A sad depressed and bittersweet story
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June 5, 1984, McKinley, Ohio
“Do you want me to sleep at Doctor Blahnik’s house tonight?” Clarissa asked when she arrived at the dorm early on Tuesday evening so we could go to dinner.
“No,” I replied. “Ice cream with Grace isn’t a date. And besides, you know the score.”
“So this doesn’t end with her licking your cone?” she teased.
I laughed, “No. I won’t be more than an hour or so.”
“I’ll hang out with Jocelyn and Dona. I don’t want Kelly to complain I was in your room without you here.”
“She’s driving all of us nuts,” I sighed. “And it’s only Tuesday of the first week! But forget her for now, let’s go get Jocelyn and Dona so we can have dinner.”
The four of us left the dorm for the cafeteria, and after we ate, Clarissa went with them while I walked to Verner’s to meet Grace. She ordered a turtle sundae and I ordered my traditional single scoop of chocolate in a sugar cone. I’d gone away from that for a time, but it seemed as if my life was going in a bit of a circle, with old habits and old attitudes returning, though tempered by three years away from home at college.
“It’s your dime,” I said with a smile when we sat down at a table near the front window. “Start talking!”
Grace laughed, “Nancy said you could be a real Smart Aleck if you were in the right mood. I hope I get more than three minutes for my 10¢!”
“I don’t know if you noticed, but Ohio Bell raised the cost of a call to 25¢. Well, I guess they’re calling themselves ‘Ameritech’ now.”
“You said ‘dime’ first!”
“True,” I replied with a grin. “How much has Nancy told you about me?”
“A bit. Why?”
“All the questions about girlfriends. It almost seemed as if you were trying to dig for information.”
“I was!” Grace replied with a twinkle in her eye. “For ME! I only met Nancy a few weeks ago and other than the fact you guys tried dating a few times, and she thinks you’re a super-nice guy, we didn’t talk much about you. I’m not her spy or anything, though I guess I can see how you might think that.”
“I’m actually seeing someone,” I said.
“Steady?”
“No, but she could be at some point in the future.”
“But you’re still a free man?”
“I suppose so, yes.”
“Me, too. And I’m not looking for anything serious, just someone new to hang out with and do stuff occasionally. Someone intelligent who can carry on a conversation and won’t bore me to tears. And you’re going to be RA on my floor for all of my Freshman year, so I thought maybe we could be friends.”
“I’m always open to new friends,” I replied.
“What about hanging out sometimes? You don’t even have to call it a date if that’s a problem for the girl you’re seeing. I’m guessing she’s OK with your friends because otherwise you wouldn’t say it might be serious.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“I’m pretty much open to anything,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “I bowl, but not very well; I play mini golf, and I’m OK at that; I roller and ice skate pretty well; I like movies, walks in the rain, and ice cream.”
“Thank you, Bachelorette Number Three!” I teased.
Grace laughed, “I guess I did sound like The Dating Game! But then I’d have to add something like ‘making whoopee’ or whatever euphemism they used to get past the censors and imply that sex was part of the date.”
“My parents thought that show was funny, but I only ever saw a couple of episodes. I know the basic way it worked. My mom told me she read that one of the guys who was the one interviewing the three girls was a rapist and murderer.”
“Whoa! No way?”
“Supposedly.”
“YOU aren’t a murderer or a serial killer, are you?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.
“I’ve drowned Snap, Crackle, and Pop in milk many times at breakfast,” I smirked.
“SERIAL not CEREAL, you nut!” Grace laughed. “But I guess Nancy was right about your sense of humor. It’s goofy.”
“Ah-hyuck!” I replied, trying to sound like Goofy from the cartoons.
“OK, you’re WAY funnier than she suggested!”
“You caught me on a good day,” I chuckled. “And when she first met me, I was seriously humor-impaired.”
“That no longer appears to be a problem.”
“Your insight serves you well,” I replied, doing my best Obi-wan Kenobi impression.
“Too funny! So, besides moderately good impressions, what do you do for fun?”
“Play pool, play chess, mini golf, go to the movies.”
“I play chess, but I’m not very good.”
“Ever play ‘strip chess’?” I asked with a silly grin.
“Is that like ‘strip Monopoly‘?”
“No clue. I’ve never played either, though I know the rules to ‘strip chess’. How does ‘strip Monopoly‘ work?”
