During the time that remained to us, Lenny and I were together every possible moment. We went all over the city, looking at the store windows decorated for the holidays and the giant tree in Rockefeller Center, going ice skating in Central Park. On Christmas day Lenny’s aunt made a big dinner for all his relatives and invited me to come along. Once again I felt wonderful to be included as part of Lenny’s family.
For the holidays I bought Lenny a warm sweater, which he wore every day. He managed to scrape together enough money to buy me a diary that had a lock and key.
“This is to keep you company while I’m away,” he told me. “Write down all your feelings in it just as if you were talking to me.”
“I already know how I’m going to feel when I’m away from you,” I said. “As if half of me is somewhere else, and I can’t put myself back together again.”
I tried to hold on to each moment I spent with Lenny, but despite my efforts, the days went slipping away. Before I knew it, it was New Year’s Eve, the night I had been looking forward to because I could spend it with Lenny, and yet dreading because it meant only one more day with him remained.
Jessie’s mother was going out that night and had given permission for Jessie to have a party. “I decided not to invite the crowd but to make this a very private party—just you and Lenny, Sheldon and me,” she told me.
This suited my mood just fine. Jessie and I worked hard to make this New Year’s a very romantic and special evening. We spent the whole day cooking to prepare an elaborate dinner for the boys—roast stuffed Cornish hens, which we served by candlelight, with soft music playing in the background. After dinner we danced and made out and danced some more until it was almost midnight. We put on the TV to watch the ball come down in Times Square that officially marked the beginning of the new year. “Happy New Year!” we all wished one another as we exchanged friendly kisses and wishes for good things to come.
“Happy New Year, my love!” Lenny whispered into my hair as Jessie put on another record and he took me in his arms to dance once again.
Happy New Year. It was hard to believe that this was the third new year that Lenny and I had welcomed in together. I would have been so happy if not for the knowledge that it marked the start of the long, long period that we would have to be apart. Even as he held me now, I could feel hot tears burning my eyes at the thought of being without him.
I had been together with Lenny for so long, it was almost as if he were a part of me, a part I wanted never to let go. I clung to him desperately, wishing there were some way to keep this night from ending, to keep him there in my arms forever more.
We stood there in the middle of the living room, barely moving as we danced to the slow, romantic music. Our arms were wrapped around each other and my head rested agains his chest. I could hear his heart beating, feel the movements of his breathing, smell his wonderful, familiar smell. I was so full of love for Lenny that I thought my heart would burst. This is how I wished it could be for us— always and forever.
* * *
Lenny was gone. All through school on the day he left for boot camp, I could think of nothing but Lenny. I wondered where he was and what he was doing, when he would arrive at the base at Waukegan, Illinois, and what he would find when he got there. Basic training was supposed to be tough; would Lenny be able to take it? Would he, as he had promised, be dedicated and loyal to me, or would he meet someone else who would steal his heart away?
I thought about Lenny, and I thought about myself, too. Lenny hadn’t even been gone a day, and already I was missing him and lonely. What would I do to fill the seemingly endless hours until I could be with him again?
The only thing that got my mind off Lenny was the English 6 exam I had that day. I had no choice but to concentrate on it because Mr. Levin was still watching and waiting for me to put forth that “extra effort” before he would give me the grade I deserved.
The test was easy, and I was the first one finished. As I brought my paper up to his desk, Mr. Levin glanced up from the stack of papers he was grading.
“Ah, Linda. I’m glad you’re done first, as usual. I wanted to speak to you about something. Let’s step to the door where we can talk without disturbing the rest of the class.”
“Okay.” I followed him, curious to discover what this was about.
He stood in the doorway, where he could keep an eye on the class. He leaned forward, towering over me. “Well, Linda. I’ve been thinking.” He cleared his throat. “As you know, the term will be over soon, and some of the kids in this class still haven’t made it. They’ve already failed once, and I hate to see them fail again, especially the ones who do have the potential to graduate.”
“That would be a shame,” I agreed, unsure of what this had to do with me.
