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Chapter 1
Luke
Matt and I were standing arm in arm, as were Larry and Eugene. Without thinking, one couple went to one side of Paula and the other couple went to the opposite side, put their arms around her, and the Oberlin Five walked slowly towards the house, which suddenly seemed very empty. We stood together in the foyer and realised that this was it. Now there were the Concord Five and the Oberlin Five. And everything we knew was far, far away. We were all very quiet, then Larry said, ‘And now the new adventure really begins.’
We all nodded and continued to stand in silence until Matt said, “Somehow I don't feel as grown up and independent as I did yesterday.” Silence. Nodding.
‘Well, we don't have to just stand here. We still have a lot to do. You disassemble the beds and reassemble them. Put the single mattresses back in the closet and do the laundry. I'll start cleaning up the kitchen,’ Paula ordered. I think we knew who was in charge of the house – not that there would have been any doubt if we thought about it. To tell the truth, Larry and Eugene might have thought they hadn't been pampered – at least until Millie took Eugene in – but as soon as Paula spoke, I saw that we really had been. Our mothers had taken care of us. As we went upstairs to get the bedding, Paula called out, ‘And don't go up there and start anything. First of all, you have work to do, and secondly, I would be jealous!’ We laughed for the first time since our parents left.
Once Matt and I had removed the sheets from our bed and changed them, he pulled me on top of him and started kissing me really hard. “Yes!” I said, just as Paula called up the stairs: ’I said no kissing!’
Reluctantly, we threw the sheets in the hallway, and I got towels and clothes from the bathrooms while Matt cleared out the now-empty fourth bedroom. When he emerged, he called to Larry and Eugene, ‘You heard the woman.’ Larry came out with sheets from Paula's room, while Eugene poked his head out of hers.
‘I know we're good kissers,’ Eugene laughed, ’but I don't think even we could make out in two different rooms.’
We tossed the sheets down and retrieved the bedding from the downstairs bedroom and bathroom. It made one huge pile and Matt tried stuffing it all into the washing machine. ‘I don't think that works,‘ said Larry. “That's not how Mom does it.’
‘And how do you do it? What do you do differently from putting it in the machine and turning it on?’
The four of us looked at each other. ”We're spoiled,’ I said. ‘What are we going to do? Paula!’
Paula came out of the kitchen with soapy hands and asked, ’What seems to be the problem?’
‘Okay, we might as well admit it now. We are spoiled. We don't know how to do laundry.’
‘I hope you four don't think you have a Mama Paula. You just have to learn it. First important step: everything you have is light in colour, so it can always be washed together. NEVER wash dark colours and especially not new items with light colours together. Red is especially bad. Then you put the clothes in the drum – you don't stuff them in, you just let them fall until they reach here,’ she said, pointing to a spot in the washing machine. ’Add the detergent – there's a measuring spoon in the box – close the lid and press the start button – here. That's it.’
‘But that can't possibly fit in there,‘ said Matt.
‘Then you do several loads,’ she laughed, looking somewhat disgusted.
While the washing machine was running, the four of us rewrapped the single mattresses and bedsteads and took them to the attic. When we were finished, Eugene went to help Paula in the kitchen while the other three tidied the house, which didn't take long.
When we were finished, it was lunchtime, and we found things to make sandwiches with, made them, and sat in the kitchen and ate. ‘Paula, I really meant it when I said we were pampered. I mean, we had chores to do, and I guess I thought we shouldered our share of the load pretty well – maybe we did – but there are five of us and we have our hands full. I know laundry isn't the last thing I don't know about,’ I said.
‘Well, I don't know everything either. I'm not a good cook and, to be honest, I don't like it,‘ Paula replied.
‘I think each of us could learn to do everything and probably should do so over time, but for now, we should maybe decide who can do what and make a to-do list,’ Matt suggested.
We sat around the table for about an hour discussing what we could and couldn't do, what we liked and didn't like. It seemed we all hated doing the laundry and washing dishes, so we decided that everyone would do their own laundry and wash the dishes in turns. Matt, Larry and I, all coming from the farm, knew we had to get our hands dirty one way or another, and said we would mainly take care of the gardens. Eugene said he would take on the mowing and trimming – ‘I did that at home,’ he added. Paula said she would help out and divide up the house cleaning.
‘And as soon as we have our schedules, we'll have to set a day for the general cleaning, otherwise there will be chaos here, knowing us,’ said Eugene. “And it's a huge house.” We all agreed on that.
