“I suppose they invited everyone who ever heard the names Andy Webster or Rod Littleton. I’m going to stay in the background and watch. This is the girl’s show.” He finished his drink and Benny scurried to prepare another.
“I’m with you. Hey, we still on for the morning?” We got a nine o’clock tee time.” Roy asked, wondering how many vodkas Buzz had consumed. He had seen his friend fall down drunk on occasion, and it wasn’t a pretty sight.
“Nine o’clock, right. It’s supposed to rain, but not until the afternoon. Hello, Kim, you are looking lovely tonight.”
The woman had come up behind the men. She had short red curly hair, bright green eyes, tall and thin with beautiful legs that seemed to go on forever. Kim Betone was an enigma to those associated with Tower High School. She had arrived in Radford several years before, single with one child, Zeke, who had just completed his sophomore year. Although the other mothers concerned themselves with rumors and innuendos, the fathers salivated every time she appeared at a school function.
Zeke was the next star at Tower, a quarterback that had unlimited potential, and comparisons between Andy and Zeke were quite favorable¸ except those coming from Rod and Andy. Neither boy was fond of Zeke, publicly claiming that the young athlete failed to exhibit the standards that held Tower apart from schools such as Mailer, privately being reminded of Tony whenever Zeke was around. Tony and Zeke would be the same age if Rod’s little brother had lived and both boys had envisioned a great football career for the younger Littleton. Zeke Betone was living the life that Rodney had planned for his little brother, and Rod resented the boy.
“Hi fellas, what are we drinking tonight?” she smiled, looking closely at the glasses, turning her nose up at Buzz’s cranberry concoction. “Double Bacardi and Coke, Benjamin,” she called, the bartender jumping after her order.
She sat down on the stool next to Roy, her short green skirt riding up on hips, hiked even higher as she crossed her legs.
“So, did Zeke come with you Kim, or are you flying alone?” Buzz asked, leaning over, trying to get as close to the woman as possible without seeming too obvious.
“Zeke will be along in a minute. He’s coming with a few of the other kids. So, where are the Golden Boys?” She asked. “I’m anxious to see them. Although how they turned out so good with two fathers like you two, I’ll never figure out.”
Roy turned to stare at her, saw that she was smiling with a glint in her eyes, and felt the fool for almost letting her get his goat. She ignored his look, picking up her glass and raising it in front of her.
“A toast, gentlemen: to the two finest young men I’ve ever had the privilege to know. To their eternal happiness. I only pray that my child picked up even a tiny portion of Rod and Andy’s style and class during their brief association. To your sons, gentlemen, the best of the best.”
The toast caught the men off guard, the sincerity unmistakable, and the beauty of the pledge bringing tears to both men’s eyes.
“To Andy and Rod,” Roy said. “Thank you, Kim. That was beautiful.
The three of them drank; the silence appropriate.
The first person the boys saw when they entered the Club was Mary Jane Webster, gliding around with a glass of champagne as though she owned the place. She was wearing a floor length satin gown flowing around her generous form, reminding her son of a pair of oriental pajamas more than a party dress.
“Thank God you’re here,” she squealed, “and you both look wonderful…Andrew Webster, where in heavens name are your socks,” coming out all at once while kissing her son on the cheek then Rod, careful not to mess her lipstick.
“And yours too, Rodney. People are going to wonder if maybe we’re too poor to buy you boys socks. Anyway, I’m glad the two of you are finally here. There’s quite a crowd gathering. I think your fathers are in the bar. Why don’t you go see if you can get them to come out and help me greet the guests?”
Rod and Andy walked through the main ball room, shaking hands with friends, stopping and making small talk, heading in the direction of the bar. “Hope Benny’s working,” Andy whispered.
“Yeah, me to, I can use another beer before I face this crowd,” Rod agreed, waving at Sister Bernice, Tower’s dean of students, a monster of a woman dressed in the traditional habit that was out of favor with most modern day nuns. The long black smock was dragging along the floor, a glass of Jack Daniels, straight up, grasped firmly in her huge hand.
