Seventeenth Summer

By Dave Klumpp

Coming of age in the '50s appears simpler, but was it? True, there was less money, and thus fewer choices. Relationships, however, could become just as tangled then as today.
Dan Klein struggles to sort out major issues of his life and their meaning. Beth becomes a major player in this drama despite the differences that separate them. Older and more realistic, Beth becomes a catalyst who helps Dan to gain focus.
The summer of 1955 moves from quaint to real for the serious reader of Seventeenth Summer, whether older or younger.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 11, 2005
• ISBN: 9781465332820

Dave Klumpp

Dave Klumpp cherishes strong memories of growing up on a farm in Western New York. These personal experiences become the setting for this coming of age story. The sweat and sandy loam of the farm give this tale the gritty feel of rural life in the '50s. While work plays a dominant role, it's relationships that bring new meaning. Dave Klumpp is now semi-retired after 40 years service in Christian ministry. He lives with his wife, Marian, in Norman, Oklahoma.

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Copyright © 2005 by Dave Klumpp.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

AFTERWORD

CHAPTER 1

Dan was so immersed in his own thoughts, that the

resonant Hi startled him. Fruit punch sloshed from his Dixie cup and splatted dark on the right knee of his blue jeans.

Care to dance? Beth asked, as though it was the most natural request in the world.

Frantically, Dan wondered if she didn’t know that he didn’t dance or if this was some kind of practical joke designed to embarrass him. Placing his Dixie cup carefully on the bleacher bench, he tried to act nonchalant.

Why not, if your feet are insured, he said to the pretty senior. I’m not much of a dancer, you know.

I’ll show you how, she said, radiating confidence.

She took his hand and led the tall, crew-cut junior toward the center of the gym floor where couples moved in various ways more or less to the rhythm of the music blaring from the record player. The back boards had been cranked up and the bleachers shoved back to accommodate the last post-basketball game sock-hop of the year. The polished hard wood floor meant no street shoes were allowed. Thus the name, the dance was called a sock-hop. White socks dominated. The mood was up-beat since Newfame High had squeaked to victory, a rare event during the past season.

The fragrance of Beth’s perfume overwhelmed his Ivory soap from the post-game shower aroma. Fascination mingled with fear within as they squared up and Beth took his other hand. He tried to move in tempo with the music, but after a few tentative steps, the attractive senior with the dark, wavy hair took charge.

Why don’t I lead, Beth suggested, and it will work better if we get closer, just relax and follow what I do.

She was right, of course. For the first time Dan forgot to worry about his clumsiness, about possibly bumping into someone, stepping on his partner’s foot, and any other of a half dozen real or imagined calamities. He did as he was told. He relaxed, enjoyed the music, and followed his partner. In short, for the first time in his life he actually danced.

When the music stopped, instead of the usual sigh of relief, he felt a sense of regret.

See, that went pretty well. All it takes is a little practice, and some confidence doesn’t hurt.

Thanks for the lesson, Dan managed with a grin as they parted and he headed back toward where he thought he had left his half cup of punch. Actually, he ambled to the wrong side of the gym where he blushed when he discovered his mistake.

There Dan was bushwhacked by Terry and Malcolm.

Here’s our hero, Malcolm said, mockery dripping from his words like pancake syrup off a short stack. Big hero, Terry added. Sank the winning basket, and now he’s dancing with the prettiest girl here. Doing pretty good for a dumb plowboy, wouldn’t you say, Malcolm?

Yeah, he’ll probably have a big head all weekend. Lucky for us we don’t have to see him here at school. Maybe by Monday he’ll come down from his cloud.

C’mon, you guys, knock it off, Dan protested.

I wouldn’t mind dancing with that myself, Terry said, preening and stretching himself to a full six foot three.

Staring down at the punch stain on his jeans, Dan turned from his tormentors without a word. Terry was just miffed because Coach Brown had pulled him when he picked up his fourth foul. Dan had gone in and hit two quick baskets. Even the assistant coach had congratulated him on his good game. Yeah, Dan thought, I only played the last three minutes. Basketball is not my sport, but baseball’s coming.

In the restroom Dan managed to get most of the stain out of his jeans. Seniors sure get the big head sometimes, he groused to himself… Accusing me of having a big head. Ha! But he wondered why Beth, a senior, had asked him to dance. He hardly knew her. Oh, they had talked a couple of times in the year-book meetings. She was new this year and lived in town, the only daughter of the town’s only dentist. Dan was country, president of the Future Farmers of America, and hardly moved in the same social circles as Beth and most of the other town students. Usually there wasn’t that much friction between the Aggies and the Townies and that’s why Dan was surprised by Terry’s plowboy put-down. But then, who knows what they think about us and say behind our backs, he mused.

