Chapter 18: From the Beach to the Mountains

June 8, 1981

Bright and early on this Monday morning, four people were packed into one car, heading for the beach.

But that was the only similarity to last summer's beach excursion.

The four people were Dave, Eileen, Evie, and myself. The car was mine and not my mother's. And the purpose of the trip, at least nominally, was to celebrate the graduation of three of us. Since we'd effectively been blackballed from any graduation parties, this would have to suffice.

But really, I didn't care about that. I was just looking forward to getting away for a day with three of the people closest to me.

Come to think of it, I guess there was another thing this trip had in common with the other. During the drive, we cranked up the radio, and took turns belting out tunes, while Dave once again drummed out the rhythm on the head rest. But this time, we had three talented singers in the car. Evie, Eileen, and I took turns singing, sometimes two of us singing at once, sometimes all three. We tried to get Dave to lend some vocal support, but as always, he steadfastly refused.

"I'm a drummer, period," he declared with a grin. "I don't sing."

There were still a couple of weeks before the start of the peak summer season. As a result, I managed to find a parking spot along the street, less than a block from the beach. We'd be feeding coins into the parking meter for the rest of the day, but the convenience was worth it. I popped the trunk, and out came the cooler, packed this time with nothing but ice, sodas, and sandwiches. Dave had made no move of any kind to bring beer. Incredible.

We pitched our blanket on the sand, and out came the sunscreen. I still felt a little uneasy about Dave and Eileen showing interest in one another, so I tried not to notice as they rubbed lotion over each other. Evie did the same for me. But it was clear that, in this case, there would be no need for me to reciprocate.

That could have been a little awkward, I suppose. But as was our habit, we quickly turned it into a lighthearted moment that had everyone laughing.

"I guess I won't get the pleasure of rubbing lotion all over your skin," I said, pretending to pout.

Evie put her hands on her hips and frowned in mock displeasure.

"I demand equal treatment," she said, her tongue planted firmly in her cheek. "Come on, white boy. Lay those hands on me. Put that cream on me, and rub me down good."

I looked at Dave, who was ready to bust out laughing. I just shrugged, appearing to act nonchalant.

"Okay, hon, if you say so," I said to Evie, squirting out a huge glob of lotion onto her back, and starting to rub it in. Dave and Eileen were cracking up. We even drew chuckles from a few passersby.

I continued to rub her down, just for the enjoyment of putting my hands on her. I'd never gone to the beach with Evie, not once. I'd never had the pleasure of seeing her in a bikini. She was short in stature, but had a very well-proportioned body, and was definitely turning some heads. Once again, I was seeing her as I'd never before seen her.

Dave and Eileen expressed an interest in taking a walk upon the boardwalk; just like that, they were on their way. I couldn't get over the change in Dave when my sister was around. Although his wacky personality remained the same, his bad habits seemed to disappear.

"What's up with those two?" Evie inquired, seemingly reading my mind. "I'm having a hard time reading them. I don't know if they're friends with little crushes on each other, or whether it's something more serious."

"I have no idea. I know that they spend a lot of time on the phone with each other. I also know that they went together to the movies last week. But beyond that? I'm a little bit hesitant to bring anything up with either of them. I don't want to appear to be trying to come between them."

"Eileen is your sister," Evie pointed out. "Why don't you bring it up with her first? There's nothing wrong with being a concerned big brother. Just ask her what's going on, that's all."

Problem is, I'm still new at this big brother stuff, I thought.

"I will," was what I said out loud, "the first chance I get."

Then, we got to talking. Talking was the thing that Evie and I did better than anything else. We talked about Dave, about Eileen, about college in the near future, about politics, religion, sports, in short, everything. And as we conversed, we gradually moved into a reclining position on the blanket, and snuggled up close. At one point, alas, we were rudely interrupted. It was the same thing all over again.

"Hey buddy," some jackass called out, from not too far away, "got a thing for dark meat?"

A few weeks ago, I would have risen up angrily, attempting to identify the douchebag so that I could confront him. Now, I just shook my head in resignation, and looked into Evie's eyes.

"It's always like this, isn't it?"

"It is," she replied softly. "Best to just ignore the idiots."

We chatted some more, as she repositioned herself to be almost lying directly on top of me, her head on my chest.

"I was just thinking about something," she said vaguely.

"What's that?"

"It's amazing how quickly we got to know each other in such an intimate and personal way." She lifted up her head, her eyes boring into mine. "Right from the beginning, I felt like you knew me almost better than I knew myself."

I felt a little uneasy.

"We just think alike, very much alike, that's all," I replied.

She continued to gaze at me piercingly. An affectionate smile crossed her face. And she made a remark, innocent though it was, that nonetheless sent a shiver down my spine.

"It's almost like we knew each other in a previous life."

I didn't want to comment on that. She playfully rubbed my chest with her hand, as if she was clearing away debris of some kind, and gently put her head down. My mind wandered a bit, and next thing I knew, she'd fallen asleep on top of me. Her rhythmic breathing had a lullaby effect on me as well. Despite the bright sun beating down on the both of us, I too was soon lost in dreamland.

