Chapter 8

[Disclaimer: This story reads best in LANDSCAPE MODE on a smart phone or any other mobile device.]

Our bus stop was next. We got out and walked together to the house. We walked in and saw Janice and Alice working together in the kitchen.

Walking up to them, I said, “You are both very beautiful women.”

“Thank you, honey,” my mother said as I saw Alice breaking into tears.

“Thanks, Michael,” she said to me. “It’s been a while since I have heard those words.”

The ladies went back to work on dinner; Jenn and I went to our project. We got right back into it.

She smiled at me and giggled as we sat down to get to work.

Ninety minutes later, ‘DINNER!’ came from the kitchen. Jenn slipped and almost fell, but I caught her as Alice came through the door. It probably looked like she had swooned, so, I gave her a kiss on the way back up.

Alice just shook her head and turned around leading us in.

“Basketti!” I said, walking towards the dinner table.

That’s what I called it when I was very young. Mom made spaghetti with hamburger meat along with some store-bought meatballs. Her recipe included onions and garlic.

I can clearly remember how dad would kiss her before we ate it, due to the bad breath he would have afterward. She also used ziti pasta, which is much thicker and tasty. I have often refused to eat spaghetti in a restaurant because it was always thin and watery compared to my mothers’.

It tasted exactly as I remembered. It had been a very long time since we had this. Apparently, Alice talked her into it. Good for her.

With it, we had a tall platter of oven cooked buttered sourdough bread. It was even cooked just how I liked it, with the edges burned and the middle left a beautiful yellow.

Janice started the conversation, “Michael, when we discussed going to see Charles & Claire, you did a fine job of changing the subject ... but, Alice and I cannot legally or morally leave a fourteen and thirteen-year-old couple alone.”

Uh, Oh!

“Michael,” Alice said, “We either must insist you come with us, or we need to leave you with a person who can bear responsibility for you. Maybe you could ask Paul or Cecelia to come and stay with you, or something along those lines.”

“Whatever you choose to do, it must be done and in place within the next 48 hours, OK?” Janice said tying it up like a bow on a package.

We agreed to work out a plan!

Mom, “Jenn and I had found music to a show neither of us had ever heard of. It’s called OH! CALCUTTA!”

Alice broke up into loud giggles.

“Michael, that’s another show I was in when I was in high school. I hadn’t met your mother yet. We only had partial nudity in our production.”

“Nudity, as in, on-stage, in front of an audience nudity?” I asked amazed.

“It was a series of sketches or vignettes on sexually-related topics,” Alice said.

“Were both women and men naked?” Jennifer asked similarly surprised.

“Yes, both Off-Broadway and in the West End of London. There was full-frontal nudity. This was long before men, and women, started ... shaving or waxing,” Alice said. “I believe the show ran in London for nearly 4000 performances.”

Janice practically spewed milk in my face at that declaration.

Ally went on to say, “In my high school production, just girls were unclothed, and then, only topless.”

“Wow, Alice!” I said. “How provocative. Do you have any polaroid’s?”

“Michael!” both Jenn and Janice said.

“I didn’t ask her to strip naked, or even topless; I just asked...”

“I know what you asked,” Jennifer said. “You were visualizing my mother naked! Weren’t you?”

Blushing, I answered, “I guess I was, but I would also say that she must have been the best-looking girl in the show. Was it just a flash of nudity or minutes of it at a time?”

“The opening musical number, we all came out in robes, and we dropped them as the song went on. I was the largest breasted of all the girls, 36D. They almost wouldn’t let me strip topless. They were worried I might flop around too much and tantalize the boys watching the show. I was very proud of ‘My girls!’” she said with a shake of them. “It was a very liberal minded school district.”

My mother had stopped eating, with mouth agape as nugget after nugget of detail came from her best friend’s mouth that she had obviously never heard before. I have heard of that terminology before.

Jennifer looked down and said, “Nobody would care if I was topless.”

Without thinking, I said, “You are beautiful topless...”

All other dialogue, and all the eating implements stopped moving from that point.

Moment ... after silent moment pervaded the dining area. You could hear the hum of the refrigerator through the door into the kitchen.

