CLASS OF
1983 REUNION AT REEL ‘EM
INN MOTEL
(The events and characters in this story are fictitious and any
similarity between persons living or dead is purely coincidental.)
“Hey Bones,
you look like a candidate for a Veggie Diet Systems commercial!”
“Ok Mister Prom
King, I hear the drug store has a BOGO sale on Hair Grow for men!”
The good
natured jabs and put downs continued for the rest of Friday afternoon as the
Class of 1983 checked into the lakeside Reel ‘Em Inn Motel for their 30th
Reunion. The reunion committee selected this motel because of an eye-watering
off-season offer to price all rooms at 1983 rates! The motel was within easy walking
distance of several mid-price restaurants and the ubiquitous fast food
establishments.
Three tour
busses arrived at the motel at 5pm to transport the non-stop talking Class of 1983,
their spouses, and in some cases, dates, to a large banquet room at the civic
center for an informal catered buffet dinner.
Mayor Gibson welcomed them and said he hoped they would not act like a bunch of Baptists who held their annual state convention in his fair city last month. The mayor said, “Those Baptists came to town with a copy of the Ten Commandments in one hand and a ten dollar bill in the other hand. They vowed not to break either one!”
Mayor Gibson welcomed them and said he hoped they would not act like a bunch of Baptists who held their annual state convention in his fair city last month. The mayor said, “Those Baptists came to town with a copy of the Ten Commandments in one hand and a ten dollar bill in the other hand. They vowed not to break either one!”
Bill
Henderson, president of the Class of 1983, welcomed everyone and asked all to
stand as the class secretary read the names of classmates who had graduated to
Eternity. A moment of silence was observed in their honor.
President
Henderson next tried his best imitation of Principal Mr. Snider who was “The
Man” at good old Eastern Heights High School in 1983. “Students, here’s the
schedule for this weekend:
1. A short business meeting will follow
dessert.
2. After the busses take us back to the
motel, a VCR tape of the 1982 District
Football Championship game will be on the lobby TV, the Rainbow Trout conference room will have a
Dutch wet bar, and the Brook Trout conference room will serve complementary
coffee and soft drinks.
3. You are on your own for breakfast. If
you signed up for the bowling tourney, be at the front desk at 11am for a bus
to King Salmon Lanes.
4. Two busses will leave the motel at
Noon for a two hour mall shopping trip and a short tour of the historic
downtown district with a refreshment stop at the Depot Museum and Snack Bar.
5. Business Casual dress for the catered
dinner at the Elks Club party room. A DJ will play 80’s hits and dancing is
optional. All three busses will leave the motel at 7pm with an estimated return
around midnight.
6. Al Binger, one of our classmates and
ordained Methodist minister, will hold a short devotional meeting at 10am in
the Brook Trout conference room.
7. At 10:30am, our final time together
will be a special Brunch Buffet for our class and guests in the Rainbow
conference room.
8. Motel check out time is 1pm.
“Hey,
Henderson, don’t quit your day job! That was a terrible impression of Warden
Snider,” shouted Billy Ray McCalaster.
“Right after
lunch count Mr. Wise Guy, I want to see you in my office,” the president shot
back.
A roar of
laughter filled the room of classmates and friends. Billy Ray’s face became
very red.
Dessert was
served. The treasurer’s report was presented and approved. And five grads were
elected to the 40th reunion committee, with two alternates. The
meeting was adjourned and the talking continued unabated until the second
announcement to load the busses.
Back at the
motel most of the football players made an out of shape rush to the lobby after
grabbing a soft drink from the vending machine.
Bill Henderson, class president, made a short stay in the lobby and joked with the players on the team he quarterbacked to a 14-13 victory over the heavily favored cross town rival--- Western Hills. His last second “Hail Mary” to Buddy Adams in the end zone and dead center PAT clinched it. Henderson said, “Guys, we could do the same play a hundred times and probably never duplicate it again.” All agreed.
Bill Henderson, class president, made a short stay in the lobby and joked with the players on the team he quarterbacked to a 14-13 victory over the heavily favored cross town rival--- Western Hills. His last second “Hail Mary” to Buddy Adams in the end zone and dead center PAT clinched it. Henderson said, “Guys, we could do the same play a hundred times and probably never duplicate it again.” All agreed.
He next went
to the coffee and soft drinks room and chatted with his wife and listened to
all of the stories about children and grandchildren. In addition there was much
talk about divorces, second marriages, and tattoos in unusual locations. He was
thankful Evelyn, his wife, and he just celebrated their 25th
Anniversary.
In muted,
almost inaudible, tones a few women talked of cosmetic surgery and menopause.
All of a sudden he felt very out of place. He wondered to himself when his
libido would change. He hoped not soon.
His final
stop was in the room where beer and mixed drinks were served. When he opened
the door the noise and alcohol smell nearly chased him away. Bill and his wife
would share a bottle of Champaign on their anniversary. That was their
self-imposed drinking limit.
