Icing (8 page)

The door was open.  She gently rapped and entered.

“Hi.  I’m Taryn Wright, a student in your history 204 class.  Do you have a moment?  I want to pick your brain about finding a voice coach.  I hoped you could provide some direction.”

“Sure Taryn take a seat.  Call me Chip.  Of course I know you.  You provide good input in class.  Not afraid to speak your mind if I remember correctly.  Music is certainly subjective but history offers some facts that can’t be disputed.  Am I right?”

“Yes Chip, well I certainly know where you stand.  I’m not here about class professor.  Do you know where I can find a qualified coach or where I should start looking?  Maybe a grad student in need of a few bucks.  I come from a classical background and that is where my interests lie.”

“I think I can put a list together for you by weeks end.  Catch me after class on Friday.  Do you have a price in mind?”

“Well, of course cost is a consideration but it won’t be the deciding factor.  I’m a full-time student so I watch every penny.  Male or female – whatever”

“Glad to help out someone who’s here to learn?”

Taryn cruised back home.  Tim was there and she stopped in to touch base.  His room was small and he was able to project his own style as he had no roommate. Tim had a new girlfriend who was around a lot but she was off doing her own thing.  Robin was her name, a girl with an infectious laugh from Andover.  He invited Taryn to join him for Sunday mass at the Newman center.  He must have been thinking about lying to his mother about attending Catholic services. Catholic guilt could prove quite insidious. Taryn passed, not because she was raised in the Baptist Church, but she was too loaded up with commitments.  Religion would have to wait.

“Was NYC fun?  It must have been more of an adventure than Concord.  We marched to the beat of my Mom’s drum as usual.  I got to see friends and had a long talk with my Dad.  I think he misses me and I have to give him a lot of credit for hangin’ in there with my Mom.”

“Taryn you crack me up.  I don’t know about that mother-daughter relationship thing having grown up with all brothers.  It’s delicate.  Some day you and June will find common ground.  She is a little jealous.  She must see you as a sort of rival for your Dads affections.  A younger version of herself.  A part of her she can’t get back – youth “

“So much for light banter.  You gave me some stuff to ponder.  Bye Tim……thanks I guess.”

Taryn stopped by a desk in the student union. They were selling tickets for the UMass hockey game in Lowell on Friday.  It was an excursion of sorts which included round trip bus fare, access to seats in the rooting section and available snacks between periods.  It sounded right up her alley perhaps later in the season.  Mass Attack games were on her agenda.

Taryn always enjoyed ice hockey although she herself displayed no skill on a pair of skates.  It was probably the reason she picked up field hockey.  It was as close as she would ever get.  Her Dad had access to decent Bruins tickets and they often caught games together.  They would take the commuter rail into the city and get off at North Station.  It was a sports mecca where the Celtics played also.  Her Dad always spoke of the old garden with fond memories but the TD Garden was all she knew.  His company had a luxury box.  Dad would be obligated to schmooze a little but Taryn watched intently to all three periods.  Wouldn’t it be fun to watch the action close up so you could almost feel it?  She often wondered. 

****

Kyle hopped on the team bus.  Excitement was in the air as they began their journey which took about 90 minutes.  It would be a perfect time for a little nap but the anticipation was too intense as they journeyed to Lowell.  The River Hawks were a scrappy team and stood out among their Hockey East rivals.  They played at the Tsongas center which opened in the mid 90’s.  It was named for the former presidential candidate who died.  Kyle stuck this bit of trivia in his back pocket to use later with political minded Mark back home.  He would be impressed.

I was close enough so no overnight was necessitated.  They would pull right up to the sports center.  They would dress, warm up and play.  All business. 

Evidenced by the way the guys showed up at the arena it certainly was business.  A golf shirt and khakis would not do.  Coach required a shirt and tie to be worn when they presented themselves as a team.  They were representing the Minutemen.  They were to be a symbol of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and of every student in attendance.  Class was a large part of who coach was.  He wanted us to be viewed as intelligent athletes, not a marauding clan of ruffians.