I hated the silence, so, “Yes, I have seen her naked, and she has seen me, but only once!”

I got up and left the table.

There was a knock upon my door. I figured it was mom, but Jennifer walked in. She sat by me on my bed. Then, she leaned her head into mine.

“Are you leaving?” I asked.

“My mother wants us to.”

“And?”

“Your mother wants us to.”

“So?”

“I am staying, crazy boy ... I love you and so does my mother. They are still talking about us down there, but I told them I was going to see my boyfriend in his bedroom. Hold me, please?”

I put my arms around her. We were quiet and listening to the sounds around us.

We could hear them coming up the stairs, stopping to argue along the way. Eventually, they came into my room together.

“Have you had any form of sex, together?” Janice demanded.

“I touched her butt, with her permission,” I said.

“I ... wanted him to do more than that,” Jenn said.

“That’s all?” Janice said.

“Yes,” we said together.

“I have wanted to do more, but haven’t,” I said.

“Same here,” Jenn said.

Alice turned to Janice asking, “When you were fifteen, what had you done with a boy?”

“That’s not relevant,” my mother answered, defensively, with crossed arms.

A moment of silence.

“I had lost my virginity at fourteen years old to a non-family member,” Alice admitted. “It was consensual.”

This appeared to be news to my mom. She was trying to say something, but was fighting herself in the process.

“I – I ... had lesbian sex with a friend when I was thirteen, and penetrative sex with a boy at fifteen. I still say that is not relevant. That was over a long time ago. Now, there are AIDS, STDs, and so many more things that should make children like these two realize how unsafe it is to ... to ... fuck one another.”

I got up and gave my mother a wonderful hug. I looked at her and then said, “Ground me from something, but don’t take my sweetheart away from me, please?”

Mom pulled me into her, and we cried together.

“Janice,” I said, getting her chin up to see me. “I promise to never have lesbian sex with anyone.”

Her face was fighting it, but she broke into a smile, and I added, “I also promise to not have lesbian sex, for the rest of my entire lifetime.”

That broke up everyone, even Jennifer.

“Do you have any condoms?” Ally asked of me.

“Yes ma’am. I got some from the school nurse just a few weeks ago,” I said.

“Jennifer is on the pill. Are you taking it every day?” her mother asked.

“Yes mother, I am.” she answered.

“OK, here are some ground rules...”

“Mom,” I interrupted. “No ground rules are necessary. We have promised, to one another that we will both stay virgins, until I am at least fourteen.”

“What’s so magical about turning fourteen, Michael?” she asked, with her hands and arms uncrossing and landing firmly on her hips.

“Ladies, I went online and found an article on the computer about teenage sex. It was written by a doctor named, Lazeez Jiddan, who made the valid sounding point, back in 1978, that twelve was too young, and eighteen was too old, when it comes to beginning a sexual relationship. He concluded that on a general basis, fourteen was a bargaining point, or at the very least, an agreeable age to begin.”

“Jennifer and I have talked a lot about our future together and know that sex is important, but it also shouldn’t be the only thing. We have each accidently seen each other naked only once, and until I turn fourteen, in June, that will not increase at all. Isn’t that right, Jennifer?”

I had made that all up, wondering where in my mind I came up with such a foreign sounding doctor’s name. It must have been on the Internet. Jenn realized what I was doing and silently agreed with me, by holding me with her arms.

“Even then,” her mother said, “Use all forms of birth control so ... just use it! I will get Jennifer some emergency contraception in case you two become ... too hot to stop. Email that story, please, Michael, when you can?”

Oh Man!

“MICHAEL,” Janice said. “If one of you doesn’t want to do what the other is asking, Don’t!”

Alice finalized this by saying, “We love you kids. You seem to be good for one another, so respect each other.”

“Come back down, I will heat up what we haven’t eaten yet,” mom said.

“We will be down in a moment,” I said.

They left and we kissed. It felt like our first kiss all over again!

It’s strange ... now that we had their consent, it felt different. I also felt both empowered and relieved. I am certain the looks on our faces will tell whoever sees us that we are lovers in all, but the most intimate of ways. My birthday cannot get here quickly enough!

