Chapter 46: Fantasyland

March 18, 1995, Chicago, Illinois

“Good morning, Mitsuko!” I said when she came into the dojo on Saturday morning.

“Good morning, Sensei Steve! This is my friend Dyani. She’s a Freshman at UofC and is interested in martial arts.”

“Welcome!” I said. “Were you hoping to start today, or just watch?”

“I think I’ll just watch today,” she said.

“OK. I’ll come talk to you afterwards to see what you think. Mitsuko, are you participating this morning?”

“Yes! I need to change.”

“Dyani, you can just stay here in the vestibule,” I said. “That will give you a good view of the class.”

“Thank you.”

I checked the clock and it was nearly time to start, so I went to line up in the front row with Jolene, Therese, Will, and Kara to my right, and Hannah right behind me. The other students lined up according to their belts, ending with a white belt, Martin Alsip, who had joined the dojo two weeks earlier. Birgit and Felipe both had their yellow belts and were standing to his left.

Sensei Jim came to the front of the dojo just as Mitsuko came out of the changing rooms. Sensei Jim nodded, giving her permission to take her place in the ranks, and everyone to the right of Jolene had to move to the right, with Kara moving behind me. Will was asked to lead exercises, and when we finished, Sensei Jim divided the class, though I took Marcia to the corner of the small training room.

“Sensei Steve, I’m not sure how I can train sparring with you if you can’t spar.”

I smiled, “You get to beat up on the bag for now. I’m going to teach you to defend yourself from me. When I think you’re ready, we’ll get Will or Therese to actually spar with you. Put on your sparring gear.”

We both got into our gear, and I put on my headgear even though she wouldn’t be throwing any punches or kicks at me.

“All I want you to do is block,” I said. “We’ll worry about counter-punching once I’m happy with your blocking. The same will be true of grapples and throws - you have to keep me from grappling you or throwing you without throwing me. If you get proper hold of my arm, wrist, or gi, we’ll call it a win for you. OK?”

“Got it!”

“You’re a Sophomore?”

“Yes.”

“OK. You’ll be competing in the 2nd group of purple belts which is kids from thirteen to seventeen. I’ve watched quite a few of those matches, so I have a good idea of what you can expect. That said, I’m going to use brown belt and black belt techniques as well.”

“You’re going to kick my butt!” she laughed.

“Only at first. I’m a good teacher. You just have to be a good student! Take your position. I’m going to go half speed. I want to watch your technique. You should be able to block every combination at half-speed. If not, we’ll work on why not. Ready?”

“Yes, Sensei!”

Over the next fifteen minutes I ran through all the standard combinations, as well as some I’d worked out on my own with guidance from Sensei Jim. Marcia did an excellent job, only allowing a couple of kicks to land, and those were the final moves of my personal combinations.

“I’ve never see those last two moves before,” she said.

“Because I don’t spar,” I said. “Only that workout bag ever sees them.”

“You had a head injury, right?”

“Yes. Brain damage according to my kids!”

Marcia laughed, “Your daughter is a real smarty-pants!”

“Yes she is! Are you ready to try again, this time at three-quarter speed?”

“I think I’m going to be black and blue before we’re done!”

“You want to win, right?”

“Yes, Sensei!”

“Then let’s begin!”

We spent the rest of the time with me correcting Marcia each time I landed a punch or kick, until she was consistently stopping me at three-quarter speed.

“What did you learn?” I asked as we took off our gear.

“Hips don’t lie!” she laughed. “Except when they do!”

“You won’t run into that kind of thing in your competition sparring. I didn’t learn it until 2nd Dan. When you start sparring with brown belts in competition, it’ll become more of an issue. And when you earn 1st Dan, you’ll start to see it a lot. Next Saturday, we’ll run through three-quarter speed drills again and work on precision for your kata.”

“I’m not very good at that.”

I nodded, “I know. But to win the overall City Championship for your age group, you need to be.”

