A Well Lived Life Book 2 JenniferChapter 52 Goodbyes Part I
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June 1979
The second week of Summer school was much like the first — busy. I was doing homework and studying for tests every night. Three things of note happened that week.
On Tuesday, Jennie Sanders called me. I told her what had happened with my mom and that my mom suspected us of having sex. I told her exactly what I had said to my mom and left it to her to decide what to say about her reasons. She was a bit upset, but said she could handle it.
On Wednesday, Bethany stopped me in the hall, “Can we get together before you leave?”
I checked the little black date book that Mary had given me what seemed like ages ago.
“Sure, does Saturday the 23rd work for you?”
“Yes. I’ll let you know the details later.”
We hugged, and she went home and I went to my afternoon class. I talked to Jennifer that evening and let her know that Bethany had indeed asked to get together. She giggled and told me to have fun.
On Thursday, I received a call from Kathy Will. She had been extremely nice, and although there were occasional subtle hints, there was nothing overt.
“I wonder if you would take me on a date?”
“A date?”
“Yes, a date. Just dinner and a movie.”
This fit with how she had been acting for the past several months. She had gone from demanding sex and ‘Fuck you, Steve Adams!’ to asking for a simple date. I figured a date was OK, and would give us a chance to talk.
“How about tomorrow?”
“I’ll pick you up at 5:00pm, OK?”
“Sounds good, see you then.”
I called Jennifer and talked to her about it. She wasn’t upset and said she wasn’t worried about Kathy at this point.
On Friday, I had two final exams to complete, one for the morning class, once for the afternoon. I was pretty sure I aced them. Dad picked me up, and I arrived home about fifteen minutes before Kathy was to pick me up. I took a quick shower and dressed in jeans and button-down shirt, grabbed my fedora, and went to wait for Kathy about three minutes before she was supposed to be there.
Kathy pulled up in her dad’s silver Volvo 244DL sedan. Whereas Cassie’s Fury was a boat, the Volvo was a tank. It dawned on me that I’d be seeing a lot more of those in a couple of weeks. I got in and she drove us to Pizza Inn. After ordering our pizza, we chatted about school, her Summer plans, and my trip.
“I owe you an apology for the way I treated you,” Kathy said. “Things got off to a terrible start, and that was completely my fault. I treated you like all the other guys and assumed you just wanted what all the other guys did.”
“Oh, I did. There’s no question about that. I lusted after you for two years. I would have given anything to have sex with you. I was crushing on you so hard I would have done anything you asked.”
She smiled, “I wish I had known!”
“Well, early on I was so afraid to even talk to you. Even after I got comfortable talking to you, I never got my confidence up to ask you out. I guess it was my fear of being rejected. Then at the party you confessed your mutual crush, which I guess Bethany knew about. I realized then I could have asked you out and felt like an idiot.”
“Yes, Bethany knew. She was the only one who knew. She never told you?”
“No. She kept your confidence.”
“She’s pretty nice. I was really surprised that the two of you had been together. I just didn’t make sense to me then, and still doesn’t make sense to me. She hasn’t said anything.”
“And neither will I,” I said. “That’s between her and me.”
“OK. And then at the party, when Bethany told me to go for my make-out session, I realized that I had a chance to act on my crush. I made a huge mistake. It turns out that unlike every other guy I’ve dated, sex isn’t the way to attract you. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you don’t want sex, but that just, well, spreading my legs was a bad thing. Had I just made out with you, I might have had a chance of a date.
“It was dumb of me to assume what I did. When you stopped and offered to show me what I was missing, I wasn’t sure if you were pulling my leg, were serious, or if you didn’t like me. I talked to Jennifer and Bethany and they told me to ask you, that you weren’t kidding. I worked up my courage to ask you to do it.
“Then we did and I couldn’t believe it. I’d always thought it was just something that girls had to put up with. That’s what my mom always implied about her and my dad — that she did it to keep him happy and that’s it. So that’s how I approached it. When I lost my virginity, I didn’t really feel anything at all. The same thing happened the second time, so I just assumed mom was right. At that point, I just decided I should do it with the guys I was dating. They all seemed to like it, so I didn’t think anything was wrong.