I don't know how long we were out, but we were awakened by a very familiar voice.

"Hey, look at the lovebirds!" Dave bellowed. "Do I need to find a crowbar to pry you two apart?"

Eileen was nearby, carrying a large stuffed bear, which Dave had apparently won for her in one of those omnipresent boardwalk game stands designed to separate beach-goers from their money.

Evie and I stood up sheepishly. We had to make a quick run back to the car for two reasons: to drop a few more coins in the meter, and to leave Eileen's bear inside the car.

The rest of the day was spent in the pursuit of old-fashioned, enjoyable simple pleasures. The four of us went for a dip in the ocean, despite the cold water temperatures typical of this time of year. When we re-emerged, it was late afternoon, so we broke camp on the beach, and headed for the boardwalk. There we stayed until well after darkness fell. We pigged out on pizza and french fries. Dave kicked our butts in miniature golf, and spent the rest of the evening crowing about it.

The trip back home was once again full of musical entertainment. How could it be otherwise, with four musicians in the car? Dave asked to be dropped off at home first, which I initially thought a bit strange, but also a bit telling. He exchanged no departing kiss with my sister, although they said goodnight to each other in a friendly manner. And Dave, unlike last time, walked up to his front door clear of mind and steady of gait. That development had me as pleased as anything else that had happened that day.

I swung by our house next, to drop off Eileen. She'd had a wonderful time and was in an upbeat mood. Evie and I went inside for a few minutes as well. Of course, I needed to give Evie a lift home, and soon, we were on our way.

"Do you have any more theories about Dave and your sister?" a curious Evie asked as soon as we shut the car doors. "Still nothing but mixed signals from them. They're sure fixated on one another, but they seem to avoid public displays of affection."

"I don't know squat," I laughed. "But I'll talk to Eileen tomorrow, and get to the bottom of it."

We didn't go straight to Evie's house. We took a little side trip on the way.

I drove up that same little dirt road we'd taken on graduation night. There would be no midnight picnic this time. Instead, we opted to break in the back seat of my car. The compact Datsun was quite cramped in back. Fortunately, Evie's diminutive stature permitted us to get creative.

I kind of half sat, half laid down on the seat, my back slumped up against the door. She mounted me cowgirl style, leaning forward a little to keep her head from hitting the ceiling. It was plenty comfortable enough to do the trick for both of us.

"What we did on graduation night was extra special," a glowing Evie remarked as we drove off. "But there's a lot to be said for quickies in the back seat, too."

I smiled in complete agreement.

June 9, 1981

Shortly after breakfast, I knocked on my sister's bedroom door. She told me to come right in. Her body language told me that she was fully expecting me to broach a certain subject.

"If you think I'm prying, feel free to tell me to get lost," I began. "But I was just wondering what's up with you and Dave. I'm going nuts trying to figure it out. And I've been reluctant to bring it up, because you're my sister, he's my friend, and I don't want either of you to think I'm going behind your back."

"You haven't talked to Dave about this? Not at all?" Eileen queried, seemingly a bit surprised that I hadn't.

"Nope. I figured I'd talk to you first, since you're flesh and blood," I grinned.

She seemed to be touched, and opened right up to me.

"When we went up on the boardwalk yesterday, just Dave and I," she shared, "I had a talk with him. I told him I just wanted to be friends. Thing is, I do like him a lot. He's good looking, he's funny, he's smart, he's nice, and he treats me wonderfully. I'll always remember prom night. But he's going away to college in a few months. I still have two more years of high school. A relationship would be really hard, and I don't think I'm up for that."

"Wow," I replied, impressed by Eileen's handle on the entire situation. "What did he say about that?"

"He pretty much agreed with me. Turns out, according to him, the same thing was going through his mind. I just happened to be the one to bring it up first."

"How are you taking it? Are you okay?" The protective big brother in me was coming out in full force.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she smiled. "Don't worry about me. It's for the best. I know that."

She'd really grown up a lot over the past several months.

"Mind if I give Dave a call, just to make sure he's cool?" I said.

"Sure. Please do. He's your friend, right?"

"But you're my sister," I pointed out, "and that takes precedence. If you need to talk, I'm right down the hall."

"Thanks, Pat. I'll keep that in mind."

An hour or so later, I picked up the downstairs phone and called Dave. He, likewise, appeared none too surprised to be receiving this phone call.

"Yeah, it's true, buddy," he verified, after I told him about the conversation I'd had with Eileen. "Your sister's a really cool girl. For one thing, she laughs at all my jokes, and puts up with my shit. But with me going to college in September, it's better if we don't get attached to each other. You're down with this, aren't you? You aren't pissed?"

"Why would I be pissed?" I laughed. "The two of you made a decision. Not that it's any of my business, but if you asked me, I'd probably agree that it's the right one."