“No way!”

“You can do it,” I said.

“You really think so?”

“I do.”

She beamed and we went out to join the rest of the class for dismissal. When Sensei Jim released us, I went to talk to Dyani while Mitsuko changed into her street clothes.

“What did you think?” I asked.

“Pretty cool. How difficult is it to learn to do those things?”

“It’s not difficult, really. If you have five minutes I can show you how to throw a proper punch.”

“Five minutes?”

I nodded, “The technique is simple. It just takes a lot of practice. Mitsuko is changing, so I think we have time.”

“Sure.”

I had her remove her shoes and led her to the small training room and the workout bag. I showed her how to stand and how to hold her arms, and throw a simple punch. She did, and her hand basically bounced off the bag, which was common for a beginner.

“You aren’t selecting the right target,” I said. “You want to drive your hand forward. Imagine the target is actually about five inches into the bag and try again.”

She nodded and this time the bag moved.

“Wow!” she said.

“It’s a common beginner mistake. You don’t want to throw yourself off balance, but you need to drive your hand through the front of whatever it is you’re striking.”

“How do I sign up?”

“Come on. I’ll get you a uniform, a set of rules, and an instructional packet. There is no charge for the first few lessons so you can decide if you want to join the dojo. If you do, there is a price sheet that allows for weekly, monthly, annual, and one-time payment plans to take you all the way through your brown belt.”

“Then what happens?”

“Once you earn a black belt, an appropriate plan would be worked out with Sensei Jim. Everything will depend on your situation. That’s when this becomes a true commitment.”

“You’re a full instructor, right?”

I nodded, “Yes, I’m 5th Dan, but this is Sensei Jim’s dojo. Let’s get you a uniform and the other things.”

We left the small training room and went to Sensei Jim’s office. I looked over Dyani and selected the correct size uniform and white belt, then went to the filing cabinet and took out a ‘new student’ packet. I handed everything to Dyani.

“When did you want to start?” I asked.

“Tuesday evening, I think.”

“See you then.”

She left just as Sensei Jim came into the office.

“She’s taking the introductory lessons?”

“Yes. She’ll be here Tuesday.”

“Good. Do you have a minute?”

“Sure.”

“I spoke to both videographers and I’m going to go with the teacher because we can film in the school gym. Trying to set up video equipment in the dojo would make for very tight quarters.”

“That makes sense,” I said.

“I did talk with your friend about filming a class with a hand-held camera, and she’s going to do that. The teacher will edit everything together.”

“Cool. When?”

“Sunday, April 23rd for the demonstration video. We can’t really do it sooner because of Palm Sunday and Easter. I’m going to ask Will, Hannah, Birgit, and Felipe to participate.”

I nodded, “Felipe is doing really well; losing those twenty pounds made a huge difference.”

“What’s up with the Indian girl?”

“Dyani?”

He nodded, “Navajo, I’m pretty sure. And probably 100%.”

“She said she’s going to be here on Tuesday.”

“OK. I’d like you to supervise Will in training her. He needs to learn how to teach.”

“Yes, Sensei!”

“See you on Monday evening.”

I bowed and went to join my wives, Michelle, and Birgit for the walk home.

“You have a new admirer,” Kara laughed.

“Marcia? I don’t doubt that because I told her I was going to help her become citywide champion for her age group.”

“No, I was talking about Mitsuko’s friend. The girl with the long black hair down to her waist. When you were in sight, her gaze didn’t leave you.”

I shrugged, “I’m sure Mitsuko told her about my karate skills. I’m also VERY sure Mitsuko didn’t say a word about anything else. And you know where I am at this point.”

“No kissing except my mommies and Michelle!” Birgit giggled.

“Pumpkin, one of these days...” I threatened, but I was laughing.

“She is right, Tiger,” Jessica said.