We had just finished when the phone rang. I reached for it and suddenly didn't know what to say! ‘This is Luke at the Larsen house,’ it certainly wasn't, although I was close. Finally, I said, “This is the Oberlin Five, Luke here.’
‘Luke, Stinky, Stinky Mason here. Is Matt Greywolf there?’
‘Sure, just a minute. Matt, Stinky... Stinky? ... Stinky Mason is on the phone,” I said, handing the phone to Matt.
‘See you later, Luke. Stinky! Great to hear from you,’ Matt said into the phone. ’Really? ... Really? ... I can't believe it... Tomorrow? ... By lunch? ... Great! ... You're having lunch with us? ... Yes, I think that's what we are now... Yes, half the community... Great! ... I'm excited, and I'm sure they will be too... Ok, see you then.’ When Matt got off the phone, he said, ‘That was Stinky Mason.’ It was obvious that he was as excited as a five-year-old at Christmas.
‘We had an idea,’ I laughed. “But who is Stinky Mason?’
‘You know, I wrote to you about him... When I was in Sewanee...” Matt said a little impatiently.
‘I'm sure you did, but that was a pretty traumatic time for me – for us,‘ I replied.
‘And you certainly didn't tell us about a Stinky Mason,’ Paula said.
Of course, Matt had to tell us the whole story of Stinky – how he got his name, how he taught him to work his legs, and so on. Then Eugene asked, ‘And what about Stinky now?’
‘He's coming tomorrow. He'll take Woody with him and they'll both be here tomorrow at lunch, and they'll have lunch with us, and he's coming to talk about Holtkamp and to meet me and some people from the organ department at Oberlin, and...’
‘You'd hardly believe that you're excited, Matt,’ laughed Larry. ’What's this about?’
‘I don't know if it's true, although Sticky and Woody say that most organ builders aren't really good organists - I mean, a trumpet maker doesn't necessarily have to be able to play concerts - and that even fewer good organists really understand organ building - you don't have to know how to make a trumpet to be as good as you, Eugene. I mean, you need to know how it works, but not how to build one,’ Matt was still talking at a rapid pace. ’But I guess it's different with organs – at least that's what Woody and Stinky think. An organist who really understands organ building – and maybe is even able to build one – would be very special.
‘And you think you're a great organist?‘ I laughed.
‘Well, maybe I'm not yet, but I'll be damn if I won't be!’ Matt said in all seriousness.
‘Of course you will, Matt, baby,‘ Paula said, patting him on the head.
‘You're damn right I will,’ Matt said.
‘I thought we agreed to leave the hard stuff - the language - to the experts,’ I laughed.
Matt looked a little disappointed at that moment when Larry said: ’Hey, Matt, relax! You know we're just kidding. You're damn good and we know you're getting even better. But we still don't know what you're talking about.’
Matt blushed and told the five that Stinky and Woody were trying to arrange some kind of apprenticeship or internship for him at the Holtkamp Organ Company in Cleveland. ‘Of course, organists disagree on who is the best, but even the doubters see Holtkamp at the top, if not at the top, of American organ builders. They think I could get credit for the work there and learn how my organ works - I mean how a pipe organ works.’
‘But you just got away with it, didn't you?‘ Eugene laughed and Matt blushed.
‘You have to admit, guys, this is pretty exciting news,’ Paula said. ‘So what do we need to do to prepare?’
‘The house is in pretty good shape. Actually, it's in great shape,’ Eugene said. ’We need to buy groceries – after we figure out what we have – and then maybe do some more work outside. It looks really good, but we need to get as much done as we can before school starts.’
‘Luke, since you and Matt are obviously the most adept at cooking, why don't you two check the food supply, create weekly meal plans, and go shopping? I don't think the rest of us will be of much help at this point. And I've been thinking about the list of things I don't like doing,’ said Larry. ’Right now, we need to know what we're doing, but I think we all need to have a turn. Right now, we have to stick to what we know how to do, but we all need to learn. Sure, Luke and Matt could take care of the cooking – they're both good. But I think we should team up with someone who is still learning. A chef and a trainee. Then we take turns next week, with the fifth person having a week off. That way we'll all learn to cook. We'll have to do most of the things, except maybe the outside areas...’
‘Everything,’ Paula said, ’I'm just as capable as any of you.’
