Chapter 53: Questions and Answers

November 27, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio

On Friday morning, just after 10:00am, I was surprised when April showed up at the door of Jocelyn's house.

"Your mom said you were here. I guess you and Jocelyn decided to go steady?"

I shook my head, "No. There are some problems at home that mean I need to stay here."

"Problems with your parents?"

"It's a family thing I can't really talk about. What's up?"

"I wanted to apologize for getting upset and sending you away on Monday."

"Apology accepted. You have me thoroughly confused."

"Why? I like you a lot. I never stopped liking you."

"We're going to dance in circles like this forever. Will you go to church with me?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"If you have to ask that question..."

"It's something we could worry about later."

I shook my head, "No, it's not. Honestly, there are two girls in McKinley I'm very interested in, and both of them are OK with becoming Orthodox. One of them goes to church with me every Sunday and says morning and evening prayers with me. You wouldn't even visit once!"

"What about booking the motel room? You obviously wanted me."

"I did, but it was an error on my part. Things would have blown up eventually, and then you would have been REALLY upset."

"And you think I wasn't?"

"I think if we had slept together, it would have been a lot worse. It was better to end it after graduation than spend years together only to have you flat-out refuse to convert and have us break up."

"You said you loved me."

"Yes, I did."

"And that's not enough? If you found the perfect girl, but she wouldn't go to your church, you wouldn't want her?"

"If she wouldn't go to church, she couldn't be the perfect girl," I replied. "April, going to bed together won't solve the problem. It'll make it worse."

"You won't even try?"

"It's assured to fail. You're demanding I compromise on an issue on which you won't compromise."

"I think we made a great couple."

"We're still going in circles, April. I'm glad we had a chance to talk on Monday, but you should probably go now."

She frowned, turned, grasped the door, and yanked it open. She walked out and slammed the door shut behind her. I shook my head and went back to the living room.

"That last thing you said really did distill it down — she demanded you compromise when she wouldn't."

"And even then, she didn't get it. You heard the door slam. I'm positive now she wants to get back together, and sex is her way to do it. But it's no different now from when we broke up at the start of the Summer."

"I suspect she'll give up now," Jocelyn said. "You were pretty clear."

It was time for lunch, so we went to the kitchen to eat, then I gathered my things and put them in the car. Mom and Dad showed up with Clark just after 3:00pm, and after saying 'goodbye' to everyone, Clark and I headed back to McKinley.

November 27, 1981, McKinley, Ohio

"Hi!" Nancy gushed when I walked into the Quick Mart.

We exchanged a quick kiss, then I did a bit of shopping. We shared another quick kiss before I left to take my things back to the dorm. I did some laundry and cleaned my room. I made a trip to the drug store to replenish my supply of condoms, unsure if Marie was on the Pill or not. I wasn't sure I'd do anything with her, but I wasn't going to take any chances. Just before 8:00pm, I walked to the Quick Mart so Nancy and I could head to her house.

"Hi, Mike," Mrs. Landers said when we walked into the Landers' house. "How are you?"

"OK. Thanks so much for letting me use your address."

"You're more than welcome! Nancy told me that your sister was allowed to come home."

"She was, in exchange for me staying away until everything is resolved."

"It sounds like those two psychiatrists really were overzealous!"

"Actually, I suspect it's only the Orosco woman. Sorry, Doctor Orosco. I think Doctor Zeiss simply followed her lead. Add in the woman from Family Services whose job depends on finding abuse, and this is what happens. The real question is what the prosecutor decides to do."

"You could be charged?" Mrs. Landers asked.

"Our family attorney doesn't think that will happen, but there's another, perhaps bigger problem. Family Services created a report that says I abused Liz, and those reports are made available to the medical licensing board. I have to find a way to get rid of that report."

"Wait! Even a false accusation could harm you?"

"Yes. Our family attorney is working on it. All I can do now is wait and keep working towards my degree."

"So you can't go home at all?"

"Correct. I'm going to keep to the plan I made before. I'll stay in the guest room at my friend Jocelyn's house for the week I'll be in West Monroe."

"That's your friend who was in the terrible accident, right?"

"Yes. Her parents were nice enough to offer their guest room. That lets me go to church and see my two best friends from High School."

"Are you staying just tonight?"

"Yes. Nancy and I agreed one night a week except for those two special weeks around Christmas."

"You know you're welcome anytime."

"Thank you."

"Dinner is in about fifteen minutes."

"Thanks."

She went to the kitchen, leaving Nancy and me in the living room.

"How were things at home? I mean, other than the issue with your sister?"

"Emmy's racist dad was with her when Clark and I arrived at my house. That nearly turned very ugly. Emmy is forbidden from even speaking to me because I have a black friend."

"Say what?!" Nancy exclaimed in surprise.

"The story is that her grandfather was in the Klan. Her dad has the same opinions. When I showed up with a black guy in my car, he ordered Emmy back into the car, and when I called her house on Monday, Emmy's mom told me not to try to talk to her."

"Unbelievable."

