Good Medicine Junior YearChapter 57 Domino Theory
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December 20, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio
“What do you think my dad would say if he saw us like this?” Tasha asked.
We were lying naked, on her small, twin bed, snuggled together, after having done our best to wear each other out for about ninety minutes.
“I do believe the heart attack would kill him before he could open his mouth!”
“It was fun fooling around my bed,” she said. “Though it’s a bit small for that purpose!”
“Is the apartment over the Quick Mart furnished?”
“Yes. And it has a full-size bed, so there’s plenty of room for you to sleep over if you want!”
“I can’t do that too often because I have my obligations as RA, but there are no rules against you sleeping over, if you want.”
“What about Kimiko?”
“She’ll visit sometimes, I’m sure, but she’ll be at home most of the Summer. She has a delicate balancing act with her parents and me.”
“They don’t approve?”
“They’re concerned about her losing her Japanese culture and having grandkids who are Americans, not Japanese. She’s not too worried about it, but she also doesn’t want to create unnecessary conflict.”
“So in some ways similar to my dad and his objection to our ‘modern’, American ways?”
“Something like that. As was pointed out to me, both sets of parents, mine and yours, would have similar concerns if we walked away from the Church.”
“I think my dad would have less of a fit about us being here like this than if I told him I was going to marry a Protestant and start going to my husband’s church.”
“That’s a tough call,” I said. “Both would cause heart attacks.”
“Speaking of which, how is Deacon Grigory?”
“I called yesterday and spoke to Father Nicholas and he said they’re optimistic that Deacon Grigory will be out of the hospital at the end of the week. But he’ll be severely restricted in what he’s allowed to do until his chest heals properly, and then he’ll have to begin his rehabilitation, plus quit smoking and drinking.”
“Do you think he’ll be able to serve again?”
“I suspect not, and I think that’s what Vladyka wants to talk to me about at Theophany.”
“But you have years before you could marry Kimiko, and quite some time before you could marry one of the non-Orthodox girls.”
“I know. Which is something I’ll discuss with him, along with my concerns about my medical training. I don’t think I can wait any longer, if the impression I have is correct.”
“You’re very young to be a deacon if you aren’t going to be made a priest soon.”
“True, but our parish needs a deacon and there is such a need for priests that the seminarians are all going to be assigned to parishes. Vladyka’s main concern there is finding suitable wives for the seminarians so he can ordain them! Not too many young men will sign up for being monks!”
“Could you imagine not being able to do this?! I could NEVER be a nun!”
“No kidding,” I teased.
“And you have room to talk?” she asked, sitting up, putting her hands on her hips, and giving me a wonderful view of her lovely breasts.
“None at all! We should probably shower and make the bed before your mom and sister come home.”
“Unfortunately,” she sighed. “I don’t think there will be another chance until after Nativity, and then you will be on your ski trip.”
“Did you arrange a place to sleep for New Year’s?”
“Yes. Mrs. Sokolov offered a room at their house, and my dad was absolutely fine with that.”
“Good!”
We reluctantly got out of bed and walked across the hall to the bathroom where Tasha turned on the shower and we got into the tub and stood close together under the spray, her wonderful breasts pushing lightly against my chest. We exchanged a kiss which threatened to reignite the fire which had burned so hotly not long before we got out of bed, but we didn’t have the time, so we settled for washing each other, being careful not to rub the wrong, or right, places too much.
When we finished, we dried each other with fluffy towels, then went back to Tasha’s room to dress. I helped her change the sheets, gather the towels, and ensure there was no evidence I’d been in the house, before carrying everything to the basement so she could wash anything which might give us away.
“It’s not out of the ordinary for me to do laundry, so she won’t know,” Tasha said in response to my unasked question. “And I keep that apple blossom air freshener in my room all the time.”
“You’ve thought of everything,” I chuckled.
“Most importantly, birth control pills!”
“No kidding,” I said. “That’s a complication we do NOT need.”