“She should have got the football ride to IU,” Rod whispered.
“No more Sister Bernice jokes. Four years and I think I’ve heard them all. Come on, before she wants to talk,” Andy said, pulling rod into the bar, seeing Benny behind the counter, their fathers sitting with Mrs. Betone, the only three customers in the place.
“Hey dad, Mr. Littleton, Mrs. Betone,” Andy said, shaking Rod’s dad’s hand, looking at Mrs. Betone, then a wave at Benny. “Hey Benny, how you doing?”
“Hi Andy, Rod, boy it’s great to see you guys. Gonna be quite a night, huh. Can I get you guys a soft drink?” Benny asked. The look on his face was begging the boys not to give him away for selling them beers ever since they were fifteen-year-olds.
“A couple of Pepsis, Benny, thanks. How are you tonight, Mrs. Betone? Is Zeke coming?” Rod asked, not caring one bit if Zeke was going to be around, thankful his mother was here.
“I’m just fine, Rod, thanks. And I expect Zeke will be along shortly.”
“Mom said to tell you guys to get out there and meet the guests, dad,” Andy said, taking a sip of his Pepsi.
“Where’s mom, dad, I didn’t see her when we came in?” Rod asked his father.
“She had some last minute stuff at the office; she should be along any time. Come on, Buzz, let’s go meet the guests. Otherwise Mary Jane will have our scalps,” Roy said, standing and putting down his empty beer glass. “You guys coming?”
“In a second, dad, we need to talk to Benny.”
The men walked out of the bar, leaving the boys with Kim and Benny. “Come on, Rod, sit here and tell me about your college plans,” the woman said, patting the stool next to her. Rod climbed onto the seat, Andy taking the one to his left.
“Benny, give us a couple of cold ones, okay,” Andy said. Benny looked nervous, glancing from Mrs. Betone to Andy, then back at the woman.
“For God’s sake, Benny, who do you think I am the, Budweiser police? Give the boys a beer.”
“Yes ma’am, sorry, I didn’t think…never mind,” he said, opening two Buds and putting them in front of the boys, smiling at the two high school heroes, happy they were in his bar.
“So when are you leaving, Rod?” she asked, placing her hand on his arm. He noticed a large diamond on her middle finger, the light from behind the bar sparkling off the gem.
“Uh, a couple of days, I think,” the boy said, the woman’s hand seeming to burn through his shirt. He looked down at the counter, knowing he was blushing, hoping nobody else noticed.
“Well, I suppose as much as I dread it, I had better go circulate before they start calling me the town drunk, among the other names they have for me. Rod, Andy, I am happy for both of you, and proud of you. You are both fine examples for the younger kids at school. Thank you for inviting me to your party.” Her smile melted both boys who could only nod. Then she was gone, leaving behind a faint scent of Chanel, and two admiring, smitten boys.
Emily waved at the boys as she made her way through the crowd, hugging both boys. “Don’t you both look handsome tonight? I’m sure that’s not alcohol I smell on your breaths. What a scandal that would cause. I can ‘see the headlines: ‘Golden Boys tarnished by Godless alcohol at farewell party.’ Better chew another piece of gum.”
Rod chuckled at his mom’s casual attitude. Over the years Emily had become a great friend to the two, her nonchalant manner rubbing off on them.
“So, where’s your mother, Andy? She’s going to be furious with me for being late, but it couldn’t be helped. O
h, there she is, I’ll talk to you guys later. Try to stay off the sauce, okay. Bad form getting drunk when you’re the royalty. And before you leave, I want to see you both together, privately. That’s an order. Okay, here goes.” She waved, a plastic smile on her face as she turned to face Mary Jane.
9
Dark clouds were appearing in the sky, blotting out the red, August sunset, casting a dark pall on the otherwise warm and pleasant summer evening.