"Sadly, it's not. My dad told me about a bunch of other stuff that happened over the years back home. Like when Emmy's dad and his friends scared off the first black teacher hired in the school district."

"Here? In Ohio?"

"Here. In Ohio."

"I don't even know what to say. So now what?"

"Nothing, I guess. I'll miss seeing Emmy when I go home. We got along really well and enjoyed hanging out together. But it wasn't serious. One other thing happened. I ran into my ex-girlfriend, and we had dinner. She wants to get back together, but she's unwilling to compromise on the church issue."

Nancy laughed, "That's the kiss of death! And why Angie is the one I need to worry about, even though you two aren't dating. Pretty much any girl who won't convert to Russian Orthodoxy has no chance. I've told you it wouldn't be a big deal for me."

"I remember. Last Friday wouldn't have happened without at least a willingness to consider that."

"Oh, I know! Trust me. Your priorities are pretty simple. Medical license, Orthodox family, sex. In that order."

"I'd say those are the correct priorities at the moment. The Orthodox family thing is trivial to accomplish if I just let the old ladies at church select a spouse for me! And with me being a future doctor, they'll pick the prettiest, sweetest, most devout girl in the church."

"Like that girl from your church at home?"

"Yes, but like Emmy, she's only a Sophomore."

"I'm still in High School."

"Yes, but you're a Senior. You'll be eighteen in a week. That's a pretty big difference, don't you think?"

"I suppose two years at this age is huge. In four or five years, it wouldn't really matter."

"Exactly. You and I are close enough to the same age. I won't be nineteen until February, so we'll be eighteen together for a couple of months."

"Kids!" Mrs. Landers called from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!"

We went to the kitchen to eat, and when we finished eating, Nancy and I helped her mom clean up the kitchen. When we finished, Nancy and I said 'good night' and went to her room. We undressed and climbed into Nancy's small bed, and she snuggled close.

"Love me?" she whispered.

I turned my head, and we kissed softly.

November 28, 1981, McKinley, Ohio

"You know, if this is what being married is going to be like, I might have to change my opinion," Nancy sighed.

I helped her rinse the shampoo from her hair, then began soaping her body.

"It is a bit more complicated than screwing ourselves silly and then showering in the morning."

"Yeah, but the screwing part? Oh God. And the shower? Yeah..." she sighed deeply.

"And that will make up for all the other stuff? Dirty diapers? Money struggles? Disagreements? The insane hours I'll have to keep?"

"It does put them into perspective!"

"True. But the other things are reality. Even more than showers and fantastic sex."

"Fantastic? You think so?"

"Do you have ANY complaints?"

"No way!" she laughed as she began rinsing the soap suds from her body.

"Me either!"

Nancy began soaping me, running her soft hands over my shoulders. When she finished, I rinsed off, and we got out of the shower. We dried, donned our robes, and went back to her room to dress. Once we had dressed, we ate breakfast, then headed to the Quick Mart.

We had a normal shift, and when I left, I kissed Nancy 'goodbye' and promised to call her during the week.

When I arrived at the dorm, Clark, Carter, and Jason were hanging out in the common room. I needed lunch, and they had all eaten, so I ran across the street to the deli to get a sub sandwich and some chips, then came back to hang out with the guys while I ate. Marie arrived just as I finished eating. She put her stuff in her room and came back to the common room. We told the guys we were going to listen to music and went to my room.

"I bought a new album when I was home," I said. "I Love Rock 'n' Roll by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts."

"I heard that song on the radio! Awesome! Did you buy anything else?"

"My sister's Christmas present. The new ABBA album, The Visitors. I don't recognize any of the songs, but she has all their albums, so this is a perfect Christmas gift."

"That's it?"

"Sorry!" I chuckled. "I'll probably pick up the new AC/DC album with money from my extra pay at Christmas. That's what had to give way for the album for Liz for Christmas. I have to follow my music budget carefully."

I put on the album, and the title song began playing.

"Hmm," Marie smirked. "The music causes her to want to screw the guy!"

"I think I could find some other music like that in my collection!" I chuckled. "Barry White seems to be popular! Though I guess some girls like Air Supply."

"You heard the line in Urgent, by Foreigner, right? I'm not looking for a love that will last/I know what I need and I need it fast."

"Roberta Flack, in I Feel Like Makin' Love: When you talk to me, when you're moanin' sweet & low/When you're touchin' me and my feelin's start to show."

"Slow Hand by the Pointer Sisters," Marie smirked. "I want a lover with an easy touch/I want somebody who will spend some time/Not come and go in a heated rush."

"Afternoon Delight," I said with a grin. "By Starland Vocal Band: Rubbin' sticks and stones together makes the sparks ignite/And the thought of rubbin' you is getting so exciting."

"Do That To Me One More Time by Captain & Tennille: Do that to me one more time/Once is never enough with a man like you."

"I think the best, or worst depending on how you look at it, has to be Tonight's The Night by Rod Stewart: You'd be a fool to stop this tide/Spread your wings and let me come inside."