“You get less money from the bank, and each item of clothing is worth a fixed amount. Anything you can do with cash, you can do with clothes, and anything you can do with property you can do with clothes. If you run out of cash, you’re required to pay with clothes, and they can be bought and sold or auctioned, just like properties. And to keep people from ditching, you put up a hundred bucks of real money. If you stay in the game until it’s over, you get your money back. If you leave or refuse to pay with clothes, the players who finish split your hundred bucks.”
“And you’ve played this before?”
“Twice. Once was after Senior Prom with a bunch of people in a hotel room. The other time was New Year’s Eve two years ago at a friend’s house. But that’s only fun if you have five or six people. What are the rules for ‘strip chess’?”
“Each time a pawn is captured, you kiss, and each time a piece is captured, you have to take off one article of clothing. Winner gets oral sex from the loser.”
Grace laughed, “I can see why a guy would like that! He gets blown or gets to eat the girl, so win-win, because if he’s any good, she’s going to demand that he have sex with her!”
“That is exactly what the person who told me about the rules said!”
“Sounds like fun! I’m game!”
I had just neatly teased and joked myself right into a corner of my own making. Grace seemed like someone who would be fun to hang out with, who had a good sense of humor, and who also happened to have a nice, curvy body. And the idea of playing ‘strip chess’ was appealing. But it took me right back to the debate I was having with myself about sex. I’d just decided, mostly, to be celibate, though not just yet.
Jocelyn and I hadn’t stopped making love, but we both agreed it would end Wednesday night. She had been asked out on a date for Friday, and had accepted, and we both felt it was wrong for her to be having sex with me while starting to date, despite our desire to be with each other. We’d likely sleep in the same bed, at least for a time, though if she were to get serious with the guy, that would no longer be possible.
Maggie was also a consideration, but in my weird way of thinking, I treated girls who were possible candidates for marriage differently from what Clarissa called ‘flings’. I’d told Clarissa that Violet had been my last fling, but sitting here with Grace, having joked and teased myself into a position where I could play ‘strip chess’ with someone, I was seriously reconsidering.
“Not to be a wet blanket, but let me think about that, OK?”
“Because of your girlfriend?”
“It’s more complicated than that. Let’s talk later in the week, OK?”
“Sure. Either way, would you like to hang out sometime?”
“I believe I would.”
June 6, 1984, McKinley, Ohio
“I dreaded this day,” Jocelyn said when she joined me in my room on Wednesday evening after Vespers.
“Are you having second thoughts?” I asked.
“No, it’s a bittersweet moment. I’m just dealing with the fact that this part of our relationship has to come to an end. I actually think it’ll be worse when I’m no longer able sleep in your bed. Having you hold me just feels so right.”
“And holding you feels so right, too.”
“We can do anything you want tonight, Mik. I mean that. Literally anything.”
“That would be a mistake of epic proportions,” I replied. “We need to make tender love, and nothing more complicated than that. We’ll ruin it with some crazy, over-the-top ending.”
“You sound so sure. Why?”
“A close friend of mine had a beautiful, sweet love affair, which was mostly just simple lovemaking. They had to be apart, and she decided for their last couple of nights, they’d just go crazy and try anything and everything, no matter how wild. It ruined their relationship and it took years to repair.”
“You’re taking about Milena and Joel, aren’t you?”
“I should deny it, but I could never lie to you.”
“You basically reconfigured our relationship to match what you had with her, so I can see why you feel that way. And if you feel that way, then we should do what you say. Not that I’m complaining, mind you, I love making love with you. I just thought maybe you’d like to try some stuff you hadn’t tried before.”
I chuckled, “I’m not sure there’s anything left that I’d want to do.”
Jocelyn laughed softly, “Tasha was a real surprise, wasn’t she?”
“Yes, but she shouldn’t have been. I should have recognized the signs, but all I saw was her conservative front, despite her showing me glimpses of her other side.”
“Just so you know, she, Clarissa, and I had VERY detailed conversations!”
“Including assessing my performance?” I asked with an arched eyebrow. “9.2 from the Russian judge?”
“More like 10.0 like the Olympic gymnast, Nadia Comăneci!”
“The Eastern Bloc judges always screwed over Americans when they had the chance,” I replied. “And this year the Olympics are going to suck because the Russians are boycotting to retaliate for Carter’s stupid boycott of the Moscow Olympics in 1980. All that did was hurt our athletes; it didn’t affect ANYTHING with regard to Afghanistan. But I’m not sure I’m comfortable with you discussing my technique!”
Jocelyn laughed, “It wasn’t like that! We both agreed, and told Clarissa, that you were a skilled, attentive lover.”
“I hope Liz wasn’t there for THAT conversation!”
Jocelyn laughed harder, “We’re not THAT cruel. To Liz, I mean.”
