Chapter 19: Several Dates

August 21, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio

On Friday morning, Mr. Mills called just after 6:00am to let me know that Jocelyn had gone into surgery and that it would likely be mid-afternoon before he had any news. I thanked him and sat down at the table in the kitchen with a mug of tea I made and read the Rutherford Tribune. Nobody else was up, and I enjoyed the quiet for about an hour before my parents came into the kitchen.

"Was that Jocelyn's dad who called at 6:00am?" my dad asked.

"Yes. I asked him to call when they started. I'm sorry if it woke you."

"I heard you ask him last night at dinner. I'd have said something if it was a problem. Anything in the paper?"

"Just the usual stuff. It's as boring as ever here in Harding County!"

"Just the way we like it!" Mom said. "The kind of excitement that usually makes the newspaper I can do without!"

Liz came in a few minutes later, and after everyone had eaten and we'd cleaned up, I drove her to work, then went by the church to light another votive candle. Nobody stopped by while I was there, and I enjoyed the peaceful serenity of the empty church. Just after 9:00am, I headed home.

The lawn needed mowing, so I went inside and changed from my jeans and polo shirt into shorts and a T-shirt, then got the lawn mower from the garage and mowed the front lawn. I emptied the bag into a large rubber garbage bin and went to the backyard. I mowed half, then had to empty the bag. I'd just started on the second half when I saw the gate open out of the corner of my eye. I turned the switch on the mower to kill the engine.

"Hi," Becky called. "Do you mind? I knocked on the front door, but obviously, you couldn't hear because of the mower."

I shook my head, "I don't mind. I need to finish mowing. It'll take about ten minutes, I guess. Then I have to clean up."

She sat down and watched while I finished mowing the lawn. After emptying the bag and rinsing the lawn mower, I went to the backyard.

"I need to shower. I'll be back in five minutes."

Becky smirked, "My sister would offer to join you."

"And I'd turn her down flat," I said.

I went inside and got clean underwear, shorts, and a T-shirt from my room. Then I went into the bathroom and locked the door just to be safe. I quickly showered, dried off, dressed, then went to the kitchen. I got a Sprite and an RC and took them outside.

"Sorry about that," I said, handing her the bottle.

"It's OK. I figured it was safe to come over. My mom and sister went to do grocery shopping, and because it's the first trip, and the Kroger is twenty minutes away, they'll be gone for ages."

"Is she really as bad as she seems?"

"Yes. I mean, I don't like her, but I'm not exaggerating. You should warn your sister to stay away from her. All of Abby's friends got into all kinds of trouble because of her."

"Wonderful," I sighed. "So you're the good sister?"

"I guess so. I have never been in trouble, never been grounded, never did anything like drugs or whatever. You?"

"Other than getting in trouble for swearing in Russian when I was thirteen, nope. My friends and sister call me a 'goody two-shoes'."

"So you're the good brother?"

"I guess so."

"Your sister is the one who gets into trouble?"

"I'd rather not talk about our siblings."

"What are you doing for the rest of the day?" Becky asked.

"I need to wait for a phone call; then I have a date tonight."

"Do you mind if I hang out here with you?"

"No, not at all."

"How long have you been seeing your girlfriend?"

"A couple of months."

"Sounds like it started after you graduated."

"My long-term girlfriend and I didn't see eye to eye on church. I started dating Emmy when she asked me out after that happened."

"What church?"

"Holy Transfiguration; it's Russian Orthodox. My mom is Russian. I told your brother about it yesterday, but I guess he didn't share that with you. He didn't know the name, but from what he said, your family will be attending First Baptist?"

"That's what my dad said. It's a bit different from our church in Grand Rapids, but there isn't a church like the one back home that's close. We'd have to go closer to Cincinnati or Columbus. Do you go to church every Sunday?"

"And Wednesday. And Saturday. And Holy Days."

"So, like Catholics?"

"Sort of. Some of the stuff we do looks the same, but it's actually pretty different from Roman Catholic."

"And important enough to break up with your girlfriend over?"

"I want to marry and raise my kids Orthodox. She felt my church was way too Catholic and said she'd never, ever go. That kind of drew a line in the sand."

"You're that serious about it?" Becky asked.

"I know a lot of people aren't, but I am."

"And the girl you're seeing now?"

"We're nowhere near that point," I replied with a smile, "but she's not adamantly opposed. What are you doing until school starts?"

"Not much. You're the only person I really know right now. If I'm not bothering you, I'll hang out with you."

"You aren't bothering me. I'm pretty busy tomorrow and Sunday, but Monday and Tuesday of next week should be free. I'm cool with hanging out."

"Sold!" she laughed. "What are you doing tomorrow and Sunday?"

"My best friend's going away party is tomorrow, and I have church. Sunday, I have church, then I'm hanging out at our Deacon's house for the rest of the day."

"So you have to hang around the house today? I was hoping you could show me around."

"One of my friends was in a bad car accident. She's having surgery at a hospital in Columbus. I'm waiting to hear how it went."

