The Summer of 1981, Part 12: Life Of Illusion

[Padraig]

For those of you who would like to catch up, here are links to the earlier chapters:

Part 1: The Best of Times
Part 2: Wasn't That A Party
Part 3: The Boy From New York City
Part 4: The Voice
Part 5: Feels So Right
Part 6: Sausalito Summernight
Part 7: The Waiting
Part 8: All I Have To Do Is Dream
Part 9: Urgent
Part 10: The Theme From The Greatest American Hero
Part 11: Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through


Any feedback is very much appreciated - I would love to hear from those of you who have been reading. Or if you just want to reminisce about some of your favorite music or memories from 1981, please feel free to share. Thanks!!


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Tug awoke the next morning and instantly knew his body ached. He didn’t even have to move to feel the soreness in his arms and chest.

And hurt they did. From the moment he pushed himself out of bed, a sharp ache swathed across his upper body.

Oh, my goodness…how am I ever going to make it through another one?

Tug struggled to get ready and get dressed, but he made it to Ben’s house for his next workout. And the one after that, and the next one after that.

He was ultimately surprised how much he enjoyed lifting weights and running, as they were never something he had liked to do before. Maybe it was just that Ben was a little pushier than his other friends who had offered to help him – or maybe it was that instead of encouraging Tug to take better care of himself, Ben expected him to do so.

Whatever the reason, Tug began to spend more and more time with Ben, especially as his friends departed the island for their summer vacations. Once he said goodbye to his best pals, Jay and Jim, Ben became the one person he saw on a regular basis.

They quickly developed a daily routine that they followed each day, with the exception of Sunday, when the Yates family attended church and the boys took a rest from working out:

• Tug started getting up earlier in the day so that he and Ben could lift and jog before it got too hot. On most mornings he was up by 7:00, allowing him to spend a little time with his parents before they left for work.

• By 7:45am, he was walking down the road to Ben’s house.

• Tug would arrive around 8:00am, and the pair would begin making breakfast. Ben liked to have hot foods in the morning, so often they would take turns trying to make omelets (which usually turned into scrambled eggs, given their lack of finesse in the kitchen).

• By 8:30, the two would commence their workouts. It was either chest and triceps day, back and biceps day, or legs and shoulder day. Abs were every day. And fortunately for Tug, the pain and stiffness subsided after the first week.

• After two plus hours working out, it would be time to hit the beach for a run. The first few days Tug thought he was going to faint, have a heart attack, or at the very least, throw up, but he made it through each run without any sort of medical emergency.

• They would return to Ben’s around noon and clean themselves up. At first, Tug just brought over what he needed for the day, but eventually he kept extra clothes and his deodorant, toothpaste, and razor in the spare bathroom because it became more convenient.

• By 12:30, both Tug and Ben would be starving, so they would make lunch, head out to the patio, and gobble it down with a large glass of ice water. Tug wasn’t crazy about missing his usual Coke for lunch, but he understood the importance of staying hydrated.

• Just before 1:00, the boys headed back inside, cleaned up their dishes, and went into the TV room to rest and watch a rerun of their favorite show: “Hawaii Five-O.” It was one of the few series that Ben regularly tried to watch when he was growing up, and Tug always enjoyed a good detective show.

• After Five-O, the pair would engage in some outdoor activities, though nothing usually too strenuous during the heat of the day – sometimes they would ride bikes around the island, sometimes they would take a ferry trip into the city, or sometimes they would just lay out on the beach and work on their tans.

• 6:00pm usually meant dinner with Tug’s parents. On a few occasions the boys tried to cook it themselves before Mrs. Yates returned home, but nothing they made ever turned out as tasty as the food she prepared.

• After dinner could mean a range of activities – playing games, reading, or just getting to know one another better. With the sun out late, Tug could often talk his father into taking out the boat for a little water skiing, which Ben was able to master quite easily.

Both Tug and Ben tried to get to bed by 10:00pm so they could be well-rested for their workout the next day. Sometimes, however, they got to talking so much that they went well past their self-imposed curfew, and it would usually start with a simple question.

“I know I didn’t ask you the first day we met, but I’ve have been so curious. Where did the name Tug come from?” asked Ben as the two boys sat on the porch of his aunt’s house.

Tug smiled. “When my mom was pregnant, my Dad wanted to name me Douglas if she had a boy, because it was his father’s first name and his middle name.”

Though not much of a music fan prior to the summer, Ben had developed an appreciation for many new songs while hanging out with Tug, and he absent-mindedly flicked on the radio sitting beside them. A soft bass line and guitar riff started playing as soon as he turned the knob.

“My mother wasn’t crazy about it, so my dad had this great idea to convince her – he told Tim what a great name ‘Doug’ was, and how grandpa’s name was ‘Doug,’ and wouldn’t it be great to have a baby brother named ‘Doug,’ and on and on and on.”

During a slight pause in Tug's story, Joe Walsh began to sing.

