Chapter 52: Reconciliations, Part II

February/March 1981, Milford, Ohio

On Monday, Josh Richards found me before school.

“Steve, do you think you can teach me some Swedish and give me some pointers about Sweden before I leave?”

“Sure Josh! We can certainly do that. I have the books they used in my Swedish for Immigrants class. We can work through those during the second half of lunch after we finish eating. As for pointers, well, the most important thing I can tell you is to be a nice guy. It will pay big dividends with the girls.”

“Speaking of girls, Steve, Mary is, well, crazy!”

“Don’t I know it! Are you doing OK? These last couple of weeks have been a pretty big change in your life.”

“That’s true!” he chuckled. “I was really surprised when Mary asked me out. And I was shocked at what she wanted to do with me. But I’m not objecting! Everything is good! We’re not going steady or anything, but we’re seeing a lot of each other. And I see you and Kara are getting along pretty well.”

“We are, Josh. Things are going quite well.”

The warning bell rang, and we both walked quickly to our homerooms.

After school, I saw Doctor Mercer and let her know I’d need to be at rehearsals for the next five weeks. I promised to call her if I felt myself backsliding or needed her help.

The rest of the week was quiet. I started teaching Josh some basic Swedish during lunch, I was in the computer lab at the Junior High on Tuesday, went to dinner with Elyse on Wednesday, and was in the computer lab at the High School on Thursday.

On Friday, I had a dinner date with Joyce. Kara didn’t join us this time. While Joyce was preparing our meal, we talked about Kara.

“She’s a really nice girl,” Joyce said. “And she is beautiful. I feel like a dishrag next to her!”

“Joyce Abbadelli, you are gorgeous! Don’t sell yourself short!”

“We had a good chat about you while you took a walk last time, and Kara and I have talked on the phone a few times as well. I like her. I’m also jealous!”

“She didn’t mention that you’ve talked. I’m curious about what she’s said to you.”

“Just ‘girl talk’. Don’t worry. I haven’t said anything that’s going to get you in trouble. She does know that we’ve been intimate, and that I wouldn’t mind being intimate with you if the circumstances were different. She seems to trust us together, which I find interesting. I’m not sure I would trust you in the same circumstances, Steve Adams! I know your history all too well.”

“She knows a lot about it too,” I said. “But you have to admit that I’ve changed quite a bit in the last couple of years, between being in Sweden and my Senior year in High School.”

“You certainly have. And I’d say all those changes are for the good. The fact that you felt that you could commit to a relationship, an exclusive one at that, is a pretty important, and good, change. I just wish it had been me,” she said wistfully.

“We’ve discussed the future and we both know that if anything is going to come of this long term, it’s likely to be when we all get out of college. Neither you nor I are ready to make a lifetime commitment at this point. I believe you were the one who wanted to keep our relationship fairly mellow until we were ready.”

“That’s true,” Joyce said, “especially given your history, but that’s changing now. The other major roadblock is Jennifer. I know that Kara is aware of that, and it really hangs over any relationship of yours, like the Sword of Damocles. As long as you still think Jennifer is your destiny, anything else can really only be temporary. I don’t want to get my hopes up and get hurt. I’m actually concerned a bit for Kara. You’re her first relationship, and unless I miss my guess, you weren’t just her first love, but her first everything. Did she even kiss a guy before you?”

“No. She hadn’t kissed a guy before me,” I said. “She was as pure as the new-fallen snow.”

“Until you corrupted her!” Joyce giggled. “Sorry, I know that’s not quite accurate, but you do have a way of getting girls to drop their panties for you.”

“So I’ve been told,” I sighed. “With Kara, I made her wait a long time, actually. For exactly the reasons we’re talking about. I could easily have had her back in October, but it wasn’t until January. I insisted that we take our time and that she think about it.”

“That was a really smart move. And in talking to her, I don’t think she has any illusions about this being a lifelong commitment. Oh, she wants that, to be sure, and she’s quite sure that you are her future husband, but she also knows that most likely you two won’t be a couple all through college. In the end, she seems pretty practical. In that way, she’s like me and Elyse.

“All three of us have designs on you, but we’re also practical. Unless I miss my guess, Elyse is also in a holding pattern, waiting to see what happens with Jennifer. I suspect, like me, she wants to have sex with you, but she’s not going to do it until there is some kind of resolution.”

“That’s exactly right,” I said. “It’s also the case that, despite my history, I am exclusive with Kara at this point. She’s OK with me seeing you and Elyse as friends. She’s also totally cool with Bethany, being my best friend. In one sense, I think it comes from her being confident that we’re going to end up together in the long run.”

“What happened with you and Bethany? You guys were pretty hot and heavy last Fall.”

“What’s the phrase? ‘Irreconcilable differences’? She and I simply couldn’t continue like we were, and rather than let it go to a point where we completely ruined our relationship, we decided to be best friends again. It’s working pretty well at this point. She and Kara and Stephanie all get along really well, and, as you’ve noticed, my life is fairly calm and stable.”