“Of course,” I replied deadpan.
“You know we all love you, Mike; and we all want you to be happy. Tasha and I actually both wished that Clarissa was truly bi, because then...”
“I know. But it’s not to be. I did tell her if she did wake up one morning and discover she was straight, I’d marry her immediately, no matter what the situation was. Well, so long as I wasn’t already married. Tell me about the guy.”
“Bill Ebersole. He’ll be a Senior. He’s from McKinley, so he doesn’t live in the dorms, and he’s a poli-sci major. He had trouble with Calculus first semester so he’s retaking it this Summer.”
“Long term goal?” I asked.
“He’s planning a Master’s in foreign relations, most likely at OSU.”
“Bring him around, when you’re ready.”
“I will. I think you’ll like him.”
“I hope so! If this eventually turns serious, he’s going to be a close friend.”
“Did you decide what to do about your minor peccadillo?”
“It’s not a peccadillo,” I replied. “Well, at least not yet. It’s just me trying to figure out what’s OK and what’s not OK all over again.”
“You’re hung up on the ‘too many’, aren’t you?”
“It did kind of get away from me, at least according to what I talked about with you and others that Summer after High School graduation, and a bit since.”
“I suppose you have to ask yourself, at least in THIS circumstance, which would you regret more? One more girl, or not playing ‘strip chess’, something you’ve been dying to play since you heard about it when you were fifteen?”
“When you put it that way, it makes me lean a bit more towards it, but I keep asking myself where the limit would be.”
“Isn’t it basically the end of August? If Lara comes back and says she wants to give it a go, you’re not going to see anyone but her. If she decides against it, I think you’ll end up with Maggie unless something really bad happens between you two. If that happens, well, then I’m not sure. So there is a limit, if you will. But you have to decide if your self-imposed ‘one more is too many’ is really how you feel, or if something else is causing you to feel that way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Given what you’ve told Clarissa and me about Maggie, I wonder if you feel guilty in denying her while fooling around with other girls? Or maybe it’s Lara who you feel guilty about? You know, cheating even if you aren’t really cheating.”
“You know I have a different way of thinking about the girls who I might marry, weird as it sounds.”
“But it’s not really. If you both just want to casually fuck, it’s not a big deal, but if you think it’s for the long term, suddenly the math changes, if you will. Think about what would have happened had you and Emmy not broken up because of her dad. You and Emmy agreed on a casual fuck, but by the time you got there, the landscape had changed in such a way that you two were going to be steady until her dad lowered the boom.”
“Things were really complicated back then because of the accident, but that’s basically the case. Becky could have turned out that way, too, but she’s too far away and we hardly talk at all these days.”
“That started as a casual fuck but led to something that might have been, if distance weren’t a problem. It was after that you started trying to sort things out, and the way you treated different girls depended on what you felt the future might hold.”
“True. I guess I’m not sure which way is best. At times it seems like celibacy is actually easier because I don’t have to make any individual decisions.”
“Have you lost trust in yourself?”
“I think it’s more not wanting my weakness to control me.”
“I’d say it isn’t if you’re carefully thinking things through.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” I chuckled. “Resistance is difficult.”
“But not futile. Mindy is the perfect example of your willpower overcoming your desires.”
I shook my head, “No, it’s not, because I don’t desire Mindy.”
“Sorry, I should have realized that. I’m not helping much, am I?”
“Sure you are. We’re talking. But we’ve probably talked enough and it’s time to make love.”
“All night?”
“All night.”
June 7, 1984, McKinley, Ohio
“I know I’m sounding like a broken record, but Kelly is a REAL bitch,” Jocelyn sighed on Thursday evening.
She, Clarissa, Dona, and I were sitting in my room listening to Bruce Springsteen and drinking Cokes.
“Now what?” I asked.
“She said she smelled pot in Darcy’s room. I guess she and Darcy had an argument over Darcy’s boyfriend staying over, so Kelly decided to get even.”
“And?”
“Nothing. Darcy’s only sin is pre-marital sex! She doesn’t smoke or drink. But her boyfriend stayed two nights and Kelly took it upon herself to lecture Darcy about not tolerating a third night. Darcy objected and they had an argument. That’s when Kelly called Campus Security. They came over, said they didn’t smell anything, checked Darcy’s room, and left.”
“Jesus,” Dona said. “That chick needs to get stoned, get drunk, AND get laid. Maybe that will get her to lighten up!”
“Doubtful,” I replied. “Not to mention the fact that all three of those are things she’d NEVER do.”