Diane and Rosemary had taken Kyle and Stewie to bargain outlets in Boston and dressed them both.  They chose some conservative stuff but showed a bit of flair with their ties.  Stewie enjoyed their excellent taste and they liked touring Boston with the hunky Floridian.  Great fun was had by all.

It was a wild game with a lot of shift changes.  The coaches were trying a lot of things out and they changed lines at rapid pace.  Kyle’s adrenaline was pumping and he was not alone.  The periods flew by with a 3-2 win.  It was a fast and precise outing for the Minutemen.  Fast play was what Coach wanted.  They delivered.

****

Brushing off the dusty early season snow from her head, and giving herself a good shake like a dog after a swim she walked up the stairs of Devon’s apartment house on Main Street.  She had gotten his name from Professor Willer at school as a possible vocal coach.  He was active at the Fine Arts Center on Campus and had an impressive background. He was highly published with 20 years’ experience.  He studied at the Blaine school in Philadelphia and was the choral director of a women’s choir down there.  He sounded solid on paper.

“You must be Taryn?  Come on in Ms. Wright.  Tea?”

“Tea yes, thank you. Please call me Taryn.  I look around and I don’t see my mother.”

“I have a huge assortment of herbals.  You can take a peek.  Lemon, sugar and honey are on the counter.  So, this is where I do my thing.  Let me give you a quick tour.  Here I do the vocal stuff.  It’s the warmest room up here with lots of sun – hopeful.”

Devon walked her through and she followed.  She had already given him a thumbs up in her mind but she was not showing it yet.  She enjoyed the sales pitch.

“I use this room for piano, obviously and whatever stringed instrument comes my way.  He led her into the library.  A soft plush sofa sat in the corner with an antique bureau by its side.  It was covered with papers with a whole lot of scribbled notes. “This is my study/library.  I built the shelves myself – it’s sort of a hobby.  Feels good to work manually now and then.  There are a lot of books.  I’ve moved around a lot and I collect ‘em from all over.  They are a palpable memory of where I’ve been.”

Devon was about six feet tall and sinewy.  A runner perhaps.  His hair was down to his shoulders and sandy colored.  He had on a pair of worn jeans and a taupe wool sweater.  He looked comfortable in his shabby little studio.

“I am open most weeknights. Pay as you go, just don’t leave me hanging.  Call if you can’t make it.  I trust you will.  If we’re not a good fit we will sense it and move on with no problems.  I don’t waste your time and money with this type of agreement.  All of the details were on the flyer and she trusted Chip.  Let’s hear what you’ve got and we’ll go from there.”

Taryn needed some time to think after her meeting with Devon Malloy so she took long walk home skipping the bus.  It had been an interesting meeting and she trusted him.  She planned on beginning with two nights per week at a cost of 20 bucks an hour.  She would present the figure to her Dad and it would surely be deposited in their joint account the next day.

****

Christmas was in a couple of days. Kyle and Truman both needed the break.  Finals were crazy and hockey season had gotten pretty intense.  Tru would head home to Needham for the entire six weeks.  He planned on working as many hours as he could get.  He had set a couple of odd jobs last time he was there.  He knew a lot of people back home and they hired him to do just about any strenuous job they could throw him.  He had a couple of rooms to paint and garages to clean.  He shoveled snow if needed.  They were mostly retired folks who saved up the chores for him.  He made 15 bucks an hour.

Kyle would take a short break back in Buffalo and spend most of it in Amherst staying with buddies from the team.  He needed to spend time with his Mom back home.  She was pretty frail from the chemo and he had only been home for an overnight since Thanksgiving.  He, Juliet and her boyfriend were assigned kitchen duty.  It would be an adventure.

“Hey Tru.  This will be a long time apart.  I’ve never been around one person, except for family, for such a long time.  I hope you can make it over at least once this winter session.  Off campus in that gross house.  It makes this place palatial.  We made it through a semester. “

It was dark and having them sleeping in the same room before midnight was rare.  Coach and hockey were light for a few days and a refresher at home was necessary.