“Then when we did it and I had those amazing orgasms, I realized I’d completely missed the point. It was so amazing that I tried to turn what was a one-time thing into something regular and you stopped again. I couldn’t figure it out. I wondered if Jennifer had given you some limit. Then I talked to her and found something had changed, but not the way I thought. So I came to you and asked you to do it again. When you said ‘no’ I was really, really pissed. That’s why I said what I said.
“Then I thought about everything you had said, how you approached things, how you treated the girls. It was different from all the guys I hung out with.”
I interrupted her, “You hung out with football and baseball players, you know, jocks. And I’m getting the idea that their reputations as studs are pretty far off base!”
She smirked, “Yeah, I’d say! Anyway, I decided I had really messed up. I really like you, Steve, and I wanted to get to know you better. I saw how the girls at your table treated you, so I decided to just try to be your friend. I was kind of put off when Janet Owens started hanging out with you guys, but then I realized she was a totally different person than I thought she was. Then I knew for sure I’d never make any progress except by being nice. And I guess it worked.”
“Yes, it worked. Here we are on a date.”
Our pizza arrived, and we ate. When we finished, I paid, and we got back into her car and drove to the theater. We saw Butch and Sundance: The Early Days which had just been released. It was OK. I put my arm around Kathy during the movie and she snuggled as close as she could, given the armrest between us. When the movie finished, we headed back to the car, and she pulled out of the parking lot.
I wasn’t sure of her intentions, but my intention was to make this just a date. I really enjoyed being out with her. I liked her, but I was certainly not crushing on her at this point. I decided that the best approach with Kathy was slow. As much as I wanted her, it wasn’t right.
“What do you want to do now?” she asked.
“The real question is what you’re looking for.”
“I’d like to go out with you again. I like you.”
“I’m going to be gone for a year. Can I suggest you write to me? I’ll write back. As much as I would love to get into your panties again, I don’t think it’s a good idea. It’s not the basis for a friendship.”
She giggled, “You really want to get into my panties?”
“I do. Let’s just say I enjoyed it and think it could be even better. But it’s also the wrong thing to do right now. Let’s see what happens Senior year, OK?”
A year would let her date and perhaps find a boyfriend. Jennifer and I were already planning for Senior year and beyond. Having Kathy as a friend seemed the right thing to do. I wasn’t going to lead her on, but I wasn’t going to push her away.
“To be honest, I want you to do it with me tonight, but I also want to be your friend. Maybe there’s something more between us, maybe not. If we stay friends, anything can happen. If you were going to be here, it might be different. I don’t want to mess up a friendship with sex just for the sake of sex. I had sex for the sake of sex before, it wasn’t any fun.”
She drove me home, and I gave her a soft kiss on the lips and a hug good night. I gave her my address in Sweden and we promised to write. It was too late to call Jennifer, but I’d do that in the morning before Becky arrived. I went to my room and wrote in my journal. It was just over two weeks before I’d be leaving. The number of days I had left was quickly dwindling, and I felt some sadness at leaving my friends.
Saturday morning’s routine was normal. At breakfast, Stephanie lectured me.
“Steve, when you’re with Becky today, DO NOT be a dumb boy. Seriously. She’s not the one for you.”
“Stephanie, I know your opinion. You’ve made it clear.”
“I still don’t see what it is that keeps you going back to her. You don’t owe her anything. You didn’t take her virginity; she gave it to you, willingly, with Jennifer’s help. In fact, it’s clear she tried at least twice before she succeeded! Quit feeling guilty and just break it off cleanly. Be done with it. Is she REALLY an option for you, Steve?”
“No, I guess not.”
“Jennifer is the right person for you. You know she is. I know she is. Jennifer knows she is. Just tell Becky it’s over, period. Tell her you’ve decided there’s no possible future. Even if you and Jennifer somehow blow it, you aren’t going with Becky. I’m sure of it, and so are you.”
“You’re right, Squirt.”
“Clean break, Big Bro. End it.”
