___________________________________________________________________________________
Elysium Fields Part 6
Woodland Hills, California
Sunday, May 11, 1986
9:05 AM
After a night of silence, after a morning of silence, not even making an excuse or saying where I was going, packing my bike onto the car, “Bye!” I simply left.
Topanga Canyon, California
Sunday, May 11, 1986
9:48 AM
Dressed in a solid purple caftan, looking up as he entered, “‘Morning!”
“‘Morning, Gwen.”
“You enjoyed your day here yesterday?”
“Yes, very much so. I’m here to… Yeah, I think I’d like to join.”
“Name was....?”
“Mitch Lipensky.”
Thumbing through four or five one day memberships, “Ah, yeah... Just you?”
Remembering I had signed ‘Married’ under ‘Marital Status.’ “For now, yes.” I answered, never imagining it would happen, however, “If my wife should decide to come with me, can I add her to my membership later?”
“We really prefer couples, but adding your wife later is not a problem.”
“I’m afraid It’ll probably be a problem with her.”
“Mister Lipensky… Mitchell, Most women will shy away from a place like this. Just keep reminding your wife that we are ‘family oriented’ and 'clothing optional' and that she doesn't have to get undressed unless she wants to."
Thinking, It'll never happen. “Yeah, thanks, Gwen, I'll be sure to tell her! What do I owe you now, though?”
“That’ll be a hundred-fifty for you and, if your wife decides to join, it’ll be another seventy-five for her.”
Writing a check, I handed it to Gwen.
Removing the hand stamp and ultra-violet stamp pad from the drawer, “So we don’t have people here that shouldn’t be here; each time you come, come here, to the office first.... Hand.”
****
Hoping, of course, that Ken and Sandy would show up today, dropping the pannier, removing the beach towel, he planted himself in just about the same place he was yesterday.
Today actually warmer than yesterday, and also, being Sunday, there were many more people present and, though still on the lookout for Ken and Sandy, still new to him, he spent a good part of the morning just...
Still, amazingly, I sat watching naked people. Primarily, of course, naked woman people.
Yesterday having the support and, in a way, the distraction of Ken and Sandy, wondering if I would, today, on my second day at Elysium, I did find it rather natural to be seen nude.
On this day, though, being alone, overcoming a ‘stand up, walk around naked’ lingering shyness, forcing myself, I walked to the tennis/volley-ball court and stood just on the outside of the ten foot high chain link fence watching as five nude men and five nude women played volley ball and, without realizing what I was doing, I soon realized that each time a woman stooped low to attack the ball, I’d cock my head downward to see between her thighs, which, of course, I now also realized that I was standing in the open, completely bare-assed with a raging boner and thought that I’d better leave when one of the women, going after a rolling ball that stopped on their side of the fence directly in front of me, stooping to get the ball, seeing me… all of me, smiled and said, “nice dick”, which not only embarrassed me but also deflated me, so…
I walked to the pool where I dove in, swam a few lengths then stood, the backs of my forearms resting on the coping, watching, although attempting to look disinterested, I stood in the pool watching as one couple came, swam and left.
After remaining in the water for about twenty minutes, about to head back to my spot on the grass when... Oh, God!
****
I must digress once more and go back to the west side of Chicago on...
July 6, 1951
Chicago, Illinois
His cocked elbows on the banister, his chin nestled in the palms of his hands, he watched from his porch as the five Negro kids—three boys and two girls—played softball. He’d seen them playing in the alley before and thought they lived in the recently converted, now multi-flat building across the alley, where not too long ago Sharon Duffy lived with her mother and the Gogulski twins lived with their parents.
“’Ey, Leroy hit dat ball!” The largest of the group was sitting on the broken cement incinerator calling encouragement to the batter.
Closing his eyes, “Oh, God,” his lips moving in a whispered prayer because he believed that unless he prayed out loud God wouldn’t hear him, “please, God, let it be Norman and Phyllis and Big Rosalind and the Gogulski’s, and God, please, God, let things be like before!” Closing his eyes, tighter, One… two, he counted silently,
three…
“’Ey! You, boy!”