Sometimes I can't help the feeling that I'm
Living a life of illusion

Tug continued with his tale. “My father deluded himself into thinking that cute little Timmy would convince his mommy that Doug was a super name.”

And, oh, why can't we let it be
And see through the hole in this wall of confusion

“I’m confused. So why didn’t you end up as Doug?”

“Because my brother couldn’t pronounce it right – he kept saying Tug. My mom liked the idea of Tim and Tug, and it stuck.”

“Cool. Do you have a unique middle name?” asked Ben.

“Nope. Just plain ol’ Daniel. I guess Dad figured if he couldn’t win on Doug, he would throw his first name in there instead. Tug Daniel Yates. How about you?”

I just can't help the feeling I'm
Living a life of illusion

“Well, most people are under the false impression that my first name is Benjamin, but it’s not. It’s Benton, which is the same name as my grandfather. And my middle name is Patrick, which is also my Dad’s first name.

“Benton Patrick Reeves. It has a nice ring to it,” said Tug.

“Yeah, but nobody ever call me Benton. Mostly just Ben, and my teammates at school call me 'Lefty.'”

“Because you’re left-handed?”

“Well, because I bat left-handed. But yes, I am left-handed as well,” said Ben.

Pow!
Right between the eyes
Oh, how nature loves her little surprises

“I noticed at dinner the first night you came over. I’m a southpaw, too," exclaimed Tug as he held his left hand in the air.

“I figured out you were a lefty that same night. I thought I was the only one who noticed other left-handers.”

“I guess it’s our secret shame,” said Tug.

Wow!
It all seems so logical now
It's just one of her better disguises

“It’s actually a blessing for baseball. Left-handed batters are five and a half feet closer to first base," Ben added authoritatively.

“I actually knew that one. I played baseball when I was a kid, but I stopped around the time I turned 13.”

“Speaking of ages, when is your birthday?”

“March 31," said Tug. "How about you?”

And it comes with no warning
Nature loves her little surprises

Ben stopped rocking and sat up in his chair. “You’re kidding! Mine is April 1!” he exclaimed.

“Really – an April Fool’s baby? My mom was determined to not have me on April Fool’s Day, so she popped me out with about an hour to spare.”

Continual crisis

“I wasn’t so lucky. Every year for my birthday I would get so many gag gifts. I’m OK with ‘em now, but man did I get steamed when I was a kid and somebody would buy me fake doggie doo.”

“Ha ha ha,” laughed Tug. “I’m sure I wouldn’t have taken it well either.”

“Did you do anything special when you turned 18?” asked Ben.

“My dad took me and my friends to dinner, and we went to see the movie, “Fort Apache: The Bronx,” in the city.”

“Your mom didn’t go?”

“She came to dinner but skipped the movie," explaned Tug. "She said it was because she thought it might be too violent, but really I think she wanted to get back home and check for updates on President Reagan’s condition and watch the Oscars. What about your birthday?”

Hey!
Don't you know it's a waste of your day
Caught up in endless solutions

“Well, I had to play a baseball game on my birthday, but my parents took me to the Yankees’ home opener a few days later. We had a great time. It’s too bad that there won’t be any more games to watch for a while because of the strike, which I feel is a huge waste of time and effort.”

That have no meaning, just another hunch
Based upon jumping conclusions

Tug smiled, thinking back to his earlier conversations with Jay. “It’s too bad you didn’t get to meet my friend Jay before he went on vacation. I know you two would get along great because you could commiserate about the season."

“Yeah, I like to talk about baseball almost as much as I like to play it.”

“Would you like to play professionally?” asked Tug.

Caught up in endless solutions

Ben had relaxed back in his chair, but sat bolt upright again after Tug’s question. “It’s been my dream since I was a kid. I’m doing everything I can to get there.”

“My brother has the same passion for football. He always said he was going to be a pro football player, and sure enough, he was able to do it.”

“Well, how about you, Tug?” asked Ben with a smile. “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Backed up against a wall of confusion

“Oh, gee. I really have no idea. My dad always says that college will help me figure it out. I think he’d like me to get a business degree and take over his company someday, but he hasn’t pressured me one way or another.”

Ben listened and nodded as his friend spoke. “Are you going to stay in a dorm at the U?”

Living a life of illusion

“No, my parents are going to pay for me to rent a two-bedroom apartment with my friend, Jim. We looked at the dorms and they were so small. And the beds were teeny – I don’t see how anyone over six feet tall could ever get comfortable.”

“You sound like me sometimes. I would hate to be short, but I love to complain about being tall," said Ben.

“Me too,” added Tug. “Finding clothes that fit. Airplane seats. Low ceilings.”

“Don’t forget about any place with group seating, like a concert hall or a stadium. And most of these new little cars – have you sat in some of those imports?”

“Jay’s dad has a Jaguar that I tried to get into once. It was ridiculous. My arms were hanging out the window and I swear my knuckles were dragging on the ground.”

Both boys laughed hard at the mental picture, and even though they were growing tired, they continued talking about a variety of subjects and listen to music for the next few hours. Before they knew it, the clock was striking 12:00am, so they decided to say their goodnights.

