THE BOLAN CHRONICLES: Reading #3

3. Approximate Minutes Reading (AMR): 18

Introduction to Characters:

Alfie: Owner of a service station in Milford, CT

THE BOLAN CHRONICLES

Chapter 1

Jake and Donna

**Wide-Eyed Beauty**

In some ways, Jake wasn’t a whole lot different from most of the other boys at Harding High School in Bridgeport. He was of average height and weight, always put homework off until the last minute, and approached almost everything as if it was humorous. But Jake was good with humor, and he was good at sarcasm. His peers, never surprised to find Jake walking across campus behind an instructor, delighted greatly in the comedy of his gestures behind their backs. When the instructor would turn, Jake would smile and comment on the weather or an upcoming assignment.  

He baffled some of his teachers, but most of them knew Jake well enough to effectively deal with him. On one occasion, as Jake and two of his friends were sitting on the grass during lunch break, their History teacher passed by. “Watch this,” Jake said. 

He jumped up. “I’m not sure if I’ll do too well on that report that’s due this Friday, Mr. Hamble. I’ve been fighting a mean cold, and it’s been keeping me up at night.”

Quick-witted Mr. Hamble replied, “I see, Mr. Bolan. In that case, you’ve actually had more waking hours than most other students, so I’ll expect a wonderful product; certainly above the average.” 

The two friends laughed until Mr. Hamble looked their way. 

Jake replied, “Okay, Mr. Hamble, and I look forward to seeing you in class. I’m really loving the exciting lectures on the American Revolution.” He looked back at his buddies and grinned.

 “Frankly, Mr. Bolan, I’m surprised that you have any clue whatsoever about what we’ve been discussing in class,” Then he leaned in, now within a foot of Jake’s ear, and quietly said, “Careful the way you stare at that young lady sitting so strategically in front of you, little boy. I hear she’s got a daddy who served 18 months active duty in Nam,” He pulled back a bit, looked around, then leaned back in. “ And he’s just a little war crazed.” Then he winked at Jake and resumed his walk. 

The boys hadn’t heard what Mr. Hamble had said to Jake, and when they asked, Jake said, “Hell, he just said something about how I would likely someday be Valedictorian AND Most Likely to Succeed.”

The boys laughed. Jake entertained them. It was his craft.

And he was handsome. He had a perfect complexion, his thick, short dark hair, cut perfectly, face somewhat elongated, and his slight cleft chin finished off a rather attractive young man. His eyes were dark brown, but it was his brows and lashes that often caught a young lady off guard. He was considered just a bit above average academically. But he was far above average in the athletic department. He played halfback on the football team all four years and was considered one of the best in the history of the school.  

Jake didn’t play football with hopes that he might get a scholarship to some prestigious college (his father’s great hope), or that he might someday become an NFL star. Jake played football solely because of a girl that he wanted desperately to impress. He had been attracted to her since his freshman year, but he was sure that a girlfriend would only be a nuisance--someone who demanded too much time and attention. So he avoided any risk of communication that might lead to more demand. He was happy to sit in class with his sunglasses on and stare at her. He did this for the first three years of high school.  

There were periods of class when he wouldn’t have remembered a word the teacher had said.  He had spent the entire period gazing at her. He memorized the innocent eyes and small chin—the perfect nose with the slight upturn. He spent many class hours absorbing himself in his fantasies about her, imagining himself wooing her to his bedroom and convincing her of his pure love for her, then getting her to slide her skirt off. He daydreamed of the kinds of things that he’d say to her to keep her wanting more. He believed her to be insecure. She was not only innocent, but even more important to Jake, he was sure that she was nearly void of self-confidence.

Her name was Donna Keller.

Jake and Donna finally formally met in late November of1977 when he was a senior and she was a junior. She had attended a game with friends, and afterward, she’d run into Jake while trying to squeeze out of the gate leading to the parking lot. Jake had asked her name, and while she was very shy, she was taken aback at his interest. Here is one of the stars of the high school football team, she’d thought, and he’s asking my name! 

She smiled and shrugged, “I’m Donna. I’ve seen you in some of my classes.  Aren’t you Jake Bolan?”

“Yeah. The one and only, I guess.”

“Really good game tonight.”

“Yeah, it was a good one,” They stood on the curb, facing one another. Jake purposely paused. He’d known he could make her nervous, and then that cute little grin that she would try to hide would show up, and he loved that grin in class when a teacher would ask her a question that she had no answer to, and that nervous grin would come and she would turn her head and look down. “Wanna walk me to my truck?” he asked.

Before she could answer, Jake had already turned toward the parking lot.  She caught up with him and said, “You played really good tonight.”

