Chapter 50: Breakthrough

June 18, 1988, Chicago, Illinois

"White belts, except for Jessica, with Sensei Steve!" Sensei Jim barked after everyone had lined up and we'd done our exercises.

This had been the pattern for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings as well. Jessica stayed with the main class, while I took the other white belts into the small practice room to work with them. I'd asked Sensei about it after class on Monday and he said that Jessica was almost ready to move up, and now that she was coming regularly, he'd test her soon. The other white belts were all relatively new, having had fewer than twenty classes each. Usually, they'd work with the main group after twelve to fifteen classes, but a couple of them were only coming once a week, which didn't allow for enough training, even though they'd been to enough classes.

Melody was coming three nights a week, plus Saturdays, and Will and Jacquelyn were coming two nights a week, plus Saturdays. The other four white belts usually only showed up on Saturdays or one night during the week. For this session, I was going to have them work on the first kata. My new students hadn't seen it yet, and of the others, only one man, Geoff, could even remember all the steps. I felt a bit awkward with the two students who were nearly twice my age in the class, but I had the black belt, which in theory commanded respect, even if Geoff and his wife Lorna didn't seem to have any for me personally.

I demonstrated the 21 steps of the Heian Shodan to the class, and then one by one, moved through the steps with each student. There wasn't enough room even in the larger classroom for more than two students to do Kata simultaneously. The small classroom was even more cramped, but I managed. Of the seven students, only Melody, Nellie, and Pinky, whose real name I didn't know, seemed to care enough that I thought they'd actually succeed in karate. Geoff and Lorna didn't pay close attention to me, and both Will and Jacquelyn still had their bad attitudes.

I didn't know that I could do much about the adults except continue to try to teach them, but I felt that I could certainly find a way to reach Will. Jacquelyn was a different story altogether. From what I could tell, she hated the world and wanted nothing to do with anyone. She'd made it clear that she was only here because her mom forced her to come. I'd have to think about that one, but I came up with an idea to reach Will. I'd have to clear it with Sensei after class.

"Do you have a moment?" I asked Sensei Jim after he dismissed everyone.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Will. I think I need to change up the normal training system to get him interested."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I know this doesn't come until right before testing for yellow belt, but I'd like to teach him to break a board with both a kick and punch. I honestly think that's way more important for him than kata. He's only seven, and the whole mental discipline and physical fitness bit is lost on him."

Sensei Jim nodded, "So you think a little excitement will bring him around?"

"Compared to his Nintendo? We haven't got a prayer!" I chuckled.

"He's your student. If you need to change the methods to reach him, by all means, do so, as long as you can be safe and you're sure he's not going to go home and try the techniques on his little brother or sister!"

"I'll be careful!"

"What about the others?"

"Melody is fine. I think she can move to the main class at any point. Nellie and Pinky just need to come more often, but I guess that's up to their parents because they're only ten and eleven. I should probably speak with them. Geoff and Lorna have no business being in a dojo. I don't know that there's anything I can do to reach them. They barely respect the belt and they certainly don't respect me. I'll do my best, but that's my opinion."

He nodded, "They wouldn't be the first adults to come in here and be asked not to come back. That's why I structure the contracts the way I do. You make the down payment as a white belt, and the rest is due after you achieve yellow. That way, I don't have to mess with refunding money. You didn't mention Jacquelyn."

"I'm not exactly sure what her story is, but she's angry with the world right about now. It could be she's just a disaffected teenager who has no use for adults, or it could be something else. She listens, and she attempts to do what I show her, but she's not motivated. I'll have to figure that one out."

"Only self-motivation works. Will's problem is that his parents make him come here. If you can convince him to WANT to come here, he'll do just fine. If you can't, we'll talk to his parents about finding something different for him. As for Jacquelyn, find a way to motivate her, and I think you'll see some success. But, in the end, it's up to her."

I nodded, "OK. I'll think about it."