"Oh my! I'm so sorry! Will she be OK?"

"I think so, but she was hurt pretty badly."

"Maybe on Monday, you could show me where everything is? I mean, if it's not too much trouble."

"Probably. Just come over on Monday. I should be free in the morning. I'll probably see Emmy on Monday and Tuesday nights if her dad is cool about that. On Tuesday, I have to pack during the day, but you're free to hang out here with me if you want."

"I think you'd make a good friend. It's a bummer you won't be at the High School next year."

"That's one sentiment with which I simply can't agree! I've had enough of High School. I'm ready for college."

"You want to leave here?"

"Yes and no. I haven't been to too many places, and I want to see the world, but I want to live here. When I was younger, I had always looked forward to graduating so I could get out of town, but then, as I got closer to the end of my Senior year, I realized this was where I belonged. That said, I have four years of college, four years of medical school, and several years of Internship and Residency between now and then."

"But you aren't going to be too far away, right?"

"Right. Well, at least for pre-med. I have to apply to medical schools and, after that, to hospitals. I could end up someplace like Columbus, Cincinnati, or Pittsburgh."

"Cool. Maybe I'll see you when you come home; if you want to, I mean, and I'm not bothering you."

There was something strange about the way she was always asking me if coming to see me was OK. This was one of those times when I would have told my mom I totally didn't understand girls because I didn't understand why she'd ask if it was OK after she said she'd like to see me. It was weird. I wondered if it had to do with her sister and not wanting to be like her.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Becky replied.

"Why do you keep asking me if you're bothering me?"

She sighed, "You don't need to hear all the stuff from back in Michigan."

"That bad?"

"Yes."

I felt I'd guessed right. Her sister liked to interfere, and Becky didn't want to just push herself onto people like Abby did.

"So what was all of that about hating it here? It sounds like things were pretty bad in Grand Rapids."

"Because at least there I had my best friend, and we could do stuff. Here, I don't have any friends, and everything is so far away, and I'm stuck with my sister around all the time."

I had no idea what to say to her about that. I'd never had the kinds of problems she was having, and I didn't know anyone who did. Even as bad as I thought my sister was behaving, she was nothing compared to what I understood Abby was like. I was torn, really. On one hand, I didn't want to be around Liz if she wasn't going to listen to me about her behavior. On the other hand, I didn't think anyone else she might listen to would try to get her to stop. And that really concerned me.

"I think you'll be able to make some friends at school," I said. "I know some kids who are going to be Seniors who are really cool, and I'm sure there are plenty I didn't know. A major plus is that Sophomores aren't usually in the same classes as Seniors. My ex-girlfriend and I didn't share a single class, and she was a Sophomore. And it's a big school which serves the whole county."

"You don't know my sister."

"It can't be THAT bad," I said.

"You have no idea," Becky sighed. "But you're right, let's talk about something else. Or do something else."

"It's kind of tough because I need to stay here, and you said you can't come in the house and play pool or ping-pong."

"I've never played pool. Could you teach me?"

"I could, but what about your parents?"

"My dad is at the school all day, and it'll be another hour before my mom gets home. How much trouble are you and I going to get into?"

I laughed, "None."

"Exactly."

We went into the house and down to the basement. I uncovered the table and racked the balls, then took down two cues and handed one to Becky. I explained the basic concepts, and then I put the cue ball in place and broke, sinking a striped ball. I sank one more, then missed a shot. I showed Becky how to hold the cue and line up the shot. She missed badly and started laughing. I took my turn and sank another ball, then missed. She tried again, this time with me guiding her with my arm around her, and did slightly better.

"I'm not very good at this!" she laughed.

"No, but you're a good sport. It's like anything else; it just takes practice."

We spent about forty-five minutes playing, during which time she made exactly four shots the way she intended them to go, but she seemed to enjoy herself. Not wanting to risk trouble, we went back upstairs, and she sat outside while I made sandwiches for lunch. I poured some chips into a bowl, then grabbed two bottles of pop from the fridge and took everything outside. Just as we finished eating, Mrs. van Dorn appeared at the gate.

"Becky?"

"Just finishing lunch, Mom. Can I stay?"

"If it's OK with Mike and you stay outside, yes. Be home for dinner, please."

"Yes, Mom."

"Have fun, you two!" Mrs. van Dorn said as she left.

"I say two minutes before my sister shows up," Becky sighed.

"Wonderful."

I heard the phone ring and jumped up from the table and ran into the house. I snatched the handset from the cradle.

"Loucks residence, this is Mike," I said, bracing myself for whatever might be said.

"Mike, this is Mr. Mills. The surgery went perfectly, and Jocelyn came through just fine. The doctor is very happy with the results. She's in recovery, and then she'll go back to the ICU for a few days. They expect her to be there until Tuesday morning."

I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I leaned against the wall and let out a sigh of relief.

"When can I see her?" I asked.

"Tuesday afternoon, if everything goes well."

"When can you see her?"