“You won’t be at church this weekend, will you?”
“No. I have to be in McKinley. It’ll make our family Christmas celebration a bit tricky, and my mom isn’t happy we won’t all be at church together, but she knew this was a risk when I was ordained a subdeacon.”
“And you leave for Michigan the day after Christmas?”
“That’s right, and I’ll be back late on the 30th. Do you want to ride with Clarissa and me to McKinley or take your own car?”
“If you can walk me to Mr. Sokolov’s house, which is only about six blocks from Doctor Blahnik’s house, then I’ll ride with you.”
“We can do that,” I said. “Do the Sokolov’s know you’re going to be late?”
“Yes. They’ll give me a key so I can let myself in.”
“Good.”
“You should go.”
I held out my arms and we hugged and exchanged a soft kiss. Tasha opened the door and I quickly walked to my car, got in, started it, lowered the window so I could wave, then quickly pulled out of the driveway, turning the opposite direction from which Tasha’s mom would come back, just in case she and Sasha were early. It took me an extra five minutes to get home, but I felt it was worth it to protect our secret.
“Hi, Mikey!” Liz said when I walked into the house.
“Hi, Mike,” Clarissa said, hopping up to get a hug.
I went to sit on the couch with Clarissa, while Liz was curled up in my dad’s easy chair.
“Any plans for today?” Liz asked.
“No. The only confirmed plans for the rest of the week are dinner and a movie tomorrow night with Jocelyn and Clarissa. We’re going to see Sudden Impact. You’re welcome to join us.”
“Dirty Harry? No thanks!”
“I’m going out with Jocelyn and Tasha tomorrow, and we’ll be gone most of the day,” Clarissa said. “We’ll be back in time for Vespers, obviously.”
“That will give me a chance to finish the last of my Christmas shopping,” I said.”
The phone rang and Liz jumped up to answer it. I heard her speaking and she was back almost right away.
“Can you see Maggie on Thursday morning at 9:00am at Hannah’s house? Her dad will be working and her mom has a meeting at church for about two hours.”
“Sure,” I said. “Just tell them to be careful.”
Liz went back to the kitchen and finished her call then came back.
“Just go to Mindy’s house a bit before. Mindy did say her parents both leave for work at 7:30am!”
“Of course she did!” I chuckled. “Are you doing anything today?”
“Emmy, Valerie, Violet, and I are going to hang out at Valerie’s house; I’m leaving in a few minutes. I’m spending the night. I’m going to go get ready.”
“OK.”
Liz went upstairs and was back down less than five minutes later. She said ‘goodbye’ and went out the door.
“How are things with Jocelyn?” Clarissa asked.
“Just fine. It’s her mom that’s the problem. Jos is going to take a Summer class at Taft so she doesn’t have to live at home.”
“Mommy doesn’t think her little baby should be screwing her best friend?”
“That’s about the size of it.”
“I still don’t know the answer to THAT question!” Clarissa teased.
“Obsessed, are we?” I asked with a silly grin.
“I guess now that it’s totally up to me, some fears are creeping in. I remember, back in eighth grade when girls were talking about it, that everyone was afraid, at least in some way.”
“Nervous?”
“Some, but some of it was fear. And it makes sense if you think about it. At fourteen thinking about a guy putting it inside you is a combination of exhilarating and frightening. Well, assuming you’re straight. For me, I was curious, but in a kind of indifferent way, because I knew I liked girls. In other words, I wondered what it was like, but the idea didn’t make me have the kind of feeling I got when I thought about girls. But I was never grossed out about the idea of being penetrated in that way. Glenda is. And she feels pretty much the same way you do about kissing guys!”
“And you don’t, which is what leads you to think it might work, because you think you might be bisexual.”
“Petrov-sexual, remember?!”
I chuckled, “Is it really just me, or is it just you would need the right kind of guy? The one who was as Melody put it — in complete touch with his feminine side?”
