“California Dreamin'”
Listen to this chapter, “The Acquaintance”
“I sure wish we didn’t have to move.” Eloise stared down at the dusty road, partly to shade her eyes from the August sun, which beat down upon the girls, and partly because of her statement.
“Yes, it’s too bad. Just when you get to know someone, it seems, they have to move,” said the older dark-haired girl. “It’s a shame they have to transfer our ministers so often. Who is the new pastor, anyway?”
“Macintosh, I think Daddy said.”
“Do they have any kids, these Mac— Mac —What was the name?”
“Macintosh,” repeated Eloise. “I think they have some boys about your age.” Her eyes were teasing.
“Really?” Julie’s eyes twinkled. Ever since June, when Eddy had moved away, she had been lonely. She still remembered that last hayride.
“I don’t know,” shrugged Eloise. “I was just kidding you.”
Julie smiled even now as she recalled that scene, one of the last times she had spent with Eloise before the Tibbses had moved to Ocean City. Now Julie checked her errand list and entered the door of the five-and-ten, Sprouse-Reitz.
“Hi, Julia!” greeted a pleasant redhead.
“Oh, hi, Ella,” Julie returned. “What are you doing here?”
“Just getting some things for Mom,” Ella answered. “Say, have you met the Macintoshes?”
“Oh, are they in Riverdale now?”
“Yes, they were at prayer meeting last night. Pastor Macintosh is pretty nice, and Mrs. Macintosh is the sweetest person you could ever want to know. They’ve got three boys, but they weren’t there last night.”
“Three boys!” Julie was afraid to ask their ages.
“Yes. I hear the oldest boy—Allen, I think is his name—is going to Highview Academy.” Ella turned quickly. “Oh, there’s Mom! See you tomorrow night.”
Allen Macintosh—that was an unfamiliar name, at least in the Riverdale gang. Highview Academy, huh? I wonder what he’s like. But tomorrow night soon came.
He stood there all alone in the church’s hallway, looking through the window into the sanctuary. His blond hair, not cut short like most of the fellows’, was the first thing Julie noticed besides the neat blue suit he wore. And he wore glasses. “Probably the intellectual-type snob,” she thought. Then she hurried on inside to play the organ.
Allen could see her at the organ and soon heard her play. “She isn’t too pretty,” he thought, “but she plays well.”
The following day at church was the beginning of Julie’s acquaintance with the Macintoshes. Mrs. Macintosh was a sweet person. The two younger ones, Peter and Kenny, were typical boys. The pastor was a very congenial and handsome man. He and his family were recent converts from another popular Protestant denomination. His sermon that day was a “let’s-get-acquainted” as he told his story from the time of his teenage conversion and his restless longing, searching for truth until the present time. It was a wonderfully touching story to hear, and Julie’s eyes were not dry as the congregation sang the closing hymn. And thus was her first great impression of the Macintosh family.
“Julie, isn’t the new minister’s son—what’s his name?—Allen? Isn’t he supposed to be here tonight?” Sandra nudged her friend.
“I think so,” the other girl shrugged. Just then a station wagon pulled into the driveway and Julie heard familiar voices.
The teenagers, gathered at Ken Nelson’s folks’ farm, were eager to get started on the hayride. All the kids were there except Cynthia and her two brothers—and Allen Macintosh.
Now Cynthia appeared in the doorway with a cheery greeting and an apology for being late. Then, turning toward the boy who followed her, she announced, “Hey, kids, you know Allen, don’t you? Allen, you know Ella and my brothers, there’s Butch and Carlos, here’s Sandra and Julie and Ken…” She pointed to each one as she continued on around the room calling out each name.
“And here’s Steve!” bellowed a voice from the kitchen. The kids laughed to see the handsome, popular “life of the party” gulping down a cookie that just couldn’t wait for later.
Allen smiled, too. “Hello, Steve,” he said.
The Riverdale Youth Club social was a success. After the hayride, there were refreshments then a volleyball game in Nelsons’ driveway until, one by one, the teenagers went home.
Julie, timid and insecure, couldn’t help feeling just a little lonely since best friend Sandra was with LeRoy. With the full August moon above her, Julie half-wished Eddy hadn’t moved away. Then, from a distance, she got a good look at the new minister’s oldest son. He sure looked different in a T-shirt and jeans than he had in his suit. He must be about 14 if he’s a freshman. And why did he come tonight with Cynthia? But soon it was over, the weekend had passed, and school was about to begin.
The first day of school dawned bright and early, but Julie was up before the sun. There was that piano to practice. Then came the thrill of first climbing into the Emorys’ station wagon on a crisp autumn morning with all five or six books in one’s arms. This was Mrs. Emory’s last year at the dental hygiene school in Highview. Perhaps Steve, being sixteen next year, would drive to La Paloma Prep School for his junior year. Perhaps…but Julie determined to enjoy the present and not worry about the future.
If Julie were timid and insecure, Allen could not detect it. After all, wasn’t she going with the playboy, Steve? This thought ran through Allen’s mind along with other confused things as he dressed for school. He shivered a bit—half from the chill of the early morning and half from the excitement of something new and unknown—as he waited on the corner. Then he saw the gray station wagon that pulled over to the curb. But as he got into the car, it surprised Allen to see only Steve, his mom, and little sister Sharon in the front. So Carlos, Julie, and Allen sat in the back. Is Julie going with Steve?
“Good morning, Mrs. Emory,” he greeted cheerily as he got in and closed the door. “And Steve, Carlos, Sharon, and Julie.” She smiled in recognition when he spoke her name. And she mentally noted his mannerly courtesy.
After the first few miles of normal chatter, silence grew. Allen settled back to relax and thought about the day ahead of him and this new way of life. It was his first day in high school, his first year in a Christian academy. He no longer missed the movies and school dances and pork chops on Sunday, at least not as much. He was a young Christian struggling to grow toward perfection, and he had a new vision of what God expected of him—his very best.
He would be a minister or a teacher, perhaps a teacher like Mr. Van Dyunen of his eighth-grade year. That was a good year. The scenes of his lovely eighth-grade graduation barely three months ago were still fresh in his memory. He remembered pretty dark-haired Nancy, the girl who lived up to the high standards he now believed in and made his own. And before that, in Arizona, was Jonelle he had met at the camp meeting where he first found his Lord. I wonder if all Christian girls are the same. He glanced at Julie. Well, there was always Cynthia. But if only she wasn’t going away to boarding school at San Margo Academy. Well, that’s life. That’s a common saying, but what is life, really? Life right now meant school as the faded yellow building loomed up in the distance.
So this is Highview! It was an adventurous day. For Steve, little Sharon, and Julie, it would be a renewal of old friendships with other Riverdale High students who had transferred to Highview Academy. For Carlos and Allen, both freshmen, it would be an introduction to new young people and teachers and a new classroom routine. With the passing days, the familiarity grew until school was well under way for another year.
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