The two said nothing more until they reached Jake’s pickup.  Donna said, “Hey, this is a nice truck!”

“Yeah, it’s my 1972 red and white Chevy. I call him Rookie.”

Donna asked, “How long have you had it?”

“Well, I’ve been driving it for almost three years, but my dad bought it brand new in ’72.”

Donna giggled, “That rhymes!  ‘New in 72.’”

Jake smiled and stared at her for a moment. Her eyes transfixed him.

Donna blushed a little.

Jake asked, “Wanna go out sometime?”

Donna replied quickly, “Sure. I’d like that.”

Jake grinned at her. “Great!  I’ll see you later then, right?”

“Right!”  Donna smiled. “See you later, then.” And she began to walk back to the school.

“Hey!” Jake called. “Was your dad in the war?”

“Yes, he was.”

“The Revolution?”

Confused, Donna replied, “Revolution?”

“Yeah. You know, the Revolutionary War.”

Donna giggled and said, “Viet Nam, silly!”

Jake evaded embarrassment with a laugh and said, “I know.”

“Yeah. He was there. I think for about two years.”

Donna replied, “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. It just seems to me that nearly everyone’s father fought in that war at some point. I was just curious.”

Donna smiled and waved. “Okay. I’ll see you later then.”

Jake smiled and nodded. “Yes, you will, Donna.”

And that was the extent of a conversation that would eventually lead to an interesting future for both. Jake spared no expense in impressing this wide-eyed beauty. And that’s what he called her throughout the two courtship years. “How’s my wide-eyed beauty today?” “Which burger joint would you like to hit today, wide-eyed beauty?” “Hop in, wide-eyed beauty.” “Nothing too good for my wide-eyed beauty!” “I’ve got great plans for us. You dig, wide-eyed beauty?”

Donna was a lovely young lady. She attracted many boys, but her shyness prohibited her from showing any indications of any interest in them. When she walked through the halls of the high school with a friend, the friend enjoyed Donna’s full attention. But most of the time she was alone, and the occasional whistle was fully ignored. Donna had dated only one boy before meeting Jake, and the relationship lasted for all of two weeks. He was a seventeen-year-old stud named Bobby Kremfield.  

Bobby had played football with Jake, and one evening early in the season, after an away game, he said to Jake, “I want that Donna Keller real bad, man. She’s a fox!”

Jake was bothered that Bobby might go after the girl that he had fantasized about for this long. He rolled his eyes, “Okay, man, if you like juniors who look like 8^th graders. Good luck finding anything under that blouse.”

 Bobby took Jake’s comment as a kind of dare, so he did ask Donna out, and he did attempt to find out if there was anything under that blouse, but Donna’s lack of interest in a roll in the sack was unacceptable. Upon their last meeting, he’d closed the conversation with a nonchalant, “Don’t take it personally Donna, blue balls just ain’t my thing.” She later had to ask a friend just exactly what that meant.

Jake carefully noticed the way Donna responded to Bobby’s ways, and he played the game differently. He was deeply infatuated with Donna, but there was something more to his feelings for her than a quick roll in the sack, and he didn’t want to risk the loss, so he took it slowly and carefully. The first kiss, hardly a peck, didn’t come until the fourth date. Jake had walked Donna to her front door, the typical young couple, nervous and unsure.  

After a bit of small talk—the delicious meal, the great song on the radio, the way the waitress apologized so much about bringing the wrong dessert—and then a slight nervous pause, Jake slowly reached out and put his hand on her face. She smiled but couldn’t look at him.  

“Can I kiss you?” He asked.

“Yes,” she replied, and she looked up briefly.

The kiss was short and innocent, and while Jake wanted more, he knew that taking more might be a mistake, so he simply and gently pulled her chin up and looked into her eyes. She began to shake lightly, and Jake touched her face again and said, “That face, oh my god, so pretty.” 

She smiled and kissed him lightly on the cheek then said, “Goodnight, Jake…and thank you.”

Jake knew that Donna was the girl with whom he wanted to make a life. He was thrilled now that she had shown an attraction to him. He would slowly and carefully woo her, and eventually, he would make her his wife.

More dates followed, and more kisses followed—many more. At some point, Donna was the one who instigated the kissing at the door of her home. She was the one who looked up first, and she was the first one who smiled, and the first who turned her head. And Jake was the willing guest. 

And the time spent on the front porch seemed to extend with the next date, until Donna wasn’t satisfied with just kissing on the front porch. When Jake would shut the motor off and pull the keys out of the ignition, Donna would take the keys from his hand and toss them on the floorboard, then she’d look at him with her very large eyes, and she would reach over and put her hand on his leg. She would then lick her lips and lean into him. Jake would place his hand on her neck and she would breathe deeply, eyes closed, wanting badly to satisfy him. 