Mr. Levin got to the point. “The only way I can see these kids elevating their grades is through some extra assistance. I was wondering if you would consider tutoring some of them after school?”
“Me? After school?” My initial reaction was negative. As a rule, I didn’t like to stay after school for anything. I preferred to go directly home and get my homework out of the way before it was time for me to meet Lenny when—. Lenny. For a moment I had forgotten that I didn’t have seeing him to look forward to anymore. The only thing I had to rush home to now were empty hours spent alone. Having kids to tutor might help fill those empty hours. I would be doing something useful, and I knew this was just the kind of thing Mr. Levin wanted me to do to raise my English grade as well.
“Okay, I’ll do it,” I said. “How do we go about setting this up?
* * *
I didn’t know it then, but Mr. Levin’s tutoring program was the very thing I needed. It kept me busy, kept my mind off Lenny, and I really enjoyed it. I discovered I had a natural knack for teaching. Once I found out where a kid’s problem was, I could usually figure out a simple way to explain things so he or she would understand it better. It was a great feeling to see eyes lose that dull, bored expression and light up with comprehension. Not only that, but by teaching others, I learned the material much better myself.
As much as I enjoyed tutoring, I was also aware of the fact that, at this point, I should be doing something to earn some more money. The babysitting I did occasionally provided me with spending money, but now I wanted to be able to earn enough to save up for things like long-distance telephone calls and tickets to visit Lenny wherever he got stationed.
Strangely enough, it was flaky Jessie who turned me on to the possibilities that had been staring me in the face, unrecognized.
It was a day I was feeling especially down. Jessie and I were sitting in the back of the candy store, discussing how hard it was to find ways to earn money, when her hazel eyes grew sharp and crafty. “Hey, I just thought of a wonderful idea—one that will benefit both of us!”
“What’s that?” I asked suspiciously.
“Your brains are your greatest asset—why not use them to make some money? You’re tutoring those kids in your English class for free now, aren’t you? Well, I bet some of them can use more tutoring than you’re providing through school and would be willing to pay for it. In fact, I know someone who’s looking for a tutor to help get her through final exams.”
“You do? Who?”
“Me.” She gave an embarrassed giggle.
“You? I didn’t know you needed tutoring, Jessie.”
“Well, I do. I’m sick of the way Sheldon always laughs at me and calls me stupid because I don’t do well in school. Not only that, but my mother has threatened that if I don’t do better this term, she’s going to pull me out of Washington and send me to some stuffy old private school. I don’t want to leave Washington, Linda, but I don’t think I can get my grades up on my own. My mother agreed to hire a tutor for me, and she asked me to find someone I had faith in. Will you do it?”
“Sure, I’ll do it. But I don’t want any money from you, Jessie. I’ll be happy to help you out for free.”
“Of course you’ll take money for it—this is going to be your business, remember? Besides, my mother was originally going to hire a teacher, and that would cost way more than she’s going to pay you. And there are loads of kids I know who are in the same situation. I’m willing to hook them up with you—for a small cut of ten percent of what they pay you.”
“Oh, so that’s your game!” I couldn’t help laughing. This was so typical of Jessie, who was not known to do anything out of the goodness of her heart. But if she was really able to find me enough kids to tutor, it would be worth paying her the ten percent. I liked teaching—a tutoring business was perfect for me! “Okay, it’s a deal, Jessie. Ten percent of whatever business you bring me—except for what your mother pays, of course!”
Jessie and I were deep in discussion about how to best set up our business when my brother Ira showed up at the candy store.
“Hey, Linda. Haven’t you been upstairs yet? There’s some kind of strange-looking letter waiting for you. I bet it’s from Lenny!”
“From Lenny? Already?” I couldn’t believe it. It was only a week since he had left!
“We’ll discuss this later, Jessie. I’m going to get my letter!” Joyfully I raced from the candy store and up the steps to my apartment.
This day had really turned around for me. I couldn’t wait to read Lenny’s letter!