“I don’t know and I have no intention of testing that theory except with you, even though she might well be right. Where Glenda would have to go with artificial insemination, I would be OK with, and would actually prefer, doing it the usual biological way. You haven’t experienced a girl who was scared?”
I shook my head, “Nervous, but not scared. In every case, it was either working our way up to it, or I was, if you will, the prey.”
Clarissa laughed, “You are absolutely not the hunter! I’m curious, and you don’t have to share more than you feel comfortable, but were there any which worked their way to the destination through the ‘bases’, if you will?”
“Katy,” I replied. “For the others, it basically was singles and then a home run, though all the other stuff happened. And a couple of them the first hit was the home run, so to speak.”
“First French and first fuck the same day?” Clarissa teased.
“You can be just as bad as I can!” I teased.
“But can I be as good?” she asked quietly.
“You’re worried about being able to satisfy me?”
“I have exactly zero experience in that area, beyond the few kisses we exchanged.”
I put my arm around Lissa, but she moved to sit in my lap, with her arms around my neck. I put my arms around her and she curled up, her head on my chest.
“You do realize that this is where I get the most emotional satisfaction, right?” I asked.
“Your feminine side, needing to be close with someone. Like with Milena.”
“Exactly.”
“But wasn’t that after having sex?”
“Yes. Making love, because that’s what we did, slaked the physical desire, but the real desire was just to be close, to talk, to bare our souls, and really join — not physically, but, if I can use this term, spiritually, though not in a religious sense. And you and I have that, Lissa. It’s the most difficult part. It’s what I am working on with Kimiko. And I know she’s told you about how we make love.”
“The reason she referred to you as ‘my octopus’ when I talked to her right before finals?”
I chuckled, “Yes. And then we almost always make love with her on top; well, she makes love to me, if that makes sense.”
“She told me. She’s totally not shy about talking about sex with me. Her openness about it is refreshing.”
“Because her spirituality tells her that sex is a good thing, when handled with proper respect for your partner, and there are no taboos on pre-marital sex, or even in some cases, extra-marital sex, so long as the wife does not object and the husband does not elevate his mistress over his wife. Not all Japanese women agree with that, and I wouldn’t venture to say it’s even the majority, but from her very traditional upbringing, it’s something that in the right circumstances, is acceptable.”
“Making her the sole girl who would even begin to think about allowing us to have a baby together after marriage.”
“Yes.”
“Mike,” Clarissa said softly, “is THAT why she’s your primary candidate? If that’s true, please don’t do that for me. That could turn out very badly.”
“As best I can discern my own motives, I don’t think so,” I said. “But it certainly checks a box which no other girl I’ve met, or think I would meet, would accept. Sharing is not an option!”
Clarissa laughed softly, “Which has been made quite clear to you by every other girl!”
“Exactly. Maggie, who has given me what amounts to a time-limited free pass, made that abundantly clear. And so have the other girls — if I ask them to go steady, or get engaged, I risk my life by making that kind of suggestion! You heard what Tasha said!”
“That she’d be OK with doing it medically, but not doing it!”
“Precisely. In the end, that was why Katy broke up with me after we made love the first time. She and I both knew that having crossed that threshold, we had to be exclusive or break up.”
“But it happened again, later, right?”
“Yes, but that felt a bit like she was trying to save her place, if you will, or, alternatively, she was just horny and given we’d already done it, doing it again with me wouldn’t create any difficulties in her mind.”
“Has she been dating?”
“Yes, but she’s been circumspect about it, which I think makes sense. I know more about her new friend than I do her boyfriend or boyfriends.”
“New friend?”
“The girl in the next room is named Jennifer and is from Milford.”
“Two-thousand miles and your next-door neighbor is basically your next-door neighbor!”