“She is,” I agreed. “And we’ve talked about this. I have enough on my plate at the moment. We all know someone will catch my eye or pique my interest at the right time, and I’ll consider it. Within the rules.”

“I’m not pushing,” Kara said. “But have you considered relaxing your rules for Melissa?”

I chuckled, “Of course I considered it! But I don’t think it makes sense to risk the relationship between M&M and NIKA for that. And before you suggest the new white belt, you know Sensei Jim would KILL me if something like that were to happen. I was lucky he never found out about Jacqui. Or about Jolene.”

“Why do you girls do this?” Michelle asked.

“What? Tease Tiger about girls?”

“Yes. He’s limited himself, voluntarily, to the three of us. Why not let it be?”

“Michelle,” Kara said gently. “If you have some starry-eyed view that Steve will never, ever have someone besides the three of us, you probably should give up on your plans for a child you want to raise in our household.”

“If you think about it,” Jessica said, “it’s not logical. If he’d followed your thinking, he’d never have been with you, and you wouldn’t be here with us. And, if you think it through, you made the same basic agreement I did. Kara could have had him to herself, but neither you nor I could have.”

“I like having two mommies!” Birgit interjected.

“There’s one vote,” I chuckled.

“As if she’d ever go against you!” Jessica laughed.

“Only if I side with Jesse!”

“Dumb boys!” Birgit said firmly. “The more boys, the dumber!”

Jessica, Kara, and Michelle all laughed.

“You have that one right, sweetie!” Jessica laughed. “When boys get together, they get dumber!”

“And girls?” I asked.

“Girls are smarter!” Birgit declared.

“I don’t think I can argue with that one,” I replied with a silly grin, “given a doctor, a soon-to-be-doctor, and my office manager are here. Not to mention my Pumpkin.”

“Michelle,” Kara said gently, “you accepted the terms when you asked Steve to bring you home from the monastery. Yes, there’s been a lull because of a change in his thinking, but remember what caused that.”

“A girl,” Michelle sighed.

“Several girls,” I corrected. “You were one of them. Add in a couple of trips to Japan and time by myself and with the monk.”

“And your Cherry Blossom,” Kara added. “Of all the girls, that’s the one I want to meet, though I know it’s nearly impossible. She had a very profound impact. Similar to Michelle and Anala, and to a lesser extent, girls like Elena or Karla, the Dutch one, I mean.”

“And you, Kara,” Jessica said. “You recognized what he needed and were able to compromise.”

Kara shook her head, “No, it was Steve who compromised. He was going to ask me to marry him, with no plans for dalliances. I threw that away when I walked out on him. When I came back, I didn’t feel he should have to compromise. Remember, I was already dealing with his open relationships.”

“But I proved I couldn’t keep my word,” I protested.

Kara shook her head, “You would have kept your word. You would have been extremely unhappy, but you would have kept your word.”

We arrived home and Birgit and Michelle went to their rooms to shower and dress, while my wives and I went to our bedroom where we undressed and went to the bathroom to shower.

“Steve, I think there’s an important point to prove here,” Jessica said.

“When you use my name, it’s always serious,” I said, stepping under the spray.

“I hadn’t thought about it, but you’re right. Anyway, please don’t take this the wrong way, and I’m not pushing, but Michelle is living in a fantasy world.”

I chuckled, “And you’re suggesting I have a very public dalliance to shock her back to reality?”

“I’m concerned about how she’ll react if that happens AFTER she’s pregnant. Or after she has her baby. We all know eventually it will happen. Well, everyone except Michelle.”

“I think Jess may be onto something,” Kara said. “And no, I’m not pushing, either. I’m just agreeing that Michelle could have her own meltdown.”

I stepped out of the shower and Kara got in. I took a towel and began to dry off.

“There aren’t really any candidates,” I said. “OK, Melissa, but I’d have to violate a fairly important rule. And the same is true of Dyani, if your assessment is correct. And none of the girls from the Rap Sessions even hold my interest in the smallest way.”