“I used to kind of think like her,” Dona continued, “you know, only have sex with the guy you married, even if you did it before your wedding night. But I met a guy who changed my mind. Well, I changed my mind after I made a complete mess of things with that guy.”
“High School is all about learning how to have good relationships,” I said. “And I messed up big time myself. Heck, I’ve messed up since then.”
“Haven’t we all?” Jocelyn asked. “Did you lose that guy, Dona?”
“I’m not sure I ever had him. He was seeing another girl pretty seriously, but maybe if I’d played my cards right, who knows? After I messed things up, I ran into him because my car broke down. We got together again, but he’s in Chicago now and I haven’t seen him in over a year.”
“Chicago? Did he happen to graduate two years before you?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“His name is Steve, right?” I asked.
“Yes!” Dona exclaimed. “You know him?”
I shook my head, “I know OF him. To cut a long story short, that friend of mine who went to Turpin is friends with a girl he used to date.”
“Small world.”
“It is,” I agreed.
“What are you guys doing tomorrow night?” Dona asked.
“I have a date,” Jocelyn said. “My first one with Bill.”
“I have a date, too,” I replied. “I’m seeing Maggie.”
“I have a date, three!” Clarissa said. “Her name is Abby and she works at the free clinic.”
“And I’m the Old Maid, as my mom would call it,” Dona groused.
“When school starts in the Fall, there will plenty of guys around,” Clarissa said. “And our group of friends hangs out together a lot, not as couples. Well, the couples are there, but we do stuff as a group.”
“Thanks. I’d like that. Starting out with friends makes things easier.”
“I have some homework to do,” Jocelyn said, “so I’m going to go back to my room.”
“I should do some, too,” Dona said.
Jocelyn and I hugged and kissed each other, Dona surprised me with a quick hug, and then the two of them left. I shut and locked the door, Clarissa and I did our bedtime routines, and then got into bed naked together. We spooned and I put my arm around her, being careful to rest my hand on her stomach, not too high and not too low.
“She likes you,” Clarissa said.
“Dona?”
“That hug was a dead giveaway, not to mention the slight flash of disappointment when you said you had a date tomorrow.”
“Forget that for a moment! Who is Abby?”
Clarissa laughed, “A nurse at the clinic. Well, she’s at University Hospital a few days a week and at the Clinic a few days a week.”
“Not even a doctor yet and already hitting on nurses?” I teased.
Clarissa laughed softly, “I hadn’t even thought about that! If things go well tomorrow night, I’ll bring her to meet you sometime next week.”
“And us sleeping together?”
“I don’t fuck on the first date!” Clarissa said mirthfully. “But maybe on the second!”
“But once you do?”
“Let’s worry about that when it happens, OK?”
“Sorry. I was being selfish.”
“No, you were telling me exactly how much you love me. I didn’t expect to meet someone this soon.”
“And it’s OK, Lissa.”
“I almost feel like Jocelyn and I are both abandoning you.”
“You aren’t going anywhere,” I said. “And we both knew that eventually this would end. As Jocelyn said, it’s bittersweet. I’ll be very happy if you find someone you want to be with, more so if you find that special girl who is worthy of your lifetime commitment.”
“Thanks. I love you so much, Petrovich.”
“And I love you, too, Lissa.”
“You know that thing you used to do with Sophia? We could, if you wanted to.”
“No, Lissa,” I said gently. “We’re in a very good place right now. Let’s keep things on the correct side of the line we both agreed to draw.”
October 10, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Mike,” Father Nicholas said when I arrived at church on Wednesday evening, “word got to the bishop about your parents not being at your betrothal.” “Wonderful,” I sighed. “What was said?” “He asked if I knew any details, but all I could tell him was that it had something to do with your sister and her fiancé. I told him I believed you were acting out of love. He was concerned, obviously, because for them to boycott your ordination would create a severe...
December 30, 1984, McKinley, Ohio On Sunday, after church, Clarissa, Elizaveta and I went to Tasha’s apartment to spend the afternoon with her and Nik. Tasha and Elizaveta prepared dinner together, and had a quiet conversation in Russian, while Nik, Clarissa, and I talked. From their body language, I got the impression that «бабушка» Natalya was giving Matushka Elizaveta advice. My first thought was that I should be very afraid, but that thought was fleeting, and I realized that if there was...
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August 21, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “When’s your last day?” Grace asked on Tuesday morning. “Tomorrow. I need to participate in checking in Freshmen starting Thursday. Are you working Thursday and Friday?” “Thursday, because it’s check-in. Friday I’ll be at orientation. Do you think we could keep our chess dates?” “Evenings are out because of studying, but Tuesday and Thursday afternoons are completely free, except for my guitar lesson on Thursday right after lunch.” “What about Tuesday...