Tug walked along the darkened road back to his house. He had never been much of a night owl, but he did enjoy the feeling of the brisk evening wind and seeing all the stars in the sky. With so few houses on this side of the island, and virtually no streetlights, there was little to mask their twinkling.

He arrived at his parent’s property and took a shortcut through the grove to the front door of the house. Ascending the slope of the bluff, he looked up to see the midnight moon drifting through the lazy sway of the trees. As he watched the glowing crescent above him, Tug‘s eyes caught site of a low-hanging branch of a nearby maple tree – it was the one Tim had used to show off his chin-up prowess when flirting with his dates.

I wonder…

Tug walked over to the tree and stood under the thick branch. He grabbed on with both hands and pulled – and shockingly, his growing biceps didn’t deny him success. He managed to do one chin-up, albeit a little sloppily, and then dropped back down to the ground.

I did one! I actually did one!

Tug smiled so brightly that anyone nearby wouldn’t have seen the stars or the moon.

[bobman]

I am loving this series so much. Absolutely great character development in a way that seems so natural and clear.

[philat99]

I really enjoy your characterizations and deliberate but not too hasty progress. Each chapter leaves me with more questions, and that's great! I've been trying to find the best word to describe this series and have come up with "down-home-folksy." I guess I'm just a romantic at heart.
Mike

[Padraig]

Thank you both for your feedback!

Since I set the story in 1981, I wanted the pace of the narrative to reflect the pace of the times (and the pace of the setting, a rural island), so it only made sense for these characters to take their time in getting to know one another. Slow can be boring for some, I know, but I believe that deliberateness in a courtship can be incredibly romantic.

I also wanted Tug and Ben to take part in some of the simple activities that brought me joy in my younger days - reading, swimming, bike riding, exploring, etc. I think kids today miss out on a lot of good wholesome fun because they spend way too much time inside either watching inappropriate TV shows or playing violent video games (sorry - end of rant).

Anyway, one of the albums that I bought during 1981 (in September, to be exact) was Dan Fogelberg's "The Innocent Age." I have already borrowed lyrics from "Same Auld Lang Syne" to use as text in the second installment of this series, and I will be using sections from "Hard To Say" as the basis for an upcoming chapter.

But it's the opening lines from the title cut of that album that really inspired my writing style for this particular story:

Capture the moment
Carry the day
Stay with the chase
As long as you may
Follow the dreamer,
The fool, and the sage
Back to the days of
The innocent age.

Hope that explains my motivation a little - it's not to say there won't be a little naughtiness from time to time, but overall I'm trying to capture the feeling of an unexpected relationship in an innocent age.

[Padraig]

Regarding Joe Walsh's "Life of Illusion": truth be told, I wasn't a big fan of the song (or the video) back in 1981, but I did get into his stuff later when I was in college.

I couldn't find a copy of the actual video to embed, but I was able to get this fanvid to work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tiOMu_Bf8Q&feature=channel_page

You can see the actual original video at this address: dailymotion.com/video/x2196y_joe-walsh-life-of-illusion_music


I'm sure many folks probably remember it best from the film, "The 40-Year-Old Virgin."

[redroger11]

Well It seems like it's coming along. Keep Writing. This is more of a real story than most.

redroger11

[Padraig]

Thanks!! I've tried to be as realistic as possible, which isn't easy in this particular genre. I mean, the little world that I have created is populated with a lot of extremly hot young studs, but other than that concession, I won't be introducing any magic spells, potions, or instant growth pills (other than what takes place in Tug's dreams).

I'm glad you're enjoying it!

[bobman]

I read the newest update just now and went and looked at your post history. Where in the world did you come from? Your contribution here is really appreciated... I can't say it any other way.

[Padraig]

Thanks, Bobman! I used to be pretty active on the boards back in the late 90's and early 2000's (under a different screen name). I wrote numerous muscle growth stories, several weight gain fantasies (I love it when men get bigger any which way they can), and I also wrote the original chapters of "Mike Gets Huge," which eventually became a Continuous Muscle Growth Story.

My other connection to the stories was that I gave John D the inspiration to write his "Teen Cousin" series - it was loosely (and I do mean loosely) based on experiences with my own cousin. He did an awesome job with that one, and it's still my all-time favorite story on these boards. I only wish that could write half as good as he does.

After a few years of posting, I unfortunately got busy with work and life and gave up on the writing. I became a quiet little lurker on this site, only coming out of my shell occasionally (mainly to let John D know how wonderful his stories were).

The tale of Tug and Ben, however, is one that I always wanted to do, but I never really found the right inspiration or thought I would have enough time - but then when I noticed that the 2009 calendar was exactly the same as the 1981 calendar, I took it as a sign that I needed to get it done.

I started writing in on January 1, and I spent most of the winter and spring putting it together. It's still only about 75% complete, because I'm struggling with the ending, but I'm sure it will all come together eventually. I am really enjoying the experience of writing again, and I'm considering writing more once this one is over.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday!