at the rate she was walking I’d be home about an hour before I needed to be at church, which would be fine. I turned on the radio to the Top 40 station and continued to drive along slowly. Cars slowed, but were able to pass without crossing the center line so I felt comfortable driving along the shoulder.
Things were fine for about ten minutes when flashing blue and red lights appeared in my mirror. I sighed, stopped, and put my hands on the top of the steering wheel as my dad had instructed me to do if this ever happened. I saw a Sheriff’s deputy climb from the car, and breathed a sigh of relief when I recognized Phil Kessel, who had graduated three years ago and had joined the Sheriff’s department. I waited for him to come to the window.
“Hi, Mike. What’s going on?”
“Hi, Phil. April and I had a fight. We were at Grant Park and she refused to get in the car so I could take her home. I didn’t want her walking alone, and I didn’t have time to walk home with her, then walk back and get my car.”
“OK. Let me talk to her. I’ll take it from here. I don’t want you driving on the shoulder for another couple of miles. It’s too dangerous, especially around the bend that’s coming up.”
“You’re sure?”
“Go on. I’ll get her home.”
“Thanks, Phil.”
I put the car in gear and pulled away. I watched in the rearview mirror as he pulled up next to April, but then I was at the bend in the highway he’d mentioned and lost sight of them. When I got home, I emptied the Coke bottles and put them in with the other returns, then went up to my room to read. Mom was at my door about five minutes later.
“How did it go?”
“Oh just perfect,” I said sarcastically. “First she accused me of lying to her about why we broke up. Then she accused me of having sex with Emmy last night. Then when I told her I’d take her home, she refused to get in the car. I couldn’t let her walk alone, so I followed her on the shoulder in my car. I got pulled over by Phil Kessel for my trouble. Fortunately, he sent me home and said he’d make sure April got home safely. So yeah, perfect.”
“You DID behave like a gentleman last night, didn’t you?”
“You know, I’d say I didn’t just to annoy Lizzy, but yes, Mom, I did. And I did my best to be kind to April today, but she was so upset that she wasn’t hearing me.”
“You did what you needed to do, Mike. April will need to come to terms with her own choices. Remember that in the future. Your choices will affect other people and sometimes they won’t like the choices you make. That’s when you have to decide what’s more important to you. Just like you did with April.”
“I know,” I sighed. “I just wish she’d believe me.”
“I might be stating the obvious, but if you hadn’t asked her to have sex with you, she probably would believe you. The choices you make have consequences, Mike.”
“Can we drop the topic, please? I made a mistake and I admit that.”
“Then yes, we can drop the topic. Are you leaving for church at your normal time?”
“Yes.”
“Did you check your messages when you came in?”
“No, why?”
“Emmy called for you.”
“Did she say what she wanted?”
“No, she just asked that you please call her.”
I nodded and went to call. I saw Liz in the family room so I went to the basement to use that extension, as she’d be less likely to hear me than if I used the wall phone in the kitchen. It also had the advantage of being ‘Touch-Tone’ instead of ‘rotary dial’, which made it much quicker. I dialed Emmy’s number and when her father answered, I politely asked to speak to her. She was on the phone a few seconds later.
“Hi, Mike!” she gushed. “What are you doing after church tomorrow?”
“I was planning to get together with Dale to play chess. Why?”
“I thought you might like to have a picnic lunch in the park! Could you?”
I could, but that would mean skipping lunch at church, which I didn’t like to do. On the other hand, if Emmy agreed to 1:00pm, I could simply eat lightly and not have to leave early.
“I could, if 1:00pm works.”
“I figured because I know Liz is usually at church until around then. I’ll bring everything except Cokes! Can you get them?”
“Sure! I do need to be home by 3:00pm because that’s when Dale will get here.”
“No problem! See you tomorrow!”
We hung up and I went upstairs and wrote my plans on the calendar. I was sure it would set off Liz again, but I found that amusing. Not to mention that Emmy was hot and I liked kissing her! I went back to my room to read until it was time to dress for church. About twenty minutes later, Liz came to my door.
“Quit trying to ruin my life!” she growled.
