Monday July 12, 1988
“So this Sabrina - wait, is her mom a paralegal?”
Nick had joined Deke at the pool at about the time they had switched from laps-only, as it turns out, that’s probably what keeps Deke so spry as he pushes sixty. This is the first he’d been here this year, and not much before that. Pools reminded him too much of two rough goes of lessons at the Y, which, probably would have gone much better if not in a group setting.
“I think so. She was my lab partner, and, a year ahead of me, not expecting much.”
“I might just know her then, she’s quite a young lady, and she called your sorry butt?”
“Yeah but so do the annoying ones.”
Deke shakes his head and looks around, grinning, “Nicky is there any hope for you?”
“It’s just not a priority.”
“Well your grades are good, right?”
“Yeah pulled ‘em up some after last fall’s adventure.”
“Sounds like a fresh start.”
Nick pauses. “I’m trying to think of it that way. Besides, you’re not married.”
“Well, true, never had good luck in that department, which is why I always ask.”
“You and everyone else.” Nick really wanted to change the subject. “So you’re more retired now?”
“Yeah, gradually take on fewer cases, let the juniors get their feet wet - hey, no pun intended <laughs while kicking up a splash>...but yeah, trying to coach ‘em and work myself out of a job, well, it means a lot, you know this firm, to honor what Lew started since I’m the only original partner left.”
“I don’t think I could be a lawyer.”
This gets a dirty look. “WHAT? Sure ya could, just pay attention to details, like you do with those circuits and shit.”
“But you have to deal with people and their problems.”
“Nicky a problem is a problem, that’s life.”
“I like my wires, thank you very much.”
Deke grins and looks on, “You still thinking of the program out at campus, like your daddy’s line of work?”
“Yeah I’d like to be out there, hell I’d go now if they let me.”
“High school can get old, for a THINKER, that’s what you are my man, you THINK too damn much!”
“You think so?”
Deke explodes into laughter and shakes his head. “So what you been up to this summer then, besides hidin’ in the AC? Son you are PALE.”
“We went camping on the fourth, and Tim just went to basic.”
“Oh wow, Army?”
“Yeah, Dad was Navy but he doesn’t like to talk about it.”
“I can understand it, I was just glad to get through law school with the Navy, did I ever tell you about it?”
“Yeah a while back, over iced tea.”
“Ahh good, well, as the church folk say, the Lord works in mysterious ways, guess that’s true no matter your beliefs.”
Nick ponders a second, “Yeah seems like it.”
“Well, young, man, think I’ll put some work clothes on and check up on the young'uns at the office. You gonna get your head wet at least?”
“Yeah I think so, at least I won’t look like a creep sittin’ here.”
“Just try not to make any dates,” Deke laughs maniacally while rubbing Nick’s head.
“Yeah yeah, have fun Deke”
“Keep in touch dude, “ as he gathers up his towel and bag.
“See ya.”
Nick takes a deep breath and looks around, not very crowded, mostly little kids splashing around in their arm floaties. He slips into the water at the four-foot level, holds his nose and braves a head dunk as a way to redeem those lessons at the Y. Deke was right, this heat has kept him pretty alabaster white and the sun is just now rising over the trees.
He’s hoping to stay out of the house for a while. Irene has been tutoring piano for a Geena Fawkes, who graduated the year ahead of Tim. She’s back from college for the summer and wanting to accompany worship and children’s programs. This kind of outlook, paired with her gentle nature and non-threatening good looks, makes for a very uncomfortable situation, and not for any reason Nick can put a finger on.
Nevertheless, it was good to vocalize the notion of starting over this year. To some degree that applies to this calendar year, but now with the upstairs to himself, hell, it may even be possible to feel more human.
Floating around in this water helps, just the right temp, usually just bends his knees and starts a doggie paddle of sorts, too bad he doesn’t have something with buoyancy. Maybe one of the moms brought extra arm floaties.
After about, who knows, fifteen minutes, some loud junior high dipshits show up and spoil the scene, so he climbs out the nearest ladder, towels off, slips on his Nikes and t-shirt and heads to his bike. The combo lock is finicky as always but gets it loose from the rack and heads off as he came, with a towel draped across his neck. Before leaving the lot he spots, as luck would have it, a car full of four coeds from the upcoming senior class that will improve the scenery of the pool by a million percent, but...yeah.
It’s only a few blocks home and there’s no extra car in the drive, so he goes right in.
“Did you have a good talk with Henry?”
“Yeah, he busted my chops around.”
“Well good, it builds character. Oh, Gena asked about you, she says you could probably go out with her and some friends if you wanted.”
Nick just looks off to the side.
“I know, you would probably get bored. I just wish you could get out of the house more like that.”
“I’m probably going to the library before it gets hot.”
“Well that’s a start at least. Oh I just cut up some watermelon, Gena had some.”
Nick grimaces, hadn’t yet developed a taste for it.
“Well it’s there if you want some with lunch, plenty of dogs left from the weekend too.”
“That works.” Research has shown that leftover semi-burnt weenies are a delicacy when nuked for 60 seconds on half power, if you start with it in an equally cold bun with a cold slice of cheese. Also makes for a great Zappa album that Nick has yet to check out from the liberry.
Nick changed out of his nearly-dry trunks and hit the bike again, enjoyed some late morning summer and was glad for the rack and tote he’d rigged up to haul LPs. He’s in luck. They had just gotten in Yes’ release from last year, Big Generator, and he even grabbed the well-worn Pink Floyd reboot. To complete the trifecta there’s a Robert Plant solo he hadn’t heard yet. Metal had lost it’s shine in recent months, especially after visiting the plant where a younger engineer near his dad’s office was playing some recent King Crimson at low volume. Sometimes, he realized, there’s things to be said about a level of sophistication.