With a mouthful of delicious ice cream, I spoke, "Agreed."
Agreeing to Dad telling me I should wait until I'm older before I get married.
He then reached over to hug me. After dessert we got Jade's meal to go in a white stapled paper bag and and Dad drove us back home.
Back home there was a message on Dad's answering machine. He listened. I could make out what sounded like a lot of people talking for a few seconds, then silence.
Dad surprised me though. He wrote down the number from his Caller ID and kept it close to the phone.
"In case they call back."
Dad then said, "Time for bed. You've got school tomorrow. Also I want to have a chance to talk with your principal about the possibility of getting you tested for a GED. I am so proud of you, Andrew !"
My face pinked up in the flattering remarks. But yeah I took a quick bath, went to my rooms. Messed with some of my metal figures for a few minutes then started to dress down my bed.
Dad came in, turned out the lights so only the hall light could be seen and knelt by the bed, waiting for me.
"Hail Mary." I spoke quietly, already tucked into bed.
"Full of grace." he continued, staying in a kneeling position.
We did this every night and I suspect no matter how old I would become we would continue to do so as long as I lived under his roof.
"The Lord is with thee." I said.
"Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." I was glad he had this difficult part as despite how many years we said this prayer, that was a lot of words right there.
"Holy Mary." I spoke in reply.
"Mother of God." he said.
"Pray for our sinners." my last line.
"Now and at the hour of our death." Dad concluded.
We both said Amen at the same time. He kissed me on the forehead and smiled, "Pleasant dreams, Andrew. I will see you in the morning."
And then he left the door open with the light from the hall shining. He went to his bedroom adjacent and turned off his main lights but turned on a reading light.
I heard him fumble around in the shelf by his bed where he had some books.
Finally I fell asleep.
I was only asleep for a few hours I think when Dad's phone rang. I looked to my alarm clock and it was 3 in the morning !
Dad picked up the phone. I bounced out of bed curious to know who could possibly be calling so late.
I heard Dad on the phone, not happy.
"You called earlier today, how may I help you ?"
"Yes, he's here, but sleeping."
I poked my head through the door, curious.
Dad sighed, "Yes, he's up now. You woke him. Here - " and Dad handed me a phone while he picked up a 2nd line he also carried in his bedroom just for such occasions.
I never did mind but Dad really did have his mitts on any conversation I ever had on the phone. Outside of the secrecy I held on the BBS Matchmaker with Wayne, any phone conversations Dad could always listen in on.
"Hello ?" I asked.
Then I heard Jade's voice but she sounded, well, slurred or sloshed I guess for lack of a better word.
"Hey, Davey ! How ya doin' boy ?"
"Fine, I think. Look it's late. Can't you call tomorrow ?"
"Uhh, no. No I can't. Look - " and she laughed at something I clearly did not see, "Look - " she started again, "In case you can't tell I'm drunk and I need a ride home."
"So you wanna be a real angel and come pick me up to take me home ?"
I had an easy answer, "Jade, I don't drive, you know that."
"Well take your Dad's speederootie aight ?"
I looked to Dad and he shook his head. On his end of the receiver he spoke, "Just a minute, miss." Then to me, "Andrew, I'll handle this. You go back to bed. You've got school tomorrow."
I did, but as I was leaving Dad spoke in that 'special' tone reserved for anyone younger than him or at least in acting younger than him.
"Listen here, missy. I don't know what you think my son owes you but if you're drunk and disorderly that's your own problem. I won't have you interfering with my son on a school night - do I make myself perfectly clear ?"
I was already out the door and back into my bed and he never did put the phone on speaker so I had no idea what her reply was.
But I was tired. I slept until morning. Dad woke me with a big smile. "Rise and shine ! Don't wanna be late for school !"
I put my backpack together and laced my schoolbooks inside with a belt. I had a selection of pencils in this one drawer near my closet. I picked out a couple of sharp ones, a few pens, some clean paper.
And then went to the kitchen. Dad had already prepared my lunch. A bologna sandwich with mayo and extra lettuce. A fresh orange, a bag of regular potato chips and a chocolate twinkie.
I shoved this to the top of my backpack so it wouldn't get smushed on the way over.
* * *
"I'm off !" I told him. Dad waved me away as I sailed my bicycle down the road to AHHS. Some might say that was a bit of distance for someone to be bicycling but if you do it every day, you actually get quite good at it.
And I always gave myself 45-minutes to get there just in case a problem arose.
As it was I got to school early and there was no problem. I holed up in the library checking my homework and all to make sure I was ready for my classes. And the day passed uneventfully.
