The Beginnings - Part 111: OF COURSE, THERE WAS NO ANSWER

“There’s a link between inspiration and perspiration…you need to focus!”

-as heard in the 2006 film

THE CURIOUSITY OF CHANCE

The Beginnings – Part 111:  OF COURSE, THERE WAS NO ANSWER       

October 22, 1983

My day began quite well.   I awoke with an ambitious nature by washing my car.   After this accomplishment I drove to mom and dad’s house.  I had a small check ($86.18), waiting for me from Sacramento.   It was like a payment for washing my car.  How nice.   I ate a bowl of RICE CHEX and then left to deposit my check at Great Western Savings on Otis Drive and Park Street.     I proceeded to pick up my gold framed poster print of the beautiful Nastassja Kinski with the snake wrapped around her sexy body.   They did an excellent job.   I just love the picture.  Her eyes are so electric and I placed it above my sofa in the living room. 

After positioning the Nastassja Kinski print I picked up the phone to call George Jones.   I decided to let bygones be bygones.   Perhaps I was hypnotized by Nastassja’s green cat eyes.    George spoke to me in such a caring way last Monday and Tuesday.   He tends to do that so naturally.   I am so gullible at swallowing his effortless adoration.   Of course, there was no answer when I called him.   I struck out again.   I knew he had gone to see Carol Burnett on Friday night with some of his friends.   Friday night was the four-month mark since we’d met.   I can only figure that he spent the night with these friends.

I admired my car.   It looked so shiny and clean.   I couldn’t wait to hop in and go for a spin.   I thought about driving to Sunnyvale.   I figured George would probably be home by the time I arrived.   So I did it.   I started my drive down south.   I arrived at around 11:30AM.   Of course, there was no answer.  George was not home.  

I took a walk to the local 7-11 Convenient Store.   There was a phone booth there, so I called Dan and Ken to see if they might know of George’s whereabouts.   Of course, there was no answer.

I walked back to my shiny, black Mustang convertible.   I drove around and filled the car with gas.    I returned to George’s trailer park area and decided to lie out there on the patio chair for a while.   The sun felt good on my face.   Before long, Dan and Ken showed up.   I talked to them for a little while.

Dan said, “George was going to a wedding.   We just stopped here for some written directions that Kevin left here for Kev’s date tonight.”

“A wedding?”  I asked in a surprised tone, “I’ll probably stay a bit longer and just leave him a note.”

When Dan and Ken left I did write a short note.    I wrote:  ‘1PM - I’m here.   I’ll be back in a couple of hours.’

I drove over to the local VALLCO SHOPPING CENTER.   I browsed around and called his house periodically.   Of course, there was no answer.  

At precisely 2:30PM it was a tad funny.   I telephoned and I allowed it to ring five times.   Of course, there was no answer.   Then I immediately hung-up and tried my luck by calling again.   George answered the phone this time!   

He acted happy to hear from me; however, at the same time I could almost sense that he was thinking, “OH SHIT!”

George asked, “Where are you?”

“Vallco.”

“Oh shoot…well, I’m really busy today.   I tried to call you yesterday.   I’m going to a wedding reception and I was just running out of the door.   They’re waiting for me outside.   Have a nice day, okay.”

Then he hung-up!

“Yeah…right!” I thought, “What an asshole!”

To say the very least I was burning up inside.   I was also very hurt at the same time.  

My thoughts were nonstop:  “SHIT…I drive all this way to surprise him for a four month anniversary celebration.  I hoped to show him the Westwood pictures from his hometown.   I wanted to drive him over to Alameda to spend the weekend.  We had planned it weeks in advance.   What a fool I am!   To think that some reception comes up and that takes priority.   I wonder if he remembered my cousin, Diana, was getting married today also.   I forfeited going to that wedding because I knew he had been working weekend after weekend.   This was the time we could finally be together for a while.”

Oh well, I started-up my car and split the Sunnyvale vicinity.   I wasn’t in a cheerful mood during the drive home.  

When I arrived at my place I found my mom and dad there.   I snapped at them negatively.   My mood had brought me down and it didn’t help matters.