‘Then everything.’ Five heads nodded in agreement. “Right now Luke and I will take stock, and then someone can help me with the menus and make a shopping list,” Matt said.
We talked for another half hour and worked out the details, then Matt and I took stock of the food we needed. It was a long list because we were basically rebuilding the household from scratch. We also decided to pay with a credit card that Matt owned so that he could collect air miles and keep track of things. We would split the expenses and pay at the end of the month so no interest would accrue. ‘I think I've already learned one thing,’ Larry said, ‘it's not easy to manage the household. Paula, we have to tell our mothers that we understand, because they also managed when they had little or nothing available.’
‘Matt, Paula and I will take care of the food this week so you have time to do whatever you want with Stinky and Woody,’ I said. ’I'll go shopping with Eugene this time.’
‘The three of us will get back to work,’ Larry said, and we ended the meeting. It didn't take long to realise how important that meeting had been and how badly we had screwed it up, but for now, everything was fine and Paula, Matt and Larry went outside.
Matt
There wasn't much to do at the front, even in the front gardens. The back, which ran down to the beach, just needed to be kept clean, with not too much pruning to prevent erosion, and a weedkiller job would quickly take care of that. None of us had gone past the garage to the vegetable garden, so after everything around the house was clean, the three of us went over to take a look.
I was really surprised when we went around the garage. There were three huge compost bins, a shed full of tools and gardening equipment, and a large garden, which was of course overgrown with weeds – very fine and strong weeds. I could see some trees behind the garden, but couldn't tell what kind they were. ‘Well, we can plan on fresh asparagus next spring,‘ I said, looking around. “Besides, we could probably have rhubarb now.’
‘How do you know?” Paula asked.
‘See those fern-like things over there?’ Larry said, ‘that's an asparagus patch.’
‘Doesn't look like asparagus,’ Paula said.
‘That's because it's already grown. You cut what you want to eat in early spring before it comes up. And there's some pretty nice rhubarb growing next to it, even growing with some weeds.’ As we continued to look around the garden, Larry added, ’Matt, do you think these trees are fruit trees?’
‘That would make sense, and they look like fruit trees from here. Let's go see.’ The path wasn't easy – when I said the garden was overgrown, I wasn't exaggerating. Before we reached the trees, we passed raspberry and blueberry patches. We thought we saw a patch of strawberries along the way, but it was so overgrown we couldn't be sure. As we approached the trees, it was clear they were part of what had once been an orchard. ‘With some pruning and tending, we'll have fresh fruit. I like this place,’ I exclaimed enthusiastically. ‘Maybe we should just call it the Oberlin Five Commune.’
‘With free love?‘ Larry laughed.
‘I don't think that would be fair,’ Paula said again in her pouty voice. ‘Where do we begin in this mess?’ asked the ever-practical Paula.
‘First thing we need to do is get rid of the weeds. Not much we can do until then. I guess we should start with the weed killer. We'll stack the weeds for the compost pile after we pull out what's in there, including the healthy weeds growing in the bins.’
‘Matt, we may be farm boys, but it occurs to me, country boy that we know very little about gardening here. That's got to change,’ said Larry. Of course he was right.
‘Well, it doesn't matter until we get the weeds out.’ We went to the tool shed and garage, got the tools we needed, and started working. It was hard, dirty work, and the sun was pretty hot. After an hour, when we decided we'd just about made it, I heard Luke's truck horn. We went through the outdoor shower and into the house.
When we came in, Luke and Eugene were still hauling bags in and the kitchen counters were already covered. The three of us went with Luke and Eugene and brought the rest of the stuff in. ‘Man, we're lucky we don't have to start over every week,’ said Eugene. ‘The cashier asked if we were feeding an army, we had so much stuff.’
‘Ok, we all need to know where everything is, so let's be careful when we put it away. It'll take longer, but otherwise we'll spend a lot of time looking for things,’ Luke said as he opened a cupboard. “I bet I know who worked here,” he laughed. ’New shelf paper and the same design as at home. Momma has struck again.’
It took an hour to put everything away, and when we were done, we all grabbed a glass of lemonade and the peanut butter and crackers and sat down at the kitchen table to snack. ‘Luke, Eugene, you won't believe what we've discovered,’ Larry said, and then he told them about the garden and the orchard. ‘We're going to need some help and advice with that, since we're not in North Carolina.’