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June 9, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “I’ve figured out what’s wrong with this game,” Dona said after we’d played the first nine holes. “What’s that?” “Using as few strokes as possible to get it in the hole!” I guffawed. “I mean, seriously, who wants FEWER strokes than average?” she continued. I laughed harder. “And who thinks that the best possible way to score is one stroke, then you take it out and move on to the next hole, never to put it in the first one again? GUYS! That’s who!” I...
June 2, 1984, McKinley, Ohio On Saturday morning, Clarissa left for her volunteer job at the local free clinic and I headed to the dorm to move my things from eight to two. It took about an hour to move everything and get it set up again. I’d just finished when I heard a very familiar voice call my name. “Hi, Jos!” I replied happily, holding out my arms. We hugged and exchanged a gentle kiss and then I pushed her cart down the hallway to her room. “You could have come up to get me to help...
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May 13, 1985, McKinley, Ohio The phone rang very early on Monday morning, startling me awake. A quick glance at the clock told me that it had to be Angie calling, and I dreaded answering the phone. Reluctantly, I got out of bed and moved across the room to answer it. “Mike,” I said after I picked up the handset. “Mike? It’s Mom.” “Mom?” I gasped in surprise. “What’s wrong?” “Grandpa Loucks had a heart attack,” she said. “Dad is on his way to Chicago.” “How bad?” I asked. “His prognosis...
June 16, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “So that’s it?” Clarissa asked when I hung up the phone on Saturday morning. “Yes. After I talked to the investigators on Thursday morning, they closed the investigation and late yesterday the base commander told Maggie’s dad he wasn’t going to take any action. According to what Karl said, the base commander gave Maggie’s dad an unofficial reprimand about what he said to me, but that won’t have any negative effect on his career.” “And Maggie is going to see...
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January 24, 1985, McKinley, Ohio The phone rang on Thursday evening while we were studying and I went to my room to answer it. “Hi, Mike; It’s Fran Mercer.” “Hi, Doctor Mercer.” “I had a session with Angie today and explained to her about why the state wouldn’t let her marry. It didn’t go well.” “What happened?” I asked apprehensively. “She became very angry and agitated. Her psychiatrist ordered a mild sedative, but she’s refusing to take it.” “Lord have mercy,” I replied softly. “So...
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HumorBittersweet By Mika Haruhara and Lucifer's Little Kitty Chapter 2: "Try it on!" He began to cry, "Whenever something finally goes right, it has to be crushed, "Why!?" he sobbed, "Just fucking why! How could I be attracted to a man? Isn't this wrong? I'm probably gay and don't know it yet no wonder my life is so miserable" "There's nothing wrong with it, only with that I did." he heard her voice through the door, "I should have told you but I got to caught up in it...
Bittersweet By Mika Haruhara and Lucifer's Little Kitty Chapter 3: "The Lost" Kaze awoke the next morning. "Hello swe...hello", he jumped from his bed and searched franticly. "Tomino!?" he cried "Where are you?? She must be up already." He walked into the kitchen, no Tomino, he looked into the living room, no Tomino, he looked into the dungeon, still no Tomino. He looked outside, he didn't find her, but instead found a snowball flying at his face and from a distance heard "KAZE...
Humor"This is the happiest day of my life, Mom!" Shannon Kendall squeezed her adopted mother's hand and tried not to fidget. She looked up at the smiling face in the mirror, the woman's smile very happy but her green eyes a little sad. "You wish Mac was getting married, right? He'll find the right woman someday, Mom. You'll see. And Jethro will stand up with him. And we'll all be really happy. When Mac and Jethro get out of the service, they're going to open up a business together....
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...
November 13, 1984, McKinley, Ohio On Tuesday, Elizaveta’s dad invited both of her grandfathers to join us for dinner at the country club. I enjoyed talking with them the way I’d always enjoyed talking with my grandfather’s friends, much to my mom’s displeasure, though that was mostly because of the ‘coarse’ language I’d picked up from them. All of my conversations with my future in-laws had been in English, after they’d asked that first time, and it was quite clear that to them it was much...
November 23, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Can we spend some time kissing?” Elizaveta asked when I picked her up on Friday afternoon. “So long as you behave, yes!” I replied. “Which is what the girls usually say to the boys!” “Do your friends have trouble with that?” “Sometimes. They say the guys try to push things further than the girls want to go.” “And Marcie?” I grinned. “How is she doing!” “It’s not TOO cold yet!” Elizaveta replied with a soft laugh. “During Christmas break, my school...
