Reunion Part I
Hellos
By Otterlady (08/15/1999)
The end of
shift. And for once, it looked like
they would be able to wrap up the paperwork and get out of the precinct on time
for a change. They had pulled in a major
player in a drug ring operating on their beat and the man had sung like a
canary. The two detectives were in a
cheerful mood made up of one part satisfaction, one part justice, and one part
of relief that no one had gotten hurt.
Hutch had finished writing
up his part of the report and was organizing the file. Starsky, also just about done, had to go
back and correct a couple of spelling errors.
(Dobey was a stickler about proper grammar and spelling mistakes made
him wild.) The dark head, bent studiously
over his typewriter was oblivious of the others in the room. He didn't notice the young man who first
peered through the door window then, smiling, entered the squadroom. Walking up to Hutch's desk, he got the
detective's attention.
"I'd like to
report a missing person." The
young man said with a look of concern on his face.
"You need to go
down the hall for that. It's a
different department." Hutch said.
"Well they told
me downstairs to come here. You see,
he's a pretty desperate character and they thought that one of you guys would
be better able to handle it." A
slight smile lightened his face.
Hutch sighed, just
when he thought he'd get out of here on time.
"Okay, let me get the forms and I'll take your
information." Finding the right
paper, Hutch inserted it in his typewriter and prepared to take the man's
statement. Glancing over at his
partner, he felt slightly ticked to find him pretending not to hear what was
going on. "What's the missing
man's name? And you can sit down."
Taking a chair and
leaning back, the other man sat with one leg resting on the knee of the
other. "He goes by the name of
'Spud'. And he's a pretty scary
dude." A silent laugh tinged the
voice.
At the name 'Spud'
Starsky's forehead wrinkled. Glancing up
for the first time since the man had approached the desk, a transformation took
over his face. First, a look of
disbelief, then startlement, then a huge smile lit his face. Jumping up from his chair, he rushed around
to Hutch's side of the desks. Grabbing
the now laughing young man by the arms, he lifted him into a crushing bear hug.
"My God,
Zach! I don't believe it!" Releasing the other man, he searched his
face. "It's really you. I don't believe it!" Laughing and almost crying at the same time
he enveloped the man in a hug again.
Hutch sat bemused at this display.
Obviously, his partner knew the young man.
After much
backslapping on both sides and some more, slightly incoherent, exclamations
from Starsky, the two men stood back from each other. Starsky suddenly remembered his partner. With one of his trademark grins on his face
he threw an arm around the young man's shoulders and turned to Hutch.
"Hutch I like
you to meet one of the craziest people I've ever known. Zachary Dahlman I'd like you to meet my
partner, Ken Hutchinson."
Hutch stood and shook
hands with the other man. "I'm
pleased to meet you. How do you know
this old dog of a partner of mine?"
"Oh, Spud and I
go way back. I knew him when he was
just a scrawny kid in dirty jeans and holey sneakers." Taking an amused look at Starsky's attire,
he laughed. "Well I guess not
everything has changed." Ducking a
slap to the back of the head, he continued.
"Dave and I lived next door to each other in high school. Hey, if you guys are free to go how about I
take you to dinner and we can compare notes on this partner of yours?"
Hutch looked at
Starsky. He seldom had seen such a
gleeful expression on his friend's face.
He looked like a kid on Christmas morning that had just got everything
he ever wanted from Santa Claus.
"Sounds good to
me. You finished that report
Starsky?"
"Oh, yeah. It's all ready." Reaching across the two desks he pulled it
from the typewriter and handed it with a flourish to Hutch. "Well, come on, let's go before someone
finds something else for us to do."
"Hang on there
pal. Let me give this file to the
Captain and then we'll go."
Shaking his head in laughter at his friend's excitement, he took the
file into Dobey's office. The Captain
wasn't there at the moment so he just left it on his desk and beat a hasty
retreat. Grabbing his jacket he waved
the two other men out of the squadroom and led them to the parking garage. After a brief discussion on which car and
where to eat, the three of them piled into the Torino and headed to Huggy's.
Looking around at the
interior of the Torino, Zach smiled at Starsky. "I see your taste in cars hasn't changed either. Although this one is a lot better than that
old beater you had. We were always half
afraid to accept a ride with you. Never
knew if that thing was going to run or just plain blow up one day."