"Yeah, that's pretty damned obvious!" Marie laughed. "Although one radio station in Cincinnati won't play that new Olivia Newton-John song, Physical, because of the lines Let me hear your body talk! and There's nothing left to talk about unless it's horizontally."

"People need to get a grip," I observed.

"Cincinnati is really big on censorship. What are we doing for the rest of the day?"

"I didn't really have a plan. We'll need dinner at some point, but otherwise, I just planned to hang out, relax, and listen to music."

"How about that shower I offered?" Marie asked with an impish smile.

"There are way too many people around!" I chuckled.

"Not at 2:00am!"

"If we were to get caught, I guarantee you Dean Parker would do her best to have me expelled."

"That lezzy bitch? I had a run-in with her, too!"

"Over what?" I asked.

"I wrote an alternative view of 'Nora' in A Doll's House. I didn't toe the feminist line. I said she couldn't be a hero if she left her husband and children. Maybe a tragic figure, but abandoning your kids? No way. If you look at the things she did, like the forgery, plus her lying to her husband, she's actually a really lousy example to hold up for feminism!

"I quoted Strindberg's criticism of the play in support of my position. My professor had a fit and gave me a lower grade. I protested to the department chair, and he instructed my professor to regrade my paper based on my logic and cited sources, not on her opinion of my opinion. The prof ran to Dean Parker, and she and the prof browbeat the department chair into submission.

"What really stinks is that Dean Parker's and my professor's version of 'feminism' is going to create bigger problems than it solves. Men and women ARE different, and we should celebrate the differences without discriminating. Quotas or other special privileges don't help me any more than they would help Clark, Carter, or Larry. You'd always be that guy or girl who was promoted or got a position because you were a woman or black. That's the LAST thing we need."

"I tend to agree. So now what?"

"I simply parroted the pseudo-feminist bullshit from my professor after that and will for the remaining two weeks of the semester. I'll do my best to avoid her, and I should be able to; she only teaches Freshman courses. I showed the paper to my history professor, and he felt it was worthy of at least a B+. I received a C-."

"I hate to say it, but she and a few others hold the keys to our future. And they can ruin our lives without us being able to do much about it. It stinks, but at this point, I'm going to do my best to avoid getting on anyone's bad side."

"Which means they win," Marie said. "They control us by threatening us."

I shrugged, "We want something they control. That means they get to set the rules. My life is going to be like that until I have my license, and even then, somebody else gets to make the rules I'll have to follow. That's true in every part of our lives, really. It's the price we pay for civilization. Is it too high? Maybe. But you have to find the balance between anarchy and totalitarianism."

"Don't you think we've given up too much freedom?"

"I have no idea. I'm in no position to judge. Ask me when I get to be a real adult instead of just pretending to be one here at college. Right now, my toughest decisions are what time to get up and how long to study before a test. Not exactly earth-shattering choices!"

"Those are your toughest decisions?"

"I'm exaggerating a bit, obviously. I don't mean any disrespect, but your parents are paying for college for you, plus giving you spending money. Your courses, minus a few electives, are pretty well dictated by your choice of being an English Lit major and wanting to teach High School. So, what's your toughest decision? Vanilla or chocolate at Verner's?"

Marie laughed, "I see your point. I really DON'T have tough decisions to make right now. I suppose the most difficult one was which guy I would want to sleep with."

"And how did you reach that conclusion?"

"Eliminate the dweebs, potheads, alkies, nerds, geeks, and the ones who are way out of shape. Then, go out a few times and decide I wasn't turned on by them. Then see you kiss Angie and have my brain short-circuit!"

"If you eliminated the nerds, what are you doing here with me? I'm a certified nerd, according to a licensed psychologist!"

"You kind of grew on me," she said with a smile. "And I don't mean that," she smirked, looking down at my lap. "I mean hanging out with you and Angie."

"It's not just my big music collection?"

"Oh, it's big, all right!" Marie teased. "But seriously, that was part of what got me to give you a chance. Plus, Angie having a thing for you, which meant I hung around you a lot. And besides, you don't have a pocket protector and don't have a calculator strapped to your belt like some of the engineering students!"

"There's a guy in my calculus class who's a mechanical engineering major who has a full pocket protector and a calculator on his belt. I bet he'd have a slide rule if the calculator wasn't there!"

"As I said!" she laughed.

"So let's put the shoe on the other foot," I said. "Why should I decide to sleep with you?"

"See, that question right there tells me I made a good choice! You won't just bang anything that walks by!"

"Which is an interesting observation, but not an answer."

"I don't think girls have to talk guys into going to bed with them very often!"

"Probably not."

"I'm not sure there's a good argument except to say it would be fun, and we could make each other feel really good. I guess it comes down to the fact that we're college students, and it's a normal thing to do."

"That sounds like you're saying we should do it just to do it."

"I suppose it does, doesn't it?" Marie asked.

"My fundamental question is always where to draw the line. I STILL haven't figured it out. The argument you made last weekend made sense. My views are conditioned by what happened in High School and by my church's teachings. I've come to terms with all of that, but I need to set some kind of standards. I can't afford to go crazy, and I don't want to."