No More

"Alright then," Gary grinned, "If you'll all follow me, we can be on our way whenever you're ready."

"Can you give me about ten minutes before you leave, Gary?" Mark knowingly smiled, "I need to run into K-Mart to pick something up real quick."

"Hurry up, slow poke," Gary teased, "We don't have all day, man."

"Okay," Mark replied smiling, "I'll only be gone for a few minutes, I promise," and then with a quick nod of his head, he looked at Jim and told him, "Can you give me a hand, Jimmy Joe?"

"Oh, alright," Jim laughed, "Has anybody ever told you what a pain in the ass you can be sometimes?"

"Whatever," Mark grinned, "Come on, Cuz..."

~~~~~~

Moments later Mark and Jim returned carrying a big red Igloo© brand cooler, that looked like it contained something heavy from the way they were toting it, one on each end of it.

"I filled thing cooler full of Gatorade for when we get done with class," Mark told us, "I hope that's okay with you. Mike."

Are we ready now?" Gary impatiently asked.

"If you guys are waiting on me, "I chuckled, "You're backing up."

"That was funny," Gary laughed, "Do you mind if I use that, Mike?"

"Not at all my friend," I grinned, as we got into our cars, "You lead and I'll follow..."

~~~~~~

We arrived at Gary's Uncle Frank's ranch a little over twenty minutes later, and as soon as we pulled in, Mr. Frank Hobbs, Gary's paternal Uncle came out the back door of his house to personally greet us.

"Hello, everybody," he warmly greeted us, "How're you boys and girls doing this afternoon?"

"We're good Uncle Frank," Gary smiled, giving his uncle a familial hug, "Thanks again for letting us use your barn to train in."

"You're welcome, kiddo," he smiled, "You don't suppose I could persuade you kids to let an old fart like me join you, do ya?"

"Ask that man right there," Gary chuckled, pointing at me, "He's the guys that's going to be our teacher."

"I believe the proper term to use would be Sensei," Mr. Hobbs grinned, "Am I right, young fella?"

That's correct, sir," I respectfully answered him, as I extended my hand to greet him, "Hello, Mister Hobbs. My name is Mike Hanson, and we would be honored to have you join us, sir."

"The name is Frank," he very cordially replied, "And the honor is mine, Sensei."

"What does the word "Sensei" mean, Mike?" Jim asked

"It means "teacher", I believe," Frank smiled, "Am I right, Mike?"

"Yes sir," I happily replied, "You've studied the Martial Arts before; haven't you Frank?"

"I studied Wah Do Ryu (pronounced: Wah Doe Roo), a Japanese style of Karate, from the time I was in the tenth grade until I was a senior in high school. I was a little bit less than a month away from earning my Brown Belt," as he seemed a bit regretful about what he was telling us, "But when my father had a heart attack and died, I had to drop out of high school a little over halfway through my senior year in order go to work and help support my family. But because I'd just turned eighteen in February, and because I'd dropped out of school; I got drafted the following April of that same year and was sent to Vietnam," Frank quietly looking at the ground as he continued, "When I came back home from that crappy nightmare...well...I don't know...I didn't really feel like goin back to the dojo to complete my Martial Arts training."

"In that case, welcome home, Frank," I understandingly smiled, as I gently pulled him into my arms to give him a familial hug, "I'm so glad that you made it back. And I want to thank you for your service to our great nation."

"Here, here," Gary, Jim and Mark simultaneously exclaimed, as we all wore happy smiles on our faces."

"Thanks, guys, I really appreciate that," Frank solemnly replied, but then he looked directly at me and kindly said, "Especially you, Mike...you're a good boy."

"I hope you don't mind, Frank," I replied, feeling bad for him, "But you'll need to change into a pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt if you're going to train with us. Is that alright with you, sir?"

"I can do even better than that, Sensei," he happily replied, as the hearty grin that was on his face earlier quickly returned, "If you don't mind waiting for a few minutes, I'll be right back..."

~~~~~~

"I hope you can forgive me," I said to Gary, "I'm really sorry for asking your Uncle Frank such a stupid question that brought back what I'm certain were some really bad memories. I didn't know, Gary, I swear."

"It's alright, Mike, it really is," Gary gently replied, reaching over and lightly patting me on the shoulder with his right hand, "Besides, how could you have known...?"

~~~~~~

Because of the fact that my Corvette had a very small, but still usable trunk space, I was able to put my equipment bag, which carried my ghee and pads, in it. However, one can only imagine, not only my surprise when Frank reappeared wearing his ghee, of which the top and pants were both totally white, but also a strong sense of pride when I saw that we wore a Green Belt.

"Wow, Uncle Frank," Gary proudly smiled, when he saw his kinsman suited up, "Looking sharp, Frankie boy."

"That means that I'm not too old to whip your ass, kiddo," Frank teased, Besides, I feel lucky that this thing still fits," which was followed by laughter all around.

Then Lucy gave me a knowing smile, and said, "Now it's your turn, Michael. Let's see what you got?"

"Gladly," I smiled, giving her a wink as I pulled white top from my equipment bag and put it on. And after making sure that I'd connected the ties, I put my belt on, proud of the contrast of my Black Belt as I placed it over the white top to match the color of my black pants.

"Damn, Michael," Lucy hungrily gasped after I'd finished tying my belt around my waist, "That looks really hot on you..."

~~~~~~

After making certain that everyone had been stretched out; with Frank's assistance, which I greatly appreciated, I taught everyone the basic blocks kicks and punches they would need, to stun their attacker just long enough for them to get away.

I made it a point to emphasize the necessity of practicing daily, so that what I was teaching them would more or less encourage their reactions to become second nature to any type of confrontational situation they might find themselves to be in.

I also taught them how to break loose from, and work their way out of the commonly used holds that an attacker might try to employ in order to subdue them, and I must say that I was very impressed at how quickly they picked up and retained the information I shared with them.

I was not only very pleased, but also very proud of the sweet and kind way that Cindy, Trish, and Sam, welcomed Lucy into their group as if they'd known each other forever. However, and it was Trish that brought to my attention how quickly my precious Lucy adapted to the use of Martial Arts.

"She's very pretty, Mike," Trish sweetly told me, "And I think the two of you look so good together."

"Aw, thank you, Trish," Lucy sweetly told her, having heard what Trish had said, "And I think you're very pretty, too."

"What're you talking about, Lucy?" Cindy playfully giggled, gathering her into her arms, "All four of us are all smoking hot, and our boyfriends are damn luck to have us; wouldn't you agree?" which caused the four of them to erupt into fits girlish laughter."

"Uh, excuse me, ladies," Jim teased, as he knowingly winked at me, Mark and Gary, "It has nothing to do with luck, thank you very much."

"Is that right?" Sam smiled.

"It most certainly is, my gorgeous girlfriend," Jim teased, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek, "It has to do with science and nature."

"I'm dying to hear this," Trish laughed, "Then by all means, won't you please enlighten us, Mister Professor?"

"As the male of our species is known for his eager prowess, luck has nothing to do with this issue," he playfully teased, pausing for effect, "It's because the mighty strength of the chemicals in the male body enhances our ability to facilitate the use of guile, charm, and last, but most certainly not least...pure persuasion."

"Persuasion my ass," Cindy giggled, "What you're really saying is that most guys are nothing more than a bunch of walking hard-ons," and needless to say, everyone, Jim included, literally fell to their knees, paralyzed with laughter.

I thought everyone had done very well and I was extremely proud. However, once I'd reviewed everyone's performance as class came to end, it suddenly occurred to me, and not surprisingly so, that the girls had absorbed what was being taught at a much faster rate than the guys. But far be it from me to say anything as it might've hurt someone's feelings, and I wouldn't have done that for anything...

~~~~~~

The weeks seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, the All-District Choir Competition were upon us, as were the All-District Band Competition. Because of the fact that Lucy and I were in both choir and band, we chose to practice the assigned music together. And I have to say that Lucy beamed when she realized that she'd earned her place among those called to be in both All-District Band and Choir. I don't want to sound arrogant, but being in both was nothing more than something I'd already grown accustomed to because of the three years I'd already spent in high school. Still though, this was Lucy's first time in achieving such an honor and I made certain that she knew just exactly how proud of her that I was. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that by this time I'd spent more than several weekends playing with Joey Landers and the guys at Giannelli's so; when we came back to play that night after competition, it was especially nice, because we got Lucy on the stage to sing with us. Needless to say, the crowd treated her just like they had me, when I took the stage for the first time...

~~~~~~

After All-District competitions were over with, Lucy and I went on to win the All-Region, Area and then the All-State competitions, with each of us placing number one in our sections. And by the time the All-State competitions were done, Christmas was upon us.

Lucy bought gave me a gold, men's Seiko watch that I felt she spent way too much money on, but when I saw the look of love in its purest form appear on her face when she place it on my wrist, there was no way I was be able say anything to her about how much money she spent on me. I loved her and she loved me, and that was all that would ever matter.

I bought Lucy and two and a half carat, almost flawless diamond necklace, secured on a platinum mount attached to a twenty-four carat gold necklace. And I had to say, it looked very beautiful as it hung around her neck, resting right between top of the globes of her soft breasts.

"Love you, Michael," she tenderly smiled, "Merry Christmas."

"And Merry Christmas to you, my love," I grinned, pulling her into my arms...

~~~~~~

JANUARY 1978

We celebrated Lucy's eighteenth birthday on the fourteenth of that January, and I made sure that her birthday party was one that she would remember for a very long time. I had asked Mom and Dad let me have it at the house and they were more than happy to do so. I wanted it to be a surprise party and when I told Lucy's mother, Linda, about it, she simply smiled and gave me a warm motherly hug.

"I can tell that you love my daughter very much, Michael," Linda sweetly replied, once I'd told her of my plans for Lucy's party, "And when you ask her to marry you, I wanted to let you know that you have my permission. And that I will not only help, but I'll stand behind the two of you and give any and all the help you need," then her pretty blue eyes began to fill with tears as she placed her arms back around me and said, "Besides, I always wanted a son; and now it looks like my wish is going to come true."

"Thank you, Linda, I even begin to tell what that means to me to hear you say that," I softly told her, "But what if your husband doesn't approve, and even worse, what if Lucy says "No" when I ask her to marry me?"

"As far as Lucy's father is concerned, I can handle him so; don't worry, sweetie" Linda happily smiled, "And I don't think you need to worry about Lucy either, because I know my daughter very well. She's going to fall into your arms the moment you place the ring on her finger...you do have a ring, don't you?"

"No, ma'am," I honestly replied, "I wanted to wait until we're both out of high school before I even asked her; and like I said before, her father is going to give grief over this, and because, I know for a fact that he doesn't like me..."

~~~~~~

THAT NIGHT

Linda, Mom and Dad, made sure that everyone who'd been invited to Lucy's surprise party were all gathered at our house while I had taken Lucy out for a supposed early birthday dinner date. Everything was going as planned, dinner was great, but most of all, Lucy looked absolutely dazzling. Once were finished eating, I used the excuse of wanting to go use the restroom right before we left the restaurant. However, unbeknownst to her, and because I'd preplanned with the owner of the restaurant, instead of using the restroom, I slipped out the back and made a phone call to let Mom know that we on our way...

~~~~~~

"I hope I didn't hurt Mom's feeling's this morning at breakfast when I told her that I didn't want a big party this year," Lucy told me on the way back to my house.

"Why not, my love?" I lovingly asked, gently brushing her soft cheek with the back of my right hand while I drove with the left, "You only turn eighteen once ya know."

"I know," she softly replied, "But it's mainly because I didn't want her to go to all of not only the trouble, but also all of the expense that I know she would've gone to like she did for my sixteenth and seventh birthday parties."

"Aw, give her a beak, baby," I tenderly smiled, "Besides, you should remember that you're her only child, and also that she loves you very much...as a matter of fact, so do I...hell, we all do, my Mom, Dad, Maggie, don't forget about little Rikki. She really loves her Aunt Lucy."

"She's such a little doll," Lucy began to sweetly giggle, the frown she wore on her face only moments ago now being replaced by a bright smile, "And I care for all of you very deeply, too; especially you, my love..."

~~~~~~

As we pulled into the driveway of my house, the only light we saw was the one on the front porch...everything else was dark.

"It sure is dark around here," Lucy said, as I pulled up to the front of the house and parked my car, "I wonder where everyone is."

"Mom was talking about going to see a movie over in Lake Jackson," I convincingly lied, "I guess she and Dad went to see it."

"Mmm," Lucy purred, snuggling up next to me as I unlocked the front door, "That means we can cuddle in front of the fireplace...that's going to be really nice."

However, the moment I escorted Lucy through the front door and into the house, every the light in the front room suddenly came on as everyone came from out of hiding and shouted "SURPRISE," and then they began to sing the "Happy Birthday" song to Lucy,."

And then once they were done, everyone there began to not only applaud, but cheer for Lucy, as one by one, each of the people I'd invited came to congratulate and/or hug her wishing her a Happy Birthday.

I had to say, she handled it quite well, excluding the dirty looks she gave her mother. And once the party was in full swing, Lucy took Linda and I aside, and then to her mother, Lucy quietly whined, "Come on, Mom, I told you I didn't want a big party this year, I wanted to spend my birthday with Michael."

"Then you'd better take this up with him, young lady," Linda grinned, "This was all his idea, and not mine."

"Please don't be mad, sweetheart," I quietly told her, "This is the first birthday you've had since we've together, not to mention your eighteenth birthday at that. I just wanted to make it something that you'll remember for the rest of your life. I love you so much, Lucy, and I just wanted this day to be special, that's all," and unknown to me, a single tear gently poured down my left cheek.

"And I love you, too, baby," she began to smile, reaching up and wiping the tear from cheek with her thumb, gently kissing my lips, "You make it awfully hard for me to stay angry with you ya know."

"Good, "I chuckled, taking her hand, "If you'll please come with me, I believe you've got a birthday cake sitting on the table in the den that have some candles that you need to blow out..."

~~~~~~

"So, tell me, my love," I teased Lucy, in front of not only our friends, but also our family members, "Now that you're an adult, what is your first order of business?"

"That's an easy one," she slyly grinned, winking at both of our mothers, "My first order of business is waiting until you turn eighteen so that I won't go to jail for trying get in your pants."

"Jesus, Lucy," I gasped, my face turning a bright fire engine red, as everyone there, especially Linda, Mom, Dad and Maggie all loudly laughed, embarrassing me even further, "Did you have to go there, especially in front of all of these people?"

"You're damned skippy," she blatantly, as well as very loudly giggled, leaning against my mother, while Mom simply wrapped her arms around her and continued giggling herself, "Consider that payback for throwing this party after I specifically asked you not to, Mister Smart Ass."

"I hope everyone will excuse me for a minute," I said, "I'll be right back," and then I made a beeline for the back door to regain control of my faculties before returning to the party...

~~~~~~

Chapter Seven

"Uh oh," Lucy worriedly fretted, once I'd left the room, "I hope I didn't make him angry."

"Not at all, baby girl," Dad said, placing his arm around her shoulder and hugging her while still laughing along with everyone else, "He's just a little embarrassed and he went outside to let the color return to his face so; I don't want you to worry your pretty little head about it, not one bit...He'll be just fine, I promise," and then Dad followed me out the back door..."

~~~~~~

"Hey son," Dad knowingly grinned, patting me on the shoulder once he was standing beside me on the back porch, "It looks like you've finally met your match. Won't you agree?"

"That little minx," I laughed, not angry with her in the least, "She got me good...real good."

"Yes," Dad continued to laugh, "I'd say that you're spot on in your evaluation of Miss Lucy."

"She really caught me off guard that time," I chucked, "I guess I'm going to have to really be on my toes from now on."

"Horse shit," Dad grinned, placing his arm around my shoulder, "I can tell that she's had you a little off center ever since the two of you took up together...but you know what?"

"No sir," I smiled, "What?"

"It's okay to be a little off center when you love someone as much as I know you love Lucy," he gently smiled, "And if you want to know the truth. I got knocked off center the very first time I ever saw your mother; and it's been that way ever since, so; don't worry about it, son, not one bit. If you really want to know the truth, it just shows the rest of us how much you really do love her...and that's a good thing...a very good thing...

~~~~~~

After I got over being so embarrassed, which was actually only a few minutes, I walked back into the house to rejoin the party. Luckily enough I was able to find Lucy talking to one of our friends and she had back to me.