Jessica, Stephanie, Melody, and I left the dojo together and walked down the street, with Melody turning to go to the dorms while we turned north to head for home. After a quick shower and a quick lunch, we dressed for Jeremiah and Sharice's wedding. Joyce was going with us, and we were leaving all the kids with my sister and Josie, because Jennifer and Elyse were joining us as well.

"Ready?" I asked my wives.

"Are you sure it's OK to leave Birgit?" Kara asked, sounding concerned.

"I'm sure," I said. "I'll bring you home right after the wedding and then Jessica and I will go to the reception. That means you'll be gone for less than two hours. Josie and Stephanie will take good care of her, Honey. And you've seen Jesse around her. He's like her personal bodyguard! He's not going to let anything happen to her!"

"He's two!" she protested.

"Going on thirty-two!" Jessica added.

That about summed up Jesse, who acted more like an adult than quite a few adults I knew. He was an odd kid, but there was absolutely nothing wrong with him. Everyone loved him, and he could carry on conversations with adults better than most kids that were four or five years older. I helped Kara gather up Birgit's things, and we went downstairs. Joyce was waiting with Joseph, and she, Elyse, Kara, and I took the kids back to the coach house where Josie and Stephanie were waiting.

"I want to go to the wedding and dance!" Jesse protested when we brought the other kids in.

"Not today, Jesse," I said. "You're going to be a Big Brother and take care of the babies with Aunt Stephanie and Mama Two. Kristin is here also, and you like her!"

"I want to dance!" he insisted.

"Jesse, Mama Two will put on some music and you can dance with Kirstin and Matthew."

"Cool!" he exclaimed.

Josie, Jennifer, and I exchanged a look. The kid was a handful and never missed an opportunity to try to get things to go his way.

"You realize he's plotting a coup, don't you?" Jennifer asked as we all walked back to the house.

"Kurt said the same thing!" I chuckled. "I just have to stay one step ahead of him."

"I'm going to teach him to play chess," Jennifer said. "That'll force you to get back into the game because I know your ego well enough that you won't want to lose to Jesse!"

"Now that's downright evil!" I laughed. "I didn't realize you missed playing chess with me that much! We could play like we did for your birthday?"

"You wish!" Jennifer laughed.

"That's right!" Jessica said, giggling. "Jennifer invented strip chess!"

"Yes, to try to put little rich-bitch Becky van Hoek in her place," Jennifer groused. "You can see how well THAT worked out!"

"She's turned into a lovely young woman, Jen," I said. "And she's no danger to any of you in any way, shape, or form."

"Somehow I missed a lot of this back in the day," Joyce said. "I think I need to talk to you girls tomorrow!"

"I'm SO dead," I groaned.

"Well, if you hadn't decided to fuck every single woman in this conversation, you might have fewer problems, Studly!" Jennifer laughed.

"Studly?" Kara giggled. "I like it!"

"Oh, God no, it'll go straight to his head!" Joyce objected. "He already has an ego problem! Don't make it worse!"

"Hmm, Studly," I said, stroking my neatly trimmed beard.

"Now you've done it!" Jessica laughed. "Forget it, Tiger. What does the dyke know about studs?"

All the girls laughed. Jennifer had occasionally used that term for herself in jest, even though it really didn't fit her.

"Uhm, girls, I do believe of all the women here, I fucked him first!" Jennifer smirked.

"That's only because Melanie isn't here!" Elyse laughed. "She got him before you!"

"I know! Who do you think I got him from?"

"I think I need to talk to you girls more," Jessica said with a grin. "I know I don't have the full story!"

"Only Bethany does," Jennifer said. "She's the one you want to go to for all the juicy details of your husband's past. Well, or his sister, but that would be like trying to get a Mafioso to break «omertà»!"

I sensed, more than heard, Joyce stifling a laugh, and hopefully, I had kept my own chuckle to myself.

We filed out of the house and split up between my car and Jessica's car for the drive to the church that Sharice's dad pastored. It took about twenty minutes to get there, and we found a very crowded church parking lot swarming with people.

"I don't mean to sound this way," Elyse asked. "But are we the only white folks here?"