Starsky gave his
friend a stern look. "Now don't
you go saying anything bad about this car.
I get enough of that from Hutch.
And you guys were always after me to take you somewhere or other in that
'old beater'. So no smart comments from
you there, sonny boy!"
Hutch watched in
amusement the by-play between the two from his spot in the backseat. He took a good look at this old friend of
his partner's. Zachary had collar
length brown hair, big brown eyes, and a disarming smile. Not handsome but sort of good looking in a
charming, intelligent way. He carried
himself well, with almost a military bearing.
He appeared to about the same age as he and Starsky but it was hard to
tell. It was obvious that he had great
affection for his partner and his partner for him. Although Starsky willingly gave his heart, there were few that he
was really close to. It was nice to see
how happy this person's presence made him.
The Torino pulled to
a halt in front of Huggy's and the three got out of the car. Zachary took a look at the rather
unimpressive frontage of the building and glanced over at Starsky. "This is were you want me to take you to
dinner? Is the food safe? Is this neighborhood safe?"
"Don't worry,
it's a great place. And a friend of
ours owns it. We can sit and talk until
it closes and no one will bother us about moving. And he has the best burgers around."
Looking doubtful,
Zach followed the two detectives into the dark, smoky and very noisy interior
of Huggy's. Seeing that their favorite
booth was open, the pair quickly took possession. Starsky gestured for his friend to proceed him into the booth and
Hutch set across from them. Huggy
appeared like magic beside their table.
"Well if it
ain't my two favorite customers. And
with fresh blood to boot. What can I
get you all?"
Starsky grinned up at
Huggy. "Bring us all some of those
great burgers of yours. With the
works. And beers?" Here he glanced over at Zachary for
confirmation. Receiving a nod, he
continued. "Beers all around. Bring one for yourself, Hug. I'd like you to meet an old friend of
mine. Zach, this is the one and only
Huggy Bear. Huggy, my friend Zachary
Dahlman."
The two men nodded at
each other across the table. "A
friend of Starsky's huh? And I thought
that Hutch and I were the only ones who could put up with him. Will wonders never cease?" Even Huggy's teasing couldn't lessen the
grin on Starsky's face. With a promise
of being right back, Huggy went off to get their meal.
Hutch could no longer
resist. "Now that we've got that
settled, tell me more about 'Spud' and what he was like in high school." He grinned at his partner.
Before Zach had a
chance to answer, Starsky scolded Hutch.
"You just never mind that 'Spud' stuff. The only ones who ever got away with calling me that were Zach
and his sisters. Don't you even try
it!" He glared at the grins on
both of his friends' faces then sighed.
"It's an old and silly nickname that no one has called me since we
were kids."
Hutch couldn't help
but laugh at his partner. "Sisters
huh? Figures." Turning to Zach. "Starsk has a knack for finding girls wherever he happens to
be. So, are one of you going to fill me
in on the saga of Dave Starsky in his wild youth?"
Starsky again started
to talk before Zach, looking far more serious than he had since the other man
walked into the office.
"Actually,
Hutch, you have the Dahlmans to thank for having me for a partner. If it hadn't been for them, I may have
really had that 'wild youth'. I wasn't
very happy about being out here and I missed everything back home. If these guys hadn't have moved into the
neighbourhood, I don't know what might have happened but I don't think it would
have been good." Starsky was
looking down at the table, fiddling with his car keys lying there. "I'm pretty sure that they saved my
life." He said quietly.
Zach put an arm over
his shoulder. "It worked both
ways, Dave. I wasn't used to living in
a big city. I stayed out of some bad situations
thanks to you." He slapped him
lightly on the side of the head.
"Of course, you got me and Beck into a lot of trouble
too."
Starsky grinned, "Yeah, well, you two were easy
targets. Followed me around like
puppies. Couldn't get rid of either of
you half the time."
The arrival of Huggy
and one of his waitresses with their food and the beer interrupted their
bantering. Huggy settled down beside
Hutch and helped himself to one of his french fries. "Okay, bros, fill me in on what's shaking."
Hutch looked at the
two across the table then at Huggy.
"Well, so far all I know is that these two knew each other when
they were kids and true to form Starsky was a troublemaker. Other than that you know as much as I
do." Pinning the grinning Starsky
with a firm glare he added, "Okay,
you, I want details and I want them fast." A smile to take the sting out.