The full moon was slightly obscured, making the girl wonder if they were in store for a storm. Getting out of her car, Shauna’s first thought was that she hadn’t brought a jacket along in case it rained. She immediately replaced that thought with one of sheer joy, and decided that nothing short of a hurricane could break the magical spell, the beautiful dream she suddenly found herself living. She strolled, almost skipped into the Northwest Heights branch of the city library, looking around until she spotted the girl she was looking for. Gretta Hughes and Shauna Lynn Toonis were more than best friends. They kidded about being separated at birth, that they were twins living in tragic separation. Gretta and Shauna had known each other since the day Shauna’s grandmother had returned from California, the little four-year-old child in tow, a baby who had seen more of life than many adults.
Gretta, who lived next door to Gram, was sitting on her front porch when the car door opened and the pitiful little package jumped out, looked around and started trembling. The little girl wanted nothing more than to return to the project in Oakland where she had been raised, back to the noise, the arguments and fights, and the nightly gunfire. Back to her momma, her momma who had died naked, the needle still sticking out of her pathetic little arm. Her momma that Shauna had discovered when she came inside from playing, who Shauna had sat with all night, trying to get to wake up and fix something to eat, who she had held and cried for.
Gretta and Shauna had stared at each other that first morning, each keeping a safe distance across the gravel drive, each wondering what was happening, neither realizing that this was the beginning of any overpowering friendship, only that they each needed what the other had. Gretta finally walked over to the other child, took her hand and led her back to her porch. Gram had watched silently, prayerfully, whispering a silent word to her God, and then a silent thanks to Gretta, and turned and walked inside, letting nature, and her Lord take control.
The friendship had never wavered. Not when Shauna got pregnant, not when Gretta’s father was sent to prison, or any of the many other crisis’s that they had experienced. They were joined by something powerful, a friendship and love that either would die to protect.
Shauna spotted Gretta straightening books in the best seller’s section. Her friend was shorter by an inch, skinny except for her big boobs, with a high, perfectly shaped behind and long legs. She was slightly darker skinned than Shauna, and like her friend kept her hair in a short, tight afro cut. Where Shauna was an extremely pretty girl, Gretta was blossoming into a sexy, beautiful woman.
“Hey girl, get any good books in today?” Shauna whispered, trying not to disturb the patrons sitting at various tables.
“Hey Shaun, look at you, you look beautiful. Tell me, did it work, will they help?” she was talking too loud, not conscious or caring of the heads jerking up or the sour looks from the members of the matronly afternoon crowd.
“Let’s go into the office and talk,” Shauna whispered back, bursting with excitement but not wanting to get her friend in trouble. They moved into the tiny office behind the main counter, Gretta flicking on the light while Shauna closed the door behind them.
“Tell me, tell me,” Gretta cried, jumping up and down like she was that four-year-old child again. “I think I’m going to pee my pants.”
Shauna couldn’t let the suspense build any further. “You are looking at the first intern for Greenway, Short’s new college student program. Oh Gretta, they’re going to put me through school. I’m going to Crider.”
Gretta threw her arms around her friend, the tears pouring out of her eyes. “Oh honey, that company made a great decision. You’re the best. We got to go out and celebrate. Tonight’s on me…oh, God, I’m so proud of you.”
“I need to call Gram and let her know what happened. Let me use the phone, and then I’ll wait for you to get off work. I want to change clothes if we’re going out, so we got to swing by home first. How much longer before you can leave?”
10
“Hey guys,” Rod said, smiling at the three girls standing with Andy. Susie Hall, Tammy Pelfrey, and Jody Reed, friends and former St. Luke’s classmates of the boys, were standing together away from the main crowd.
“Hi Rod, how have you been?” Tammy asked, touching his arm. “I haven’t seen you all summer.” Tammy was an unusually pretty girl, long wavy black hair, a nice body and the face of an angel. And if rumors were even half-way accurate; a categorical lack of moral rectitude. The pair, Rod and Tammy, had been more-or-less permanent dates for each other’s school events for years, always on call for the other when an escort was required. The two were often seen together, but only during public or school functions, normally in formal attire. It was an arrangement Rod took for granted, one that Tammy lived for.