Joyce put dinner on the table and I poured some wine. We sat down to eat, and as usual, her cooking was out of this world. We finished eating and were cleaning up when we heard some kind of commotion in the hallway.

“Do you hear that yelling?” Joyce asked.

I did, and I felt a dagger of fear stabbing my chest. The voice sounded very familiar. So familiar, in fact, that my heart started racing. I knew there was a chance of this happening at some point, and it was happening today.

“Yeah. That sounds like my mom,” I said angrily.

“What are you going to do?” Joyce asked.

“Well, I’m going to get her out of the hallway. She’s going to have an absolute field day on this one. But there’s not much we can do. I know her well enough that she won’t leave until she finds me. I’m sure she saw my car out front.”

“Oh hell,” Joyce said with a sigh.

“Yeah.”

I went to the door and opened it and looked down the hall. Mom was pounding on the door of the apartment next door.

“Mom. Stop! I’m in here,” I said.

She turned, red-faced, and walked down the hall to stand in front of me.

“And just what do you think you’re doing, Stephen?” she shouted.

“I’m having dinner with my friend, Joyce. You’ve met her. She’s the granddaughter of my boss, Larry’s grandfather, which makes her Larry’s cousin.”

“Having dinner? I doubt it!” she said with a sneer.

“Mom, come in here before someone calls the cops. I’m surprised they haven’t with the way I heard you carrying on.”

She stepped in and I shut the door.

“What is this place? Is this your apartment, you little slut?” mom growled at Joyce, who recoiled but kept her temper from flaring.

“Mom, I’ve warned you about calling my friends that name. We were having dinner. In fact, we’re just cleaning up the dishes. As for who the apartment belongs to, it belongs to Andreas, my boss from the deli. He works for Larry’s grandfather and he lets us use it like we are tonight. Joyce cooked dinner for me. Period. She and I are not having sex.”

“You have sex with every girl you are with, Stephen. Stop lying!”

“Mrs. Adams,” Joyce said firmly, “excuse me, but I am not sleeping with your son. We dated a bit almost two years ago, but I am absolutely not having sex with him. And frankly, I do not appreciate you calling me a slut.”

“It’s what you are,” Mom shrieked. “It’s the only kind of girl my son goes out with. Now keep out of this!”

“You called me a slut,” Joyce said firmly. “YOU brought me into the conversation, Mrs. Adams.”

“Joyce, let it go, please.”

Joyce nodded, and I turned to Mom.

“Mom, stop it. Keep your voice down or the neighbors will call the police. You’ll be the one in trouble at that point.”

“You think so, Stephen? You think you can have sex here with this girl who is over eighteen when you are still a minor?”

I was over the age of consent, but I wasn’t going to argue with her on the point. It really didn’t matter because Joyce and I were not having sex and hadn’t had sex for almost two years.

“There’s no sex, mom. None. Joyce and I are good friends. Whatever bizarre fantasy you have in your mind is simply not true. I come here with Joyce once or twice a month and she cooks me dinner. We talk and have a good time. Then she goes home. We do not have sex.”

“You’re coming with me right now, young man.”

“No, I’m not. I’ll be home before curfew. You know, as I always am. I’m spending time with my friend and when we’re done, we’ll leave and I’ll be home. Not one minute before. Just leave. I have nothing more to say to you.”

“Your father will hear about this, young man!”

“Hear about what? That a friend of mine cooked me dinner, and I enjoyed her company? That she and I have a platonic relationship? That my steady girlfriend knows I’m here and is not worried about it? Forget it Mother Dearest, there is nothing you can do. And, in less than six months, I’ll be out of the house.

“You can have your party then, celebrating how you got rid of your horrible, terrible son. You know, the one with the steady job, a business, a car, a scholarship that covers a good part of his tuition, straight A’s and who is respected by everyone except by you? Go on; go pat yourself on the back for being so self-righteous. Just don’t forget the fact that you weren’t a virgin when you got married and that you had sex before you met dad.”

She slapped me hard across the face. I just stared hard at her.

“You will not speak to me that way, Stephen!”

“I just did. And I’ll continue speaking this way if you continue to treat me and my friends the way you are treating us now. You’ll notice as well that I’m perfectly calm. You, on the other hand, are hysterical and out of control. I’m very comfortable and happy with my life. Yours seems to be a very sad existence, because it’s based on trying to ruin mine. I won’t let you do that. I won’t let you control me. Just go home.”

“We’ll see what your father says!” she said, storming out and slamming the door behind her.

“Oh my God!” Joyce exclaimed. “Did I just see and hear that?”

“I told you before she was nuts, Joyce. She’s called most of the girls I know sluts to their face if they’ve come to my house. That’s why I don’t invite them over very often. This all started when I was fourteen and decided that I couldn’t live with the kind of control she wanted to exert. Fortunately, my dad is far more reasonable.”

“What will he say about this?”

“Privately? Or to my mom?” I chuckled.

“He has to walk a tightrope, doesn’t he?” Joyce said.