“Emmy called and asked me to have a picnic with her. I said ‘yes’.”
“But she’s my best friend and you’re wrecking things!”
I got up, walked over to the door and began to close it.
“I need to get ready for church,” I said, then shut and locked the door.
I put on a black t-shirt, a black button-down shirt, black socks, black slacks, and black shoes. I didn’t like wearing colors; if they showed through the vestments, it would look odd. I unlocked my door, and seeing Liz wasn’t in sight, quickly went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and comb my hair. When I finished, I made a speedy escape from the house, got into my car, and drove to church.
As usual, I was the first one there and after I put on a cassock, I set about filling and lighting the oil lamps and preparing for the service. I saw Deacon Vasily arrive and because Father wasn’t there, I had a chance to talk to him. I greeted him at the door.
“Father Deacon, I’d like your permission to ask Natalya to dinner.”
He smiled, “I’ve known you from when you were born, Mike. You didn’t need to send Mrs. Orlova to grease the skids!”
“I didn’t, Father Deacon! She took the initiative and after she spoke to you, suggested I ask your permission.”
“Which is necessary, as Natalya isn’t usually allowed to go on one-on-one dates, but if I were to say ‘no’ to the Senior Acolyte, a faithful young man, I’m not sure who I could ever say ‘yes’ to. You have my permission to ask her. I believe Mrs. Orlova spoke to her as well.”
I nodded, “She seemed to think your daughter would be a good match for me.”
“I believe she said ‘an excellent doctor’s wife’, though I think that might be a bit premature at this point. You won’t be a doctor for what, eight years?”
I nodded, “That’s right. Four years at William Howard Taft, then four years in medical school. Of course, then I’d be an intern for a year, and then a Resident, and eventually, in about fifteen years, an Attending. But there’s a lot to do before then!”
“You’ve spoken to Father Herman about the parish in McKinley?”
“Yes. I’ll probably visit there one Wednesday evening for Vespers before school starts so I can meet the priest.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear you’ll still be attending services regularly. Now, finish your tasks and when my wife and daughter arrive, if there’s enough time, you can ask. Otherwise, it’ll have to be at the end of service.”
“Thank you, Father Deacon!” I said with a smile.
Unfortunately, Tasha didn’t arrive until a few minutes before Vespers was due to start, so I didn’t get a chance to speak to her. She and her mother stood in their usual spot, which meant I could see her through the Royal Doors from where I stood in the altar. I was distracted by thoughts of her and almost missed my cue to hand Father Herman the censer, but snapped out of my trance just in time, as my ‘autopilot’ kicked in. I did my best to concentrate from then on, but my mind kept going back to Tasha. I was thankful when the service ended, and before I removed my vestments, I went to where she was standing.
I was fine until I got next to her. Almost immediately my palms were sweating and my knees were knocking and it felt like I had cotton balls in my mouth. I swallowed hard.
“Hi, Tasha,” I said carefully, hoping my voice wouldn’t crack or my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth.
“Hi, Mike!” she said with a smile.
“Tasha, would you like to go to dinner with me?”
She smiled and nodded, “I would. But my dad...”
“I already talked to him, and he gave permission.”
October 22, 1981, McKinley, Ohio “Angie? What are you doing here?!” I asked when she sat down next to me in the lab. She smiled, “I talked to Doctor Stanton and asked if I could be your biology lab partner because they were going to move Sally. She’s with my old team which was two girls and one guy. Now I have morning lab instead of afternoon.” “Uh, doesn’t this just create a new problem?” Mark asked warily. Angie shook her head, “No. Mike and I are friends, but that’s it. We study...
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June 8, 1981, West Monroe and Rutherford, Ohio “This entire conversation is going to be ‘too much information’, isn’t it?” I said when Liz and I left the house on Monday evening. “Probably. Is there anything you don’t want to hear?” “Anything at all about my little sister’s sex life!” I laughed. “But I guess you want to talk.” “‘Cause you won’t judge me, Mikey. You’ll listen and give me good advice.” I pulled out of the driveway and headed towards Rutherford. The Rutherford Free Clinic...