Their conversations usually centered on Jake and his football games or on his time spent with his police officer friend. Donna was always a happy and willing listener. She was impressed with the way Jake was able to speak so freely and confidently to other people. She one day told Jake that it made her feel safe.

 By the end of three months, Jake had managed to convince Donna that he was hers for life. That it was important to him that he showed her how much he loved her, and that this was just another way of showing that love. Donna never doubted him. For goodness sakes, Donna thought, he’s been so sweet—and for three months! And to Jake’s delight, the circumstances were perfect.

It was a Sunday night, the first day of February 1978. The couple had enjoyed a dinner at Denny’s in Milford, a town of about 50,000 located a few miles north of Bridgeport. When they left the restaurant, they were surprised by light snowfall. By the time they had arrived at the Bridgeport exit, the snowfall had increased significantly, making it difficult to drive. Jake decided to pull off at a service station and wait it out. He and Donna got out and walked to an adjacent Diner, a hole-in-the-wall place called Alfie’s. To their delight, a small cooler stocked with sodas sat next to the front counter, along with a fully stocked candy display. Jake grabbed two sodas and two tootsie rolls. The middle-aged gentleman behind the counter looked at Jake and smiled a nearly toothless grin then said with a southern drawl, “Givin’ your tootsie a Tootsie, huh?” Then he let out the goofiest laugh that Jake had ever heard, so far-fetched that Jake, at first, thought the man was imitating Gomer Pyle. It was all Jake could do to keep from laughing.

“Yep, givin’ my tootsie a Tootsie!” He dropped the change on the counter, thanked the man, and wished him a good night.

As they walked back to the car, Donna commented on how nice Jake was to the man.  

“What else did you expect?” Jake asked. Then he smiled and said, “I’m just a nice guy at heart, Tootsie.” And he nudged her and laughed, “Didn’t ever think you’d get to meet Gomer Pyle in person, did you?”

Donna nudged Jake and said, “Hey now! Be nice, Jake!”

They sat in the car and listened to the radio. The snowstorm had worsened, and within an hour, Jake’s car was nearly covered. They walked back to the store and asked the toothless employee if he knew of a place they might stay for the night. Taken aback at the question, he paused. He looked at Donna then back at Jake. He leaned over the counter and bid Jake to come closer. Jake leaned in. The man asked, “How old is she?”

Jake, understanding what the man really wanted to ask, leaned in and asked quietly, “What difference does it make?”

“Well, you sure you’re wantin’ to do this? She looks like she’s 15 or 16 years old.”

Jake played along with this for a bit, baiting the man along, making him think whatever he might think. And just when the toothless one thought he had convinced Jake of the mistake, Jake smiled big and said, “Oh!  You think she’s my date?” And he laughed hard. “This here is my sister!” He laughed again, “She’s not my Tootsie at all! We’re on our way back to Bridgeport, and when we couldn’t see twenty feet ahead of us, we decided to pull off and find a place to stay.” Jake turned and looked at Donna.  “Did you want to use that payphone out there now, sis? Mom and Dad are going to start worrying if we don’t call them.”

Hesitating at first, Donna replied, “Oh, yea, I’ll go call them now.” And she headed out the door.

Jake slapped the man on the shoulder and laughed, “Sorry about that, man. I guess I should have said something.”

“Well,” The man replied, “I s’pose I should’a kept my mouth shut…none of my business, I s’pose.  It’s just that you two don’t look much alike, that’s all.”

Jake shot back, “Yeah. We get that all the time. We’ve got different dads.”

The man smiled big, now convinced that Jake was being honest, and he replied in a patriarchal tone, “Well, it looks like the two of you are family and friends. Nice ta see.”

Donna stepped back through the door and said, “The phone’s out. No dial tone.”

Jake pointed to the phone sitting next to the cash register and asked, “What about that one?”

The toothless man picked it up and put it to his ear and sighed. “This here storm’s gonna be a bad one. I can feel it.”

Jake wondered what would become of this, but the uncertainty excited him. “Donna, I suppose we could get back to the car and wait it out.”

“Oh no, you can’t do that!” The man said. “This storm’ll cover that car of yours in a matter of an hour’r so.”  After a pause, he looked at Jake and said, “How ‘bout you go get your car. I got a place you two can stay warm ‘til this thing passes.”

Jake eyed the diner and replied, “Yeah, this place is nice. A lot better than waiting it out in a snow-covered car.”

“No, no,” The man said, “I got me a little cottage hooked up to the back ‘o the diner. I done stayed in there fer lots o’ storms.  It’s got a nice little wood stove we can fire up for ya.”