“We’re not THAT close to Milford, but it is one of those strange coincidences. And interestingly, Katy says that her friend likes girls, not boys. And in what has to be the weirdest coincidence, this girl, Jennifer, used to date a girl named Jocelyn. I guess they broke up, but it was strange hearing that name.”
“It’s not exactly a common name, is it?”
“No, it’s not.”
“Anyway, Katy got to know her because she needed help in an electrical engineering classes and this girl is finishing her third year.”
“So, like we help the Freshmen with their core courses.”
“Exactly. I guess Stanford has some kind of official mentoring program which seems to work a lot like the study groups we formed when we first came to Taft. I suspect Dean Anderson would be receptive to that kind of idea.”
“If Katy’s going to graduate school, Stanford Medical School would be a great choice, if you were interested.”
“I’ve come full circle on that,” I said. “I want to practice here, and by that, I mean in either Harding or Hayes County. I’m looking forward to our trip to Europe after we graduate, but I don’t want to live anywhere but here. The world is out there for me to see when I want to see it, but I’m as much part of this area as it is part of me. And my real goal would be to help turn Rutherford Hospital into a proper ‘Tier 1’ trauma center.”
“Got $25 million? Because it’s going to take that kind of money, at least. I read something about trying to do that at the regional hospital near Sylvania and that was the cost estimate. And the state doesn’t have any extra money to give.”
“It’s years away,” I said. “And we have a new governor, so maybe that will change.”
“You think Celeste will find money that Rhodes couldn’t?”
“Democrats tend not to be afraid to raise taxes for public services,” I replied. “The new governor was director of the Peace Corps for a couple of years under President Carter, so I think we might see some money moved towards health care.”
“Do you think we should implement a system like in England or Sweden?”
“I don’t want to work for the government, but I think everyone should have access to basic health care, and lack of money shouldn’t prevent you from getting it. I’m not sure what the solution is, but one which let doctors treat everyone who needed their help without any concern about their ability to pay seems like the right thing to do. If we had some sort of system which allowed doctors to practice independently, but ensured everyone could get the care they needed, I’d sign up. But I’m not a politician nor an actuary nor a financial whiz, so I have no clue what that would look like.”
“Medicaid seems to be pretty bad at solving the problem from everything I read,” Clarissa observed.
“Same here, but Medicare seems to be working reasonably well for senior citizens. I think that might be at least partly because Medicare is a national program funded by the taxes we pay on the money we earn. And honestly, that number is tiny. It’s just under 1.5%. And that covers everyone who is 65 and older. I can’t believe we couldn’t implement something to ensure basic health care if that number doubled, for example. 3% of your income for health care doesn’t seem radical to me.”
“Nor to me, though I wonder if that would be enough.”
“If nobody had to pay insurance premiums? My dad has full health care from Harding County, but it goes through an insurance company called Blue Cross. My dad’s contribution is tiny, not even 1% of his salary, and Harding County pays the rest. Why not cut out the middleman? The government is already paying for it, after all, in our family’s case.”
“I hadn’t thought of it quite that way. But wouldn’t that end up cutting salaries?”
“The only reason I need a salary which would be four or five times what my dad makes is to pay back the loans we’re going to have to take to get our medical degrees! To me, that’s just as silly. I have to be paid more, so the hospital has to charge more which means the patient has to pay more. A small tax could solve that problem, and the money would still come from the same source — the taxpayer, whether it’s a company or a person. In the end, it’s either taxes or printing money, and I learned in High School what happens when governments simply print money.”
“Hyperinflation and devaluation, wrecking the economy.”
“So, taxes it is,” I grinned. “I mean, I hate paying taxes as much as the next patriotic American, but I like roads, police, clean water, sewers, public schools, and other things that taxes pay for. So, again, like all patriotic Americans, I bitch about how much money the government takes, but I also realize there is no reasonable alternative. And honestly, Lissa, you and I are going to make a ton of money, even working in Harding County. It’s hardly fair to make six or seven times what the average person makes and not pay more in taxes.”
