The Beginnings - Part 55: MESMERIZED

…all of my desires are only a reflection of my longing to come home.
-Tony Parsons
AS IT IS

The Beginnings – Part 55: MESMERIZED

July 9, 1983

In the morning George and I went to OLE’S WAFFLE SHOP on Park Street in Alameda. We laughed when we saw a store called TAMMY’S ANTIQUES. We browsed in there, too.

We drove to 3348 Solomon Lane in Alameda which is the address of my parents’ townhouse. I also picked up my mail at mom and dad’s house. My mom had just returned from her escape to Reno/Lake Tahoe with her sister.
Mom asked, “Do you think you could drive Betty home?”
Betty doesn’t live far from my apartment in San Leandro, so it wasn’t a problem.

After dropping my Aunt Betty home we went to my pad. George and I would lie out by the swimming pool for a while. Then I drove him back to Sunnyvale.

During the evening I went to Alameda again to wash my car. It’s easier to wash in my mom and dad’s driveway. I was also able to see and talk to mom.

I said to mom, “Yeah, George is cool. We may go to Westwood…it’s near Redding…and camp out next weekend. We might even move-in together to the townhouse as roommates in September if Sophie ends up moving out.”

Tammy and I did go out on our planned date. We parked out by the San Leandro Marina to discuss our relationship. We brought up George and me, too. I was upfront and told her about George. She didn’t seem to mind.
Tammy said, “We can continue to still see each other.”
I was confused but happy at her remark. Only time would tell. How will things turn out in the end?

Tammy and I watched the movie PSYCHO II. We had a good time and shared some good laughs. I noticed her go into the bathroom to ‘light-up’ a cigarette. I chose to not let her know that I caught sight of it. She was good tonight because she insisted on having no drinks for the evening. It was a successful night of conversation. We seemed to have come to an agreement.

When I arrived home I telephoned George.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Well, my mom is out with her boyfriend for the whole night…so…”
“Yeah?”
“So…why don’t you come over?”
And so…I drove down to a trailer house where he was living (not too swift). We screwed around and had an ultimate time as we were mesmerized, looking into each others’ eyes.

“When you love someone, when you know them intimately, you read their silences. You see how, again and again, they avoid certain subjects.”
-Shyan Selvadurai
CINNAMON GARDENS, a novel