Four… five… Slowing, giving God more time, six… seven…
“You! Da white boy on the third floor!”
“Eight…” Knowing his concentration had been broken, knowing his prayer wouldn’t be answered, opening his eyes, he looked at the boy.
Standing in the yard, “’Ey,” the boy called again. “Wh’ch’ya doin’?”
Thinking, Praying for you to disappear. “Uh, nothing,” he said.
“Don’t’j’ya be doin’ that!” The boy said in a loud, friendly tone.
“Doing what?”
“Standin’ way up there doin’ nothin’! Come on down, boy. We’s only five an’ needs us another player.”
“Me?” Poking his chest with his thumb, “You want me?”
“Lordy! Yeah, you!” The boy threw the ball. Surprised at the accuracy, Mitchell instinctively caught it. “We won’t eat’ch’ya! Come on down!”
Actually, Yeah, I do, wanna play ball with them, he thought. But actually, having no reason to be, he was afraid of them. But if I don’t go down and play with them, they’ll think I’m prejudiced or something, and I sure don’t need a bunch of shvartzer kids, especially that big one, thinking I’m prejudiced.
“So, ya comin’?”
Throwing the ball back, “Yeah, why not?”
Opening the screen door, “Mom,” he yelled, “I’m going downstairs to play ball!”
Letting the door slam shut, he clumped down the stairs.
“Hi!” Feeling intimidated, holding his hand forward, “I’m Mitch Lipensky.”
“’Ey, Mitch.” Big, six-foot-three, with thick, muscular arms, “I’m Junior Johnson.”
Grasping Mitchell’s hand, shaking it in a strong grip, “An’ this here’s my sister, Katie.”
“Junior? I’d sure hate to see senior.” Smiling, turning, looking at the tall, angular girl, “Hi, Katie.”
Nodding her head, “Mitch,” the girl said shyly.
“An’ this here’s my baby brother, Baby Joe.”
Warming to the group, smiling again, “Do I call you Baby Joe?”
Smiling back, showing two missing front teeth, “Not lessin’ you wants’a be missin’ your teef, too.” A smaller, younger duplicate of his big brother, “You jus’ call me Joe,” the boy said.
“An’ this here’s Leroy. Leroy lives over there,” pointing in the direction of the old Duffy apartment.
“Leroy,” holding his hand out, “hi.”
Leroy hesitated a moment, then, a smile coming to his thick lips, accepting the handshake, “Yeah, hi.”
“An’ this is…” Junior said proudly, “my girlfriend, Lousy.”
“Louise?” Mitchell looked at the girl. “Did he say your name’s Louise?”
“Yeah. Dat’s what I said,” Junior repeated. “Lousy.”
The ebony-colored girl was small, about five-three, and maybe fifteen years old. She had a thin, Caucasian nose with wide, flaring nostrils, sensuous—though not overly, by Mitchell’s standards—full lips and, for a girl her size, unusually large breasts. Her almond-shaped black eyes looking up from under long, thick lashes. “Hi.” she said.
He had watched her from three stories up, especially when she ran the bases, and thought she was pretty then but, close up, God, she’s beautiful! His eyes flicking from her face to her chest, Mitchell saw that Louise was not wearing a brassiere, and could actually see the clearly defined, circular projections of her nipples under the tightly stretched, white cotton T-shirt. Swallowing, forcing himself to keep from licking his lips, sensing a tightening in his crotch as his thumping heart pumped blood downward, the dual thoughts of the dark intensity of her nipples and, if her pubic hair matched the tight nap of the hair on her head, simultaneously flitted through his mind and, Oh, God! I’d love to see her naked!
Topanga Canyon, California
Sunday, May 11, 1986
11:05 AM
After remaining in the water for about twenty minutes, about to head back to my spot on the grass when... Oh, God!
____________________________________________________________________________________