‘Time for the consultant,’ Luke said. Larry and I nodded, while Eugene and Paula looked confused. “Oh, for you city folks,” Luke said, ’he's with the Department of Agriculture and helps with growing crops. He used to only be there for farmers, but now they're available in urban areas too. We just call him and make an appointment.’
After the break, we all went back into the garden, first just to explore, then we got back to work. Progress was certainly slow. After a few more hours, there was definite progress, but there was still a long way to go. ‘I think we should call it a day,’ Eugene said. ‘I'm disfiguring my delicate hands.’
‘To the beach!’ Paula exclaimed, running to the tool shed to put away the used tools. We all joined the exodus and were at the lake ten minutes later.
An hour later, after a quick shower, we went inside and all five of us took hot showers. Paula chose to take hers downstairs so the two couples could use the upstairs ones. When we were all dressed, we went downstairs and dinner was prepared. While Paula and Luke cooked, Larry and Eugene folded the washed and dried bedding and started another load of washing and a drying. I set the table. All the leaves had been removed and the table was still large, but not really too large for five people. As I worked, I thought, ‘We have to make dinner special, or we'll start eating just anything and calling it dinner. Dinner, almost every night.’ When I mentioned this at dinner, everyone agreed. Of course, we had to remember this decision later, when things really got going.
After supper we all helped clean the kitchen and dishes and folded the next load of dry laundry in no time, and then went into the living room. Matt had the best stereo system of us and we started to set it up in the living room when Eugene said: ‘Listen, Matt is going to have to practice in here, and I know he doesn't need a booming stereo system, even if he uses his headphones. Why don't we put it in the library, which is also very cosy, and mine here? It might not be quite as good as Matt's, but it's close. When Matt's not practising, we can both use the rooms. And I know that when I'm studying, I like to have some quiet music playing in the background, so the library's stereo would be good for that.’ We all agreed, and spent an hour setting up both systems to everyone's satisfaction.
When we were finished, I said, ‘If you don't mind, I really need to practice now. I've played so little lately, and it shows. I'll use the headphones.’
‘We'll be here when you're done,’ Luke said, kissing my forehead.
I really had become careless about practicing, and I could tell right away. Of course, working in the garden hadn't exactly made my hands and fingers flexible, but I knew that the main problem was a lack of practice. Soon I was so absorbed in my music that I forgot everything else, and since I was using headphones, everything except the organ was blocked out. I immersed myself in a special world where it was just me and my music.
&&&Luke
When Matt went to the living room to practice, the other four of us went to the library. We took turns at the computers – we had three: Matt's, Eugene's and mine.
After we had all checked our e-mails, Paula took a book and started reading while the three boys were writing letters. Eugene and Larry finished at around the same time and offered Paula to use the computer they had been using. Eugene finally said, ‘Listen, I need to practice too, so take this one. Luke, do you mind if I use the studio to practice? I know you don't want to hear it, and I can't use headphones.’
‘Hey, great idea - at least until I need it. Maybe we should think about a practice studio. I mean, you're right. I like trumpet, but I'd be crazy after two hours,’ Luke said. ’I'll go with you and we'll see how we can set up a practice studio. I think that's a good idea.’
The studio consisted of a single huge room, which looked even bigger with the fresh coat of paint. The skylight was now so clear that you could see the stars and the small moon through it. This made the room seem even larger. At one end was a cupboard that extended halfway down the room. ‘If we extend the side of the cupboard several feet into the room – enough to enlarge it to nine feet, for example, and add a wall with a door from there to the other wall, we would have something like a nine-by-twelve-foot room. Would that be big enough?’
‘More than enough. And with a well-padded carpet on the floor and acoustic tiles on the walls and ceiling, it should be virtually soundproof,’ Eugene replied. “We'll need to measure it to figure out what materials we'll need.’
‘I brought my tape measure, just in case,” I told him. We quickly measured the room, and I took the measurements and let Eugene practice.
Once I was back in the house, I sat down and quickly sketched out a few rough sketches and made the materials list. After that, Paula, Larry, and I talked about nothing important until Eugene came back an hour later. ‘Hey, it's 11 o'clock,’ I said. ‘Matt's been working on it long enough.’
‘What time do we have to get up?‘ Paula asked.
‘We haven't decided yet, but these are our last days of freedom. Let's say nine o'clock,’ Eugene said. ‘We still have a lot to do, but I would like to get some sleep.’