“Yeah Kyle, I’ll come visit.  Don’t have too much fun without me.  I’m glad we’re together again next semester.  Good times.”

“Night Tru.”

“Night”

Christmas in Buffalo was a genuine time for the Caldwell’s.  There were gifts, food, music, and visitors but there was a common sense of quiet unity among them.  They could care less that both the Sabres and the Bills were having miserable seasons.  They were all there so it was all good.

Brian was a part of the family now.  He was an enormous help to the whole clan.  Mr. Caldwell went back to work with a flexible schedule and Brian stepped in to help out with the driving of Mrs. Caldwell to the hospital and Bree to Volleyball games.  He showed amazing fortitude, as did the entire Gorski family.  They had become a cohesive part of the extended family.

Uncle Ray had come out of his self- imposed exile in the country to be there for his brother.  He was an interesting cat.  He was wrecked by the Korean War.  He never really spoke of it but we all knew that something went down over there that he would always carry around.  It was amusing to see him try and fit in with family.  He was accustomed to being alone for so long. 

He loved the Buffalo Sabres and hockey was a dominant topic of conversation with Uncle Ray.  He was a fan of the French connection in the 70’s.  They were all forwards, Gil Perrault, Rene Robert and Rick Martin.  They played with no hat, according to Uncle Ray.  He believed helmets were for girls.  Then there were the Schoenfeld years.  His daughters liked that one, even listened to some albums he released.  He and Dad had caught a couple of recent games for old time sake.

Mrs. Caldwell was frail and frighteningly thin but her green eyes still sparkled.  She was done with her first round of chemo and given a couple of weeks to recuperate.  She had lost a lot of good cells with the bad and they needed time to regenerate.  It cannot be said that things were going well but she powered on like Kyle would on his skates.

Christmas dinner was a riotous experience for all.  Brian was into chemistry and physical science stuff at school so he followed recipes.  Juliet was quite adept due to years observing her Mother.  Kyle was like a child in his sandbox with little care for neatness.  It all tasted perfectly homemade.  They were all together and that mattered.

****

Taryn had a pleasant visit in Concord.  There was nothing out of the ordinary.  There rarely was in the Wright home.  Would this family have the strength to face adversity if it did come their way?  Who knew?  They were untested.

She decided to take a class during winter break – fantasy in literature.  The choices were thin for the six week classes which the University offered during that time.  She had already read most of the books and it only required attendance Tuesdays and Thursdays for about two hours.  She would bunk with some friends in a house off campus and study with Devon.  If nothing else it would keep her out of Concord and add a few credits to the tally

She and the older man were an item of sorts.  They spent most of their time together.  She discovered that his library doubled as his bedroom and the plush couch was a pull-out.  He was in his 30’s and she was his young beautiful muse.  It sounded like a story book romance but it was just a side road on the map she was following.

****

Tru came back in middle January.  He gained a few pounds more.  Kyle would have the spring semester to whip his buddy into shape.  The entire student population seemed pasty and fat when they returned from break.  Soon they would shed what winter had brought upon them and bounce into spring.

Hockey was grinding towards March when the season would end.  In sport the next season is always looming and Kyle would not lose sight of his goal.  Part of hockey is stopping quickly and changing direction.  He had come to realize life was a lot like that.

It was a Saturday and they had a home game at Mullins against BC.  The Mass Attack had lost hopes of a winning season standing at 8-10-3.  They would not make it to the Frozen Four that year or win the Lamoriello in Hockey East.  But, they didn’t suck.  Injuries were wide spread that year.  Danny, one of the twins, broke his leg and left the ice for good.  Dom was always bruised up but played anyways.  Deker broke his nose – twice.  Con received stitches between his thumb and forefinger during a fight and paid for it with five minutes in the box.  They were a sorry bunch of guys at that stage but they were still fast and managed a few more “W”’s.