She was right, of course. There was no connection with Becky. She wasn’t a soulmate. I had loved her so much, but in the end, breaking up a year ago had been the right thing to do. And ending it today would be clean. I’d be away for a year and, hopefully, Becky would move on.
“Clearing the field for yourself, Squirt?”
“There is no competition, Big Brother,” she smirked, “Even Jennifer can’t hold a candle to me. You wrote that in your journal.”
She was right again, of course. I had written about that for several pages in my journal. Jennifer and Stephanie were so much alike, and that’s probably what attracted me to Jennifer in the first place, even when we were just friends.
Becky arrived just before 10:00am. We spent an hour playing pool before Dad dropped us in Milford. We went to Frisch’s for lunch and then walked hand-in-hand towards the river. I thought that was the best place to talk.
“Becky, I’ve thought a lot about us, about everything we’ve said, and about the future. I honestly don’t think it’s going to work out; not now, not ever.”
“I know,” she said softly, a tear running down her face.
“As much as I love you, I don’t have the same feelings that I did when we were a couple. And I don’t see them coming back. I honestly think my future is with Jennifer.”
She sniffed, holding back a full cry, and said, “I’m not really surprised. Sex won’t change your mind. I thought it would, but it won’t. Just like it didn’t make you commit to me.”
“No Becky, it didn’t and it won’t.”
“What about Joyce?”
“That’s basically over. We didn’t formally end it, but we talked a lot and it’s pretty clear that she and I aren’t right for each other in the long run. We both know it. We’ll write and keep in touch when I’m gone, but then she’s going to college and I’ll be a Senior. Joyce and I will talk when I get back, but I don’t expect anything to change.”
“And all the other girls?”
“There really isn’t anyone else. When I come back, most likely Jennifer and I will make a commitment and go steady our Senior year. At some point, we’ll most likely get engaged and eventually marry.”
“I guess I’ve known that since we broke up a year ago. I’ve held out hope that something would change so I could be your wife and have your children, but it didn’t. I made so many mistakes with you, Steve. If I hadn’t pushed so hard and fast, things might have been different. It’s all my fault. Since then, I should have just tried to be your friend. I thought of ways I could change things...” she sobbed.
“We both made mistakes,” I said. “I know you wish it could have been different. This is where we are now. I just don’t see anything that could change it.”
We walked hand-in-hand in silence for several minutes while she got control of her emotions.
“When we broke up, you screwed me silly,” Becky said. “Think you could do that one more time? I won’t take it as anything but a good fucking.”
“I had promised you that I would. If you can set aside any emotional attachment, then yes, I can do it.”
We walked back towards the apartment in silence. We went into the building and up the stairs, and I let us in. We both kicked off our shoes and stood looking at each other.
“This is goodbye, Becky, you know that, right?”
“Yes, I know. Please, just love me one more time.”
We moved next to the bed and kissed, slowly removing our clothes. Her small body trembled. It wasn’t excitement, it was nervousness. I guessed it was the fact that we hadn’t been together in a year and that it was our last time, so I dismissed it and kissed her deeply. We got into bed and without any real preliminaries, I rubbed my dick along her slit, which was already sopping wet and pushed in. She humped hard to meet me.
Becky had a year’s worth of pent-up desire that finally had a release. Our lovemaking was usually raw and hard, but this was even more so. She wrapped her small legs around me and threw her body at me as hard as she could. I thrust hard in and out of her and after only two minutes, she groaned in her first orgasm. A few minutes later, both of us gasping for air, she had a second one and the clinch of her pussy around me caused me to groan, press deep into her and fire jet after jet of cum into her.
We collapsed in each other’s arms and simply held each other for a minute. I moved off her, and we lay side-by-side, not cuddling, while we recovered. She didn’t seem nervous now, but there was clearly something bothering her. I was sure that the ‘just sex’ idea was mental, and she still had emotional desires. We lay there in silence for about fifteen minutes.
“Can I be on top?” she asked.
“Sure,” I agreed.
