1963 - Chapter 3

Pool noodles

Pool noodles

Teri and I didn't share any classes and I'd never seen her in the hallways in high school. I knew why when I found out that she'd signed up for 'adaptive training'. It was a specialized study course where university students and high school students who are planning a career in the arts worked together and shared ideas. It was a real mixed bag of a class that seemed like a great way to goof off. I wished that I'd signed up, but at the time I thought it was only for artsy kids. They often worked and learned on field trips out in the real world visiting museums, art studios, galleries, newspapers, and magazines where they interviewed artists and employees. They even had a tour of the local tv station. I was more of a shop class guy.

Today was a school holiday though so that all of the high school teachers in the district could meet and talk about whatever teachers talk about when they get together. Who cared. It was a day off, my folks were at work, my brother and sister still had school, and the weather was perfect. I had the day to myself, so I decided to call Teri and see if she wanted to come over and hang around the pool and listen to the new 'Four Seasons' record that mom had just bought. The only problem was that Jeff called and wanted to hang out too. I told him that I had other plans, but he badgered me until I told him that Teri was coming over.

"I'll bring the snacks!" He cried enthusiastically and hung up.

Not exactly what I had in mind, but I also knew that Teri wasn't a girl to make a move on right away, if ever. She would require stealth and patience. Not that I was any Romeo, but having Jeff around would only make me look better, I decided. I called to let Teri know that Jeff would be coming over as well so if she was welcome to invite a friend if it suited her.

When I told my folks that I wanted to have some friends over for lunch and a swim on the day of the teacher's conference, they acted like I was asking to have a big party or something. Both of my parents were night owls, partly because my dad was a drummer and my mom sang in the same jazz club downtown. They were both big fans of the old Elvis, but Dad wasn't impressed with the newer stuff. We had a pretty good high-fi stereo for the day, where they played Charles Mingus, Etta James, Miles Davis, and a lot of other stuff that I thought was boring.....mostly anyway.

I'd heard and seen a late-night party at our house after one of their recent gigs. Someone at the party smoked the rankest smelling cigarettes. I later figured out what that was about. Others smoked cigarettes, cigars and one guy smoked a pipe, which I loved the smell of. While lying in bed I heard them swimming in the pool so I got up looked out my bedroom window to see two women and two men splashing around and flirting with each other. I could hardly believe it when they all came out of the pool naked. They didn't even hurry to wrap themselves in towels, I saw everything! That was my first time seeing bush. The two men didn't even have erections, but I sure did.

I recalled that scene many times over the next few weeks while flogging my dolphin.

Anyway, I told my parents that it was only Jeff, Teri, and maybe a friend of Teri's who I wanted to come over. I promised that we'd clean up so there wouldn't be any mess when they got home. Mom knew Jeff and was pleased that I was including Teri in the group. Looking back, I suspect that they had a pretty good idea of the growing up I was doing and they were a little conflicted about how, or if, they could control the speed that it was happening, but in the end, decided that it all seemed pretty innocent. How much trouble could we get into in an afternoon, at home around the pool?

Mom made us a potato salad and bought some wieners and buns, and Dad showed me how to operate the BBQ. I already kinda knew, but I didn't want to screw up in front of the girls, so I let him show me again. My brother Ben was so jealous. He said that he could hardly wait until he was a teenager. Sally was only concerned about a ketchup stain on the apron of her Raggedy-Ann doll. I've always gotten along with my brother and sister for some reason. Maybe because they were so much younger and looked up to me, but I really got a kick out of them.