"In a few hours, maybe. It all depends. But it'll only be for a couple of minutes like it was before."

"Would you tell her I love her, please? And tell her that I'll come to visit as soon as they'll allow it?"

"I will. I'll call you tomorrow and let you know how she's doing. If you want to call us, you can reach us at the Marriott in Columbus."

"Thanks, Mr. Mills."

We said 'goodbye', and I hung up. I made a note on the calendar that I was going to see Jocelyn on Tuesday, then went back outside to find Becky's prediction had come true.

"Hi!" Abby said, batting her eyelashes at me.

I really didn't want to talk to Abby or even be around her. I was enjoying hanging out with Becky, and her sister would completely ruin what had been a really nice morning. I had an idea.

"Becky, if you get permission from your mom, I'll take you around like I promised."

"Awesome! Let me go ask!" she said, getting up and heading out the gate.

"I want to come along!" Abby said.

I shook my head, "No. Just Becky."

"What?! Why?"

"Because I asked Becky, that's why."

She followed her sister out of the yard, and I wondered if Abby would pull the same kind of stunts that Liz used to pull. I hurried after the girls, passing Abby and catching up to Becky, who was a few paces ahead.

"Let me ask your mom," I said quietly.

"Why?"

"Just watch."

We got to their house, and Becky led me inside.

"Hi, Mrs. van Dorn. I want to take Becky and show her around. I guess you could call it a date, so I wanted your permission."

"Of course! Just have her home by 6:00pm for dinner."

"It'll be by 5:30pm. I'm going out with a friend tonight."

"Have fun!" she said.

"Mom!" Abby protested. "I want to go!"

"I asked your sister on a date," I said, trying to sound nice and lighthearted. "I don't think so!"

"He's right, Abby," Mrs. van Dorn said.

"No fair!" Abby complained. "Why does SHE get to go, and I don't?"

"It's a date, honey."

I grabbed Becky's hand and led her out of the house while Abby persisted in whining. Becky waited in the driveway while I got my keys and locked up the house. I let her into the Mustang, then walked around and got into the driver's seat. I started the car and pulled out of the driveway.

"Nicely done!" Becky laughed.

"My little sister used to pull stunts like that all the time. They worked in every single instance except when I was going on an actual date. Then my mom would tell her 'no'. I figured that would work with your mom. Speaking of Liz, I need to pick her up at work. I almost forgot!"

"How come you're immune to my sister?"

"Because she is NOT my type. Not even close."

"What about me?"

"I like you, and I've had fun hanging out with you. In different circumstances, I'd certainly ask you on a date."

She laughed, "You already did! Well, actually, you asked my mom, not me!"

"Because you asked me earlier to show you around. What do you want to see?"

"I guess start with this hick town, then show me the places you hang out with your friends."

"Your wish is my command," I grinned.

I drove into West Monroe, and after, we drove along Main Street and a couple of other streets, then headed to the hardware store so I could take Liz home.

"She's not going to cause trouble, is she?"

I shrugged, "Who knows? Most likely not. She's been really nice because of my friend Jocelyn being hurt."

My prediction was accurate, and Liz didn't give me any grief. After we dropped Liz at home, Becky and I headed for Rutherford. When we arrived, I stopped at the A&W and bought us each a root beer float.

"This is really good!" she said. "It's too bad it's so far away."

"You should get your license if your parents will let you drive one of their cars."

"They will. I did sign up for driver's ed when we came down to register in June. I guess it's mostly Sophomores in that class."

"And a few kids like you. That might be one place you run into your sister."

"She didn't sign up for driver's ed. I didn't tell her I was doing it, and I have it first quarter. Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure."

"On Monday, could we do something away from the house?"

"Sure."

"When is your karate class?"

"You know, I think I'm going to skip it. I'm sure my instructor will have a fit, but I'm changing dojos, so I don't really care. That frees up some time today, tomorrow, and Monday."

"You have a real date tonight and a party tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"But you're free tomorrow morning?"

"I should be, now that I think about it. Why?"

"Come over and ask me out again. Please?"

"Sure."

We finished our floats, and after showing her where all the main attractions were, we headed back to West Monroe. I walked her home, then showered and changed, and drove to Emmy's house to pick her up for our date.

"What are we doing tonight?" Emmy asked.

"Well, movies are out because there's nothing showing I can take you to that I want to see."

"Could we go to Grant Park and make out?"

"I assume you want dinner first?" I teased.

"Well, duh! How about Marie's?"

I pointed my car towards Marie's Diner, and about fifteen minutes later, we were sitting in a booth waiting for our food to arrive.

"I called you this afternoon, but nobody was home. I wanted to find out how Jocelyn was."

"After Jocelyn's dad called, I went out for a bit. Her surgery was successful, and it looks like I can see her Tuesday."

"Why not until then?"

"She was going back to the ICU. I guess her internal injuries were severe enough that they wanted to keep a close eye on her. I don't really know all the details. I know Jocelyn will tell me, but her dad has been a bit, well, circumspect, I think is the right word."