She kissed me once, then swiftly moved to take my dick into her mouth. She licked and sucked until I was hard, then mounted me. She put her hands on my chest and rode me harder than she ever had, her hair flying and her hips moving first in gyrations, then back-and-forth, then up and down. She began humping hard up and down, knowing that was the key to bring me off. When I groaned, she slammed down on me as I fired into her and her pussy spasmed around me. The orgasm was good, but not as intense as usual. I realized that sex with Becky no longer held the attraction it once did.
She pulled off me and excused herself to use the bathroom. When she came back, I went to empty my bladder as well. I got back into bed with her and again we lay side by side in silence.
“Can we do it one more time?” she asked. “And just make it gentle and slow? That’s how I want to remember it.”
“I can do that,” I said.
When I was hard again, I got on top of her and slowly entered her. Our movements were slow and passionate, and for the first time that day, we exchanged gentle kisses. We moved together, building our orgasms, and managed to cum at the same time, Becky hugging me tight with arms and legs until our orgasms passed.
We got up and showered individually and got dressed. While she was in the shower, I stripped the sheets from the bed and put on clean ones. We left the apartment and went to David’s Buffet for dinner, and then Graeter’s for dessert. I called my dad to get us and when we got home, Becky called her dad to pick her up.
We played pool until a few minutes before we guessed her dad would arrive, then went out on the front porch. I put my arm around her and we stood side by side. When we saw headlights, she turned and kissed me gently.
“Thanks. You did exactly what I needed.”
I kissed her back and said, “Goodbye, Becky.”
“Bye, Steve!” she said.
I had expected sad, but that sounded more content than anything. I guessed she had what she wanted.
I went back inside to a glare from Stephanie.
“You dumb boy! You didn’t break it off cleanly, did you?”
“Sure I did. I told her we were done. We discussed it. It was a clean break with no hints of anything in the future.”
“Then why did she have a smug look on her face when she saw me earlier?”
“I have no idea. We broke up. We’re done.”
“Break-up sex again, Big Bro?”
“Yeah. Maybe that was what the look was about because she more or less knows you don’t like her.”
“Maybe. But I don’t think so.”
“Forget it, Squirt, we’re done. I said goodbye, and she said goodbye. No I love you’s. Just goodbye.”
“I hope so. She’s no good for you.”
“Yes, you’ve said that. It’s done.”
I went to my room and poured all the emotions about Becky for the last two years into the journal. I felt similar to how I had when I’d written my letter to Birgit. That chapter in the book of my life was over with.
On Sunday morning, I went to church because I knew Jennie would be there. Mom cornered her after Mass and they left the room. I figured Mom was going to really lay into her, but didn’t want to do it in public. They were gone about twenty minutes and Mom came back looking very unhappy. I guessed, correctly, as it turned out, that Jennie had denied everything. I knew she had to, because Mom was clearly hell-bent on destroying Jennie if she hadn’t.
When we got home, Mom called me into the office.
“I know the two of you had sex. She denied it, but I’m sure. I should call the police and report her!”
“Report what, Mom? She says it didn’t happen. That’s exactly what both of us will tell the police. Of course, I’ll admit to having lots of sex with lots of girls, but not her.”
“You’re both lying. I know it.”
“No, you don’t. You suspect it. But Mrs. Sanders said it never happened. You always liked her. When did she become a liar?”
“Probably once she met you!”
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September 7, 1992, Chicago, Illinois “That went reasonably well,” Michelle said when her parents drove off. “There were a few times I thought my expression would give away something I shouldn’t. You were messing with me, weren’t you?” She grabbed both my hands and smiled, “I was telling the truth, in my own way. Thank you!” She leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “So, what’s left?” I asked. “To visit UofC tomorrow and formally withdraw from classes. To spend some time with you and your...
October 1981, Chicago, Illinois I arrived back at the apartment just before 10:00pm and saw the address for the party. I decided I wasn’t particularly interested in going so I put on some music, poured myself a glass of wine, and started reading more about Russia. I was alternating between the history and culture book and the Communist Party book, decided on the history and culture book for this time. I didn’t get much reading done because I was thinking about Tatyana, which led me to...