Starsky held up a
hand. "All right, calm down. Let me set things up for you and then Zach
can regale you with the life and times of the Monterey Street gang." A quick bite of burger and a sip of beer and
he changed into his storytelling mode.
Spring Break - March
1958
Dave Starsky was
shooting hoops in the driveway of his uncle's house. The house he was having a hard time thinking of as his home. Home was New York, not Los Angeles. Home was the streets of Brooklyn not this
palm tree fringed Santa Monica neighbourhood.
Home was the apartment he shared with his mother and brother (and once
upon a time his father). Not this three
bedroom, split-level white clapboard house.
Home was good old PS 123 not the upscale snooty high school where his
uncle and aunt had enrolled him. This
would never be 'home', simply the place he lived.
A line from a poem he had learned in English
class kept running through his head - 'You can't go home again.' And that filled him with a great deal of
sadness because for him it was true.
And he hated it
here. He hated the school he
attended. He hated the other students,
few of whom would talk to him. The ones
that did speak made fun of his accent, his clothes, being from New York, being
Jewish. He hated his uncle and aunt for
agreeing to take him in. He hated his
mother for making him move to California.
He hated himself for getting in with the 'bad crowd' that had scared his
mother so much that it had forced this move.
He even hated his father for dying and leaving him alone.
Nicky was his
mother's child. He had been his
father's. He knew deep down that he
loved his 'Ma' and that she loved him but he had adored his father. He had worshiped him as only a son can the
man who stood strong against the forces that finally destroyed him.
Life here was
hell. He was seriously considering
running away. Not that he anywhere to
run. His mother had made it clear that
he was to stay in California if he knew what was good for him. He knew that his uncle and aunt tried but
they had no kids of their own and just didn't understand what he was going
through. He felt as if he was about to
explode. His life had become
meaningless and empty. It had started
when his dad died and every day had been worse. His involvement with the gang back in his old neighbourhood had
been a symptom of that emptiness. It
would be so easy to slip back into that life.
The hanging out, the petty thievery, the drinking, and all of the rest
of it. Even a school such as the one he
was attending had that element and it was a very attractive one to a young boy
as unhappy as he was.
His life was hell and
in great danger of becoming even worse.
But luckily for him all of that was about to change.
He was chasing the ball
down to the end of the driveway when the sight of an approaching moving van got
his attention. The van parked in front
of the house a couple of doors down from his.
There had been a 'For Sale' sign there since before Christmas. The realtor had come around a few days
before to put the 'Sold' sign up and Dave had been keeping an eye open for the
new residents. Not that he expected
much. This neighbourhood ran to older,
middle-class WASPs. The only Jewish
person in the whole area was himself and the only kids for a five-block radius
were a couple of pre-schoolers.
Dave picked up his
basketball and tucked it under his arm.
He sauntered down the sidewalk towards the van, noting the Illinois
plates. Just as he had reached the edge
of the sold house's yard a station wagon pulled up behind the moving van. His mouth dropped open as, out of the car
stepped first one beautiful, leggy girl, then another one, and then a
third. He felt as if he'd died and gone
to Heaven. There stood three gorgeous
girls, all around his age. He had never
seen anything like them. Long brown
hair, big brown eyes, curvy in all the right places, wearing tight little pedal
pushers that were so popular with teenage girls that year. One of the girls glanced in his direction
then studiously ignored him. She said
something to the other two and all three giggled. They then glided (or so it seemed to the awestruck boy) up the
walk to the house.
Before he had a
chance to do more than close his mouth and try not to swallow his tongue four
other people got out of the car. Two
were adults, obviously the parents of the angels who had just entered the
house. The others were two skinny kids
wearing cut-offs and baggy t-shirts, baseball caps firmly lodged on their
heads. They took one look at the older
boy and ran up to him. The slightly
taller of the pair stared him firmly in the eye and started to question him.
"What's your
name? You live around here? Can we play ball with ya? I'm Beck; this is my brother Zach. We're twins. Are there other kids around?
How old are you? We're twelve,
almost thirteen. Where's the basketball
court? Wanta go shoot a few?" The questions came faster than he could
answer. Giving up, Dave just stood and
smiled at the younger child who reminded him of a buzzing fly, never slowing
long enough to land.
