Rest in Peace, Sweet Camelot

Eddie stood in the kitchen, hugging and kissing his best girl, Brenda. He said, “don’t forget, I’m meeting Dave at 4:30, when I’m through with the little “buggers”, a term of endearment he used for his 4th grade students at the A.F. Hunt elementary school, in Bridgewater. “Don’t call them that, Brenda said, “you’re teaching them science and math and we need them for the future.”

Brenda fingered the calendar on the wall, it had a picture of a Trojan Oil Truck in front of their gas station on Grove Street in Brockton, and pointed at today, April 16, 1963, “I have a doctor’s appointment at 3:30 this afternoon, so won’t have time to make dinner.

Do you want to meet somewhere and eat out, how about Joppa Grille or the Riviera for pizza and a beer or two?”

Eddie, hugging her tightly from behind, said, with a big grin on his face, “sure, probably be around 5:30, because of traffic, I’ll look for a damsel in distress sitting all alone in her car”. Brenda turned in his arms and kissed him hard and said, “guess what?”, and Eddie, squeezing her butt, said, “I love you too”, holding her close for those few extra seconds, viscerally demonstrating he did, indeed, love her.

Eddie started his 1960 black and white Chevy Impala, the radio came on where he left it on WMEX, and The Chiffons were singing their big hit, He’s So Fine.

“Sooner or later, hope it’s not later”, sang Eddie as he pulled out onto Bedford Street, and headed to his school and the little “buggers”. This term stuck in Eddie’s head from a monologue by a guest speaker at a Future Teacher’s class at Bridgewater State in his last year there. The actual word was “F- - -ers”, but Brenda smacked him in the head the first time he ever used the term, so he immediately abridged it to “buggers”, which still made Brenda angry but she was far less bellicose.

Eddie was still smiling to himself, as he thought about her pulling into the Hunt school parking space reserved for Edward Forest. Today would be an easy one, the school had to interrupt classes so the kids could get their booster shots, so pampering them was the order of Eddie’s day. He recalled his days in 1950’s of the Polio epidemic, and how so many kids were stricken with lung problems and how many were left crippled, some of his friends among them. Drying tears and putting new Band-Aids on would be the most action for him this day.

Brenda had her share of little screaming “Lilliputians” in her visit to the doctor. She wished the mothers had better control of their kids, but calming herself with a nice old Saturday Evening Post, and an article on the Golden Era of The Boston Celtics, and their contribution to sports history. Just as she began an article on summer fashion, the nurse came out and said, “Mrs. Forest, the doctor will see you now.”

“Well, how are you today, Brenda?” the doctor asked. Brenda said, “fine Dr. Ames, although I’ve been a little sick to my stomach the last few weeks, especially in the morning.” “Well, let’s get a urine sample and see, shouldn’t take very long” the doctor said. “Now let’s check your blood pressure and take a listen to your heart.” Pleasantries were exchanged and Brenda gave her sample, and was sent back to the waiting room, while tests were run.

Eddie escaped the school and headed over to Dunkin’ Donut in Randolph. Having a little free time, he went the long way back out to 104 and out to route 24, then north to 128, getting off at the Randolph exit, heading south on route 28.

Eddie continued to listen to radio while sitting in his car, sipping on a regular coffee with two creams and two sugars, tapping time with his left hand to the beat of Please, Please Me, the latest song from the Beatles, “like I please you” rang in his head as Dave smacked his knuckles against Eddie’s window, and yelled “wake up Eddie”.

Eddie, readjusting the cover on his coffee, waited for Dave to get into the passenger side, and said “how you doing Doowop?” Dave explained he was excited about tomorrow’s trip to New Orleans, and the prospects of seeing just how much debauchery actually takes place there.

Dave, also opened up about his feelings for Frenchy, which made Eddie all kinds of uncomfortable. Eddie learned way more than he ever wanted to, and said to Dave, “are you sure about this?” Dave said he surely was and handed over to Eddie his life in a size 9 ½” Bostonian wing-tipped shoe box. A quick look revealed Dave’s checkbook, several pieces of jewelry, many mementos of his life, several Boston Celtic ticket stubs, a scapula, rosary beads, his West Bridgewater High School tassel, and on top, ten crisp $100 bills. “The money, is in case I need an emergency bail out, down there in the Big Easy”, Dave said, chuckling, “I’m counting on you keeping it safe for me”. Eddie assured Dave that his stuff would be safe, that was good enough for Dave, and he said “thanks”. “I’d kiss you”, Dave said, “but I don’t want you to get the wrong idea”, Eddie laughed and said, “no chance of that ever happening, besides, Brenda would kill me, then go looking for you.” They shook hands,

Dave headed to his apartment for some sleep and wait for Frenchy to pick him up in the morning.

Eddie headed for the Joppa Grill, out onto 128 and then down route 18, to meet Brenda for dinner, he had loads to tell her; and, for sure, Brenda had loads to tell him..