January 23, 1996, Chicago, Illinois “Father, bless!” I said, greeting Father Basil with upturned palms. “Bless you, Stephen,” he said as I kissed his hand. The waiter showed us to a quiet table along the wall of Roditys in Greektown. He took our drink orders and was back quickly. We placed our food orders right away and he left to put them in with the kitchen. “I’m not quite sure how to address this, so I’m just going to ask you bluntly. Are you the father of Michelle’s baby?” I shook my...
June 29, 1995, Chicago, Illinois On Thursday, I finally had lunch with Melissa again, something I hadn’t been looking forward to. Much like with Cèlia, Melissa and I had passed an inflection point and I was left with sub-optimal paths forward. I’d been struggling with the possible solutions, and all of them had pitfalls. When I walked into Takumi, I had something of a plan. Whether it was good or not would only be known once everything played out. “I spoke to my wives,” I said after we’d...
December 5, 2000, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota “I had a good time last night,” I said. “I was surprised you invited a friend!” Mary laughed as we walked into the exam room, “Naomi had a good time as well. You know what a Resident’s life is like.” I nodded, “No social life.” “Exactly. You guys seemed to hit it off pretty well.” “Yes, but I’m not here for that!” “You’re everywhere for that, and you know it!” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Let’s just say that you hit the sweet spot -...
March 1980, Hovås/Göteborg, Sweden I woke early as usual, but just enjoyed being in bed with Katt. When she woke, she hopped out of bed and pulled a robe out of her closet and handed it to me. “There’s a spare toothbrush in the bathroom. Go have your shower, then we’ll have breakfast after I have my shower.” I quickly showered and brushed my teeth, and went back to Katt’s room. She went to shower and came back a few minutes later. She dressed, and I got a very good look at her sexy body...
April 5, 1997, Chicago, Illinois “You missed cuddles this morning!” Birgit said accusingly when I walked into the house about 9:30am. “I know, Pumpkin, but I had a work emergency and had to go see Aunt Joyce and Grandpa A.” “And now we have to get ready for karate!” “I know. We’ll have some family time this afternoon. I don’t have any plans.” “Good!” I hugged her and the rest of the kids, then went to find Kara. We hugged and kissed, and went straight upstairs to get ready for...
September 3, 1989, Chicago, Illinois “Good morning, Sensei,” I said, bowing to Sensei Jim. “Good morning!” he said waving me to a chair in his office. “How was your trip?” I asked. “Enlightening. I spent most of my time acting as a manservant to Sensei Robert and Sensei Hiro.” “He who will lead, must first serve,” I said. “Someday, I’m going to send you to Sensei Hiro, should he live long enough. You understand.” “Does that mean you are now 6th Dan?” I...
October 29, 2000, Chicago, Illinois Birgit followed me as far as the stairs, then scooted upstairs when I went to the front door and opened it. “Hi!” Sophie said. “Hi!” I replied and held the door open so she could come into the house. I closed the door behind her then led her to my study where I waited until she went in, and then walked in, closing the door behind me. I nodded to one of the wingback chairs, she sat down in one, and I sat down in the other. “Is something wrong?” she...
August, 1983, Chicago, Illinois I walked in the near 90°F heat to Carla’s place. I was grateful that the humidity of the morning had dropped significantly; otherwise the heat would have been unbearable. By the time I walked up the steps to the apartment over the photography studio and knocked on her door, I had broken into a light sweat. Carla answered almost immediately and invited me inside her studio apartment. The air was moderately cool, and the window air conditioner was running full...
July 1982, Milford, Ohio On Tuesday morning, I kissed Kara goodbye and headed to my parents’ house for my usual morning routine with my little sister. She was happy that I could spend the morning with her and asked to take a walk, so we weren’t in the house with my mom. “Let me guess — this walk will end in the clearing,” I said with a smile. “Yes,” she said, taking my hand as we walked down Overlook towards Klondyke. As usual, we turned around and walked back, taking the path to the...