The children's father
finally took pity on this patient stranger and came over to the trio. "Beck, leave the poor boy
alone." Putting one hand on the
child's shoulder, he held out the other to the teenager. "Hi, I'm Joel Dahlman. Sorry about that. Beck tends to get carried away."
Taking the offered
hand Dave just smiled. "That's
okay Mr. Dahlman. I'm David
Starsky. I live a couple houses down. Welcome to the neighbourhood."
"Thanks
son." Looking down at his
children, "Come on you two, we've
got a lot of work to do. You can play
later. Say good-bye to David and go
help the movers find your rooms."
The twins quickly waved at Dave and ran towards the house. "And don't forget what we discussed
about the rooms. I don't want to hear
any fighting over who got the better room!" Mr. Dahlman shouted after them.
"Ah, Mr.
Dahlman, sir. Could you use some
help? I'm pretty good at carrying
boxes." Dave asked. 'Maybe
I can get to know those beautiful girls if I help out.' He thought to himself.
"Thanks for the
offer, but not right now. But I will
take you up on that after we get the truck unpacked and have to start moving
furniture around. The wife always has to
rearrange everything a couple of times before she's happy with
things." Dahlman smiled. He liked the looks of this young man. And something about him, maybe the sad look
around his eyes made him want to treat him the way he treated his own
children.
"Okay, it's a
deal. I'll let you get to it. And if you need anything we're just in that
white house over there." Pointing
at his place. Waving at the adult
Dahlmans, he started to walk casually back.
Then the excitement of the whole thing made him break into a run and he
practically flew around the back of the house and into the kitchen.
"Aunt Rosie,
Aunt Rosie! We've got new
neighbours! There's five kids, all
about my age. Can we invite them over
for dinner? Huh, whata say?" When he was excited his Brooklyn accent got
stronger. His aunt smiled at the happy
expression on his face, the first she'd seen in far too long.
And that was how
David Michael Starsky met the Dahlman family.
The people who were to give him some direction in his life. Who were to help shape the man he was meant
to be. And in the process saved his
life, his spirit, and just possibly his soul.
*******
The Present
The four men were
laughing at the description of Starsky's first meeting with Zach. "It was almost a full week before I knew
you could talk, Zach." Starsky
teased his friend. "I don't think
Beck was quiet for more than two seconds at a time. Man could that kid talk!
When your twin got going all I could do was nod a lot."
"Heck, Dave,
that's all any of us could do. Mom
always said that Beck was born talking and never learned how to
stop."
Hutch was surprised
to see the two of them actually giggling.
He didn't think he had ever seen Starsky giggle before. Hutch gave Huggy an amused shrug and settled
back to wait for the other two men to regain control.
Wiping tears from his
eyes, Starsky took a big gulp of his drink and tried to pull himself
together. Smiling at his friends across
the table he explained, "You'd have to know Beck to understand why we find
that so funny. Beck is a very special
person, one I love dearly. And someone
I greatly admire." Zach and
Starsky exchanged smiles and Starsky started back into his story.
Spring to Summer 1958
The weeks following
the arrival of the Dahlman family were the happiest Dave had known since moving
to California. And just possibly, the
happiest since his father died. The
twins took to him like ducks to water and the trio became almost inseparable. The girls still pretended to ignore him, but
his charming ways and sweet smile soon had them falling over him and each
other. The adult Dahlmans fell for
young David also. Mrs. Dahlman liked
the way he treated her youngest children and Mr. Dahlman could see the
frightened and lonely little boy beneath the tough exterior. Both of them wanted to do whatever it took to
make that little boy happy.
The twins loved
basketball as much as Dave did and they liked to gang up on him. There were some pretty raucous games played
out in the Starsky driveway, but Dave was so happy to have someone to pal
around with, he didn't mind. And
sometimes he even managed to beat the pair.
One or the other of the twins would try diversionary tactics, grabbing
Dave or bumping him when he tried to lay up a basket. He would usually retaliate by swinging the offending child around
by the waist until they yelled 'Uncle'.
Because the twins were smaller than he was, Dave tried his best not to
hurt either one. But the pair,
especially Beck, seemed to attract scrapes and bruises so he didn't feel too
bad if the rough housing got a little carried away. Besides, both of the twins gave as good as they got, so there
were no hurt feelings.
