The Summer of 1981, Part 20: Don't Let Him Go

[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
Part 12: Life of Illusion
Part 13: America
Part 14: Deep Inside My Heart
Part 15: Mister Sandman
Part 16: Hard To Say
Part 17: Bette Davis Eyes
Part 18: Limelight
Part 19: Cool Love


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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September 12, 2009

Our memories of yesterday will last a lifetime
We?ll take the best, forget the rest
And someday we?ll find
These are the best of times
These are the best of times

The large man in the rented Escalade was still emotional after hearing ?The Best of Times? by Styx.

He hadn?t thought about the rainstorm for a very long time, and the song triggered memories of the events that took place on that day back in late August of 1981. He really wanted to forget about everything, however, at least for a few hours, so he clicked off the radio and tried to clear his mind.

After a few more sobs, he was able to eventually pull himself together and stop crying. Using his handkerchief, he gently dabbed the tears from his eyes and refocused his vision. He took a few deep breaths, and then checked his rear view mirror. Satisfied that he was okay to drive, he turned the ignition on and pulled back onto the road.

He drove for several more miles, taking in the scenery and not trying to think of anything in particular, when he decided to stop at a convenience store to grab something quick to eat. It wasn?t the best place to find nutritious food, but he was in a hurry and if he didn?t get anything now, it might be a while before he had time to eat again. He pulled the SUV into a parking space and hopped out.

He entered the small store and looked around. There were the usual rows and rows of chips and candy, and cooler after cooler full of sodas and beers. He wandered into the aisles looking for a few protein bars, hoping that he would find perhaps find one of his own brands, knowing they would be nutritionally sound.

At the front counter sat the store?s lone employee ? he had to be at least 21 years old to be working in a place that sold alcohol, but he looked more like 16 or 17. He was tall and heavy-set, with short blond hair and a small patch of freckles scattered about his face. He was constantly craning his neck to get a better look at the buff shopper in the tailored suit, wondering if the person he was looking at could be the same one gracing the cover of the issue of ?Men?s Health? that he had been reading.

Eventually the large man located his favorite source of protein, picked up a few bars, and walked toward the counter. The employee finally got a good look at the face of the shopper, and his eyes grew wider once he confirmed his identity.

?Dude!? said the employee emphatically. He held up the magazine and showed it to the customer. ?I was just reading about you, and here you are! That's awesome!?

The customer set the protein bars on the counter and smiled. ?That?s me, all right. How are you today??

The employee smiled back as he rang up the bars on the register. ?Dude, like I said, awesome! What are you doing in this neck of the woods?

?I?m here for?well, to get together with some friends,? said the large man wistfully. He saw the total on the register screen and reached in his pocket for his wallet.

?Cool. Dude, you look way, way, way bigger in person than in the magazine. You?re HUGE! I mean, we?re the same height but your arms must be 10 inches bigger than mine.?

The customer laughed. Of all the things he had accomplished in his life, there was one that really mattered to most of the young men he met ? the size of his arms. It seemed as though they thought that building big biceps would make all of their dreams come true ? and as a teenager, he probably believed it as well.

?Well, I?ve been working on mine for more than 25 years, kid.? The muscleman flexed his left bicep, being careful not to strain the fabric of his shirt sleeve too much.

?Dude, do you mind if I grab a quick shot with my cell phone? My friends will die if they knew you were here.?

?Go right ahead.? The shopper left his bicep flexed, and in less than 10 seconds, the employee had taken three photos using the camera on his phone.

?Damn, you are one monstrous guy. I had to zoom way back just to fit you in the frame. I would totally kill to look like you.?

?Well, it?s all due to a lifetime of lifting, plus some good genetics.? He noted the wide, sturdy frame of the employee. ?You look like you?ve worked out, right??

?Oh, I used to work out back in high school. I played football, baseball, and basketball, and I was in pretty decent shape.?

?Why did you stop?? asked the customer, as he reached into his wallet to grab some money for the protein bars.

?Well, after I graduated I stopped playing sports all the time. I guess I just lost my motivation to lift.?