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April 2, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “«Ты говоришь по-русски?»” I asked when I recovered from the double shock. “«Удивлены»?” “I don’t think surprised even scratches the surface!” I replied in English, not wanting to give up any nuances of my speech. “What’s your full name?” “Larissa Sergeyevna Federova. I was named for ‘Lara’ in Doctor Zhivago, but I go by Laura Sera Bragg. My parents divorced when I was little and both remarried. My mom changed her and my legal name to Bragg, which is my...
June 3, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “You’re serious?” Milena asked, incredulous. “I am; you figured it out, and this is the talk we SHOULD have had.” She shook her head, “Now you have ME thinking about whether we should do this or not.” “Which was my entire point.” “Not to interrupt this moment of clarity,” Deb said quietly, “but is that invitation open?” I chuckled, “I’ll leave the answer to that to the pianist. Her opinion may have changed.” Milena sighed, “How the hell did a twenty-year...
September 30, 1983, McKinley, Ohio Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. Well, perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration, but compared to other first kisses, this one was certainly memorable — a soft touching of lips, a light hug with Kimiko’s small, silk-covered breasts brushing lightly against me, and her hand lightly on my back. Kimiko broke the kiss, looked me in the eyes, and whispered,...
December 1, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “You really object to Emmy and Clark being together because they’re from different races?!” I asked, completely taken aback. “I’m sorry,” Kimiko replied meekly. “I was trying to describe how Japanese felt about mixed-race children, especially those of black American soldiers and Japanese women. But it’s really any mixed-race children or relationships, because they are not pure Japanese.” “So if you and I were to marry, and have kids who were half-Japanese,...
August 7, 1983, McKinley, Ohio The phone in my room rang late Sunday afternoon while Milena and I were relaxing and listening to music. “Hi, Mikey!” “Hi, Liz! What’s up?” “Guess whose parents came home WAY earlier than expected? Three guesses, and the first two don’t count!” “«Говно». Maggie’s.” “Right the first time.” “And?” “Grounded for two centuries, I think.” “Wonderful,” I sighed. “It’s worse, Mikey.” “How could it be worse?” “Her dad found the books you gave her and the...
January 7, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Thanks for the lift, White Boy!” Clark said as we got out of my Mustang. “Somebody had to drag your lazy black ass the last fifty miles, and I have sympathy for the mentally challenged,” I deadpanned. “Hey, Cracker, are you saying I’m dumb because I’m black?” “Not at all! You being dumb has absolutely nothing to do with the color of your skin!” “Fuck you, Honky!” “I love you too!” I grinned. We both laughed, shook hands, and with Clarissa following...
Nicky was thrilled that Karl had asked her to go with him tonight to the club and shoot some pool. Karl went to the club almost every Friday night without Nicky so this was a special occasion. Nicky arranged the babysitter for the kids and spent the afternoon deciding what she should wear. Nicky knew at 36 and after three kids she did not have the body she had when she and Karl met. But Nicky worked hard to keep her 5 foot 6 inch frame in good shape, running at least three days a week. Now...
June 25, 1983, McKinley, Ohio I awoke to someone pounding on my door and calling my name. A quick glance at the clock showed it was 2:50am. I quickly got out of bed, pulled on shorts and a t-shirt and went to the door. I opened it to see a girl in a robe. “What’s up?” “Cecilia said to come get you. One of the girls is really sick!” “Did someone call for an ambulance?” I asked. “I don’t know.” “Call right now. Use my phone. Where are they?” “243!” I hurried down the hall into the...
Robert and Lisa Strong rose at the sound of the doorbell and went to welcome their guests. They opened the front door to greet Daniel and Elizabeth Mason and the Masons’ 16-year-old son, Jacob. He was a handsome boy with a build reflecting his athletic nature. At 5 feet, 8 inches, he was average height for his age. He projected maturity and self-confidence with a beaming smile and a handshake for the Strongs. He had soft features, clear skin and tousled blond hair. His parents, like...
