I walked into the kitchen where Susan was looking through some bills at the kitchen
table. The committee meeting had me doubting my knowledge of statistics and I definitely had
some homework to do before the next meeting. This committee could open many doors for my
career, so I had to keep pace with its members.
“Hey, how was the legendary Dave Clark tonight? That wasn't a real long meeting.”
Susan took a glance at her watch which showed 7:40pm. Tom's friend, Luke, was having
a party to which Tom and Charlie could walk to Luke's house. We figured the danger of drinking
and driving could be a lot higher. Tom was upstairs on the phone.
“Well, it was pretty much a yawner, but I do need to brush up on my statistics
knowledge.”
“And I suppose you can't discuss the committee and all of the fun details, right?”
I sat down next to Susan on the couch, letting out a big exhale.
“Probably not a good idea, sweetie.”
“Did Dave behave himself?”
“Yeah, and he introduced to most of the committee. That is a group of powerful folks in
the medical community, I'll tell you. It's just kinda weird, I'm just a run of the mill doctor and to be appointed to a committee of medical stars…it's feels weird, you know?”
“I'll bet – but don't let them look down at you. You, sir, are a fine doctor. Don't ever
forget that.”
Tom came barreling down the stairs.
“Hey, Dad. What's up? Uh, Mom? I'm going over to Charlie's house before the party.”
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He grabbed a Ho-Ho out from the kitchen closet and ran out of the house. Susan ran after
him to remind him of the curfew – 11pm.
“I really don't want that boy to get his license. Can't he just stay sixteen forever?” Susan
said as she walked back into the house,
“I hear they're a lot nicer after college, though.”
That was what families with kids a few years older than Tom had told Susan and me.
The phone rang.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Oh hi, Mr. Johnson. This is Ashley. Is Tom there by any chance?”
“Ashley, I'm sorry…you just missed him.”
“Did he say where he was going?”
I wanted to ask her why she didn't know this. High school parties tend to be well
advertised among the cool kids and, as far as I was aware, Ashley was Tom's girlfriend.
“A party at Luke's house, but why….”
“Thanks, Mr. Johnson. Have a great night.”
Ashley hung up the phone and I grabbed the phone book.
Looking up the number for Luke's house, I began dialing.
“Hello?” answered a female voice.
Luke had two brothers.
“Uh, Amy?”
Amy was Luke's mother.
“Yes?”
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“Hi, it's Nick Johnson. Tom was heading over to your house with Charlie. Can you have
Tom call me when he arrives?”
A pause on the line was interrupted by Amy shouting to her husband.
“Honey, where did Luke say he was going tonight?”
Amy returned to the line. “Hey, Nick, I think they're pulling a fast one on all of us. Luke
told us he was going to a hockey game.”
My pulse raced to unhealthy levels.
“Well, we were told there was a party over at your house tonight.”
“Oh, brother…we just gave Luke a cell phone, but I see it sitting on the counter.”
“Okay, Amy? We'll let you know what we find out.”
I hung up the phone and ran upstairs to Susan.
“So…no party at Luke's house, huh?” Susan was sitting on our bed filing through some
paper work.
I sat on the bed with her, thinking it was time to wash our sheets. My pillow case was
starting to stink a tad.
“Do we get in the car and start hunting them down?” I asked.
“I'll get the torch and pitchforks.”
“Funny.”
“Alright…I'll give Leslie a call and see if she can make any sense of all of this,” Susan
asserted.
Leslie was Charlie's mother.
“Why would he lie to us about what he was doing tonight?” I asked my wife. “We're
pretty flexible, aren't we?”
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“It's that age, I think. We're the enemy.”
I gave Susan a hug. “And you want to keep him at this age forever?”
*****
Mrs. Yin and Mr.Yang - that was the label that I attached to my folks during my HighSchool years in the early 1970's.
“Be a fountain, not a drain.” This was a favorite expression of my mother, Janet.
To which my father, Lawrence, would always reply, “The world will kick you in the teeth
if you think like your mother!”
Dad pissed off a multitude of human beings during his walk on this earth. This was true.
It was also true that I loved the man dearly.
We lived in Chatham, N.J., in a stone Tudor on Washington Boulevard. Dad rose to the
top of a prominent New York law firm and trampled many peers in the process. He specialized in
corporate litigation and most who knew Dad regarded him to be a cold, calculating SOB. I chose
to think of Dad as remarkably stoic, and so did my beautiful mother. Families have to stick
together after all.
Susan and I met in 1981 and the first thing I noticed was her smile, how it seemed to be
able to light up the darkest of life's moments. Cynicism had dominated my family growing up
and I wanted someone who saw the good in people; the bad, this person was aware of, but it
wasn't the focus. Susan was an intelligent, happy go-getter in her career and I knew after our first date that she was the one for me. She was tough when she had be, and any women in business in
those days needed this attribute every day in the office, but Susan saw the joy in being alive.
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Friday, September 5th