Chapter 67: Summer of ‘93, Part III

July 13, 1993, Chicago, Illinois

Abbie was in tears when I came back from my run with Gina on Tuesday morning. I knew why even before she spoke.

“Jason called. Davey died at 7:00am this morning at Carraway Methodist Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama.”

“Shit,” I sighed. “This has been a totally fucked up year. And that family has really suffered. Bobby’s serious injuries, Clifford’s death, and now Davey’s.”

“Jason said he’s going to quit today. He can’t take it anymore. And he needs to be with me.”

With everything that had happened in Jason’s life, and given his love for Abbie, that didn’t really surprise me.

“You know he’s welcome here,” I said. “We’ll help in any way we can.”

“Go get your shower. I’ll let you know the plans once he makes them.”

I nodded and went upstairs to my room to take a shower. I shared the sad news with Kara.

“What was he doing flying a helicopter?” she asked.

“Bill has his pilot’s license. Heck, he built an airstrip at his place in Dawsonville. I know Davey had his single-engine license, too. It’s no different from Aimee or Samantha in that way.”

“I’m not going to take Jessica’s position, but aren’t helicopters really hard to fly?”

“Supposedly, yes. But if he had the appropriate training, then it’s probably not much more dangerous than Aimee flying her plane or Samantha flying hers. Or, starting in a couple of weeks, Matthew taking a lesson in driving a Go-Kart.”

“Elyse agreed to that?” Kara asked.

“Yes. She told me right before we left. She’s nervous, but she decided that because Matthew really wants to do it, he should be allowed to.”

“Jess would have a fit, you know.”

“I do,” I nodded. “But this is up to Elyse, even if Jess were here. Matthew and Michael are Elyse’s kids. And back to the situation with Jason, I expect him to be here in a couple of weeks. And at some point, he and Abbie will get their own place.”

“I had hoped Abbie would be with us longer.”

“The old Abbie would have. The new one can’t. But if you think about it, Birgit starts kindergarten in August, so only Michael, Albert, Stephie, and Ashley will be here during most of the day. And in a year, Michael and Albert will start school. It’s not going to be nearly as crazy! And Abbie told me that no matter what happens, she’ll work for us during the day even if she goes home to Jason at night.”

I finished my shower and we went downstairs to have breakfast.

“You doing OK?” I asked Abbie.

“I’m happy that Jason is coming here, but not the reason. Davey was such a sweet guy. I talked to him a bunch when I was at the track. He was always fun to be around. I guess he came to Stephie’s funeral?”

“He did. Are you going to Alabama for Davey’s funeral? Well, I guess that’s where it will be.”

“I want to. What about the kids?”

“I’ll be here,” Kara said. “I don’t have any place I need to be. July is my month off from research.”

“OK. I’ll call the travel agent,” Abbie said. “Thanks.”

I hugged her and then started making breakfast.

July 17, 1993, Chicago, Illinois

“Hi Steve!” Mitsuko said when Kara and I walked into the dojo on Saturday morning.

“«Ohayō gozaimas»!” I replied. (“Good morning!”)

“Very good! Did you learn that from the Japanese Sensei?”

“Yes. You remember I was supposed to go to Japan last month, but some problems at home led me to postpone the trip until next summer.”

“Oh, I hope everything is OK.”

“We’re working through it,” I said. “What are you doing here?”

“Showing you that I learned how to deal with grapples from a larger, heavier opponent!”

I smiled and shook my head, “Let me go talk to Sensei.”

I walked into Sensei Jim’s office.

“Nice surprise, Sensei!” I said after bowing.

“The true challenge is responding when you are unprepared. But you are not unprepared!” He raised an eyebrow. “Are you?”

“No, Sensei!”

“I’ll be VERY put out if that young woman beats you!”

“Last I checked, you had more women black belts than men!” I said, surprised.

“Not because she’s female, but because she practices Aikido!” he said with a laugh.

“She said she knows how to beat close grapples,” I said.

“Then you better adapt and improvise, because if she beats you, next week you spar with me. For the entire period.”

“Yes, Sensei!” I said, because there was no other possible response.

I bowed and went to the training room. Sensei came in a minute later and everyone lined up for exercises. Jolene was asked to lead them, and gave me a small shrug since it was usually my role on Saturdays unless there was a belt promotion. When we finished our warm-ups, Sensei had everyone take seats and had Mitsuko and I don sparring gear.