“What about your friend in San Diego who calls you occasionally?” Jessica asked.

“Meredith? I’ve put her off so long now, I don’t think there’s anything there. And she hasn’t called in months, most likely because of the fact I’ve put her off.”

“You haven’t met anyone you’re interested in?”

“No. And I know you aren’t suggesting anything like the twins.”

“Oh heavens no! It has to be someone you have some feelings for. We don’t need another episode like THAT disaster.”

“Which kind of rules out the girl in Pittsburgh,” I said.

“Have you met anyone recently?” Kara asked.

“The only girl who piqued my interest is totally off limits. I COULD see waiving the rules for Melissa, but not for Eve.”

“The new girl you hired? The one you said was a kindred spirit?” Kara asked as she got out of the shower.

“That’s the one! Once she said she’d use participation trophies for target practice, I knew she and I were on the exact same page. But I simply can’t even consider violating that rule under any circumstances. I’m already going against Jamie because we’ll most likely hire Claire in a few months and Jodie when she graduates.”

Jessica got into the shower as Kara dried herself.

“I think this is the first time since I’ve known you there hasn’t been some girl you had your eye on and could act upon it,” Kara said.

“Probably true. But remember, they usually came to me. Very rarely did I choose them. And given our situation, that’s probably the wisest approach. A girl who approaches me has already come to terms with the fact that I’m married to the two of you.”

“That’s a good point,” Kara agreed. “And given how you’re handling yourself now, it’s not likely to happen because any girls you meet would mostly fall under one of your rules.”

“I think that’s true,” I said. “Maybe I can just talk to Michelle and make it clear.”

“The thing is,” Jessica said, “every day you limit yourself to the three of us reinforces her belief. If she can’t come to grips with it, you have to reconsider your agreement to raise a child together.”

I nodded and sighed, “I know.”

“I’m curious,” Kara said. “Where are you on this topic? I mean in general?”

“I’m happy with how things are right now,” I replied. “I know I have freedom, but I choose not to exercise it at this point.”

“Just be careful with Michelle, Tiger,” Jessica said, getting out of the shower. “She’s living in Fantasyland.”

“I’ll figure something out,” I said.

The phone rang just as we finished dressing. It was Karl calling to say that Howard and Jeri had a son, and had named him Caleb Nicholas. I congratulated him, then called Kimmy at home and asked her to have flowers sent to the hospital.

March 21, 1995, Chicago, Illinois

“Lucas said to stop in,” I said to Elyse when I walked into her office late on Tuesday.

“Where were you today?”

“Out,” I said.

“Obviously. Where?”

“Just out.”

“You’ve disappeared all day, twice. With nothing in your calendar. And with Kimmy saying she doesn’t know where you are. What’s going on?”

“Let it be, please.”

Elyse shook her head, “No way. Not with everything that’s going on. Spill it, Mr. Adams.”

Until the government worked its magic, or failed to, I couldn’t reveal my visits to Lisa at the Logan Correctional Center.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Can’t. Just let it go, please.”

“You know my concern.”

“I do. Trust me, please. This is NOT that.”

Elyse shook her head, and changed the subject.

“I assume you heard about Tokyo?”

“The sarin gas release? I listened to reports on the radio while I was out. Eight dead and over five thousand injured.”

“Do you think it was the same group that used nerve gas while you were in Japan?”

“I’d have to imagine so,” I said. “Although Kara said it’s fairly easy to produce sarin, along with a number of other chemical agents, so who knows?”

“That’s nowhere near your friends, right?”

“Correct. This attack was in Tokyo and they’re hours away from there by train.”

“The world is crazy,” she sighed.

I nodded, “It sure is.”

I left her office and walked down the hall to mine.

“Melissa called for you earlier,” Kimmy said. “That’s the only pressing item.”

“Thanks. Was she going to be in the office?”

“Yes. Should I get her for you?”

“Please.”