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Chapter One - “A Night At The Museum” It was about 2:30 in the morning on a Friday of the second week of September and it was unseasonably warm outside. The fact that it was 78 degrees outside made me glad that my job did not require me to work outdoors. The company I worked for had received the contract to upgrade the computerized network system of the Museum of Arts and Sciences. Since the museum was to open for a new exhibit of rare Egyptian artifacts on the following morning,...
I was on my way home from an appointment a couple of hours away and I was getting increasingly horny the longer I drove. Since I was going right by one of my traditional bookstore stops, I decided to head in for a quick jack-off and more if anyone else was in the mood.After purchasing my six buck entry pass (from a clerk with a tee-shirt proclaiming something like “make cock great again”) I entered the rather empty looking arcade. I selected the biggest booth and left the door unlocked to see...
“Monica.” The sound of her name caused Monica Doyle to look up from the envelopes she’d just removed from the mailbox and glance past the open vestibule door into the hallway beyond. The twenty-four year old smiled when she saw the white haired septuagenarian stepping out of the front apartment, but delayed a response until the woman closed and locked her door, taking those few moments to lock her mailbox as well. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Pulaski,” Monica said as the woman turned back in her...
September 28, 1981, McKinley, Ohio “Mike?” Nancy whispered. “Wake up! I need to eat breakfast so I can catch the bus!” “I’m awake,” I replied. I stretched and yawned and sat up. “Are you doing OK?” Nancy asked. “Much better after last night. That was just what I needed. Thanks.” “I think I’m calling Ripley’s,” Mrs. Landers laughed, coming into the room. “Teenage boy shows up and asks to spend the night with teenage girl. She agrees and gets permission from her mom. Boy desires only...
December 21, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “Mikey!” Liz squealed when I walked into the house on Monday evening. “Hi, Lizzy!” I said. She ran to me and we hugged lightly, then went into the living room where she had been sitting with my parents. “Welcome home, Mike,” Dad said. “How is Jocelyn?” “Pretty good. She has most of her range of motion back and they’re working to see if they can get her some more. Her bones have knit well, and she’s able to move around more freely.” “That’s good to...
September 7, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio When I stopped home just before 8:00pm on my way back to McKinley, I found my dad alone, in the living room, sitting in his easy chair, drinking Scotch on the rocks. “Hi, Dad. Where’s Mom?” “Sleeping. She’s completely worn out by last night and today. I’m surprised you’re not.” “I’ll crash when I get back to my dorm. How did it go?” He held up his glass, “Third one. How do you think?” I slumped down onto the couch. “Not good,” I sighed. He took a...
February 14, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “How are things going, Mike?” Dad asked when I sat down on the stool in the corner of his workshop. “Good, now that all that stuff with Family Services is done. How have things been at home?” “Your mom and sister put on brave faces, but Liz is struggling.” “They both said her schoolwork was good and she seemed OK when I talked to her.” “She has good days and bad days. Doctor Newton says she’s struggling with her feelings for Paul.” “Paul?...
March 23, 1982, McKinley, Ohio I had been extremely distracted during my drive from Circleville to McKinley, and was having real trouble concentrating on my review for O-Chem, and the guys noticed. “What’s bugging you?” Jason asked. “You seem like you’re on another planet.” “I know,” I agreed. “I’m having real trouble concentrating.” “That must have been a hell of a concert!” Pete laughed. “Of course, seeing my girlfriend wrap her lips around a saxophone might distract me, too!” “You’re...
April 30, 1982, Circleville, Ohio “Mom and Dad are out tonight,” Katy said. “Let’s cook together!” “Sure. What did you have in mind?” “Well, now that you have no restrictions because we don’t fast during the Paschal period, I was thinking two small filets, small lobster tails, and broccoli. Surf and turf, I guess.” “That sounds awesome!” I said, then smirked, “What about dessert?” Katy laughed softly, “I have some ideas!” “I bet!” I chuckled. “But we need to make sure we’re on the same...
October 12, 1981, McKinley, Ohio “Well THAT stinks,” Nancy said on Tuesday afternoon. “What happens now?” “I don’t know yet. I talked to Doctor Norris this morning after my chem mid-term and he’s confident nothing will happen. The problem is, I’m sure I’ve made an enemy of the Dean, and any minor slip-up on my part is going to become a Federal case.” “But why you?” “I had the misfortune to draw someone who felt she could use the discrimination procedure to get something she couldn’t...
November 8, 1981, McKinley, Ohio “Do you want me to disappear?” Angie asked as we walked into the dorm after church. “Why? Emmy knows I’m dating you. She’s not jealous. You know she’s coming to visit and she knows you know. It would be REALLY dumb to invite her here otherwise, don’t you think?” “Guys have been known to do dumb things from time to time!” “Not ones who want you to stick around.” “You do remember I told you my High School boyfriend screwed a close friend of mine behind my...
Great and Holy Friday, April 16, 1982, McKinley, Ohio As Angie and I stood quietly waiting for the Lamentations service to begin late on Friday, I thought about the series of services which had brought us here - Bridegroom Matins on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday evenings; Holy Unction on Wednesday evening; a Vesperal Divine Liturgy on Thursday morning celebrating the Last Supper, the Twelve Gospels service Thursday evening, celebrating the passion; the Royal Hours kept all day Friday; and...
November 2, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “I did not come here for a lecture,” I said firmly. “I did what I felt was in Liz’s best interest. Again. Dad said we needed to talk, and I’m willing to talk. I am NOT willing to listen to a lecture.” “You do not decide what is best for your sister,” Mom said. “That is for your father and me, as well as the professionals.” “And what is Dad’s opinion on this?” I asked. “That is not the point, Mike!” I sighed. We’d been going around in circles on the...
March 5, 1982, Circleville, Ohio “What became of that police investigation?” Mrs. Malenkov asked when I arrived at Katy’s house on Friday evening. “Nothing so far. They haven’t caught the rapist. The school added some security and started a service to walk girls to and from class or work after dark.” “Why did they check on you, specifically?” “The suspect has brown hair and is about 5’10” and I came into the dorm maybe an hour after it happened. At first they had reports it was a black...
August 16, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio Liz threw her arms around me on Sunday morning when I walked out of my room. “Thank you! Thank you!” I hugged her tightly to me. “Mom let you out of ‘house arrest’?” “Yes. And I know you’re responsible. If you weren’t my brother, I’d kiss you!” “Just remember, you have to behave, because if you don’t...” “I know,” she sighed. “I’m on parole. Did Mom tell you that Paul agreed to plead guilty to one count of statutory rape and one count of oral sodomy...
November 23, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio On Monday morning, just after breakfast there was a knock at the door. I got up from the couch and went to open it. “Phil?” “Hi, Mike. Can we come in?” “We?” “This is Mrs. Laramy from Family Services.” “Hang on a second.” I went to the kitchen to get my dad, who followed me back to the foyer. “Hi, Phil,” Dad said. “What’s up?” “This is Mrs. Laramy from Family Services.” “Mr. Loucks? I have an order here to take custody of Elizabeth.” “What?!...
May 31, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio On Sunday morning as I dressed for church, I faced the true reality of what happened the previous night. My make-out sessions with April had, except on that single instance where I’d fondled her sweater-clad breast for more than a second or two, not gone far enough to be included in my confession. What had happened the previous night certainly had. I now faced effectively the same dilemma I would have faced had April and I gone to the motel after Prom. I...
August 21, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio On Friday morning, Mr. Mills called just after 6:00am to let me know that Jocelyn had gone into surgery, and that it would likely be mid-afternoon before he had any news. I thanked him and sat down at the table in the kitchen with a mug of tea I made and read the Rutherford Tribune. Nobody else was up, and I enjoyed the quiet for about an hour before my parents came into the kitchen. “Was that Jocelyn’s dad who called at 6:00am?” my dad asked. “Yes. I...
February 13, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “I visited Ohio State yesterday,” Nancy said when we had a chance to chat on Saturday morning. “And?” “I’m pretty sure I’m going to Taft like we talked about because I can live at home. But the tour was cool and our tour guides were absolutely hysterical.” “Oh?” “Yeah. A guy and his fiancée. He’s a criminal justice major and wants to be a US Marshal. She’s in pre-law and wants to be a criminal defense lawyer. They told some of the funniest stories about...
April 4, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “Mishka!” Tasha squealed, hugging me tightly, but quickly releasing me because we were in the narthex of the church. “Hi, Tasha!” I said with a smile. She grabbed my hand and led me to the church hall where we got some food and coffee, then sat down by her parents. “Michael, how is school going?” Deacon Vasily asked. “All A’s so far, and I should finish the semester with a 4.0 average.” “Very good. And you’re attending church regularly?” “Yes. Every...
June 6, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio After Vespers on Saturday, I spent a few minutes talking to Tasha. “My dad isn’t sure karate is ‘ladylike’,” she said. “The uniforms cover more than those nice dresses you wear during the Summer!” “You noticed, Mike?” she asked with a soft laugh. “If I may be «некультурный», yes, of course! It’s difficult to miss a pretty girl with a nice body!” “Thank you! But do NOT say that around my dad! He’ll never let you see me again!” “So the answer is ‘no’?” “I...
September 26, 1981, McKinley, Ohio “What?!” I gasped. “How is she?” “I don’t know, and that’s the God’s honest truth. Her dad called from Rutherford Hospital and asked me to call you. All he said was that they were working on her.” “I’m leaving in about three minutes. That’s what I’ll need to get dressed.” “What about Becky?” “I’ll bring her, I guess. I can’t imagine her parents are going to be in Rutherford.” “She’s there with you?” “Yes. Beat me up about that later! I’m on my way to...
October 10, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio I froze and realized my first inclination to go back to McKinley had been the right one. I’d thought my talk with Becky the previous weekend had resolved the issue, but I was very clearly mistaken. I could actually go back. It was early enough, and I hadn’t told Tasha I was going to be home, so she wouldn’t be upset, and a phone call would make her very happy as the two I’d made so far had done. But there was one problem - all I could hear in my head was...
October 11, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio On Sunday morning, Becky and I got out of bed and snuck across the hall to the bathroom, where we got into the shower together. “Thank you,” she said as I lathered shampoo in her hair. “I was afraid you’d say ‘no’ and I’d have missed that.” “You’re OK?” I asked. “Mike, it’s what I wanted from the day I met you. I just knew you’d be perfect. You let me do exactly what I wanted and how I wanted. As I said, patient and gentle.” “You weren’t very gentle...
November 9, 1981, McKinley, Ohio “OK?” I asked, shocked enough that I was rocked back in my seat. “Yes. OK.” “OK to WHAT?” I asked warily. “Getting married.” “You can’t be serious! You’re afraid of French kissing and you want to get married?” Angie smirked, “Gotcha! You should see the look on your face!” “Nice.” I laughed. “You did get me!” “Sorry, I figured at that point I needed to do something to change the mood.” “By making my heart stop?!” “Oh, come on! The first thought that...
January 4, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “And so another semester begins,” I said when I met Angie at the elevators on Monday morning. “I saw your class schedule was basically the same.” “The only real change is I have the creative writing core requirement replacing the scientific writing class. I am so glad I chose to take those in the order I did - it made all the difference in the world for doing the lab reports.” “I’m not complaining! I ended up with an A in biology which I NEVER would have...
January 12, 1982, McKinley, Ohio Influenza was making the rounds of the dorm, and just about everyone had it by Tuesday morning, including me. I dragged myself out of bed, realized there was no way I was going to run, and climbed back into bed. I took some decongestant tablets from the box on the shelf next to my bed and swallowed them with a gulp of water. I hoped to fight the worst symptoms and be able to make it to lab. Angie had already said she wasn’t going to run, so I stayed in bed...
January 25, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “I have a message for Michael Loucks,” a young man announced just as biology class ended. “That’s me,” I said. “Dean Parker would like to see you immediately.” “I’ll go with you, Mike,” Doctor Stanton said. I had no clue what she could possibly want, but I appreciated Doctor Stanton coming with me. We made our way to the administration building. “I’m here to see Dean Parker,” I said. “I’m Mike Loucks.” “One moment,” the young woman at the desk...