‘And how long do we sleep on the ninth day?’ Paula asked. “Gosh, I'm not looking forward to having to get up early. Good night, guys,” she said and went upstairs. Larry and Eugene said good night and followed her.
As they left, I went into the living room. Matt was sitting at his organ playing in a world that couldn't be of this one. He gave no sign that I existed. When I tapped him on the shoulder, he jumped.
Turning, he took off his headphones and said, ‘Luke, babe, you scared me. I didn't know you were here.’
‘What happened to your knowledge when I came closer?’ I laughed.
‘Honestly? To tell you the truth, Luke, there's only one thing standing between us, and that's my music – well, and I guess your art. When I'm really getting into it...’
‘I know, you're in another universe. I know the feeling well. I've always heard that art is the mistress.’
‘Or the second lover, if you're not interested in mistresses?’ Matt laughed. As he laughed, I leaned over, kissed him and said, ’I won't be jealous of your other lover if you're not jealous of mine.’
‘Agreed!’
Matt slid down from the organ bench and, arm in arm, we climbed the stairs. After we had undressed each other, we lay together and made love in a wondrous way. I swear that it was the best with Matt every time, every single time. As we lay in the afterglow of our passion, Matt said, ‘Luke, every day I think I can't love you more, and Yonghon Tongmu, the next day proves how wrong I was. In my wildest dreams, I never thought I could love you so much, and that loving you goes so far beyond what I can imagine, but that's the way it is, babe, that's the way it is.’
I kissed Matt gently and said, ‘I know, Sarang Hanun Pomul, I know, because I feel the same way.’ After we had been silent for a few minutes, I asked, ‘Matt, are you afraid of the future, are you excited, or what?’
‘Yes, all of it. I really didn't expect any of this, but every day I realise that what I thought it would be like here is just not the case. So many surprises, so many responsibilities. Yes, all of it. But one thing I did dream about is exactly as it is: having you by my side. But even that is different – it's much better!’
‘Yes, you're right. And I love it!’ I kissed Matt, and he snuggled his body against mine, and soon after, we fell asleep in Ohio.
Since Luke and Paula were the chefs this week, I woke up alone in bed. Before I was fully awake, I decided I liked waking up with Luke next to me better. I could hear Larry or Eugene—probably both—in the shower next to my room, so I walked down the hall and quickly took a shower there, managing to keep my hair reasonably dry, got dressed, and went downstairs.
Paula and Luke were busy in the kitchen and all kinds of smells were wafting towards me, but none of them could compare with Luke's good morning kiss. I kissed Paula on the cheek, poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table.
‘Since you're here,’ Luke said, ’would you mind setting the table?’
I did – it didn't take long – poured juice and filled glasses with ice and water. ‘Where did we put the napkins? I don't remember.’ Luke pointed to a cupboard and I finished setting the table. Then, as I suddenly remembered, I rushed outside and came back with a bouquet of flowers for the table. ‘Now that's living,‘ I said, taking a step back and admiring my handiwork.
‘Damn, maybe we will stay civilised after all,’ Luke laughed. ‘I thought we were going to turn into a bunch of sex-crazed, feral teenagers.’
‘Watch your mouth, you still have a nice young lady present who may be sex-crazed, but her driver is far away. You would hate to be the object of a sexual assault by a woman, wouldn't you?’ Paula laughed uproariously.
When we finished eating, we put our dishes in the dishwasher and set a “rinse and hold” cycle, since there was no need to run a full cycle since the dishes weren't nearly full. Larry and Eugene took care of the pots and pans while we discussed the day's activities. ‘I'll call the county extension office and see if the county agent can come here,’ Luke offered.
‘I think the rest of us can start gardening,’ I said. ’We can work for an hour or two before it gets hot and we have to prepare lunch.’
When we reached the garden, Eugene said, ‘I can see from the amount of weeds you've tackled that you've done a lot, but it looks pretty small from where I'm standing.’
‘And it's not growing very fast,’ said Paula. ’I just don't understand why people want to dig in the dirt.’
‘It's a boys thing,‘ I laughed as Luke joined us.
‘The county commissioner, a Mr Glaze, will be here in the morning. He seemed very keen to work with us on this place. Apparently, he tried to buy it right after the owner died, but couldn't, thank God,’ Luke said.