The toothless hick had become a god-sent angel.  

“That would be great!”  And Jake smiled at Donna, “Lucky for us, huh, Sis!”

Donna did her best to react like the sister that she was supposed to be, and the toothless man fell for it. He too started referring to her as ‘sis.’  

“You stay right here, sis, while your brother fetches that car.” He said. Donna smiled and thanked him.

He accompanied Jake and Donna to the cottage. He got a fire started in the wood stove and supplied them with a plate of hot ham and fried potatoes. He apologized that there was only one bed in the place, but that Jake might just use the blankets stacked in the closet as padding on the floor.  

“Oh, don’t worry, sir, we’ll make it work, somehow. We’re just really grateful for your hospitality.”

Donna chimed, “Yes, we are!”

The man held his hand out, “Name’s Alfie, son. Don’t you be callin’ me sir no more. That’s fer strangers.”

Jake shook his hand and replied, “Oh, yes sir…er…Alfie.”

The obligatory laugh followed, and Alfie opened the cottage door, turned to the two and said, “Just let me know if you need anything at all. And soon as that power’s back on,” He tapped on the door, “I’ll be knockin’’.” He smiled his toothless smile and walked out.

 Donna and Jake had talked about making the first time a special time—a memory that they would never lose and something that they could recall again and again to help them get through the “hard times.” Under the circumstances, this surpassed anything either of them could have imagined. 

Jake hauled the blankets out of the closet and neatly placed them on the bed. He turned to her and said, “Well, this looks like our perfect memory maker, doesn’t it.”  

Donna smiled, slowly unbuttoned her blouse and tossed it on the bed. She looked at Jake. He was caught off guard, to be sure. He expected to have to have said so much more before getting what he’d fantasized about for so long. She turned around and looked back, “Can you help me with this, Jake?”  

Jake placed his hands on her shoulders and rubbed them softly. “My God, Donna.  You’re beautiful,” He undid her bra and she turned and faced him. Jake stared at her face. He placed his hands on her cheeks and said softly, “Holy god, Donna. You are so damned perfectly beautiful.”

Donna blushed and looked down then replied, “You’re just saying that.”

Jake cupped her chin and raised her face to his and said, “Hey, listen to me. I have always loved you, from the first day I saw you, that fourteen-year-old freshman girl with the most amazing smile anyone had ever seen.” Donna smiled. Then she watched him as he looked down at her breasts. Then he kissed her, and she grabbed his hands and placed them on her breasts and told him that she was his.

And as badly as Jake wanted to enter her, he equally wanted the passion, the sex, to last for hours. But the first time was over quickly. They lay closely together under two thick blankets that smelled of musty closet, but neither of them minded.  

Donna fell asleep, and Jake lie there, wondering how long he should wait before he woke her so that they could do it again.  After an hour, Jake re-stoked the fire, and they did do it again, and after a third time, Donna threw her arms back and exhaled deeply, “I can’t believe how happy I am.”

Jake leaned over and kissed her on the forehead and said, “I’m glad,” and he stared at her hard, “My wide-eyed beauty.” 

By mid morning the next day, the storm had let up, and Alfie nervously approved of their departure. He gave Jake a big hug and patted him on the back. He took Donna’s face in his hands and said, “Y’all stay friends, okay? I got me a sister I ain’t talked to fer go’non ten years now, and I sure do wish I could turn back the clock.”

Donna smiled and replied, “Oh, we will sir. Momma and Daddy wouldn’t have it any other way.”  And then she turned to Jake and said, “Besides, he’s a pretty good fella!”

The couple had made it back safely, and Jake had no problem explaining to Donna’s father what had happened. They had stopped at a local diner and were snowed in, so they accepted the invitation of the proprietor to stay in the diner until things cleared up. “Just a little fudge never hurt anyone,” Jake told Donna. “In fact, sometimes a little fudge can make things sweeter!”

Donna smiled and shook her head.

By the end of six months, Donna was fully engulfed by the charm of Jake Bolan. She adored him. And he too was thrilled with the direction of their relationship.  

In early June, Jake graduated from Harding High School. Donna watched with pride as Jake accepted his diploma. He turned to face the crowd, knowing exactly where Donna sat. Most of the class was still seated, and when Jake turned to Donna and blew her a kiss, a host of the boys hollered, including fat boy who screamed, “Put her in cuffs, Rookie!”

Jake looked back at him and flagged him the bird behind his robe, and when Fat-boy responded, “Yeah! Then do that to her!” the entire class let loose. Fat boy sat in the front row, like a hen on her chicks, basking in self-admiration.