March 13, 1994, Chicago, Illinois “Hi, Steve!” Ailea said when she opened the door. “Hi,” I replied, accepting the offered hug. There was no touching of lips, just of cheeks, and I wondered if I’d misread her intentions at her birthday lunch, or if, perhaps, she detected my reluctance to return the offered affection. “Lunch is ready, so go ahead and sit. I’ll bring it in from the kitchen.” I went to the low table, sat down, and a minute later, Ailea brought miso soup and sushi, our usual...
April 3, 1997, Dallas, Texas “Remember what I said about drinking too much,” I said, as I poured bourbon into three cups. We’d stopped at a liquor store, bought a bottle of Blanton’s, and then returned to the small suite I’d reserved at the Westin. Deborah’s room was down the hall, and Krissy’s was two floors below. Krissy’s comment had caught me a bit off guard, but I hadn’t reacted visibly. I didn’t know her quite well enough to know if she’d been teasing with Deborah, so I was being...
March 28, 1991, Chicago, Illinois “This day belongs to you, Kara!” I said when the three of us woke on Thursday morning. “Happy birthday!” Jessica said. “Thanks,” Kara replied happily. “I think I’d like an amazing birthday fuck from our husband, and then a nice loving shower with my wife!” Kara said. “Do we have enough time?” I asked. Jessica giggled, “I set the alarm for thirty minutes earlier!” “Then let’s not waste any of it!” I said pulling Kara to me. Kara’s squeals as I plunged...
September 4, 2000, Chicago, Illinois On Monday morning I went to my study to make a surreptitious call to ensure that the surprise I’d planned for Kara was still going to happen, and after confirming that it was, Jesse, Matthew, Michael, and I began preparing for the Labor Day party by getting beer and soda into coolers, getting the grill ready, setting up tables and chairs in the backyard, and ensuring the liquor cabinets were stocked while my wives and daughters worked on food prep in the...
September 1, 1987, Chicago, Illinois “I heard that you have some kind of plan to help Ed,” I said to Connie. “There’s no plan,” she replied. “A witness who saw the shopkeeper alive after Ed left came forward.” That sounded convenient, and I wondered if the witness was real or someone that Anthony had put forward to solve the problem. Certainly, the videotape was real, because I couldn’t imagine how Anthony could have faked that, but the witness? Who knew? “So is he being released? Or is...
August 17, 1997, Chicago, Illinois We finished lunch and Marissa and the younger kids went to play, but Natalie sat with the adults to talk, with coffee, tea, or soft drinks. The Sarcus were very comfortable, but the Heaths were still struggling. But, vitally, they hadn’t left and hadn’t insisted Natalie leave the group. “Can you explain how you developed this attitude and approach?” Chris asked. I nodded, “It started when I was just a bit younger than Natalie. My mom was a total control...
July 1979 — Falkenberg, Sweden On Friday, when I got back from my run, Pam was in her bra and panties again. I whistled at her, she giggled, then finished dressing. I showered, and we went to breakfast and finished up our last day. Once class was done, we were pretty much free. On Saturday, we’d have several optional activities and then on Sunday we’d head back to our host families. After dinner on Friday, I took Pam’s hand and we walked towards the river. It was quiet and peaceful, and...
July 1980, Over the North Atlantic We reached cruising altitude, and I settled back to read my book. Pam raised the armrest between us, snuggled close to me and read as well. The cabin crew offered drinks, and I had my first Coke in a year! Meal service began about an hour and a half into the flight. After the cabin crew picked up the trays and offered drinks again, they passed once more, offering headsets for the movie. Trevor and Maria took them, but Pam and I didn’t, instead we turned on...
July 8, 1997, Chicago, Illinois “Is it really that surprising?” Leah asked. “I suppose not,” I replied. “I just didn’t read too much into the kiss on the cheek.” “I didn’t think it was a good idea to kiss you on the lips with all those people around, because I had no idea who they were or what they would think. You were VERY careful with our dance, so I kind of followed your lead.” Which showed very mature thinking on her part. Both of these girls were exactly the kind of students I...