August 26, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “Told you!” Clarissa laughed as she and I relaxed in my room after breakfast. “They sat with us at breakfast,” I said, then grinned, “So what?” “Even YOU aren’t that clueless, Petrovich!” “Just because Rebekah said she thought I fingered the frets expertly when I played the guitar?” “And she batted her eyelashes and flipped her hair. Short of asking you to fuck her, she couldn’t BE any clearer about what she wanted.” “Well, she’ll need to find a different...
March 30, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Sorry about earlier,” she said. “My roommate was being a bitch.” “Something specific?” I asked. “She’s been on the rag ever since our second week here. Guy trouble. I guess she thought you were trying to use me.” “I can see why she would think that,” I replied. “You and I don’t know each other except basically by sight and name, I sang to you, and you came to my room.” “If I were totally clueless about life, I could see it. But I knew what was going on!...
MAGIC MEDICINE Christopher Halstead was at the end of his tether. He was only 50 years old but felt deep down in his soul that his useful life had come to an end. To understand why it is necessary to go back some twenty-five years. In 1992 Christopher married his childhood sweetheart Amy. He and Amy had grown up in adjacent houses; attended the same schools; and had had an unspoken 'understanding' from their teens. They only occasion they spent time apart was whilst they were at...
Andrea's Goes to School and begins to grows up By Robin Y. School started at St. Theresa's Junior High in September and I was excited and fearful to start my freshman year. Thus far, my new life as a girl had been limited to being with Aunt Hilda and her friends. The few other teens that I met didn't seem to be interested in including me in their circles. When school started things changed. In ninth grade all the girls came from different feeder schools. Most girls had at least one...
November 26, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “So what did you say?” Clarissa asked after I relayed what Hannah had said. “I simply said I appreciated the offer, that I’d keep that in mind, then smiled and left the house.” “After Maggie gave you permission?” “I don’t need ‘permission’ from Maggie to do anything,” I protested. “And be serious, Lissa, do you think it’s a good idea?” Clarissa shrugged, “Is it all that different from Kristin? Or from Mindy and Emmy?” “That kind of thinking is a...
July 1, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “Are you OK?” Clarissa asked on Friday morning as we lay in bed together. “Why wouldn’t I be?” “You seemed a bit out of sorts last night. Did that kiss bother you?” I smiled, “Not the way you mean. It was just, well, to be blunt, fighting a reaction. And losing.” Clarissa laughed softly, “I know. I felt it when I spooned. I’m sorry.” “Don’t be. I liked the kiss. The other reaction is kind of involuntary. As I keep saying, testosterone knows NOTHING about...
June 1, 1983, McKinley, Ohio Wednesday at the Quick Mart was very much like Tuesday, though there were no deliveries, so I had time to work through a number of items on Mr. Sokolov’s list. That kept me busy, and away from Nancy except for when it was time for her breaks. She apologized again and I replied as I had before, just telling her to take her break. Maybe I was being a jerk, but I was honestly quite upset with her, and really didn’t think there was much to talk about. When my shift...
January 8, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Is it always like that in the morning?” Clarissa asked. “Pretty often, but it doesn’t have the urgency, if you will, and it goes away pretty quickly once I get out of bed.” “Do you have ANY control over it?” “Limited,” I chuckled. “It pretty much has a mind of its own.” “That has to be difficult.” “Think standing in the altar, wearing acolytes’ vestments and seeing Tasha walk into church in a sundress.” Clarissa laughed softly, “She is gorgeous!” “And...
October 16, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “I started dating someone,” I said to Tasha as we relaxed in the whirlpool at Doctor Blahnik’s house. “You’re not cheating on her, are you Mikhail Petrovich?” “No. It’s not THAT serious, and it won’t be anytime soon, if it ever is. But I thought you should know because we promised complete truth and complete honesty. I don’t want any misunderstandings.” “May I ask about her?” “Her name is Kimiko Mei Takahasi. She’s from a small town called Oguni in...