"Probably," I said. "This is a black Gospel church, and Gerald Brown once commented to me that a lot of whites refused to do business with him on account of race. This city is still pretty racially segregated. Look at Bridgeport. Heck, look at Hyde Park and Kenwood, for that matter. We don't have too many black or Hispanic neighbors. It's changing, slowly, but it's very slow. And you saw what happened in the first election for Harold Washington. The whites voted almost as a bloc for a reject from a mental hospital! Bernie Epton against any other Democrat might have polled 5%. Instead he got something like 48%!"

We got out of the car and waited until Jessica pulled in next to us, then Joyce, Elyse, Jennifer, Jessica, Kara, and I followed the throngs into the large brick building. Gerald Brown was standing in the vestibule, greeting people as they entered, so we walked over to where he was. There were more than a few stares, but I ignored them and warmly shook his hand.

"Thanks for coming, Steve! And thanks for bringing your ladies and your friends."

He had never once referred to Kara and Jessica as my 'wives', but I didn't begrudge him that. He was a very conservative, religious man, and had some very clear opinions. He'd never once treated me badly, but I knew that deep down, he disapproved of my situation. I totally understood it, and I was grateful that he'd never once let it get in the way of our friendship or our business dealings.

"Gerald, this is my friend, Joyce Tarrance, who's also Chairman of the Board of Directors of NIKA Consulting. She lives near Cincinnati. You know the others."

"Yes, of course! Hello, Jessica, Kara, Elyse, and Jennifer! Good to see you!"

"You did a lovely job on the house, Mr. Brown," Jessica said. "The sauna is amazing!"

"Thank you! How are things at the hospital?"

"Very good, thank you. Congratulations on the wedding!"

He smiled, "Jeremiah has been waiting for this day for a long time! He and Sharice have dated since they were teenagers. Her daddy is pastor of this church."

"Is there someplace specific we should sit?" I asked. "I've only been to a protestant church a couple of times so I'm not really that familiar with how it works."

"Just find a seat in any of the pews, and when people stand, you stand, when they sit, you sit. Mostly you sit during the sermon and when the choir sings, and stand when we pray or the people sing. We don't kneel like Catholics do. And our preacher wears a suit, not fancy robes. Only the choir wears robes."

"Got it," I said. "Thanks."

"You're welcome! The reception is in the basement about an hour after the wedding ends."

"OK. I have to take Kara home after the wedding, but I'll be back for the reception."

"Oh, that's right! She just gave you a baby girl!"

"Yes, she did!" I said, and Kara beamed.

We were, as Elyse had observed, the only white people in the church. And other than some sideways glances from people who might have thought we were lost or confused, everyone was friendly and helpful. The wedding didn't follow any kind of liturgy that I could detect — just a series of songs by the choir, some free-form prayers by the preacher, some congregational songs, a sermon about marriage, and then the wedding itself, which did follow more or less traditional forms. Sharice looked beautiful in her traditional white dress with a long train and veil. Jeremiah could have been on the cover of GQ, with his perfectly tailored tuxedo. And Sharice's dad, the pastor, couldn't have looked happier.

When the wedding service ended, Kara and I snuck out so that I could drive her home. I was glad to have a few minutes to talk with her, because I wanted to bounce some thoughts off of her.

"There's a new white belt at the dojo — a sixteen-year-old girl who seems to hate the entire world. I'm trying to figure out a way to reach her. I have a similar problem with a seven-year-old guy, but I think I just need to teach him how to break boards and he'll come around. But I don't know how to reach Jacquelyn."

"Tell me about her."

I described what I knew, which was scant, but included her attitude, how she looked, and how she acted.

"You know who you're describing? Tracey Jones. I mean, before you got together with her."

"You think Jacquelyn is an outcast at school?"

"It sure sounds like it, at least from the little you've said. It wouldn't surprise me. Think about how nasty Michelle Bateman was to Tracey. And really, not just Michelle, but all the girls. And the guys wouldn't give her the time of day. After you, she got together with Marty, lost some weight, and from what you say, had a great time at Ohio State. Her whole life changed because she stopped hating herself."

"Yeah, but how do I fix that in THIS situation?" I asked.