“I understand Inao Mitsuko has learned some new techniques which she wishes to use today.”

“I bet,” Kara said sotto voce, causing Jolene to titter.

“Ms. Baxter? Mrs. Adams? Twenty-five pushups please. On MY count.”

I did my best to keep a straight face, lest I get a similar, or worse, punishment. I watched and waited while the two of them did their pushups and move back to their position.

“I think that will be enough private joking, don’t you all?”

“YES, SENSEI!” came the booming response from everyone in the room.

“Then Ms. Inao, Mr. Adams. Takedowns only. Three points. Bow!”

We bowed to Sensei Jim and then each other.

“And ... Begin!”

I had no idea what Mitsuko had planned, so I circled cagily, watching her hips for any sign of movement. I decided I could yield a point if necessary to try to discern what she was doing, but that did make things a bit riskier. I waited and saw my opening and grabbed for Mitsuko’s uniform jacket. I was surprised at the ease of doing so just long enough to realize I was on my way to the mat with her on top of me.

“One point, Ms. Inao!” Sensei Jim called.

I got up and straightened my gi, then we bowed and started again. Even as I moved slowly around her, I had no idea how she’d maneuvered her leg to take me down over it, not to mention, the fact that I hadn’t moved fast enough for my momentum to carry me. Or so I thought. Obviously I had. And that gave me an idea. I needed to get close so that the grapple was achieved without her knowing which way to throw me. If I could hide my center of balance and direction of movement long enough, I’d have her because I could simply pick her up and bear her to the ground.

I thought back to the lessons Sensei Jim had given me in misdirection, and made a few light strikes, mostly to force Mitsuko to watch my hands, rather than my hips. I made a feint with my arms and shoulders, which she bought, and I managed to step right up to her, wrap my arms around her and take her down.

“Point, Mr. Adams!” Sensei Jim called.

We got up and after bowing once again danced warily around each other. Remembering that Aikido was mostly defensive, I more or less ignored any feints she made with arms and legs, and watched her eyes and watched her hips with my peripheral vision. I came up with a different plan for the next takedown. I backed up so that Mitsuko moved past the center of the mat, feinted with my shoulders, then lunged low to grab her around the waist and take her down for a second time.

“Point, Mr. Adams!” Sensei Jim called out.

My problem now was that I didn’t have a third plan, and trying to repeat the other movements would likely cost me a point. We danced around a bit and my thought process was interrupted when Mitsuko surprised me with a jump kick to the chest that staggered me. She quickly closed, got me in a wrist lock and forced me to the mat.

“Point, Ms. Inao! It is now 2-2!”

After we bowed, I used strikes and kicks to keep Mitsuko in a completely defensive posture. I narrowly avoided her grasping my leg on an ill-advised kick, and managed to keep my balance. I was thankful for all the running I did, as that gave me enough endurance to continue my strikes and look for an opening. I finally had one when she turned slightly to block a kick and I let my momentum carry me right into her. I grappled her, and used my body weight to take her down.

“Point, Mr. Adams! He wins, 3-2!”

We stood, bowed to each other, then bowed to Sensei. He told us to get something to drink and rest when the rest of the class began practicing.

“You’re much better,” I said. “But I still have the weight advantage if I’m not moving.”

“Yes, I’m doing some strength training now,” Mitsuko said. “My problem is I don’t want to have huge muscles.”

I got us each a bottle of water from the small fridge in Sensei’s office. I handed her one and suppressed a smirk thinking what Kara would say as Mitsuko put her lips around the bottle to drink.

“I think the issue here is that Aikido is mostly defensive, and against an untrained opponent, or even a lower belt in the more offensively-minded forms, you’d be fine. I outweigh you by around 60 pounds, plus I’m stronger, and that gives me an advantage. But not a significant one. That first throw I didn’t even realize what was happening!”

“You made a mistake, I simply moved, got my leg into position, twisted you over it and you were on the mat. Your ‘technique’ on your second point wasn’t exactly orthodox.”

I laughed, “An act of a desperate man!”

“Desperate to pin me to the mat?” she said with a smile.

“Yes,” I laughed. “I’m sure I’ll hear it from Sensei about that one. The first and third ones were proper technique. That wrist lock was very painful!”

“And you simply had no choice but to go down or suffer a broken wrist.”