July 23, 1983, McKinley, Ohio Just as I had when Nancy told me that her mom had put her on the Pill, I missed a shift due to being completely surprised by Maggie’s question. I recovered enough to find the correct gear, and willed my heart to stop beating rapidly. The silence was deafening, but I needed to think about how I could answer her question. I wasn’t sure I knew the answer, but saying that seemed lame in the extreme. Almost immediately, I realized that I really shouldn’t have been...
July 28, 1983, McKinley, Ohio On Thursday evening I was sitting in my room, practicing my guitar after having spoken with Tasha and confirmed our date for Sunday. Just after 9:00pm, there was a knock at the door. “It’s unlocked! Come in!” The door opened and Milena walked in, closing the door behind her. “Hey!” I replied. “What’s up?” “Got some time for me?” “Always. What can I do for you?” “Sing me a love song and then make love to me?” “Your wish is my command!” I grinned. “Come sit...
November 19, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “You know I think you’ve made a terrible mistake and given Sasha bad advice, right?” Clarissa asked after we got into my Mustang for the drive to my parents’ house. “Obviously.” “Her life is going to be very, very difficult.” “And living with her conscience after what she would consider murder would be easy?” “It’s not murder, Mike,” Clarissa said firmly. “I know that’s what you believe, and I know that’s what the law says, but I also know what she’s...
March 15, 1984, Gettysburg and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania “You’re OK?” Clarissa asked when she and I got out of bed on Thursday morning. “Yes. Just kissing was fine, Lissa. Let’s get our showers and meet Jocelyn. We need to get on the road by 6:30am so we can be in Philadelphia by 10:00am.” We both quickly showered and dressed, then we met Jocelyn in the hotel lobby. We went across the street for breakfast, and from there, straight to the car so we could get on the road. We followed US 30,...
July 5, 1983, McKinley, Ohio As I showered after karate, I wondered exactly what Angie had meant when she said that she’d changed, and what that meant for the future. Angie had told me that her counselor had advised against starting a relationship, so perhaps this was just Angie’s way of telling me that what Clarissa had suggested might be true — that Angie was playing the ‘long game’ and this was simply the next step. That made more sense than anything, but it also meant I needed to be...
April 8, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Natalya Vasilyevna Antonova, please meet Larissa Sergeyevna Federova,” I said. I laughed as the two girls instantly switched to Russian and I had to focus to catch everything that was said. Clarissa smirked and rolled her eyes, and I just shrugged. The gist of the conversation was hometowns, parents, churches, majors, and to Tasha’s obvious shock, Lara’s age. “Perhaps we should switch to English so Sveta isn’t left out,” Tasha said in English. “Mike looked...
June 18, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “Becky, this is my friend Milena; Milena, Becky.” “Hi!” Milena said. “I hope I’m not intruding.” “Hi,” Becky replied. “You aren’t. Mike told me you were going to hang out with us tonight.” “Do you drink wine?” Becky laughed, “My pastor would have a cow, but he’s not here!” Milena laughed, “And shacking up with Mike, THAT would be OK?” “Well, no!” Becky laughed, blushing slightly. Milena uncorked the bottle of wine while I got three glasses from the...
August 28, 1983, McKinley, Ohio When I got up on Sunday morning, I showered and dressed, and then Kristin and I left my room and I found a note from Angie on the corkboard next to my door. It said she was getting a ride to church from the same woman who had picked her up the previous night and I shouldn’t wait for her. I shrugged, locked the door, and gave Kristin a quick kiss. She headed down the hall towards her room and I walked over to the elevators and pushed the ‘Down’ button. An...
