Good Medicine Freshman YearChapter 22 Fallout
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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 Sunday without fail, and during Great Lent, Saturdays and Wednesdays. I’ve also been chanting and reading, and have spoken to Deacon Grigory and Father Nicholas about being tonsured a subdeacon.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I always thought that was something you should consider. What about the Diaconate?”
I shook my head, “No. I don’t think that’s compatible with being a doctor. And more importantly, I don’t feel called to a major order of the clergy.”
“It is a significant commitment, and as you imply, you have an equally significant commitment in your future.”
“So your daughter would have me believe,” I grinned.
“Mishka!” Tasha exclaimed, but she was smiling.
“Well, yes, that too!” Deacon Vasily said with a soft laugh.
“What time will you join us tonight,” Tasha’s mom asked.
“Could Mike come over right after church?” Tasha asked before I could answer.
“I don’t see why not,” her mom said.
“Mishka?”
“I didn’t have any plans for the afternoon.”
“Good!” Tasha said, squeezing my arm.
We finished eating and I went to let my mom know I’d be home by 9:00pm, as that was the latest I’d ever been allowed to stay at the Antonovs’ house when I was visiting Tasha. Once I’d done that, with permission from Deacon Vasily, Tasha rode with me, instead of with her parents and her little sister.
“It’s COLD! Brrr!” Tasha said, shivering as I helped her into my Mustang.
I quickly walked around to the driver’s side, got in, and started the engine. I needed to give it a couple of minutes to warm up, and that meant sitting in the cold, as the heater wouldn’t do much until the engine was warm. Tasha leaned over and I put my arm around her, though it wasn’t possible to really snuggle because of the configuration of the seats and the center console. About two minutes later, Tasha sat up, I put the car in gear, and pulled forward through another parking spot and headed for Tasha’s house.
“What do you wish to do this afternoon?” she asked as I turned onto the main road in front of the church.
“You invited me! I thought you had a plan.”
Tasha giggled, “Yes, but my dad will NEVER let us do what I want!”
“Uh, no,” I said nervously.
“Silly boy! Yes, of course, he wouldn’t let us do THAT! But I meant lie together on the Persian rug in front of the fireplace!”
“No, I suppose he wouldn’t.”
“Would you want to?” she asked impishly.
“Lie in front of the fireplace with you? Yes!”
“Not that, silly! The other thing.”
Of course I would! But I also knew that doing THAT would be making an irrevocable commitment, one which I would have to keep, no matter what, with death being the only thing that prevented it.
“In the right context, I would very much like to make love to you, Tasha Vasilyevna. But that would make a commitment which requires an appropriate church ceremony.”
“Do you wish sometimes that wasn’t true?”
“I think, even without the need for a wedding, making love with you would be a lifetime commitment. I believe you believe that, right?”
“Yes,” she sighed. “Unfortunately, that is true.”
“Unfortunately?”
Tasha laughed, “Don’t you think I want to make love with you just as much as you want to make love with me?”
“I’m sure of it,” I said with a smile. “You’ve made that very clear!”
“Then, yes, unfortunately! Well, unless you wish to talk to my dad about a wedding!”
“You know we’re not ready for that, Tasha. You need to graduate first.”
“I know,” she sighed.
We were quiet for the rest of the ride to her house, which let me consider exactly how I felt about her, and about what she wanted. The problem, as I’d identified the previous Summer, was that she had two years before she even graduated High School and if she planned to go to college, that meant six more years before we could even consider marrying. If she didn’t plan to go to college, I wasn’t sure we could afford to marry. No matter what she wanted, I had to think about the practical considerations.
The question about how I felt about her was complicated. She’d been the object of my desire for so long that I couldn’t be sure about my feelings. My first thoughts when Mrs. Orlova had played matchmaker had been that Tasha and I would marry as soon as possible and that anyone else I would date would merely be temporary. But that had gone out the window when Jocelyn had admitted her feelings for me, and that had broken the spell, so to speak.
In a sense, the fact that we had several years before we could even consider any kind of commitment was helpful. Added to her views on sex, it meant that I could simply wait and see how things played out. That was what Melody was doing as well, and what she’d said to me had made sense. I’d resolved the situation with Jocelyn, as Melody had suggested I needed to do. Which brought me to Katy, who WAS pushing things forward. She and I would need to have a lengthy talk before we took the next logical step, so that I didn’t allow my desire to sleep with her to determine my future.