Later that same night at the last minute, I realized we hadn’t created and printed the announcement everyone was expecting in the morning. I woke up Jenn, and we got dressed and quietly went to our computer setup and she grabbed a map to our new place from Google maps, made a copy, and added the verbiage concerning the time things were starting. She added ‘Wear something comfortable’ and we printed four originals.

We went back to bed, made out for a while, and then we fell asleep in each other’s arms, back in our underwear.

The alarm went off. I touched it and it stopped.

“I love you, Jennifer Rose,” I said to her as I got out of bed and walked to the shower to get it to a comfortable temperature. I took a short warm shower, finally remembering to bring a change of boxers.

She walked in, in her underwear plus a complete change of clothing from the skin out. Maybe she will be a good girl until I am slightly more comfortable with the idea of making love to her.

Alice poked her head in the room, seeing me putting on slacks and a shirt.

“Hey Michael. Where’s Jennifer?”

“In the shower, Ally,” she said.

“Why are you shouting, Alice?” my mother’s voice clearly said from below.

“Never mind, Jan. Let’s leave them alone, why don’t we?” she said giving me a wave goodbye.

My girlfriend came out dressed, ready to start her day.

I went back into the bathroom to comb my hair.

“I think I should get a hair cut, what do you think, Beautiful?”

“Only in the back. The surfer dude haircut is really out of style. I could do it.”

“You would cut my hair?”

“Sure, you trust me, don’t you?” flashing that smile I love so much.

“With my life. Maybe you can do it later in the week. I am certain breakfast is waiting for us.”

I finished dressing and went downstairs together.

Our mothers seemed happy, as the food was brought to the table.

“Is it safe to assume, you are both really clean,” Janice said, trying to hold in a giggle.

“Yes ma’am. My girl is very clean, except for when she’s dirty,” I said.

They all laughed at that.

Scrambled eggs and a fruit plate was this morning’s breakfast. A fabulous tableau of food!

I said with a piece of apple in my mouth, “This food is awesome. Especially after the workout we had last night.”

“He’s kidding. I am going to cut his hair sometime in the next week. He agreed to it,” my girl said.

“Yeah,” Janice said. “The David Cassidy look is really out of style.”

“Who’s that?” we said together.

Alice said, “Sometimes, I feel so old!”

“I think you are hot, Ms. Guthrie. Just like my mom. Maybe you ladies should go out and find someone. I found mine,” I said, eating a big spoonful of scrambled egg.

“While I appreciate your comments, Michael, I am rather stuck in my ways. I have your mother back in my life. That’s good enough for me,” Alice explained.

I glanced at my watch and said, “Finish up, Jenn. We need to get going.”

She smiled and said, “Don’t you just love him?”

The moment we arrived at school, we went and put up the announcement, including handing one to Clara.

“Thank you, Mr. Thomas. I will keep it on my counter for all to see. I noticed you must have moved into the old Smithson home. It is supposed to be full of ghosts.”

“Are you BSing me?” I asked.

“There is a long history of strange events occurring there. I hope you got a good deal on it?”

“We did,” I said, and we waved goodbye. We separated to our first classes of the day. I got to History before anyone else.

“Hello Michael,” Mrs. MacArthur said. “I see you are ready for class.”

“You teach History to seventh and eighth graders as well, is that correct?”

“Yes, plus I teach, High School US History at our neighboring school.”

“Is there a way for me to test out of this class, and seventh grade history as well?”

“I suppose there is, are you working towards skipping a grade?”

“Yes, I would like to go from sixth to eighth grade, if possible. I would still be around for the new and upcoming musical seasons,” I said.

“Are you aware of the many teachers around here with a musical background?” she remarked.

“I know of Miss Crabtree and Mr. Planck. Are there others?”

“Miss Jepson, in administration, myself, plus at least eight others. Why don’t you come up with a reason for us to perform in concert, like the students?”

“What do you do, Ma’am?” I asked point blank.

“I was a singer and dancer in college. I still sing regularly, dancing -- not so much.”

“So, a concert of teachers ... I like that! Let me work up an idea around that,” I said as the bell rang filling the room up.