February 25, 1984, Rutherford, Ohio “Hi!” Emmy gushed when she opened the door for Clarissa and me on Saturday morning. “Thanks for letting Clarissa hang out here while I take care of this for Liz.” “You’re doing the right thing, Mike. I have to go to work in a few minutes, but Clarissa can buzz you in when you come back, and then if you just lock the door when you leave and bring the key to Lou’s everything will be cool.” “You’re a sweetheart, Emmy Nelson!” “I know!” she giggled,...
August 27, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “Tasha,” I said gently, “you made me promise to keep you pure until we were married, or at least betrothed, no matter what you said! In other words, you made me promise not to do it even if you changed your mind! And I made that promise!” “I can’t change my mind?” “You were very clear that I was responsible for you NOT doing that.” “But isn’t that up to me?” I nodded, “As an adult, in charge of her own decisions, it is. But you extracted that promise...
October 14, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “I’m worried about Angie,” I said as Clarissa, Melody, and I made our way back to the dorm from the Chancellor’s office. “I know you told the detective that you have no idea where she might be, but do you have ANY thoughts?” Melody asked. I shook my head, “If she wasn’t with her friend and she wasn’t at church, and her counselor hadn’t heard from her, then no, honestly, I have no idea. I mean, she could have gone home, but I’m sure someone called there to...
December 21, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” I said. “Afraid you’ll lose?” Violet asked. No, I thought, I wasn’t afraid of losing at all. In fact, I was sure that win or lose, I’d win, from a certain perspective. “No, that’s not it...” I started. “Then let’s play!” “Are you sure?” She nodded, “I can’t think of a more fun way to celebrate my birthday!” I could, and I was sure that what I was thinking was exactly what she was thinking, and she was just...
May 6, 1984, Rutherford, Ohio “I’m curious,” Clarissa asked quietly, “but what about a patronymic in this case?” “Sasha hasn’t said,” Tasha replied. “Technically, it would be some form of Timothy, because Timmy Aston is the baby’s father, but I don’t think she’ll do that. She really could pick anything.” “What happened with the baby’s father?” Clarissa asked. “My dad, Timmy’s dad, and two attorneys worked out the deal. Timmy’s going to college and really can’t afford to pay child support,...
June 5, 1983, McKinley, Ohio My alarm rang on Sunday morning and when I reached over to shut it off, Milena groaned softly, stretched, and turned to face me, her glorious breasts rubbing against my chest. “Hi,” she said sheepishly. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing! That’s just it. Nothing is wrong. I slept, naked, with a guy and literally nothing happened except a ‘good night’ kiss and spooning.” “And you think something should have happened?” She kissed my nose, “No, not at all. I mean, we can...
September 3, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio Tasha was very quiet on the drive home from Jackson Lake, and I wasn’t sure what to say to her, so I stayed quiet as well. When we arrived at my house, we exchanged a perfunctory kiss. “Are you OK?” I asked. “Yes,” she replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow at church.” I got out of the Volvo and went into the house. I said ‘hello’ to my parents, then asked Clarissa to sit on the patio and talk with me. We went to the kitchen, got glasses of lemonade, then...
September 5, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “Now that you’ve had time to sleep on it, have you had any new thoughts?” Clarissa asked as we walked along the road from my house towards ‘downtown’ West Monroe on Monday morning. “Should I have new thoughts?” I asked. “Let me put it this way — if you’re going to change your mind, do it NOW, today. If she shows up in McKinley expecting two passion-filled nights and you back out, it’s going to be VERY ugly.” “Why would I back out? You and Liz made very...
December 17, 1983, Rutherford, Ohio After Vespers, Clarissa, Jocelyn, Tasha, and I went to Lou’s diner in Rutherford for dinner. “Is this Mike’s nightmare?” Jocelyn teased. “Or Mike’s ultimate fantasy?” “The three of you would be a nightmare,” I said flatly. “It’s bad enough to have ONE woman telling me what to do! But three? Kill me now!” The girls all laughed. “He knows women are in charge,” Tasha said primly. “Even the bishops cower in the corner if the women of the church are...