After what felt like an eternity, we could see real progress in the five of us and we were dirty and sweating like crazy. I looked at my watch. ‘Hey, it's already half past eleven. We'd better stop and get ready for lunch.’ Nobody objected and we all ran to the outdoor shower to get rid of the worst of the dirt, and then went into the house, where all three showers were occupied again.
Luke and I had just got dressed when the doorbell rang. I ran downstairs, opened the door and there were Woody and Stinky. Stinky gave me a big hug, which I really appreciated. ‘Man, it's great to see you again!’ I almost shouted. ‘Come in, come in to our humble hut.’
‘If this is modest,’ Stinky laughed, “I can't imagine what a luxurious one would look like!’
When we entered the living room, the whole gang was gathered and I introduced them.
‘Looks like a promising group,” Stinky said.
‘You're right about that,‘ said Woody, as he gave each of the four a hug in turn. “I see you've been busy since I left,” he added.
‘Just wait until you see what we've really managed to achieve, but it never seems to end.’
‘I know the feeling,’ Stinky smiled. ‘It's the curse of home ownership.’
‘Lunch will be ready in a few minutes,’ Paula said. ’Woody, you can show Stinky where he can wash his hands.’
The two of them disappeared down the hall toward the bathroom, while Larry said, ‘It doesn't feel right calling Stinky Stinky.’
‘Southern by the way,’ Luke laughed. ‘Isn't it just great when a little old lady says to your mother, ’Yo, Mama, he's such a polite young man?’
‘Well, actually, yes,‘ Larry said, “but I think there is a difference between politeness and addressing someone you can't stand and have no respect for with ”mister’ and politeness and addressing someone you respect and like with a nickname.’
‘Yes, like being forced to call McBride ‘Reverend,’’ Eugene said, his face darkening. Fortunately, Woody and Stinky returned before any more could be said on the subject.
We sat down to potato salad, fresh tomatoes and boiled corn, and sandwiches made with the delicious roast beef from the night before. Stinky had many questions about the events since Sewanee, and we all talked, but nothing was said about what had happened to me and Luke, or, for that matter, about the trip to the Black Hills. I was glad, because I wanted it to remain a private conversation, and I suspect the others knew that.
After lunch, we showed Stinky the place and told Woody what we had been doing since he left. They were both impressed. When we were in the studio, Eugene and Luke told us all about their plans for a practice studio. Both men were impressed. ‘It's good to see you keeping each other in mind,’ Stinky said. ‘This would turn into a hellhole if you suddenly didn't get along. Don't forget it.’
Back at the house, Luke suggested to Paula and the other two that they take the truck into town to get supplies for the practice studio. ‘I don't think I missed anything,’ he said as he handed them a list of materials. “I'm sure Paula would like to get out of here for a while because she hasn't been away in who knows how long,” he concluded.
After the three of them left, Luke and I sat with Stinky and Woody in the living room and told Stinky what had happened, leaving out hardly anything.
When we were finished, there was a long silence, for which I was grateful. Then Stinky said, ‘I hope you'll take advantage of counselling and anything else that needs to be done for you both, especially you, Luke.’ We assured him we would. ‘Okay, now let's see if you've given up your whoring, Matt,’ Stinky said.
I glanced quickly at Luke's face, not sure how he would take the comment. His face told me that he hadn't taken it well at all. This was no time for jokes. ‘Luke, please, it's an organist joke.’ Then I explained what Stinky meant, and Luke, I could see, was relieved—and feeling guilty.
I played for Woody and Stinky for half an hour, while they both watched my technique. Before the summer, I would have been very nervous, but after spending so much time with them in Sewanee, it seemed natural that they were watching. When I finished, Woody said, ‘Good. You're much better. Very good, in fact.’
Just as I finished, Larry burst into the house shouting, ‘How about a little help here? We've got a whole truckload of stuff.’
‘I'll help you, Matt,’ Luke said. ‘I know you three still have a lot to discuss and plan.’
‘Thanks, Luke. I owe you one,’ I said, and I meant it.
‘Don't worry, I'll collect it,’ Luke replied with a melodramatic grin and walked out the door.
‘Matt, I talked to Holtkamp. At first, I think they were afraid that I was looking for a job for you. Of course, you won't be of much use to them for about a year. In fact, while you are learning, you will actually be a burden to them,’ Stinky began. ’I finally convinced Harry that you just want to learn and that I would work with Oberlin to give you credit for the time you spent with Holtkamp. When I showed him the video of the concert, he changed his mind and said he would be happy to have you as an intern. He even hinted that he could see himself giving you a scholarship to help you pay for your travel expenses. I knew you would pass on that, but it gives you two an obligation that I think is good. The only problem in this regard is now to organise your courses so that you can spend time there and not just hop in and out. Harry would like you for two full days if possible, but at least a full day and a half day if you can't get two full days.’