November 8, 1993, Chicago, Illinois A dark fog swirled before my eyes as I tried to take stock. My head hurt, badly. I felt something on my face and realized, dimly, it was an oxygen mask. My right hand was uncomfortable and I recognized the feeling of an IV and pulse-oximeter. My left arm ached fiercely. On my chest I felt the pads and wires of an EKG. I didn’t feel anything else wrong as I continued taking inventory. I tried to open my eyes, but the fog didn’t clear. I tried to speak, but...
August, 1983, Chicago, Illinois In the morning Anala and I ran as we had the previous time, then showered together, carefully washing each other’s bodies in an intimate but non-sexual way. After our shower we went to the kitchen and I made breakfast and we sat down to eat. “Steve, may I make a suggestion?” she asked. “Sure.” “Broaden your circle of friends. Other than me, all of you are white, nominally Christian, 20-year-old Americans. And you don’t invite me to your Sunday...
June 23, 2000, Chicago, Illinois “Steve,” Kimmy said over the intercom, “I have a Suzanne Aavik for you.” “Thanks,” I replied. “Put her through, please.” A few seconds later, Suzanne was on the line. “Hi!” she exclaimed when I greeted her. “I’m in Chicago for three weeks. Can I still run away and join the circus?” I chuckled, “You might want to find out what the circus is actually like before you join! If you’re free, you’re welcome to come to the house tomorrow or Sunday and meet the...
March 1979 Monday was back to the normal routine of school. Debbie Courtney, who lived across the street and had turned fourteen the last week in February, started flirting more with me on the bus each day. Debbie Vaughn, who lived just down the street, would turn fourteen on March 16th and invited me to her birthday party. And Donna Woody, who lived just down the street in the other direction, would turn fourteen on March 20th. She had made it clear what she wanted for her birthday, and in...
June 2, 1990, Chicago, Illinois “My office, please,” Sensei Jim said after class on Saturday. I followed him to his office and waited for him to bid me to sit. He did, and I sat in the usual chair across from him. “She has a real problem, you know that, right?” he asked. “I do. That’s why I insisted she start seeing a counselor.” “I run a huge risk having her here with that kind of temper and her violent acts.” I nodded, “I understand. May I ask what you intend to do?” “I really don’t...
February 21, 1991, Chicago, Illinois “Hi, Sweetheart!” I said, greeting Bethany at the door. “Uncle Steve!” Nicholas exclaimed. I took him from his mom and he hugged me tightly. “Is Jesse with his moms?” Bethany asked. “Yes. They won’t bring him back over tonight so you and Nicholas can surprise him in the morning.” “Perfect!” “How was the drive up?” “The same as usual. Just a bit of traffic in Northern Indiana. Otherwise, smooth sailing. It was driving the other direction that was a...
November 4, 2000, Chicago, Illinois “Good morning, Sensei,” Miyu said when Kara, the girls, and I walked into the dojo on Saturday morning. “Good morning, Miyu.” “Do you have a moment, please?” I nodded and we went to the small practice room for privacy, as Sensei Jim had a family in his office. “What can I do for you?” “I need you to meet a young man,” she said. “I think you might be taking this ‘not do anything without permission’ a bit too far!” Miyu shook her head, “No, I’m not....
May 1979 The limo dropped me at home about 9:00pm. I took my stuff to my room, stripped, and hung up the tux. The rest of the things went into the hamper. I took a shower, put on shorts and a t-shirt, and walked down the hall into my dad’s office. I saw no reason to put this off any longer. “Stephen, you need to explain yourself!” my mom demanded. “I was in Mrs. McGrath’s, well, Mrs. Sanders’ now, wedding, as I said.” “You walked her down the aisle! You’re sixteen and not even related to...
June 1982, Milford, Ohio On Wednesday morning, I once again made breakfast for everyone. Joyce did the dishes after breakfast, and then we all sat in the living room with cups of coffee. The ladies from the church would bring lunch, and around 3:30pm we’d head to the Noakes Funeral Home for the visitation. I dreaded that, because I wasn’t a big fan of being in the same room as a dead body on display. There was just something that creeped me out about the whole idea. But I would be there 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...