“Yes, that’s for sure. Dad has a tough situation given, as best I can tell, he loves her and won’t leave her. Once I’m gone, she’ll calm down, the same as she did when I was in Sweden.”

“What about your brother and sister?”

“Jeff kisses her ass. He’s got her fooled, though, because he pretends to be the model son. She eats it up, too. As for Stephanie, she walks a very, very fine line, staying just on Mom’s good side. My dad won’t let my mom separate us, even though she’s tried.”

“That’s nuts!” Joyce declared.

“It is. Come on, let’s finish cleaning up.”

We did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen, then sat down with cups of coffee Joyce had made.

“What will happen when you get home?” Joyce asked.

“Oh, the usual hysterics. Dad will talk to me and everything should be OK. She’ll try to ground me or find some way to keep me from coming here. If things follow a past pattern, nothing will come of it but some more yelling.”

“You did say some pretty harsh things to her, Steve. Especially that stuff about her having had sex before she got married.”

“I keep bringing that up because it’s exactly the thing she condemns me for. What really set her off before was when she called Jennifer and Debbie V sluts and I pointed out to her that given each of them had had exactly one sex partner, which was less than the number she’s had. She is, fundamentally, a hypocrite.

“I get part of it. If I understand the situation correctly, she met my dad in Las Vegas, they had sex, she got pregnant, they had to get married and then she had a miscarriage. I was born sixteen months after they got married, and if you allow time for recovery from the miscarriage, it seems pretty clear that it’s very likely that I’m right. And that has her freaked out, I guess.

“Ever since I was caught by two sets of parents in December of ‘77, she’s been on a rampage, and it’s only gotten worse over the years. I had hoped being away for a year would change things, but it really hasn’t. So I’m basically biding my time until I can leave for college. I plan to get an apartment in Chicago and stay there. I’ll come back here to visit, but I’ll certainly stay with friends rather than at my house.”

“Two sets of parents? I would have to agree that’s a little much!”

“Actually, once was with Becky. We were in bed, but we hadn’t had sex and weren’t going to have sex because I refused to do it with her at that point. So even though I got ‘caught’, so to speak, I wasn’t having sex. We did later, as you well know. The other time was with my friend Mary. There we basically got caught red-handed. Her parents weren’t absolutely sure, because we were fully clothed when they saw us, but the circumstantial evidence was quite damming!” I chuckled.

“A lot of things make more sense now,” Joyce said. “I know for sure that grandfather would let you stay at his house. He has plenty of room. All you need to do is ask him.”

“I’m sure! And I know that Melanie’s parents would let me stay there as well. So there are options. Let’s drop this, though. I don’t want to ruin the rest of the night.”

We spent another hour or so drinking coffee and talking. Around 8:30pm, we carried the cooler down to her car and then we exchanged a deep kiss.

“I’m happy Kara is fine with kisses like that!” Joyce said with a big smile. “It’s like a promise of coming attractions!” she giggled.

“We’ll see. A lot has to happen before we could take that step again.”

“I know. I won’t violate Kara’s trust, and neither will you. Are we getting together with her in two weeks?”

“That’s the plan!”

We hugged and got in our cars. I watched Joyce pull away and then put the car in gear to drive home and face the wrath I knew was coming. When I walked into the house, Stephanie grabbed my arm.

“She’s on the warpath, Steve.” Stephanie whispered. “Be careful!”

“Don’t worry, Squirt,” I replied quietly. “There really isn’t much she can do.”

I hung up my jacket and walked straight to my dad’s office, shutting the door behind me.

“Well, Mom, are you happy? You made yourself look like a fool to the other people in the apartment building and, more importantly, to Joyce.”

“Do not speak to me that way, Stephen!”

“Dad, did she give you the full story? About how she was pounding on doors and screaming at people? How she called Larry’s cousin, the granddaughter of my boss, a slut? How she insisted that we were having sex when no such thing happened? That she’s lucky nobody called the police about her?”

“This is not about me, young man!” my mom said.

“Judy, did you do those things?”

“Ray, I had to find him! What was I supposed to do? He was shacked-up in that apartment with a girl who is over eighteen!”

“Steve, go find something to do,” Dad said.

“What?!” Mom wailed. “Ray!”

I didn’t wait to hear an answer. I left the room, shutting the door behind me. I went to my room and a few seconds later, Stephanie appeared at the door.

“That was fast! What happened?”

“Mom didn’t provide the whole story, which shouldn’t surprise you. So I simply mentioned that she was pounding on doors and screaming at people and was lucky the neighbors didn’t call the cops. I also mentioned that she called Joyce a slut to her face.”

“Wow! So then what?”

“Dad was obviously shocked and told me to leave. I suspect he’s letting Mom know just how unhappy he is with her behavior. I’m sure he’ll have something to say to me, but I don’t think anything bad is going to happen. I didn’t yell at mom, though I did make sure I got the whole ‘not a virgin when she met Dad’ thing into the conversation so Joyce could hear. That really set Mom off.”