Bicycling back home I got back to Dad's who was preparing something 'special' for dinner. I had already done my homework which most of it I would do in the school library.
So after parking my bicycle and locking up the garage I immediately went to Matchmaker to see what activity had occurred while I was at school.
Aside from Wayne writing me and saying that this week we were supposed to get together, Jade also wrote me.
"Look, David. I'm not mad at you. It's clear you have a very protective Father. But I want to talk to you again, and I don't mean here. It's pretty obvious your home phone is bugged by Pops. Next time you're at school, call me there, I know there's a pay phone you can find, bye !"
The special meal was homemade meatloaf, definitely not my favorite as Dad rarely seasoned any of the meat properly.
So, yeah, the next day was like the last, prayers, bed, this time no late night phone calls, morning, getting my schoolbooks together, lunch and all, and I was at school.
This time though for lunch instead of holing up in the library I went outside where recess was. Wow things had changed. Not only could you easily see kids smoking marijuana but to the side were people exchanging drugs and needling themselves with injections besides.
And yes I stuck out like a sore thumb. Someone yelled at me about 10-feet away, "What the hell are you doing out here !? You some kinna snitch or something !?" and he pulled out a switchblade knife to point at me !
"I'm looking for a payphone." I told him sincerely, certainly glad I had a real reason to be out here.
He smiled twirling the knife, "Yeah, what for ?"
"To call my girlfriend." I told him.
He laughed closing the blade up and put it back in his torn pants pocket. "Sure enough. There's one right there across the street. Knock yourself out, kiddo."
And yes across the street from the school was a familiar phone booth. I had Jade's phone number. I went right there and called.
"You wanna die, punk !?" she shrieked into the phone and I heard two other girls giggling in the background.
"What ?" I said.
Her tone changed, "Hey, Davey, is that you ?"
I nodded and realized how silly it was as she couldn't see me, "Yeah, I mean, yes, it's me."
She grinned though I couldn't see it, "Sorry 'bout that. I didn't recognize the number. Thought it was some weirdo or something. Just you, huh ?"
I nodded. "Yes, just me. You said - you wanted to talk or something, but not on the board or at home ?" I could still hear two other girls whispering like mad in the background.
Then I heard the sound on the phone speaker change as Jade must've covered it over. She yelled, "Shut up you two or this ain't gonna work !"
Then it was quiet. She resumed, "Yeah I've got a few of my friends over here, they're crazy you know. You know you blew it right. You're not marrying material. Sorry."
"Seems so." I said, really not eager to marry anyone as young as I was.
"Too bad for you, huh ? But hey, you can still be my 'special friend.' " and she said that with a twinge of sarcasm in her voice and I could hear the other two girls repeat the last two words with an even more sarcastic voice.
"Special friend ?" I asked. I heard the other two girls giggling and Jade hissing to keep them quiet.
"What do you mean - special friend ?" I asked again.
"Special - you know, a friend with benefits."
"What kind of benefits ?" I asked innocently enough.
The other two girls exploded in laughter now, apparently able to hear what I was saying. Janet cupped the phone again and yelled, "Shut the hell up or out you go, what's it gonna be ladies !?"
Then it was perfectly quiet. She returned on the phone and spoke sweet and syrupy, "Yeah, what kinna benefits do you think they are, Davey ?"
I had to think about it for a moment, "Umm ... We can play on the Nintendo, right ?"
She agreed to that, "Yeah, that kinna special friend. We can still go out to eat too if you like so - we gotta date or something ?"
I nodded, "Sure - and - you're not sore about me not picking you up to take you home when you needed a ride ?"
"Oh naaaw, that's fine. I didn't know your Pop was such a square. Ain't your fault, don't want you having a beef with 'im. This weekend then ?"
I was supposed to see Wayne. "Can't be this weekend."
"Next weekend then." She sure seemed agreeable.
"Fine." I said.
"Good. I'll pick you up usual place and we'll have LOTS of fun." The two girls in the background couldn't hold their voices now and were all making silly whooping noises.
I listened to see if there was any more to it than that. "Bye now - 'friend ! ' " and then it sounded like a bunch of static as she was clearly arm wrestling with her friends now to hang the phone up.
As I was pondering this turn of events in wake of the dial tone, the 1st bell for the end of lunch rang and I ran back across the street to continue my classes.
Back home I wrote Wayne and told him yeah everything is good I will see him this weekend.
But what was I going to tell Dad now to get out of the house when I clearly must be grounded ?
END
OF CHAPTER 25
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CHAPTER 25 -
"Drunk And Disorderly"
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