As each class went by, I casually brought up the idea of a teacher’s concert. Practically every teacher I spoke to broke into a marvelous smile and offered to perform or be supportive to those who do.

At choir, everyone was talking about the rehearsal coming up this coming Saturday. Cece was having rehearsals for ANNIE the rest of this week. I quickly told her about the idea for a Teacher’s Concert, and she actually hugged me, telling me that she had been hoping to do something like it for the last couple of years.

We went over the songs that the split choir was being added to, including ‘Hard Knock Life,’ ‘Herbert Hoover,’ ‘Gonna Like It Here,’ ‘NYC,’ ‘Easy Street,’ ‘Won’t Be an Orphan for Long,’ ‘Never Fully Dressed,’ “We Got Annie,” ‘Don’t Need Anything’ and ‘A New Deal for Christmas.’

Some of the soloists were in the room, so they did their part as well.

I added the girls’ choir, so every time the orphans sang the words ‘Hard Knock Life’ they would join them.

Similarly, in ‘Herbert Hoover,’ the entire choir would sing the title line as it occurred ... plus, a few other funny moments.

In ‘Gonna Like It Here!’ I asked Cece to lead the way. She was enjoying this very much. Perhaps, she was a frustrated musical performer. She has amazing breath control.

The choir was easy to add to this number. I broke the sopranos into three parts of harmony while the rest of the choir sang the typical SATB (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass) breakdown. That meant six-part harmony, which sounded fuller, broader, and added to the overall sound!

We didn’t get to all the numbers, but Cece promised to keep on top of them, especially keeping up the clarity of sound they had.

On my way to meet Jenn for lunch, I heard, “Will Michael Thomas please report to Administration?”

Jenn met me there.

“Thank you,” Principal McGowan said, meeting us at the counter.

“What can I do for you today?” I said stealing Clara’s line.

“We both want to be included in this Teacher’s Concert of yours,” Clara said.

“I was an alto when I was younger. I loved singing then, and I still do.” Her eyes were shimmering.

“Back in the day, when I was hunting dinosaurs with a spear,” he chuckled, “I sang some barbershop harmony. Could that be included?”

“Absolutely, but this isn’t going to happen until the next school year,” I explained. “In September, most likely?”

“We understand, Mr. Thomas,” Clara said. “The idea is marvelous. Just let us know when tryouts are.”

“I will put something together over the summer, thank you both very much. Many teachers have expressed interest,” I expressed.

Jenn and I left there clearly fulfilled in my hope of leaving a legacy behind at JHES.

I spoke to all my teachers in the traditional subjects. They all would check to see if there were an equivalency test to take, that would allow me to skip from sixth to eighth grade, possibly further? I half expected an announcement over the PA system calling me back into the principal’s office. He was aware of my want to skip a grade or two before I had finished with Jackson Heights.

I found the future Ms. Planck sitting by herself, in Paul’s office, so I asked if I could sit by her and ask a few questions?

“What’s up, Michael?”

I was hesitant, but I needed to just ask it, “My mother and Jennifer’s mother are going to somewhere in Ohio to watch a young dancing coupe called Charles & Claire in two weeks.”

She looked at me, but said nothing.

“Pardon me for asking, but we don’t want to go with them, and have been told to find an adult willing to ‘chaperone us’ for that weekend.” I took a deep breath and went on, “Would you be willing to help us out?”

Her face went to a blush, and she said, “There are many reasons not to do this, if you have been keeping up with the stories in the news about female teachers and younger male students, Michael!”

I blushed, and quickly said, “All we need is someone to stay in our new home for the weekend starting the Friday after this one coming up.”

“Could this be kept a secret?” she said.

“Certainly, so you will do it for Jennifer and I?”

“Can I bring Paul with me?”

I finally let out the breath I had been holding, hopeful she might bring Paul into the discussion.

“That would be a win-win situation, don’t you think?” I said. “We have a big pool, so bring a – a suit if you would like.”

“Do you want to talk to Paul, or should I?” she asked.

“My guess, is that he would prefer his fiancée to ask him, I know I would.”

