“My dad probably wishes he was in Vietnam,” I said. “So he could slap my brother and all his rebellious soldier friends into shape.”
Livy couldn’t let it rest. “Poor Ronny. He didn’t have a chance.”
I looked at her with renewed resentment. “You say that like he’s dead.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” she said. “I meant he didn’t have a chance to go to college first. With his friends.”
“Son of a bitch,” said Johnny. “I’d kick my dad in the nuts before I’d let him make me go to ’Nam.”
“You don’t know my dad,” I said. “It’s impossible to say no to him.”
“The army colonel thing is rough,” Leon said. “I had a teacher my freshman year at Penn State. Old guy. Retired high-ranking officer in the army. Biggest dick who ever lived.”
“That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said Livy. “He’s over-the-top religious.”
“What’s your religion?” Johnny asked me.
I’m seconds away from slapping her across the face,I thought but answered Johnny anyway. “Southern Baptist.”
“Did your brother try for conscientious objector status?”
“I have no idea, Johnny. I don’t even know what a conscientious objector is.”
He started to explain that it would have gotten Ron out of combat, but Leon interrupted, “My mom grew up Southern Baptist.”
Surely this was a joke. “Really?”
“Yup,” said Leon.
“Is she from the South?” I asked.
“Well, yeah. Georgia. She’s a peach. She talks just like you.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. We had something else in common.
“When she married my dad, she converted to Catholicism. So they could appease my grandparents and get married in the Catholic Church. Why do you think I have so many sibs?” Leon said, letting one of his man-giggles fly.
“Catholics are against the pill,” Livy explained, like we were all—including Catholic Leon—morons. “Blows my mind every time I think about it.”
“That would be my parents’ philosophy. Not mine.” Leon stood. “Let’s get back to the bowl. I’m ready to boogie.”
“Me too!” said Livy, quickly rising to her feet. She was done with the conversation.
And so was I.
She turned to Johnny. “Let’s go find grub first. I’m starving.”
“You and me both,” Johnny said, finally putting back on his filthy clothes.
Leon snickered. “Good luck. This joint is all out of grub.” He offered me his hand and pulled me up. My ankle turned on the uneven rock, but he caught me before I fell.
I couldn’t have cared less about finding food. All I wanted was to go back to our kiss.
Woodstock
Day Two
Saturday, August 16, 1969