Billy Ray
yelled from across the room, “Gents, somebody better hum “Hail to the Chief”
for our wonderful class president. *%^&, he was Mister Hero at good old
Eastern Heights prison. Here’s some breaking news: Most of you don’t know he stole Evelyn away from
me just three days before I was going to propose to her. Talk about your Trophy
Wives, for two years she was my steady Trophy Girlfriend. She and I were close---I mean very, very
close! Now what do you overweight, stressed out, never at home business executives
think of that?”
By now Bill
had made his way over to confront the obviously drunk Billy Ray.
“Billy Ray,
let’s go out into the hall and talk about your inappropriate comments about
Evelyn.”
“No way Jose;
I’m staying right here where I can get another double Wild Turkey headache
maker. Boys, for two years I was number two on the football team depth chart.
Then wham, bam, old Coach Alfred jumps Mister Bill to starting QB. I took a
total of 11 snaps my senior year. So it doesn’t take a Detective Joe Friday to
see he stole my football position AND he stole the hottest Pom squad girl at
Eastern Heights from good old Billy Ray.”
Bill could
feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up and a flush of blood filled his face
and both hands clinched in an uncontrolled fighting response. Within a few
seconds he felt a certain amount of self-control returning. He spoke slowly
without looking at Billy Ray or anyone.
“If you look
at the ‘82 gold trophy in the school’s trophy case and the gold wedding ring on
Evelyn’s left hand you’ll quickly see who the winner is.”
Lunging
toward Bill, Billy Ray shouted, “I shoulda killed you in ’83! Someday I’ll show you who the real winner is.”
Three
classmates and the motel’s security guard separated the fighting mad duo. Billy
Ray was led away to his room by the security guard. Billy Ray was shouting and
screaming all the way.
Bill was
shaken, embarrassed and regretted the entire situation. But it had happened and
his caustic response was heard by everyone in the room. But after all, it was Billy Ray who was drunk
and chose to replay his three decade long grudge in public. And he was glad he
had resisted the animal urge to strike back and ruin the weekend for himself
and all of his classmates. He had a king size headache and desperately in need
of the comfort of Evelyn and a good night’s sleep. He said goodnight to all and
retired to his room.
When Bill
returned to his room he discovered a note from Evelyn on the bed. She wrote, “I’m in Betty Higgins’ room with the other
Pom girls. Don’t wait up for me. Love, Evelyn.” Bill opened Evelyn’s small cosmetic bag and
located the aspirins; took three and within ten minutes he fell asleep,
completely dressed, on top of the bedspread, door unlocked, and the TV on ESPN.
Evelyn tried
her key to their room only to discover the door was already unlocked. With only
the dim light of the bathroom she proceeded to locate and turn on a small desk
lamp.
Her screams
of horror did not wake the dead but did empty all of the motel rooms and sent
the security guard and desk clerk running to her.
She
staggered backward out of the room and collapsed into a trio of guys with their
arms extended toward her.
The security
guard took one step into the room and saw a body with a blood soaked pillow
half on and half off Bill’s head. The room smelled of gunpowder and liquor. A
911 call had been made when Evelyn’s screams were heard.
Within a
couple of minutes the EMTs arrived and conducted a triage of the lifeless victim.
They radioed their dispatcher and said the victim apparently died from a
gunshot wound to his left temple.
A minute
later the police arrived and locked down the entire motel. The EMTs turned to
help Evelyn.
The police
started their crime scene investigation and awaited the arrival of the medical
examiner. All of the guests were ushered into the Brook Trout room and their
rooms searched. Nothing significant was found.
One by one,
each guest and staff members was taken to the Rainbow Trout room and individually
questioned. This took just over five hours. Twelve people gave first person
information of the confrontation Billy Ray had had with Bill earlier in the
evening.
Evelyn and
Beth Higgins were permitted to go to the lobby where Evelyn lay on a couch with
a cold wash cloth on her forehead. Her sobbing would pause for a couple of
seconds and when she would catch her breathe she seemed to cry with even
greater intensity.
Billy Ray
was still too drunk to be interviewed and was jailed as a person of interest.
Obviously,
the reunion was cancelled and all except Billy Ray, Evelyn, and Betty, were
permitted to go home. A crime scene yellow tape encircled the motel and the
parking lot.
As Billy Ray
started to get sober he realized what a fix he was in---it scared him---it
scared him a lot.
Meanwhile,
Buddy Adams headed home and wondered if Bill’s obituary would mention the ’82
game and his circus catch among five defensive backs. Two of the defenders
played D-1 football and one of these super stars played 12 years in the NFL. He
quickly dismissed his thoughts because no one remembered his catch in the
greatest game ever played by Eastern Heights. Bill’s throw would always be part
of the Eastern Heights’ oral football history.
As he drove
across the dam road he slowed down, looked in his rearview mirror, lowered his
window and tossed a black metal object and an almost full bottle of Wild Turkey into the deep
end of Trout Lake.
He smiled and resumed the eight hour journey home.
He smiled and resumed the eight hour journey home.
Glenn <>< 6-9-13