Back in the gym Dan noticed Beth talking with two other senior girls. He decided to amble over for more punch. His friend, Nora from church, was minding the punch bowl. As he approached, Nora smiled and handed him a fresh cup of punch, but it slipped from her slender fingers just as he was about to take it, and spilled on his shirt.

Oh, sorry, Nora said, taking a wet towel and attacking the wet stain on his tan shirt. How clumsy of me.

It’s okay, Dan said. Just hasn’t been my night for punch. Spilled the first glass on my pants, and this one on my shirt. I’ve been baptized at both ends and I’m not even Baptist.

Nora grinned at his attempt at humor. She was tall, slender, and blonde in a Nordic way. She and Dan were in the youth group at church where he kidded her, which suggested that he liked her, and she obviously liked that he did. As they were making plans for Sunday’s youth program, a hand gripped Dan’s shoulder and he turned to face Charlie, his buddy.

Great game, maybe your best ever, Charlie said. Dan and Charlie were best friends and lived a mile apart. The previous spring they were Newfame’s second string battery: Charlie pitching and Dan catching. They had hit it off from the beginning, and seemed to sense what each was feeling without needing words. At times it was spooky.

I’m giving Sally a ride home tonight, so we have to leave as soon as this is over, Charlie said. Sally was Charlie’s girl, a sophomore cheerleader whose parents were strict about her curfew. Since Dan rode to the game with Charlie, he would be riding home with him as well, but in the back seat. Charlie collected two cups of punch, thanked Nora, and headed across the gym toward Sally. Dan resumed his conversation with Nora but again noticed Beth, Maxine, and Lola who seemed to be engaged in serious conversation.

Beth stared at Lola, a cold glint in her eye as suspicion mounted. Did you set me up? Why did you dare me to ask Dan to dance?

No, we wouldn’t do that to you, Lola said soothingly. Lola was a thin faced senior with a sharp tongue and long dark hair, while Maxie was a husky blond of more benign temperament. They had adopted Beth when she appeared at Newfame High in September for her senior year.

I’m impressed, said Maxie. I’ve never seen Dan dance like that. He actually looked good! You must have swept him off his feet, Beth.

I doubt that, but I did manage to keep his feet off mine. When he said he didn’t know how to dance, he wasn’t kidding.

I don’t get it, Lola protested. You two looked so good.

I led, and that really helped.

How did you pull that off? Maxie asked. I’ve never been brave enough to suggest something like that. Not even with those Aggies. Some of them are pretty hard to take.

Why are the Aggies so hard to take? Beth asked, afraid she already knew.

Lola interrupted, because they don’t take baths frequently enough. Last year I sat beside one in Algebra who smelled like a wet dog half the time. But Charlie and Dan aren’t bad for Aggies.

Yes, Maxie added, I just love Dan’s dimples and Charlie’s cowlick.

So Dan Klein’s an Aggie, Beth sighed. What does that mean, exactly?

You’ve seen the guys swaggering around with the blue corduroy jackets with the gold emblem on them—FFA? I think Dan’s even the president this year, Lola said.

So the big yuk is that you set me up to dance with this non-dancing plowboy. Were you expecting him to stomp on my feet?

No, that’s not it at all, Maxie said, hurt in her voice. We were just trying to help you out. Since you broke up with Craig, you’ve been moping around like a wet blanket. Besides, everyone else we suggested didn’t make the cut. So why not Dan? He is available and not bad looking, if I do say so, Maxie announced.

Then why didn’t you ask him to dance? Beth asked.

He probably wouldn’t have danced with me. If he had said no, I would have been so embarrassed—I can’t even stand to think about it, Maxie shuddered.

Her defense sounded plausible. Beth, still skeptical of Lola and Maxie’s motives, asked, Tell me more about this Aggie thing. We didn’t have them in Buffalo. I didn’t think anything about those blue jackets but now that you’ve mentioned it, I see one right now.

Of course, you didn’t have vocational agriculture in the big city. It’s for guys who want to be farmers. Girls may take homemaking. Their group is The Future Homemakers of America. They get the easy courses and we have to slave away taking Latin and tough classes so we can go to college, Lola declared.

Well, if Dan is such a terrific guy, why isn’t he going steady like most normal people in this school? It seems if you’re not going steady, you’re nobody here, Beth said.

You’re catching on, Maxie said. But when you were going steady with Craig, you didn’t pay any attention to anyone here.

Yeah, Lola chimed in, you had your college guy. Hot stuff.

That’s why everyone thinks you’re stuck up, Maxie added. You got a problem.

I know people don’t seem to be very friendly here, especially the girls, Beth frowned.

You know why, doncha? Lola added. Look at you! You’re the best dressed girl in this school. You make the rest of us look bad. Don’t expect us to treat you like a sister when we look frumpy if we stand next to you.

Oh, quit exaggerating! But Beth changed the subject. You didn’t answer my question about why Dan is ‘available’.

