Colorful Energy

I can only tell what I remember, and what I remember is ‘growing up’.

-Matthew Stadler
ALLAN STEIN, a novel

Twenty-five years ago today:

April 26, 1987
Sunday

I enjoyed a good bicycle ride this morning. I dropped by mom and dad’s house for a quick bite and then headed back home to my pad for a nap.

I recalled my phone call from yesterday.   It was Bill Matson who was calling from Napa.
Bill said, “Hey Mike, you know Irene is arriving on Sunday night at around 9:15PM.”
I knew that I was going to have a visitor tonight.

I napped sufficiently when my mom telephoned.
“Why don’t you bring over the Easter pictures to show Helen?”
I agreed and said, “That’s right, she’s back from her one month trip to Louisiana.”

I spoke to Johnny Shaefer shortly after.

I confided in Johnny by saying, “I could care less about Eileen now because she was supposed to call me yesterday. We talked about going to Santa Cruz and I know she had the day off!”
Johnny listened and seemed to agree.

Well, Eileen ended up calling me later. We shared a few good words.
“I miss you.”
I couldn’t help myself, “I miss you, too!”

I made an attempt to call Rachelle Davies to try and change our Monday night date for a Sunday lunch (today).
Rachelle listened and said, “Well, today’s not good because I’m going shopping with my mom.”
“Well, I can’t make it on Monday because my friend, Irene, is visiting from New York.”
“Okay, fine.” She hung up abruptly.
She’s the same old Rachelle.

Bill Matson arrived at my place at around 8PM and we took off in his smooth BMW 318i to San Francisco Airport to pick-up Irene. Irene arrived on schedule and I was amazed to see Mrs. Sally Gallagher, my tenth grade Algebra teacher. She was on the same flight as Irene. Irene was full of happy, colorful energy. I loved that.

She knew the subtle influence of colors, how gray can subdue a man’s spirit, how blue uplifts it and sends it wandering, how red, the wine red, holds it to the earth.
-Pearl S Buck
PEONY