“Would you have broken it had I resisted?”

She smiled, “You would have broken it by resisting!”

I laughed, “Even in conversation, using my momentum against me!”

“Have you talked to Crystal?”

“Not since last winter. We moved our office to the West Loop, so I never go to the diner.”

“Then I suppose it’s safe to ask if you’d have lunch with me some day?”

“I’d have to ask Kara,” I said.

The fact that Mitsuko was completely off limits created an issue. Saying I had to ask Kara was really a self-defense mechanism, giving me a graceful way to decline the invitation without seeming like a jerk.

“She’s your wife?”

“Yes.”

“Crystal seemed to think you didn’t need permission.”

“I have no idea what Crystal thought,” I said. “We kind of had a falling out.”

“I don’t know much about that because I don’t see her on campus now that we’re no longer roommates.”

“I’ll ask Kara’s opinion and let you know,” I said.

“I’ll give you my number. Perhaps during the competition over Labor Day weekend? That should be safe enough! My sister would be there.”

Sensei Ichirou had asked me to judge that tournament and I’d agreed.

I nodded, “It would be good to see Miyu again. Hopefully she’ll win her matches!”

She wrote out the number and handed me the slip of paper. I accepted it with both hands causing her to nod her approval.

“Then ask Kara and we’ll have lunch then!”

Mitsuko had made the lunch safe by including her little sister, but I still had the problem of the ‘off limits’ ruling.

We finished our water and went back to the practice room. Sensei Jim asked Mitsuko to demonstrate holds and throws for the brown and blue belts and asked me to assist. When class ended, I was called into his office as expected.

“A bit unorthodox, Mr. Adams.”

“I adapted and improvised. I do NOT want to spar with you for an hour!”

“A wise choice!” he said, laughing. “She’s very good.”

“I agree.”

“You used your advantages well - weight, strength, and attacking against a defensive opponent. I have some things we can work on that should help you in the future. Also, would you be interested in visiting the Aikido dojo and return the favor?”

“I could do that,” I said.

“I’ll call her Sensei and set it up.”

“Thank you, Sensei!” I said.

I bowed and left his office and after saying ‘goodbye’ to Mitsuko, Kara and I walked home.

“Have fun doing your pushups, Honey?” I teased.

“Have fun pinning the beautiful Japanese girl to the mat?” Kara giggled. “And experiencing her new technique?”

“I’m not the one who got in trouble! She asked me to have lunch with her and her little sister when I judge the competition over Labor Day weekend. I told her I had to ask. I didn’t say it to her, but she’s still on the ‘off limits’ list.”

“I think you can safely have lunch with her. How old is her sister?”

“Fourteen. She won’t be fifteen until December. Also, Sensei Jim asked me to visit the Aikido dojo to return the favor.”

“That should be fun! Could I go with you?”

“I’m sure that would be OK. When Sensei Jim makes the arrangements, I’ll let him know.”

We arrived home, showered, and ate lunch. We were just finishing the dishes when Jorge brought Albert and Ashley into the house.

“Hi, kids!” I said.

“Daddy!” they both said and came for a hug.

Kara took them to the kitchen to get them some lunch and I talked briefly to Jorge. He didn’t have much to say and I said I’d see him later that evening for Guys’ Night. The various trips I’d been on, plus the Fourth of July party had caused us to reset the schedules.

July 19, 1993, Chicago, Illinois

“Is he fucking kidding?” Jennifer spat as we watched the news on Monday evening.

“Apparently not,” I said.

“So let me get this ‘straight’,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “it’s OK to be gay in the military if nobody knows you’re gay, but otherwise it’s not?”

“That is what it sounds like he’s advocating be passed,” I said. “But I agree with what Barry Goldwater said last month.”

“What was that?” Kara asked.

“That you don’t have to be straight to shoot straight. And he’s right.”

“Isn’t this the first step in solving the problem?” Elyse asked. “He’d never get a complete repeal of the ban past Congress.”

“True,” I said. “But the whole thing is stupid. I’ve known Larry since we were fourteen and he’s never hit on me! But some soldier is going to hit on another soldier in a foxhole in the middle of a battle? Seriously?”

“That is basically what Senator Nunn said last year during the campaign,” Jennifer said.

“This is like Aimee’s complaint,” I said, “which is valid, that women should be allowed on combat ships.”