Maxie said, Since Cindy moved away, Dan’s just been kinda moping around. She was his first love, you know. I don’t think he ever got over her. Oh, he has girl friends. Mary Louise is his buddy. He talks with her a lot. I know Nora’s sweet on him. They go to the same church or something. And that’s about all the news from the home front.

Beth sighed, It’s tough being the new kid on the block. You have all the inside information on who’s who and what’s what. I’ll tell you one thing, if I’m ever a parent, I’ll never move when my kid is going into the senior year.

That is tough, isn’t it? Lola said. Would you dance with Dan again if he asked you?

Why not, I survived the first time without sustaining injury.

Well, get ready, because he’s headed this way, Lola giggled.

Hi, care to dance? Dan mimicked.

Are your feet insured? Beth said.

Hey, that’s my line!

What’s my line?

No, that’s a TV show.

My friends tell me that I was lucky to drag you out on the floor, Beth said wrinkling her nose in a peculiar fashion.

That’s true, or maybe unlucky would be more true. Normally I don’t dance, but since the first lesson worked so well, I thought I’d try for a second helping.

Really?

Yes M’am, and beside I figured you, Lola, and Maxie had solved most of the world’s problems—you know how to end the Cold War and get the Commies out of the government.

Oh, sure. Shut up and let’s dance.

You’re the teacher, Dan grinned, his dimples deepening.

I like this song, Beth said, her brown curls close to Dan’s cheek.

So do I, that’s why I asked Mary Louise to play it.

Ah, you’re pretty sneaky, Mr. Klein.

I can be but only if pushed. Sometimes I’m even clever.

And humble… Beth jibed, as they moved in sync with the Four Lads crooning, We’ll Have These Moments to Remember.

As the music died, Dan and Beth trooped to the sidelines. I enjoyed that—hard for me to believe, but that was fun. I never thought I’d say that about dancing, he confessed.

See, I told you anyone could dance. I’ve never met anyone who couldn’t learn if they really wanted to, Beth said.

Well, you’ve made a believer out of me, and a liar too, because I’ve told everyone ‘I don’t dance’.

Oh, so are you in big trouble now?

Could be, I’ll have to wait and see.

As Dan left he tried to remember the feel of Beth’s soft hair against his cheek, her firm yet soft body close to his, as she steered them around the floor. On impulse, he turned, retraced his steps, and whispered in Beth’s ear, Keep smilin’, it’ll drive ’em crazy.

Beth laughed and crinkled her nose at him. There’s more to this Dan Klein than meets the eye. He’s not just a dumb Aggie after all, she thought, wondering what Lola and Maxie were plotting next.

Back at the refreshment table Dan munched on a home made cookie, and tried to make small talk with Nora. But she wasn’t buying it.

I thought you said you couldn’t dance. Didn’t I just see you out on the floor looking like Fred Astaire? Nora needled.

Don’t believe everything you see. I only looked good because the teacher was leading me through the paces, Dan said.

At least you’re not afraid to try. Maybe we could dance?

Sure, can you get free from here?

Dan and Nora did dance, but the mystique just wasn’t there. Nora didn’t have the confidence to lead, and without that Dan regressed to his original tentativeness, but some of the lesson had stuck so he didn’t feel completely foolish. Something was missing and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Puzzled, he wondered how being relaxed and yet confident fit together?

When Mary Louise turned over the record player to another student, Dan and she danced one slow dance and talked. Then her relief put on the crazy fast stuff. There were probably only two or three guys in the whole school who could do the jitterbug, so it was mostly gals doing their thing. Dan felt comfortable with Mary Louise, his confidant. He had unburdened himself to her before and she had listened, helping him sort out his feelings. She was the sister he didn’t have as the oldest of five boys.

Friends, Mary Louise said, are people you respect, and don’t have to impress. Dan believed that with all his heart. It rang true and it certainly fit his relationship with Mary Louise. He felt indebted to her and that’s how it came about that they talked about the upcoming Junior-Senior prom. It was still six weeks away, so there was no pressure to decide anything now, but Dan walked away feeling that if he asked, Mary Louise would go with him to the prom.

She was safe. Everyone knew that she and Dan were just friends, something unusual at Newfame High. The oldest of several children, she became the big sister who nurtured several friends, male and female. She said she wanted a dozen children when she married, which scared off most of the guys. Dan liked Mary Louise because she was honest and so different from most of the girls he knew.

The dance began winding down. The jitterbuggers had had their fling and something slow, soft, and romantic was sounding from the record player now. Dan watched as the couples paired up for the last dance. Charlie and Sally were dancing close and he noticed Terry leading Beth onto the floor. Tim Kaloup tapped him on the arm and said, Good game, Dan. He was the senior point guard who had fed him the pass underneath that led to his turn-around lay-up that put Newfame in the lead.

"I saw you were inside their zone, like they didn’t pick you up after the substitution, so I rifled you the pass, I