Rod had always enjoyed escorting her to the dances and proms, knew that they made an attractive couple as well as having a good time together. His parents liked Tammy, and the two of them got along well when they were together.
“Hi Tam, I’ve been pretty busy this summer. You’re looking nice tonight.” Taking hold of Andy’s arm, Rod pulled his friend away from the group. “I am finished with this part, way too much hero-worshipping going on. Full grown adults shouldn’t get so excited about a couple of teenage jocks. I’m getting way, way uncomfortable. We need to make a break.”
“Sounds like a plan. Let’s go grab the girls and get out of here. Tammy looks hot, and she’s been talking about you all night. Did you see Susie? She keeps getting better looking every year. I’m glad that bozo she’s dating didn’t show up.” The two boys walked back toward the girls who were still standing alone whispering.
“Hey, you guys ready to get out of here? It’s time to turn the party over to the old folks,” Andy said, noticing his mother leading the mayor around by the arm, her walk a tad jerky, the first signs of her impending intoxication. Looking at Rod and winking, he said, “I think the old people have already taken it over.”
“We got to find my mom first. We promised.”
“Right, I forgot,” Andy answered. “Will you guys wait a minute, we won’t be long?”
Emily Littleton, with the two boys in tow, checked several rooms before she found one unoccupied, leading the boys through the door and closing it behind her. She sat down in a comfortable brown leather chair and motioned the boys down on a matching divan directly across from her.
“I wanted to see you both together tonight. With all the last minute details and running around next week, I might not get the opportunity to have you alone to myself, even for just a few minutes. First of all, I don’t think I have to tell you how proud I am of each of you. There could be no mother in the entire world prouder of her two sons, and that is exactly what you both are to me, my two sons. I love you, and have been blessed to have each one of you here when I needed you. I couldn’t have survived…”
“Mom…” Rod started to interrupt, caught a wave and a sharp look from his mother, and kept his mouth shut.
“…I couldn’t have lived after Tony’s death without both of you, your strength and support. And love. And I want the both of you to know, to really understand, that it’s all right now, it’s okay. I’m okay. You will each go to college, and you will both make me even prouder of you. I know that there are wonderful, exciting times ahead for you both in the future. And I’m excited. I’m planning on sharing every one of those good times with each of you. Andy, I expect you to be the finest Naval officer in the history of the military. I will pray each and every night that we never have to find out how you per
form in a time of combat, but if you do, I will sleep much sounder knowing that one of my boys is protecting this country, and that will make me proud. I am happy for you, Andy. And Rod, my Rod, play hard, son, play your best football, and play it as long as you want. And then, when you are done playing, I expect you to become the finest physician that God ever put on this earth. I knew, way back when you were a little child that you would end up healing, that you would be called for that, for the health and well-being of others. Both of you do well. Do well for me. And neither of you worry about what’s going on back here. I’ve passed the test, I’m cool now. And I love each one of you so very, very much. You really are my two boys, you know. Here, give me a kiss and then go grab those girls before someone beats you to them.”
She held out her arms, and both boys hugged her, kissing her on the cheek, each welling up with tears.
“I love you, mom,” Rod whispered.
“Me too, Mrs. Littleton,” Andy echoed. “I love you, too.”
“I know. Now get out of here and have some fun. Don’t be out too late and be careful. Rod, wait one second.” She waved Andy out the door, remaining in the room with Rodney.
“I hope you know how proud I am of you. You mean more to me than life itself, Rodney. I don’t think I could have lived, would have wanted to live, without you. And now I want you to be successful, to do exactly what you want to do, what you need to do. And believe me, son, I won’t be far away, ever. No matter where you end up, Indiana, Harvard, Slippery Rock U, it doesn’t matter, I’ll be there. I love you, Rod. You do good…for me, and for Tony. But mainly for yourself. You deserve it.”
“Thanks, mom,” he started, tears starting down his cheeks. “I wish…I wish I could change it, change the whole damn thing…have Tony back. I’ll do well, for all of us. Like Tony would have wanted. I love you.”
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