"Tell me the truth," Dave pressed. "What did you really think about me dating your sister?"

"From the beginning, my attitude was that unless one of you was hurting the other in some way, I needed to stay out of it. Hopefully, I did that."

"You did, dude. Mucho respect to you for that. Oh, by the way. Guess what I heard?"

"What?"

"There's a keg party down by the creek next Friday. You there?"

All of a sudden, I felt like banging my head against the wall in frustration.

Next, I called Evie, and filled her in on the developments.

"It's hard to believe Eileen just finished tenth grade," Evie commented. "That's one self-aware sister you've got there."

"You can say that again."

"But they'll both be okay with this," Evie reassured me. "They are, already. They had that talk while you and I were asleep on the blanket, remember? Did either of them seem upset afterward?"

"Not at all," I allowed. "Both of them had a great time. You could see it."

"So let's stop worrying about Dave and Eileen. They're fine."

I then told her about Dave's keg party remark.

"Umm... that, we need to worry about."

June 11, 1981

I celebrated the one-year anniversary of my return to teenager status by engaging in some private information gathering aimed at bettering this life in the future. A reconnaissance mission, if you will.

I had resumed work at the restaurant the previous day. They had me scheduled for four eight-hour shifts a week, so I'd be fairly busy this summer. Today, my shift ended at ten o'clock in the evening. Since I now had my own car, I was able to drive myself to and from work. After punching out, I jumped in my car and sped off.

My destination: The home of my friend in the other life, Paul Li.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I wasn't about to knock on his door and say hello. But I recalled that in the other life, Paul and his family had left for a long, two-week vacation in New England right after graduation. If things were the same this time around – and that was a big if – Paul's house would be vacant right now. That, along with the cover of darkness, would afford me the opportunity to glean some information about Paul's life in this timeline. I'd wanted to do something like this ever since that day at the library several months ago, but was thwarted by the lack of my own source of transportation. Now, with a car at my disposal, I finally had the capability to carry out this little operation.

Despite the darkness, I was awash with memories once I turned onto Paul's street. Just like that day when I'd visited Dave's house for the first time, in my mind I was transported back to my childhood in the other life. And there it was: Paul's house. How many times had I been inside it in the other timeline? It was too dark to get a good view of the property; I made a note to swing by again during daylight hours, just for fun. But I was able to see enough to verify that this was, in fact, the home of the Li family.

I parked my car nearby, and crept toward the house to take a closer look. It was obvious that no one was home; supporting but not confirming the notion that they were away on vacation. All the lights in the house were turned off; the blackness of night reigned over the property. A single car was in the driveway. As I moved closer, I confirmed its identity: a red Toyota belonging to Paul's mom. I remembered it from the other life. I recalled that their other car was a large station wagon; presumably, they were using that as transportation while on vacation. Everything added up – so far.

I was about to begin the most critical part of this project. I needed to be careful; I could get in big trouble if either the neighbors or the cops spotted me. And that wouldn't do me any good at all.

Removing a small miniature flashlight from my pocket, I walked up to their mail box, which was located at the end of the driveway. I prayed that Paul's parents had not notified the mail carrier that they were going away, telling him to hold their mail at the post office till they got back.

I moved as quickly as possible. I turned on the flashlight and opened the mail box. I was delighted to see it stuffed to the max with letters and such. They were, indeed, away on vacation! Just like the other time.

Turning off the light, I removed all of the mail, and retreated to my car. I felt a little guilty for engaging in this spy-like activity; this was, after all, the property of a former (and hopefully future) good friend of mine. But I rationalized it by telling myself that it was for the long-term good of all concerned.

I fired up the ignition and drove over to the next block. I parked along the street, and turned on the overhead interior light. Then, I thumbed my way through the mail. Most of the letters, magazines, circulars, and the like were addressed to Paul's parents. And then, I found the single item that made this entire undertaking worthwhile. It was a letter with the Rutgers University insignia at the upper left, with "Admissions Department" typed below it. The address read, "Paul Li, Class of '85." I'd gotten the same letter myself a few days ago; it contained information about freshman orientation.

There! I now had proof that Paul would be attending Rutgers in this life as well.

I returned to the Li residence and carefully stuffed everything back into the mail box, just as I'd found it. I set out for home, satisfied that my little side trip had been as productive as I could have expected.

After a year, I still had much to learn about my unique time-travel situation. But there were a few things that could almost be taken as fact. More and more, it was appearing that all events outside the O'Malley sphere of influence remained the same in both timelines. By now, I felt that was a given. Everything that had happened over the past year supported this, including (and especially) the World Series incident last October. Regarding Paul, the only different aspect for him in this timeline was my absence. But even something as minor as that might have far-reaching effects. For example, he'd never met Dave in this life either, at least not yet. The first time, he'd met Dave through me during senior year in high school. Would those changes be enough to induce him to attend a different university? You wouldn't think so, but who knows? Regardless, I now had definitive proof that they hadn't.