I tried to sleep away my troubles.   I couldn’t.

I called mom and apologized for snapping negatively at her.

“That’s okay,” Mom said.

I can always count on mom.

I rode my bike over to mom and dad’s house.   The short ride and breeze made me feel better, so I kept riding and continued on over to Alameda South Shore beach.   I did five laps.   I was riding so fast.   It eased my pain.   I was listening to music that lifted my spirits.   It was ironic how certain tunes seemed so pertinent to my current feelings (LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD by Pat Benatar and CRUMBLIN’ DOWN by John Cougar Mellencap).   Then there were the songs that made me feel better (MAJOR TOM, COMING HOME by Peter Schilling, EVERYDAY I WRITE THE BOOK by Elvis Costello, IT’S GONNA GET BETTER by Genesis and DON’T FORGET TO DANCE by The Kinks).    I was able to collect my thoughts.   I began to realize how foolish I was being.  

I suddenly felt that I should understand George’s predicament.

I thought, “If I had an event that I really felt I should attend while simultaneously having a tentative date with George I would probably break it off, too.   I guess I just felt stupid because I drove all the way down there for nothing.    I just hope he’s not playing games.  I will…and must…LET HIM KNOW as per that title song by Bryan Adams.   The lyrics to that song are so appropriate right now.”

LET HIM KNOW lyrics by Bryan Adams

Another day goes by and still you
wonder what happened
You'd give the world for one more try
But you're too shy to ask him
You don't wanna ask him now
I know your heart will pull you through
If he means that much to you -
you gotta let him know
Let him know that you love him
You gotta let him know
What can I say it's up to you
You gotta make up your own mind
Well it's your life it's up to you
Cause you didn't believe me
You still don't believe me
Now you're gonna see it's all comin' true
That's why I'm leavin' it up to you
Yeah you gotta let him know
The news is out I guess you heard
I shouldn't breathe a single word
The bottom line is nothing's

gonna stop you now
You gotta let him know...

The only question is if it will make a difference if I do LET HIM KNOW.   Right now, I refuse to hold a grudge.   I want him to always be ‘my buddy’…no matter what.

Tonight is SOLID GOLD night.   I watched it for more musical inspiration.  It got me in the mood for dancing.   I decided it would be a perfect night to drive in to San Francisco to go to ECHO BEACH.    Mom called to tell me that there was a milkshake waiting for me at her house, so I’ll go and gulp that down before I go to The City.

ECHO BEACH was fun (even if I only stayed there until 11:45PM).   I met three girls from Clayton named Terry, Leslie and Virginia before the place had officially opened.   They were waiting outside.  I liked Terry the best.   She was cute.   I could see the form of her tits from a side view.   I just couldn’t resist taking a sneak peak at her nipples.   They never went inside the nightclub though.   They left before the doors opened.

Terri said, “We’re going to come back later…but I will look for you.”

I smiled, yet wondered if they would actually come back.

Another girl I met inside the club was wearing a black checkerboard skirt.   Her name was Laurie and she was visiting from Oregon.  I loved it because she asked me to dance.    We talked while dancing.

I also met a girl named Vicki Perata.   I asked her to dance and found it funny because she was from Alameda.

Vicki said, “Yes, I went to Alameda High.”

She lives on the same street as my former Marketing Studies teacher (Lori Kidd).   Vicki had to leave because one of her girlfriends was under twenty-one.   They had to leave the club.

I said, “I’ll call you.”

“Okay, see you later.”

It sounds promising.   The meeting of Vicki did lift my spirits after the drudgery incident today with George in Sunnyvale.   I couldn’t help still thinking about George.   I wanted to inform him that I was ‘neutral’ and not mad over the situation.   I know he doesn’t help matters though.   He wasn’t home when I called him at midnight (or at 9AM the next morning).  Of course, there was no answer.  Who knows where he may have slept?   I just hope he’s not out, getting wasted and ‘high’ on dope.  What if he’s out fooling around with someone else?   Does it matter?

“Why give him that kind of control over me?”

-as heard in the 2006 film

THE CURIOSITY OF CHANCE