Free Settling Old Scores: BWWM Second Chance Romance by Mike Sposs Page A

a
story about Bach composing almost extemporaneously a piece of music
for Frederick the Great that had ten canonicals in it, like the Ten
Commandments. It was his reply to Frederick’s challenge to his
music. To Pat, Bach was a genius of such degree that most people
couldn’t even grasp his ability.
    She
concluded her lecture with a story about the great mathematician
Leibniz. It is suspected that he carried on an almost lifelong affair
with Sophia, the Electress of Hanover. At one point, she wrote to one
of her friends that Leibniz had talked to her all night about smaller
and smaller increments. Then, Sophia glibly said something to the
effect of being totally familiar with small things already. It was a
scorching inside joke about her husband.
    Pat
went on for at least an hour. She had been a Graduate Teaching
Assistant in numerous classes, and now Kevin knew why. She was so
damn good at it. She would occasionally make her point by playing a
piece of music for him and pointing out the notes being hit. She was
knowledgeable, and she made it entertaining, too. That she could do
this so skillfully and right off the cuff was testament to her
knowledge and wit. She had even worked math into it as a touché
to his counterpoint remarks, he supposed.

    16.
Sister Janet
    The
next day, Kevin got on the bus again and rode it downtown looking for
Matt. No dice in the usual places he hung out in. Kevin thought that
maybe he hadn't been processed out of the tank yet. He walked into a
little greasy spoon place in the area. He was ready for some
breakfast. The waitress came over with her pad at the ready. They
made eye contact and recognized each other. She was a short stout gal
with ample proportions everywhere. The waitress was Willie Smith's
older sister Janet. She leaned over the counter took his face into
her hands and kissed him hard full on the lips.
    "Kevin,
you sweet white boy! You have gotten to be a handsome man," she
said with a giggle.
    She
was darker than dark, and Kevin was getting looks from the other
customers that ranged from disgust, to shit eating grins. He didn't
care, she didn't either. They hammed it up a little more just to
irritate the disapproving.
    Janet
undoubtedly knew the story of how he had helped her brother out, and
defended her against some prick. She had been a big sister to the two
boys in their younger days. Janet had no problem getting in their
faces if she thought they needed it. Like all adolescent boys they
did need to be reigned in practically every day. She was about five
years older than the boys.
    "You
know Willie went in the Marine Corps. He ended up spending his time
mostly in Okinawa," she said.
    Kevin
knew that, and also knew that by 1971, the marines were out of
Vietnam except for embassy duty. So, being deployed to Okinawa made
sense. "What is he up to these days?" Kevin asked.
    "When
he was in the marines, he was a military policeman," she said
with pride.
    "Willie
was an M.P.? You got to be shitting me!" Kevin said.
    "Now,
he is a policeman, believe it or not. He really straightened out!"
she said beaming.
    "For
sure, nobody is going to play him for a fool! But I still can't
believe it. You have to give me his number. I want to call him,"
Kevin said.
    "You
know he says you were the one that got him off the path he was on. He
thinks you may have saved his life that one time," she smiled.
    Kevin
laughed, "Believe me the Marine Corps should get the credit.
Somewhere, there is a leather tough DI that did the heavy lifting."
    As
Kevin finished eating, Janet went in the back and dug a business card
out of her purse. She presented Kevin with it. It was Willie's
official police business card. On the back, she had scribbled
Willie's home number.
    Kevin
told Janet she would be seeing him around more often because he
wanted to see if he could get Matt T some help. Janet knew who Matt
was. She shook her head and said she didn't think he could be helped.
    Saturday
morning, Kevin went over to the