May 7, 1985, McKinley, Ohio On Tuesday morning I went to Chancellor Evans’ office for a 9:00am appointment which had been scheduled by his secretary when she called me on Monday afternoon. “Overall, I like it,” he said. “I half expected to find a note that said you were going to play your guitar! I very much enjoyed the concert and I was surprised that you’re forming a band.” “José is the driving force, and Elizaveta encouraged me to do it as a way to relax and take my mind off my studies...
Chapter Two: Dr. Rita's Futa Medicine By mypenname3000 Copyright 2017 I rolled off my sleeping beauty, both of us breathing so heavily. Already, Nurse Pita was dressing, a big smile on the Hispanic nurse's face. Carly Wright, my sleeping princess, had an equally large smile on her face, though hers was adorned with Pita's tart pussy juices. The hospital room reeked of sex. It was the second time the three of us had sex tonight. The first time was right after I healed my delicious,...
Hi ISS readers, I think all you know me. For the new readers, at first I introduce myself. I am Moni, late 40 and 5’-7”. I was born in a middle class Bangladeshi Muslim family and serving in a public organization. My whole life is lustful indeed. As I gained some practical experience about sex at my childhood, I became a sex-maniac and whenever I got chance I tried to fuck any aged girls or women with many tricks without applying force or at least to peep the uncovered boobs and pussies from...
October 17, 1981, McKinley, Ohio There was a knock at the door just before 6:00pm and I was sure it was the girls so I called out for them to come in. As expected, it was Jeannette and Marie. “Ready for hot meat between buns and slurping creamy white liquid?” Jeannette teased. “My bedroom is right there!” I grinned. “Should we leave you two the room?” Marie smirked. “Dinner first, then dessert!” Jeannette laughed. I took Angie’s hand and the four of us left the dorm and headed for the...
December 16, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “That was an interesting speech by your bishop,” Clarissa said as we relaxed in my room after studying for Monday’s Analytical Chemistry exam. “You mean because it sounded like he was speaking directly to me? Or to you?” “It almost seemed as if he were excusing sin.” “I understand how you could hear it that way, but what he was doing was acknowledging the power it has over us. Paul wrote about it in Romans 7. Believe it or not, I don’t have that entire...
February 9, 1985, Milford, Ohio “Do you mind sitting in the waiting room for five minutes while I talk to Doctor Mercer about Angie?” “That’s fine,” Elizaveta replied as we walked through the door of the building where Doctor Mercer had her office. We went upstairs and into the waiting room and Doctor Mercer greeted us. Elizaveta sat on the couch and Doctor Mercer and I went into her office. “Elizaveta will join us after we talk about Angie,” I said. “You don’t need any private...
August 31, 1984, Duquesne, Pennsylvania “Anything I need to know?” I said as we neared Lara’s house. “Not really. I told you about both sets of parents.” “Names? I mean other than I know your biological dad is Sergei Viktorovich Federov.” “My step-mom is Alisa, my step-dad is Albert, and my biological mom is Elena. My step-siblings are Karolina and Pavel. Oh, and my cat is named Lilia Felicksovna Koshkaa,” she added with a laugh. “Cute! I take it that your step-dad’s house is typically...
September 29, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Yes!” Elizaveta squealed. Everyone clapped and the grandmothers put the choker and bracelet on Elizaveta, who was impatiently waiting to come to me. Just before she did, Gennady hurried over, winked, and we exchanged a Russian greeting, causing everyone but Elizaveta, who simply rolled her eyes, to laugh. Once Gennady moved away, Elizaveta quickly came to me and we hugged tightly, then Elizaveta turned to her maternal grandmother. “Grandmother, may I...
October 13, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “I’d like you each to fill out this worksheet,” Father Nicholas said. “Please do not collaborate on the answers. It’s important for me to understand our starting point. Please don’t overthink this, or write down what you think I want to hear or what you think the other person wants to hear.” I scanned the worksheet before I began, something I did for every exam, quiz, or worksheet, then began with the first questions which mostly had to do with how well I...
November 17, 1984, West Monroe, Ohio “What did you say to get your dad to come upstairs?” Elizaveta asked as we climbed into my Mustang for the drive back to McKinley. “I just insisted he keep his word to you.” “To me? I’ve never spoken to him until today!” “The promise he made, three years ago, to love any girl I married and treat her like a daughter, was made to you. Well, assuming I’m not in enough trouble with you that you’re going to call off the wedding.” “You said you wanted to be...
