The Eighties: A Bitchen Time To Be a Teenager! by Tom Harvey

Author:Tom Harvey
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780982874226
Publisher: Just Load The Wagon Publishing
Published: 2012-05-01T04:00:00+00:00

1985 Fun Fact #2:

“Calvin & Hobbes” makes its debut in thirty five newspapers. For years I wanted a tattoo of the duo but could never decide on the stuffed or live version of Hobbes.

CHAPTER 12

For the second summer in a row, David decided that we’d take his modified farm truck to Walla Walla. We were both, now, licensed drivers.

But I suffered from a serious case of Love Sickness and suggested he make the trip alone. Having none of it, he agreed to wait a week–after my trip with Tiffany and her parents to Morro Bay to visit Tiffany’s grandparents.

In early June, with Tiffany and I, giggly, in the back seat, and her parents gleefully in the front seat, we hit the road.

We stopped for lunch at the midway point of the three hour drive, a large, roadside coffee shop. (I drove by it many years later and it was boarded up and abandoned. What a shame.)

The place was packed.

The mood was light and playful. Tiffany just graduated valedictorian and was on her way to USC, her mom was excited to see her parents, and her dad was just happy to be there–he was always happy.

Tiffany’s mom, Kate, thought she’d apply a little torture to her daughter’s new boyfriend.

“So, Tiffany, I guess we should tell Tom about Bruce. After all, you and Bruce have quite a fondness for each other.”

I stared back, not knowing how to react.

Tiffany giggled but said nothing.

Kate turned to Tiffany’s dad, Anthony, and pressed on. “Yes, Bruce really, really likes Tiffany, wouldn’t you agree?”

He smiled and nodded.

I felt my teeth gritting.

Kate continued in a playfully mocking tone. “We really should have told Tom about Bruce, huh?”

I thought, There must be a point here.

Tiffany put her hand on mine and said quietly, “Bruce is a black Lab–my grandpa’s legally blind and Bruce is his seeing eye dog.”

I exhaled in relief and everyone laughed.

These people were still strangers to me–and me to them–and it was a timeless moment. It was a magical feeling, the love and kindness–the acceptance–of these kind and funny people.

“Yeah, we sure love Bruce,” her mom trailed off. “We were at lunch one day and I looked down at him. He had a new collar on with a heart shaped nametag. I looked down to get a better look at the tag and turned to Nana …” (Tiffany’s grandmother’s nickname) “and asked, ‘does Bruce have a heart on?’”

Anthony started choking on his fries.

I looked at him, puzzled.

“Nana looked down, grabbed Bruce’s hind leg to get a better look and said, ‘No, I don’t think.’”

I burst out laughing.

I mean, I burst out laughing, raised my hand over my head, and slammed my open palm down–hard–on the table. Silverware, glasses of water, and empty plates rattled and bounced off the table with so much racket that the entire restaurant stopped and stared.

I looked around at the now completely silent, filled-to-capacity restaurant, and laughed even harder. Spit flew from my mouth. Tears rolled down my red face. It was, without a doubt, the funniest thing I’d ever heard.

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