‘Sounds good to me.’ I was so excited I could hardly speak.
‘But you know that if you go to Holtkamp and back, it will be two full days. You would have to leave early and wouldn't get home until late. How will that go down with your housemates?’
‘I can't imagine that being a problem, but of course we need to discuss it.’
‘This is something all five of you need to think about,’ Woody warned again. ’There will be things coming up and it's not like you're living in a dorm where what you do is your business. Here you are one household and that makes a big difference.’
‘You need to talk to the crew tonight. I've arranged a meeting with Harry at St William's in Cleveland, where there's a Holtkamp organ, so he can meet you and see you play and hear you. Then we'll go to the studio where the organs are designed and built so you can look around and meet some of the people. That will take up most of the day. Then tomorrow night we have a meeting with the chairman of the organ department to see what we can work out in Oberlin. By tomorrow night we should know what is realistic and what is wishful thinking, so to speak. I think that your registration will be practically done after tomorrow evening, so Thursday should be a breeze for you. For the other four, it probably won't be. To compensate for the fact that they have to take you away from work and register, Woody and I have made a reservation for dinner on Thursday evening. We've even found a place we like where we can be more or less undisturbed.’
‘Wow! Every time I turn around, things change,‘ I said.
‘Welcome to the world, young Matt,’ Woody smiled.
‘By the way, Stinky, did Woody tell you about his time with us and the parents?’
‘I think so. I mean, he talked my ear off. Did he leave anything out?’
‘I can't say for sure, but he definitely made out with an older woman before she left.’
‘I think he left that out on purpose. Woody, you sly old dog, what's going on?’
Both Stinky and I had to laugh when Woody blushed bright red. ‘You mean you can still blush at your age?’ I was finally able to say between fits of laughter.
‘I guess I must be young again,’ stammered Woody. “Well, I thought Millie was a very attractive woman and she didn't turn me down.’
‘Have you heard from her?” I asked. ’And don't lie.’
‘Well, I think so. I mean, we talked on the phone.’
‘Yes?’
‘Well, only once, actually.’
‘But she didn't leave until Monday and she's not coming back until tonight.’
‘Well, motels have telephones,‘ Woody said sheepishly.
‘I think you'd better check with Eugene before you go too far,’ I laughed.
‘All right, let's get out of everyone's way then,’ Stinky said. ’Woody and I need to change and we'll be right back.’
When they returned, we went outside to where the crew were still busy unloading the truck. It took a while to get everything out, then Luke explained the task at hand and we all pitched in. ‘Always the same,’ Paula said as Luke tried to grasp a few construction details, ‘where is Jacob when you need him?’
Woody and Stinky were both happy to offer advice when asked, and so the wall studs were soon in place and ready for the plasterboard. When we started installing the door, there was a glitch. A standard prefabricated door would not work because there were two doors – one outside and one inside for sound insulation. With the help of a diagram that a colleague at the hardware store had made for Larry, we finally managed it. As we started putting up the plasterboard, which was double-skinned, i.e. a board was put up and another was put on top of the first one, Luke said: ‘You don't have to be too careful in here. The plasterboard will be covered with acoustic tiles. Outside, you have to get it right or we'll have a lot of filling and sanding to do, as the panels will be painted and part of the studio wall.’
Once the inner lining was in place, the insulation was fitted between the studs and the outer lining was attached. It didn't take nearly as long as I expected, since there were seven of us working on it and Larry and Luke were very good at making sure everyone was working on something. While Luke and Larry were installing the acoustic tiles on the ceiling and interior walls, the rest of us were applying what we call ‘mud’ to the cracks and dings made by the hammers on the exterior wall.
When we finished, Luke and Larry had removed the thick carpet padding and rolled out and cut the carpet to fit, using a strange tool to stretch the carpet across the floor. ‘That's it, until the mortar has dried so we can sand and paint,’ said Larry. ‘Time for a break.’
We all went into the kitchen, got something to drink and sat down. I told the crew what Stinky had arranged for me and what it would mean to me and them.
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Rooftop Lovers
