Jake and his Hot Trans Am Part 4

The days to the double date seemed to take forever, each passing day seemed to increase the anticipation and worry.

As I sat in my Oceanography Class all I could think of is what disaster had I gotten myself in this time?

Mr. Peterson droned on an on about “ocean floor sediment” and “fossilization of blah, blah, plankton, blah, blah, the absolutely fascinating topography of the ocean floor, blah, blah.”

I chewed the end of my number two pencil as I concentrated on my odds that Donna had a cute girlfriend as opposed to Donna’s friend being a complete dog.

Well, it seemed it was a 50/50. A head or tails toss of a coin. Maybe a roll of the dice, that were hopefully not loaded.

I have always been an observant person with a great memory. There was nothing I enjoy more than to watch people. It drives my wife crazy these days whenever we go out. “Would you stop staring!” she’ll constantly say to me. Well, I can’t help it. I like watching people. I am curious, what are they eating – is it any good, where are they going, what’s the book they’re reading, what are they doing over there, etc.?

Even in high school, I’d sit in the quad or in the parking lot smoking cigarettes with my friend Tyler Sasaki and just observe people. Maybe I am wondering what they are doing, or maybe I think they are having Life experiences that are more interesting than mine, whatever.

As far as memory goes I seem to be a walking horde of memories. Just the other day, I opened up an old Farmstead High School yearbook, glanced down at a picture, and thought to myself, “Oh, there’s Dean Caldwell.” No pause, no racking the brain, no looking up a person’s name in the student index. Just Bam. “There’s so and so.” Weird. I hadn’t cracked that book in almost 50 years and it all comes back.

I often think that in the end if God or The Universe chose to smite me, He’d rob me of my encyclopedic memory, till I became an aged fool. A doddering old man who was unable to remember family, friends, personal history, etc. Maybe he’d even take away my ability to even remember how to breathe. That would be terrible, but, maybe fitting punishment for all my trespasses over the years. You see, I know in my heart,  I’m kinda a Bastard.

So, it was during those days before the “Double Date” I sat in class and observed all the foxy chicks in class and checked just who hung around them. From the way, things looked if a girl was cute she usually had a cute friend. All well and good. But sometimes a cute girl would have this pal who would just be butt ugly, or was so huge she could double for “Shamu” –  and that spelled disaster.

So yeah I was feeling anxious.

I had committed myself, so that was that. And besides, I was a little curious. Who was Donna going to show up with?

One thing for sure I wasn’t crazy about the name Peggy. It lacked any exotic zing like names like Erica or Sonya or Leeana. The name Peggy just sounded well, kinda boring. I mean did her friends call her Peg? God, I hope not.

And so the days passed. Mom cooked Hamburger Helper and went to work, while Matt, my younger brother, built model airplanes. Matt had yet discovered “girls” so he was oblivious to my discomfiture.

Lucky bastard.

To be continued…