?Did you like working out before??

?Oh, dude, my friends and I loved it,? said the employee as he took the money from the customer. ?Nothing like a good pump, you know? And like, the girls totally went crazy when I could lift my shirt up and flash ?em my washboard abs.?

?Have you ever been to the gym down the road??

?I went once when it first opened, but I couldn?t afford a regular membership.? He handed the customer his change, which the large man deposited in his pocket.

The customer took a long look at the employee ? his blond hair, boyish face, big blue eyes, tall frame. He was very handsome, with a boy next door look and a goofy sort of charm, and probably could have been a model if it weren?t for the extra weight that had settled on his midsection. ?What?s your name, kid??

The employee stuck out his right hand. ?Ian Draper, sir.?

The customer reached out his meaty right paw and shook the hand of the employee. ?Nice to meet you, Ian. So tell me, have you ever thought about getting back into shape??

?Dude, it?s funny you should ask. I had a bear of a time tying my shoelaces this morning because of my lack of flexibility and this gut getting so big," said Ian as he pinched some of the fat on his stomach. "So I was just reading 'Men?s Health' to get some tips on where I should start.?

?Well, listen, if you?re serious, I know the owner of the local gym, and the entire chain is having a three-month body transformation contest that starts in three days. It runs from September 15 to December 15, and the winner will be featured in all of the New Year?s advertising promotions, which I?m sure you know is huge because a lot of people are looking for a way to lose weight after the holidays.?

?I remember it from last year. That guy from Cleveland won.?

?That?s right ? and not only was that guy from Cleveland featured in the ads for the gym, but he also won a lifetime membership and got a contract to be a spokesperson for my nutrition company.?

?Oh, I would totally love to win that contest,? said Ian.

?Well, listen, all of the trainers that work at the gym want one of their clients to win that competition ? bragging rights, you know, that they trained the winner, and they get a huge bonus as well. And there is this one trainer in town who is young and hungry and really wants to win, but he hasn?t been working there very long and doesn?t have a big set of clients yet.?

Ian nodded, not knowing where the famous gym owner was going with the conversation.

?I think you?d be a perfect candidate for this contest, Ian. I think that if you worked out with this trainer, whose name is Zac, you?ll see a huge difference in your physique in those three months.?

A bright smile broke out on Ian?s face. ?Seriously?? he asked in a loud voice. ?You think I could transform this body in just three months time.?

?I have seen it happen before. With the right training and the right nutrition, it is definitely possible. Why, within just a few weeks you?ll notice a lot of improvement.?

?That would be awesome, dude, but like I said, I can?t afford the membership.?

The customer reached into his wallet, which he had kept in his hand for the last few minutes. He pulled out a business card, picked up a pen from the register, and scribbled quickly on the back.

?Like I said, Ian, I know the gym owner really well. You just go down there today and ask for Zac. Tell him I sent him his contest winner. He?ll take care of your membership, he?ll take care of your diet, and he?ll take care of your supplements. All at no cost.?

?Seriously?? said Ian, even louder than the last time. He took the card, flipped it over, and read the back. It read, ?Here?s your winner, Zac. Give him the works.?

?Seriously, Ian. You?ve got the right body type, you?re young, and you have an athletic background. Working out with Zac is going to change your life.?

?Awesome, dude! How can I thank you?? He put his fist out, and the customer gave him a fist bump in return.

?Work your ass off, Ian. Don?t waste this opportunity.?

?Dude, I totally will. If I win the contest, will I get to see you again??

?Ian, when you win that contest, you will totally see me again,? said the customer. ?You're going to be a spokesperson for my nurtrition company.?

?Awesome!?

?OK, I gotta run, Ian. You take care. And go see Zac,? said the customer as he scooped up the protein bars off the counter. He was headed for the door when Ian asked him one final question.

?Hey, man, I gotta know. Is that a true story about jumping over the 10-foot wall??

The shopper stopped and turned back toward Ian. ?No, that?s not true,? he said. He paused and smiled devilishly back at the cashier. ?It was a 12-foot wall.?

?Seriously??

The muscleman continued to smile, but said nothing as he turned and exited through the door.

Ian was also smiling as he thought about what his future could hold. He thought about what it would be like to lose the weight and have a ripped hard body again. He thought about how good it would feel to wear clothes that were tight because of his bulging muscles instead of his bulging gut. He thought about how hot he would look shirtless on the beach or at a pickup basketball game. He thought about showing off his buff body while driving around in a fancy car, like a Mercedes convertible, and being the kind of sweet talking stud that all the ladies dream about. With plenty of cash and plenty of friends?

After about a minute of daydreaming, he picked up his cell phone and hit the first setting on his speed dial.

?Sup?? said the voice on the other end.

?Dude, you?ll never guess who I just met.?


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The large man was still smiling as he got back into his Escalade. He was feeling happy again, forgetting about his previous crying jag, and again remembering the good times from the summer of 1981. Like the day of the reunion, when the whole ?leaping over a 10-foot wall tale? had gotten started.


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August 1, 1981.

In terms of pop culture, August 1, 1981, was a very significant day. It was the first day that MTV began airing, and the channel devoted to round-the-clock showing of music videos certainly made an impact over the next few decades. It changed the course of popular music, it influenced the look and feel of movies and television, and it definitely had a tremendous effect on the style and fashions of the younger generation.

But on a small island in Puget Sound in Washington State, August 1, 1981 was better known as the day of the leap over the 10-foot wall. Over the years, hundreds of people had claimed to see it with their own eyes, even though only one witness was actually present. The story had spread across the island, across the state, and eventually across the nation as one of the jumpers became more and more famous for his athletic prowess.

Too bad it wasn?t true, but no amount of denial could ever squelch the story.


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?Tug, wake up!?

Tug opened his eyes and tried to come back to life. He had been taking a nap for several hours, tired from the heat and the activities on his 10-day trip with his friends. He was now sitting in the front passenger seat of Jay?s car as they drove off the ferry and back onto the island. Their other friend, Jim, was sitting in the back seat.

?What?? he muttered.

?We?re almost home and Jim and I need you to break a tie,? said his friend Jay. ?Who?s the hottest woman in rock and roll these days: Pat Benatar or Stevie Nicks??

Tug sat up and tried to decide. ?Wait. Hottest in looks or has the hottest career??

?Looks,? said the other two simultaneously.

?Gee whiz, guys, they?re both so different.? He thought about the cover of Stevie Nicks? new album, ?Bella Donna,? on which she was clad in a white dress and white boots. It reminded him of Ben?s clothes and how good he looked in white.

?I guess I would have to say Stevie.?

?Ha! Told ya he would vote for her,? said Jim from the back seat. ?Thanks, Tug.?

Tug turned to look at his friend Jim, who was going to be his roommate at college in the fall. Jim was one of the taller of his friends, about 6?2?, very lanky, with red hair and lots of freckles. He wasn?t particularly athletic, but he had been popular though school because of his affable and playful personality. Nobody was surprised when he was named ?Class Clown? at the senior awards banquet.

?You?re welcome, Jim.?

?Dang,? said Jay. ?I thought for sure by the way you were staring at that poster of Pat in the record store the other day you were going to say her.?

?Well, said Tug. ?She?s definitely a looker.?

The boys continued their debate as they drove down the island road to Jim?s house. As the car chugged along, they eventually came to the grounds of their high school. They could see the construction that was taking place, with a few tractors and bulldozers scattered about, and the old gym had been completely torn down. They started talking about how lucky the incoming students would be as they would be getting to use much more modern facilities, when suddenly a familiar figure playing basketball caught Tug?s eye.

?Jay, pull over!? he said.

?Why??

?Ben?s out there on the court. I'd like to say hi?

?No problem,? said Jay as he slowly veered toward the curb. "But why is he practicing now, in the hottest part of the day??

?He likes to push himself physically,? said Tug as he got out of the car. ?I'm just going to be a minute. Why don?t you drop Jim off and then come back to get me??

?OK. But once I turn around, I?ll have to come back on the opposite road because of the construction. So can you meet me over at the other corner in about five minutes??

?Sure thing. And thanks for a really fun trip, guys.?

?You should thank your parents for paying for it,? said Jim.

?Trust me, I did about 1,000 times. See you in a few.?

?Bye,? said Jay as he drove off with Jim in the back seat.

Tug looked down at himself before he started walking toward Ben. With all the hiking and swimming during the trip, he guessed that he had lost another 5-7 pounds of fat, and all of his old clothes were fitting really well. Today he was wearing a plain blue t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts that he had gotten prior to his junior year, almost two years earlier, when he had first sprouted up to his current height.

Tug then looked over at Ben, who was wearing nothing but his favorite pair of white athletic shorts and white tennis shoes on the court. Even from a distance, Tug could easily make out the bulging muscles of his friend ? they were just too big to miss.

He began thinking about all the things he wanted to tell him, and all the great stories from the trip he wanted to share. Tug especially wanted to mention the girl who had asked him to flex his biceps one day ? she had seen him and his friends waiting in line to rent paddle boats, and had walked right up and complimented him on his physique. Then she asked if she could feel Tug?s muscles, and he obliged by flexing his left bicep for her. She oohed and ahhed and was probably only doing so to get a free paddle boat ride, but it was the fact that she had picked Tug out of a line of 25 guys that made him feel so special.

As he walked across the grassy field, he picked up his pace a little bit, growing more and more excited to be with Ben again. He saw the little radio on the ground next to the hoop, but he was still too far away to hear what it was playing.

He kept jogging, picking up speed...

Eventually he was flat out running....

When Tug hit the blacktop, his shoes started making noise as he ran - clop, clop, clop. Ben stopped shooting when he heard the sounds and turned to see Tug charging at him. He smiled, and then dropped the ball and sped toward his friend. He only made it a few feet before Tug ran into him and they started hugging ? Ben was going to pull back a little to avoid getting Tug's shirt all sweaty, but Tug was holding on for dear life.

As much as Tug wanted to tell Ben about his trip, and as much as Ben wanted to talk about his feelings toward Tug, neither boy said a word. They just silently enjoyed their embrace as the radio played on.

So you figure that you've got him all figured out
He's a sweet talkin? stud who can melt a girl's heart with his pout
He's the kind of lover that the ladies dream about
Whoo, yes he is

He's got plenty of cash, he's got plenty of friends
He drives women wild, then he drives off in a Mercedes-Benz
He's got a long wick with a flame at both ends
He's hot

But don't let him go
Just give him a chance to grow
Take it easy, take it slow
And don't let him go
Don?t let him go

After hugging for almost a minute, Tug finally let go and spoke. ?Long time, no see??

?Too long,? responded Ben.

?You?re not kidding. It feel like I?ve been gone forever, Ben. Listen, I want to tell you all about the trip, but Jay will be back to pick me up in a few minutes and I have to go home and unpack.?

?Well, I definitely want to hear what you boys have been up to. Why don?t I ride back with you and help you with the unpacking??

?That would be awesome. Thanks!?

Ben smiled at his friend. ?Anything for you, Tug. Let?s go.? He picked up his ball and the radio, and Tug led him in the direction of the agreed-upon rendezvous site. They walked toward the southeast corner, with Tug spilling a few details of their exploits in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, but were eventually confronted by an obstacle.

It was a temporary wall that had been built by the construction company to keep the children from the daycare across the street from getting to close to the buildings that were being remodeled. The wall stretched about 100 yards between the fences of the two baseball diamonds and effectively divided the grounds of the school from east to west.

?I guess we can go around,? said Ben. ?It?ll only take a few extra minutes.?

As soon as he spoke, both boys could hear a car honking from the other side. ?That?ll be Jay,? said Tug. ?We should hurry ? he doesn?t have a lot of patience.?

Ben looked around for a few seconds. ?Well then, if we need to hurry, let?s just go over.?

?Are you crazy?? asked Tug. ?The wall?s at least six feet high.?

?I guess I am a little crazy,? replied Ben. He tossed the basketball over the wall and stuffed the transistor radio into his pocket. Then he walked back about 10 yards and stood behind a pile of dirt next to the wall. ?Here goes nothing.?

Ben sprinted forward and charged up the pile of dirt, which was about four feet high. He launched himself over the wall, propped his left hand on top of the wall to ensure clearance, lifted his legs, and then went sailing over.

Tug was stunned. ?Are you OK?? he shouted.

?Excellent,? said the voice from the other side. ?Are you coming, or should I tell Jay to wait??

Tug acted before he could tell himself all the reasons why he wouldn?t make it. Following the lead of Ben, he ran up the dirt hill and propelled himself over the wall.


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Jay was dumbfounded. From the vantage point in his car, the wall looked to be at least 10-feet high. He wasn?t surprised to see Ben leap over, as he figured that perhaps Tug had given him a boost. But then to see Tug ? who had been know as Tug the Lug for in some circles because of his less than flattering physique ? come shooting over the top was really a surprise. Both he and Jim had been shocked to see Tug's weight loss after they returned to the island from their vacations, but neither figured he would have gotten to be so much stronger so quickly.

When Jay asked Ben and Tug how they accomplished the feat, neither would give any details. All they would say was, ?We jumped over it.?

Jay drove them both to Tug?s house, and then went back to his own. He stayed busy the next few days spending time with his girlfriend, Karen, and getting ready to leave again, this time to visit his grandparents in Sausalito.

But one night, when he and Karen were driving back from a picnic dinner, he asked her to stop at the high school to check something out. He told her about the magnificent leap of Tug and Ben, and he wanted to find out how they did it. They drove to the school grounds and walked up to the spot where the boys had leapt, but neither saw anything that would have helped them make it over the wall. Jay himself even made an attempt to scale it, but even with his well-honed rock-climbing skills, he couldn?t make it over the planks.

What Jay didn?t realize was that he was looking in the wrong place. In the dark, and due to the fact that he was so far away when watching the boys land, he had miscalculated the spot where Tug and Ben had jumped. He was off by about 40 feet, looking at a part of the fence that sloped a bit downward and was almost three feet higher than at other points.

Because of this miscalculation, he also didn?t see the pile of dirt they had run up, leaving him with only one conclusion ? both Tug and Ben had somehow jumped over the wall with no assistance ? and he told the story over and over again for years to anyone who would listen.


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The large man was still thinking back to August 1, 1981, when he pulled up to his destination. He parked his car in the lot and stepped out into the heat. He grabbed the remaining protein bar and decided to slip it into his suit pocket, just in case he got hungry later on.

He slowly strolled down the sidewalk from the lot toward the front door of the building, where he saw the familiar face of a muscular bald man, who turned and waved to him.

?Hey there,? said the bald man with a smile. "Are you ready?"

?I guess so,? said the man who had been driving the Escalade.

The two men briefly hugged, and then walked toward the door.

[Padraig]

Sorry I'm a day late on this post - I was planning to have it up yesterday but just ran out of time.

Here's today song - "Don't Let Him Go" by REO Speedwagon. If you don't own a copy of "Hi Infidelity," well then, shame on you. :-)

Don't Let Him Go

[michaelv2]

Welcome back! Intriguing turn of events...

[Padraig]

Thanks, Michael! I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to write all the time-shifting in a way that made sense, so it's good to hear that you find it interesting (instead of confusing).

[memorex414]

You just need to keep writing. Love this tale you've woven.

[redroger11]

Aw. Never apologize for giving people what they want. It's coming along. Great work on the suspense. and the wall trick is classic. Check out a story on O'melossokomos under the author dymondbolt/Bigger is Good/ chapter 10. That little trick with the hands and a friend being Italian was true. But it was my fraternity brother Paul Costa and I only did it to him twice. But it was really in the timing. Just like the timing for your two characters..

Great work, Man. Keep Writing.

redroger11

[Padraig]

Thanks, Memorex! And thanks, Roger, I will check out the story you suggested.

Next chapter will probably be up on Wednesday.