At the Antonovs’, Tasha and I were permitted to sit by the fireplace, but not lie together on the rug. We had a nice afternoon, talking, drinking hot chocolate, and simply spending time together. After dinner, we returned to sit by the fire, and managed to exchange a few nice kisses when her parents were not in the room. I got a VERY nice kiss just before I left for the evening.
“How are things with Jocelyn?” Mom asked when I sat down at the kitchen table with a mug of tea.
“I think we finally got to the place we need to be to be best friends again.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“I think so, but you asking me makes me wonder what you’re seeing that I’m missing.”
Mom shook her head, “Nothing specific, but it is very difficult to stop having sex with someone once you start, especially when you care for each other as much as you and Jocelyn do.”
“Experience?” I smirked.
“No comment!” Mom laughed, answering the question without having to directly answer.
“Honestly, I think we’re in a good place.”
“You know you’re going to have to be on your guard with her for the rest of your life.”
“What makes you say that?”
“A fight with your spouse, a bad day at work, or some seriously emotional situation could lead one of you to temptation, and the other one to succumb in a moment of weakness.”
“I would NEVER cheat!” I stated firmly. “Never!”
Mom nodded and sipped her tea.
“It only takes one moment of weakness, Mike, and you have allowed young women to argue you into bed.”
“Becky.”
“And, unless I miss my guess, Melody as well.”
“Sort of,” I admitted. “She tried, but I pushed back and even quit seeing her until I was ready to take our relationship to that point.”
“Just be aware, Mike. You and Jocelyn are so close and mean so much to each other, that the risk will always be there.”
“There are some lines which simply can’t be crossed,” I said.
April 5, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio
“Well, if it isn’t Dale Melrose!” I grinned, grasping his hand.
“Hi, Mike! Hi, Jocelyn!” Dale said.
He and Jocelyn exchanged a hug.
“A&W?” I asked.
“Let’s go!” Dale said. “I know it’s too cold to eat outside, but we can eat indoors. It’s been WAY too long since I’ve had A&W!”
We got into my Mustang and I headed for Rutherford.
“How is Madison?” Jocelyn asked.
“Great! I’ve never had so much fun in my life!”
“And the cheerleader?” I grinned.
“I told you she’s dating some loser and even if she wasn’t, she’s hung up on some dude from back home who’s in Chicago.”
“And her roommate?” Jocelyn asked.
“Pam? That was over at the beginning of last semester! I’m dating a girl named Kelly from California now.”
“Girlfriend number nineteen?” she teased.
“She’s the first one I’m basically steady with. The rest were just fun!”
“Got it out of your system finally? You are there to study.”
“No grade lower than a B+!” he said smugly.
“What about LAST semester?” she asked.
“I, uh, didn’t crack the books as hard as I should have. I passed everything, though. How are you doing?”
“About 98%, I suppose,” she replied. “I still have twinges and a very minor limp, but otherwise, I’m OK. I’ll be starting at Taft in the Fall.”
“You gave up on Purdue?”
“I’d decided to give up on Purdue before the wreck. That’s why I was visiting McKinley.”
“Why?”
“It’s a long story,” Jocelyn said. “But in the end, there was more to keep me here than to draw me away.”
Dale shook his head, “There is no way I’m coming back here. I love Madison and I think I’ll stay in the area. Mike, my mom told me April’s pregnant!”
“Emmy and Liz both told me,” I said. “The rumor is it was her Sadie Hawkins’ date. But I haven’t spoken to her since everyone found out she was pregnant.”
“You’re seeing Emmy again? Her dad mellowed?”
“No. She snuck over to see Liz. She’s absolutely not allowed to see me or Liz or be at our house. But I guess Emmy and Liz have found some workarounds.”
“What about you, Mike?”
“Melody and I have been dating again, for about a month, and I’m seeing a girl from church. I’m not steady with anyone, obviously.”
“What about Tasha?”
“She’s STILL not allowed to date,” I groused. “I was at her house yesterday for dinner.”
“She’s what, a Sophomore?”
“Yes.”
“Still got it bad for her?”
“I was asking myself that question yesterday. Even if I do, we’re talking six years before she would graduate from college. I’ll be doing my clinical rotations and sub-internships at that point, and then I’ll have an internship year following that. Not exactly the best time to try to start a marriage.”
“So, what? Before then, or after?”
“That’s been the dilemma ever since I understood what was involved in training. I told my advisor I needed an eighteen-year-old heiress who was a bikini model.”
“Sign me up for that, too!” Dale quickly agreed.
“You two are pigs!” Jocelyn said, but she was laughing.
“And you’d pass up someone paying for college and law school?” Dale scoffed. “Riiiiigggghhhhttt!”
“I’ll admit it might be tempting,” Jocelyn replied. “Though for me it would have to be a hunky twenty-five-year-old!”
“You wouldn’t play for the other team for a free ride through college and law school?” Dale teased.
“Ewww! Gross!”
We had a good lunch at A&W, then headed to my house to play pool and listen to music, though our options were severely limited because my collection of albums was in McKinley, and I’d only brought home about a dozen tapes. We went to Ponderosa for dinner, though I had chicken, rather than steak, and then went to see A Little Sex, a romantic comedy starring Tim Matheson and Kate Capshaw. I wasn’t thrilled with the movie because of the topic it covered - infidelity - which was the very thing my mom had warned me about with Jocelyn. When the movie finished, I dropped Dale at his house, then headed for Jocelyn’s.
“You seemed a bit uncomfortable during the movie,” Jocelyn said.
“Cheating is a huge issue for me,” I said.
“I can’t imagine you cheating on anyone!”
“Tell my mom,” I sighed. “She suggested that, at some point, you and I would cheat on our spouses with each other.”
“What?!” Jocelyn gasped.
“I’ve been thinking about what she said, and she has a point, Jos. As close as we are, she thinks it’s a risk if one of us has marital problems or whatever, and the other one has a moment of weakness. I told her I thought she was wrong, and swore I’d never cheat. But after watching that movie, I think she’s right about both of us having to be on guard for our whole lives. She also made another point - that once you start having sex it’s hard to stop.”
“THAT point I agree with!” Jocelyn growled. “When you left on Saturday it really hit me that we’d never make love again and never even cuddle in bed. I LIKE doing that, and I love doing that with you. And now we can’t. Or won’t. Or whatever.”
“Are we making a mistake?” I asked quietly.
“I think we made it years ago,” Jocelyn sighed. “Now we’re trying to figure out how to live with the aftermath.”
“I know that. I didn’t mean when we were fourteen. I meant over the weekend. What’s happening now. Forget what happened before.”
“Can we do that? Really? Can you really put aside the fact I can’t have children? That I didn’t trust you enough to tell you about that and tried to kill myself? You told me you couldn’t.”
“I know,” I sighed. “My problem is I made up my mind what was going to happen, then after the accident and your suicide attempt, I changed my mind about what was going to happen. I’m just afraid I’m going to hurt you worse than I already have.”
“I hurt you, too, Mik. And I’m sorry I said what I said before.”
“About how you feel about not making love or cuddling that way in the future? Why apologize for saying what you feel?”
“Because it just reopened the entire conversation and confused you. And me.”
“I don’t think I’m any more confused right now than I was before I picked you up this morning so we could hang out with Dale. If we start holding back our feelings from each other, we’re just repeating the same stupid mistake we started making in eighth grade.”
“What are you saying?”
“I have no idea,” I said. “Remember what I said about this being more difficult than I thought it would be? It is.”
“You want to keep playing house?”
“No. Remember what I said. Either we’re a couple or we aren’t. Let me ask you this - how are you going to feel in the Fall when you see Melody and me together? When she sleeps in my room a few nights a week?”
“I’ll hate it,” she said quietly.
I turned to see her eyes glistening in the dim light from the dash.
“What do you want to do, Jos?” I asked.
“I have no idea,” she sighed.
When we arrived at her house, I walked her to the door, and she turned.
“I don’t even know what to do at this point,” she sighed. “Do I kiss you? Hug you? Just say ‘good night’? Invite you in and convince you to ravish me? What do YOU want?”
“I have no idea.”
We stood there looking at each other for a minute, then by mutual unspoken consent, we hugged, and she went inside. I walked slowly back to my car, got in, and headed home.
April 6, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio
“What’s bugging you, Mikey?” Liz asked at breakfast.
“Life,” I sighed. “Actually, life, the universe, and everything. And the answer isn’t ‘42’.”
“Huh?”
“It’s from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. They built a supercomputer and asked it for the answer to life, the universe, and everything. It came up with ‘42’. It’s actually a bit more complicated, but I know you hate science fiction, so I’ll leave it at that.”
“So, what’s bugging you?”
“Girls. Relationships. Sex.”