January 31, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “You’re STILL struggling with that issue?” Jocelyn asked during our regular Sunday afternoon call. “Does it really surprise you?” “No, I suppose it doesn’t. I think the circumstances of the last year really caused you some serious heartache and anguish, and I’m not just talking about you and me. If you think about it, you and Emmy were ripped apart by her dad; you and Nancy were ripped apart by her difficulty with commitment; you and I were ripped apart by...
May 23, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “Good morning, Mike!” my mom said when I arrived at the kitchen table for breakfast. “Hi, Mom,” I said. “What do you have planned for today?” “It’s all on the calendar, just like it has been since I could write,” I replied with a smile. “I work from 8:00am to noon, then I have my Saturday karate class at 1:00pm. Dale and I are playing chess after that, and Vespers are at 6:00pm. I’m taking April to the movies after church.” “What are you going to...
September 19, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “Why are you sending me such mixed signals?” “Mixed signals?” Jocelyn and I were sitting on the couch, and she was cuddled next to me, at least as best she could, given her obvious discomfort from the injuries, catheter, and physical therapy. I had thought a lot after my talks with Doctor Hart, as well as my talks with Nancy. One thing I was seriously concerned about was getting more deeply involved with Nancy and messing things up with Jocelyn. I...
October 30, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “Hi,” Jocelyn said when her dad led me into the living room. “Hi! I’m glad to see you at home.” “And we’re glad to have her home,” Mr. Mills said. “If you need anything, let us know.” I went over to sit next to Jocelyn on the couch. She scooted close and I put my arm around her. She sighed, kissed my cheek, and then snuggled. “I was glad to hear from Doctor Henderson that you could leave the hospital.” “And you should be seeing your sister!” “I will....
March 1, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “I have a meeting with the Dean to get permission to put up the flyers this afternoon,” Kurtis said at lunch. “We’ll only be escorting girls from our dorm. I talked to a couple of guys in other dorms who will organize theirs. I figured we couldn’t take care of everyone without some help.” “Cool,” Clark said. “Did anyone hear any more about the investigation?” “The Times said the police didn’t have any suspects, but were following leads,” Jeannette said. “What...
August 7, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio The Summer was rapidly disappearing and there were but two weeks before I moved to McKinley. Once my dad had calmed down, the Summer had returned to normal. It was almost as if everything was in a holding pattern, where each week had followed a simple pattern. I worked at the hardware store, went to the dojo, had dinner with Tasha on Wednesday, a date with Emmy on Friday, and the usual triple date on Saturday. Liz was still grounded, but Emmy was allowed to...
September 1, 1981, McKinley, Ohio Tuesday wasn’t quite as crazy as Monday. My first class after breakfast was the biology seminar. After the first day, this would be run by Laura Peters, a graduate student. I immediately decided the seminar would be valuable, as she would provide study guides, sample lab reports, and a host of other useful information, as well as address any challenges we encountered in our first semester at Taft. The most important thing is that there would be no outside...
November 1, 1981, McKinley, Ohio It was just past midnight when I walked into the Landers’ house. “Hi, Mike,” Mrs. Landers said. “Nancy said you might show up. I’m glad you did!” “Hi, Mrs. Landers,” I replied. “Don’t mind me,” she smiled. “If you two want to go on to bed, that’s OK.” “You better call Ripley’s once more,” I grinned. “I’m going to turn Nancy down on her offer. Again.” Mrs. Landers laughed and shook her head, “I told her you were a keeper! Then I will go to bed so you can...
February 19, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “Angie!” I exclaimed, as I hurried toward the girls, who appeared tired, but otherwise OK. I took Angie in my arms and hugged her tightly. “Are you OK?” I asked. “Yes,” she said. “I’m sorry I’m late, but we were at the party and the police wouldn’t let us leave or make phone calls until they interviewed everyone who was there.” “What happened?” Melody asked. “A girl from the seventh floor was raped,” Jeannette said. “Who was it?” “Some girl named...