January 17, 1985, McKinley, Ohio “My parents were kicked out of the church because they wouldn’t make me stop coming to Saint Michael the Archangel,” Mark said when I greeted him and Alyssa on Thursday afternoon. “Are they going to the Lutheran Church?” “Starting on Sunday, yes.” “What about yours, Alyssa?” “They’re supposed to have a meeting with the elders on Saturday morning. I invited them to Saint Michael, and Mark’s parents suggested they go to the Lutheran church.” “But it’s not...
February 16, 1985, Greater Cincinnati, Ohio “Good morning, Subdeacon,” Father Stephen said when Elizaveta and I walked into the main lobby of The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. The hospital was on Mt. Auburn, one of the highest points in the city, and offered a nice view of the city below. Father Stephen was clad in his ryasa. “Father, bless!” I said, holding my cupped hands for his blessing. “Bless you, Subdeacon,” he said, making the sign of the cross over my upturned palms. I kissed...
May 26, 1985, McKinley, Ohio On Sunday morning, I decided to walk my usual route through Doctor Blahnik’s neighborhood, rather than run. I had nervous energy I needed to burn off, but I didn’t want to burn off ALL my energy. I put on my shorts, t-shirt, and running shoes, and went out the front door. I was surprised to find Clarissa sitting on the steps waiting for me. She hopped up and we exchanged a hug. “What are you doing here?” I asked. “Waiting for you! Ready?” “For?” She laughed,...
September 20, 1984, Milford, Ohio “Thanks for coming here, Mike,” Doctor Mercer said when I walked into her office. “I felt I had to. Clarissa and Sandy are at Frisch’s, and I’ll join them when we’re done. They know it could be a while.” “Have a seat,” she invited. Instead of sitting down, I went to the couch, took off my shoes, lay down, and stretched out. Doctor Mercer got up and moved to the chair which was positioned just behind my head. “This is different,” she said. “I know,” I...
December 24, 1984, McKinley, Ohio On Monday, which was Christmas Eve, I slept in, ate a light breakfast, then made some tea and went to sit in the music room to start reading Foundation. I read for about fifteen minutes before Doctor Blahnik came into the room. “What time are you leaving?” she asked “About 11:00am.” “And you’ll be back tonight?” “Around 9:30pm, most likely. We’ll go to Vespers, then have a light meal.” “Will you join Milena, Joel, Derek, and me to decorate the tree? I...
Theophany, January 6, 1985, McKinley, Ohio After I dropped Elizaveta at home, I took a chance and drove to Father Nicholas’ house. Matushka Natalya greeted me at the door and let me in. Father Nicholas invited me to his study. “Sorry to bother you at home, but the bishop suggested I speak to you.” “Am I going to be happy at the end of this conversation?” “Angie drove from Cincinnati on New Year’s Day to talk to me.” “I thought she wasn’t supposed to drive!” “She’s not. She did it...
March 15, 1985, McKinley, Ohio “What did I hear you playing?” Clarissa asked when I came downstairs on Friday afternoon. “Just practicing,” I replied. “Yes, but that was no guitar!” she protested. I frowned, “I really should have skipped practicing this week. It’s a surprise for my wedding.” “Wait! That’s one of those Russian guitars like the girl had in Doctor Zhivago!” “A balalaika,” I confirmed. “It was Doctor Blahnik’s suggestion.” “What songs can you play?” “The only one I play...
April 19, 1985, McKinley, Ohio Elizaveta drove my car to Pizza Inn, where her friends had reserved the small banquet room for the party. She’d be taking her driving test Thursday, and wanted a bit more practice. I was sure she’d pass, but with BMV employees, one never knew what might happen. When we arrived, Elizaveta backed into the parking spot just as I’d taught her, and after locking up the car, we went inside to where ten of her friends and their boyfriends or girlfriends were waiting,...
September 29, 1984, McKinley, Ohio At the close of Vespers, Father Nicholas, I, and two acolytes left the altar. He completed the prayers which served as the Dismissal, then turned to the congregation. “One announcement,” he said. “Tomorrow, immediately following the Divine Liturgy, we’ll have a betrothal ceremony for Subdeacon Michael and Elizaveta Kozlova.” There were a few gasps, but otherwise, no real reaction because we were in the nave, where applause or chatter was completely...
December 31, 1984, McKinley, Ohio Elizaveta greeted me at the door with a soft kiss, then took me to her father’s study. She left me with him and Gennady, then went to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the meal. I accepted a splash of brandy from Viktor and we toasted. “When do you head back to Harvard?” I asked Gennady. “Wednesday afternoon,” he replied. “You know, I never asked if you had a girlfriend.” “I do. A girl who lives in Boston, but who’ll move here if I ask her to...