“The usual problems of every college-aged man,” Dad said as he walked into the kitchen. “And for which there are no easy answers.”
“I’m discovering that,” I said.
“How is Dale?”
“Living the life of a single, carefree college student,” I chuckled.
“I’m almost afraid to ask how his grades are,” Dad said warily.
“Good this semester; so-so last semester. But he’s a business major, so he doesn’t have the same concerns Jocelyn and I would have with a sub-par semester.”
“One bad grade will hurt you that much?” Liz asked.
“Getting into medical school is really competitive. I can’t afford to not have a 4.0, and I have to ace the MCAT. If I don’t, I’m done for.”
“And he’s going to do it,” Mom said, coming into the kitchen.
We ate our breakfasts, and Liz and I cleaned up while they got ready for work. They left just after we finished cleaning, and Liz and I went to the basement to listen to music and talk.
“Now that they’re gone, we can actually talk!” Liz said. “Is something wrong with Melody?”
I shook my head, “No, I’m just confused about Jocelyn.”
“You two are still screwing?!”
“Lizzy,” I sighed.
“Sorry.”
“We’re trying to figure out what exactly our relationship should be. We’re both really confused. I THOUGHT we had things worked out on Friday evening and everything was cool on Saturday morning. But now I’m not so sure.”
“You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
“I have no idea,” I said. “I’m totally confused because she’s my best friend, but she was going to be my girlfriend, but then that ended, and then it got even more complicated.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“I have no clue.”
August 20, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio I had just hung up the phone when there was a knock at the door. I went to open it and saw the van Dorn girls standing on the porch. “My sister won’t be home until after lunch,” I said. “She gets off work at 2:00pm.” “Mom said you were really nice,” the younger one said. “So we decided to come say ‘Hi’,” the older one added. “I’m Mike. Which is which?” “I’m Abby,” the younger one said. “And my sister is Becky.” “Welcome to West Monroe. I think you’ll...
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September 6, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “Mike!” Emmy squealed, launching herself into my arms when she opened the door. “Missed me?” I asked as I carefully spun around with her. “Yes! Let’s go! I’m STARVED!” I put her down and we walked to my car for the drive to Marie’s Diner. “How was your first week of school?” I asked. “Nothing changes. I mean, sure, I’m a Sophomore now, but otherwise it’s all the same. How about you?” “It’s a huge change, especially the amount of homework. I used to...
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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...
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 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...
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...
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...
June 10, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “OK, now I am SERIOUSLY worried about coming to church on Saturday!” I laughed as I put the car in gear. “And why is that Mishka Petrovich?” Tasha asked with a small laugh. “Your dad told me it was OK to take you for ice cream after dinner without me asking. I swear, if I come into church on Saturday for Vespers and the table is there with the crowns...” I was laughing and so was Tasha. “And being married to me would be so terrible?” she asked with fake...
June 15, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “Negative,” Liz whispered happily when I came home from work on Monday. “Thank God,” I said. We both had been on pins and needles since the previous Monday, and the news had come as a relief. Jocelyn and Dale had noticed I was on edge on Saturday night, and I’d pulled them aside briefly to tell them what had happened. They were both in agreement that I had no choice but to report the guy. Jocelyn offered to emasculate him with a rusty spoon, which had me...
August 22, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “What do you want to do today?” I asked Becky as we walked to my car. “Anything you want.” “Anything?” I smirked. “Like saying that was really a risk?” “You never know,” I chuckled. “What if it’s all been an act?” “HAS it all been an act?” she asked in a silly tone as I opened the passenger door for her. “Of course not!” I said, closing the door. I walked around the car and got in, started the engine, and backed out. “Not implying anything,” Becky...
November 20, 1981, McKinley, Ohio I got up from the couch and walked over to where Nancy was standing. She took my hand and led me to her bedroom where she shut and locked the door. She stood in front of me, and I held out my arms. She stepped forward and melted against me, sighing deeply as she put her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms tightly around her and held her. “I’ve wanted this for months,” she whispered. I moved one of my hands to lift Nancy’s chin so we could kiss. Our lips...
November 25, 1981, Rutherford, Ohio “Family Court for Harding County is now in session, Judge Martha Lee, presiding. You may be seated.” The small courtroom was packed with doctors, lawyers, and our family. Nobody from the general public was permitted because Liz was a minor. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Judge Lee said, “this is a status hearing on an emergency custody petition which I signed on Sunday evening. The procedure is a bit less formal than in a normal courtroom. That said, please...