At the end of the day, Shirley Wicks, Rich Mitchell, Lily Rogers, and Mary Mitchell all got on the same bus as Jenn and me.

At our stop, they got off with us and walked behind us. I turned and asked, “What’s going on?”

Mary said, “We got a message from your mother to come over and practice the songs of the actors we understudy. I guess you were out of the loop, Michael.”

They all laughed at my expense. I deserved that.

“Rich, why don’t we all sing ‘Easy Street’ on the walk to my house?” I suggested.

“Outside ... on the street?” Shirley questioned.

“Why not?” I chuckled. “Start at the beginning.”

Rich changed the tempo to match his stride and began:

RICH MITCHELL
“I remember the way our sainted mother,
would sit and croon us her lullaby.”

“Shirley, come on.” he said.

SHIRLEY WICKS
She’d say, kids, there’s a place,
that’s like no other.
You got to get there before you die

They went on, doing it to a slightly different tempo, but sounded pretty good.

All of them joined in for the ‘Easy Street’ refrain, and our front door was open for us to come in and through to the back of the house.

Janice was impressed, giggling a little.

We all laughed when it was over. Rich and I got her organ setup moved to the backyard.

We started from the beginning, with each performer standing to do their number. Things started with Mary Mitchell, who was playing Annie today.

One by one, each number was sung by the appropriate person, or persons. I stopped only a few times to correct an errant note being sung. They had a blast without the pressure of their characters getting distressed by the actual leads.

I had Mary get up to sing “Tomorrow”...

MARY MITCHELL
The sun will come out tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow
There will be sun

Just thinkin’ about tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow
‘til there’s none

When I’m stuck with a day
that’s grey and lonely
I just stick up my chin
and grin and say, oh

The sun will come out tomorrow
So you gotta hang on
‘til tomorrow, come what may!
Tomorrow, tomorrow,
I love ya, tomorrow
You’re always a day away!

When I am stuck with a day
that’s grey and lonely
I just stick up my chin
and grin and say oh

The sun will come out tomorrow
So you got to hang on
‘til tomorrow, come what may!
Tomorrow, tomorrow,
I love you tomorrow
You’re only a day away

Tomorrow, tomorrow
I love ya tomorrow
You’re only a day ... away

She had belted that like nobody’s business, her words were succinct and clear, her breathing had improved, and she even had some unique arm positions she got from somewhere. Mom was playing wonderfully, and they ended perfectly together. She could potentially play Eponine in LES MISÉRABLES.

Everybody here loved Mary. Her younger brother Richard applauded the loudest. She ran to him and they hugged. We have four Mitchells in the show. I was told another one was in college and the other was a Junior at Lincoln High. Wow, six kids.

“BREAK~’

During it, I got Jenn, Ally, and Janice and quietly explained that I got Paul and Cece to come and stay. Alice handed my mother a twenty ... Ha!

Shirley had a blast with “Little Girls” and its reprise. She sings it better, but Joan outperforms her.

Mary and Jennifer did a wonderful job on “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here.”

Everyone participated in “NYC,” behind Rich, Jennifer, and Mary. Rich may be only ten, but he carries himself like a teenager. He is Jennifer’s height exactly, one of the reasons they got the understudy’s they did.

The last of the truly great numbers that day were the understudies of Rooster, Miss Hannigan, and Lily performing “Easy Street.”

Lily Rogers stole the number having matched perfectly what Jennifer had been taught previously. They have become fast friends, probably because Lily isn’t a threat to her regarding me.

Before we practiced ‘New Deal,’ I told everyone to call and get his or her ride on its way.

I had gotten Annie, Grace, and Daddy up to sing it and it was completed without a single error throughout the whole song.

As my mother removed her hands from the keyboard, everyone applauded.

I got up and asked Richard to listen to me singing a Daddy Warbucks song, and I picked “Something Was Missing”...

MICHAEL
I made me a fortune
That fortune made ten...
Been headlined and profiled
Again and again...
But something was missing
I never quite knew
That something was someone --
But who?

My speeches are greeted
With thunderous acclaim
At two universities
Bearing my name
Yet, something was missing
Each time I got through
That something was someone --
But who?