Sunday Of The Prodigal Son - February 10, 1985, McKinley, Ohio On Sunday morning, when I left the altar during the canon of Matins to retrieve Father Nicholas’ homily which he’d left in his office, I was pleased to see Mr. and Mrs. Greenwald standing near Mark and Alyssa. When I returned to the altar with Father Nicholas’ notecards, I quietly let him know that they were in attendance. As the Matins moved to the Divine Liturgy, the hymns foretold the destination of our Lenten journey, which...
May 25, 1985, McKinley, Ohio “In Psalm 8, we read - When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers; The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You are mindful of him; And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels; And You have crowned him with glory and honor; You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet. “‘Crowned him with glory and honor’ - that is us,...
December 27, 1984, Rutherford and McKinley, Ohio “Marie, this is my friend Dale Melrose. Dale, this is my friend Marie De Santis.” I could tell by the look on Dale’s face he was VERY attracted to Marie, and knowing Marie, she’d be more than happy to entertain him, if that’s what he wanted. “Dale,” Jocelyn said, “this is my boyfriend, Bill Ebersole. Bill, Dale.” They shook hands and I suppressed a chuckle at the thought that Dale didn’t look at Bill the same way he had at Marie. We walked...
December 28, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “That’s how you left it?” Clarissa asked, later that evening, as we sat by the fireplace. “Given I didn’t have an answer to her question, there wasn’t really anything more I could say. She didn’t make me leave or anything, and we had a nice dinner with her parents and maternal grandparents. And she kissed me properly when I left.” “That’s good, I think.” “I think it’s neutral, which is, I suppose, ‘good’ from one perspective.” “I think you were right...
March 9, 1985, McKinley, Ohio On Saturday morning, Clarissa and I had breakfast together at Doctor Blahnik’s house where we were both staying during break. I’d slept at the dorm the previous night because it didn’t officially close until Saturday at noon. I had walked over from the dorm, made my toast with jam and sliced a grapefruit, then poured a glass of grapefruit juice and joined Clarissa at the kitchen table where she was eating bacon and pancakes with maple syrup. “How are things at...
April 15, 1985, McKinley, Ohio “How are you feeling, Petrovich?” Clarissa asked when she came to my door on Monday morning after I’d run and prayed. “Fine. I slept like a log last night! What did Abby think?” “She was pretty awestruck by the service and had a good time at the party. Everyone else seemed to have a great time, too.” “I think Clark made some new friends,” I chuckled. “He spent like three hours with the old men smoking and drinking!” “So did Gene. Did Jocelyn have to pour...
May 25, 1984, West Monroe, Ohio After our second round, Violet and I went to her bathroom to shower. We needed to get back to the party, so we didn’t take too long, and once we were clean and dry, we dressed and I helped her change the sheets on her bed. She put them in the washing machine, and checked the time so she could return to put them in the dryer. Once she was satisfied there was no remaining evidence, we left the house to walk back to the party. “Thank you for fucking my brains...
Chapter 10: Love And Other Things June 23, 1984, West Monroe, Ohio I’d had to skip my Saturday morning mini-golfing with Dona because Clarissa and I needed to be in McKinley for Sasha’s 11:00am wedding. Saturday weddings were not the norm, but Vladyka ARKADY had granted «ekonomia» because of the circumstances. While we were in the Apostle’s Fast, there were no strict canons against marriage during the Apostles Fast like there were for the Dormition Fast which would begin in a week. Given...
June 30, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “I was right!” I said when I arrived at Doctor Blahnik’s house after lunch with Mr. Kozlov. “No way!” “He asked me to take responsibility for the distribution of charity to individuals and families in need. He’s been doing it, temporarily, because of Deacon Grigory’s heart attack. As he said, it does belong with clergy, and typically falls to the deacon.” “Good call, Petrovich.” “He did have a second matter to discuss,” I grinned. “So, actually, we were both...
August 4, 1984, Rutherford, Ohio “Hi!” Liz exclaimed when Lara and I walked into the restaurant in Rutherford on Saturday morning. “Hi!” I replied, hugging her. Paul and I shook hands with a nod, I hugged Emmy, and then the five of us sat in a round corner booth. “Liz said you did really well on your test,” Paul said. I nodded, “I’ll get into the school I want, which is all that really mattered to me. Well, I have to have an interview, but I don’t foresee any problems there. Clarissa did...