One Thursday evening,
while the three of them lay out on the lawn, trying to recover from an
especially hard game, Beck remembered something their mother had told the twins
to do. "Hey, Dave. My mom wants you to come to dinner tomorrow
night."
A slightly sleepy
Dave, munching on one of the cookies that his aunt had baked for them, perked
up a little. "That'd be nice. What time?"
"About six, that
should be about right. It's Shabbat, so
we'll all have to be there on time."
Beck replied around a mouthful of cookie.
It had been so long
since Dave had participated in a Shabbat dinner, not since New York. Not since moving in with his uncle and aunt
who weren't practicing Jews. He had not
realized until that moment how much he had missed the rituals, the feeling of
oneness that the simple meal induced.
The memories suddenly made him feel homesick.
"I'll be
there." Was his promise.
The next evening
found a freshly scrubbed, suit clad David Starsky sitting on the couch in the
Dahlman living room waiting for the rest of the family to come down for
dinner. Zach sat with him, a little
more talkative without his more forceful twin present. The two boys were in the middle of
discussing the relative merits of the recently transferred Dodgers versus the
Cubs when the sound of feminine laughter interrupted them. Dave turned to watch the girls come down the
stairs. He loved watching them, even if
they did pretend that he didn't exist.
The three girls were all in dresses, appropriate for the Shabbat
meal. Dave thought he'd never seen a
prettier site. Then something occurred
which shocked him so much that his mouth dropped open. Down the stairs came a fourth girl, in a
blue dress with puffy sleeves and a lace collar, short brown hair tied with a
matching ribbon. She was as pretty as
the other girls were. What shocked poor
Dave was that this young lady was his buddy Beck.
Dave looked back and
forth between the grinning Zach and the apparition that stood at the bottom of
the stairs daring him to say something.
Gulping like a landed fish, the first words out of his mouth were
"He's a girl!" This reduced
all of the Dahlman children, except Beck, to helpless laughter. Beck simply glared at the blushing Dave,
hands clenched in fists, ready to do something drastic.
Zach was the first to
recover. Trying to speak around the giggles
that threatened to overwhelm him again at any moment, he finally managed to get
out a question, "You didn't know
she was a girl? What did you think Beck
was short for?"
Embarrassed beyond
breathing, Dave stammered, "I don't know.
I thought maybe his, I mean her, name was Beckett or something."
This brought on
another gale of laughter from the girls, who were practically holding each
other up by this point. Beck, on the
other hand, was advancing on Dave with murder in her eyes. The still blushing boy stood, not so much as
to defend himself but to take whatever the angry girl was planning to do to him
on his feet. Luckily for him, Mr.
Dahlman walked into the room just as Beck was pulling back her arm to slug
Dave. Grabbing the child's arm, he
admonished her. "Rebecca Abigail
Dahlman, what have I told you children about fighting on the Shabbat? Now what is going on? Why in the world would you want to strike
our guest?"
Beck's eyes got big
and the anger in her stance melted.
Looking like the little girl she was she hung her head and didn't say a
word. Mr. Dahlman turned to his son who
was still trying to control himself.
Looking up at his father's stern face, he gulped and started to gesture
at his friend.
"Well, you see,
Dad, Dave and Beck.. well, um..." Looking helplessly back and forth from
his sister to Dave he gave up and started giggling again. Dave decided it was time to take a stab at
explaining.
"Sir, it's
really all my fault." Dave stood
straight and looked the man in the eye.
"You see, I was surprised to see Beck in a dress." His face reddened again and he
swallowed. "I, uh, I thought that
Beck was a boy. I didn't realize the
truth until I saw her come down the stairs.
I'm afraid I embarrassed her and that's why she's mad. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset her. I'm sorry, Beck."
Struggling to keep a
straight face, Mr. Dahlman couldn't help but admire the way this young man was
willing to take the blame to protect the younger child. Glancing over at his three oldest daughters,
who were still snickering, he gestured towards the kitchen, "Go help your mother get dinner on the
table." The girls quickly hurried
into the other room. Mr. Dahlman turned
back to his other two children.
"Zach, why don't you go and see if your mother can use your help
too." It was not so much a
suggestion as an order. Zach patted
Dave on the arm and followed his sisters.
This left Dave, Beck
and her father alone in the living room.
Mr. Dahlman sat down in a chair and pulled his daughter into his
lap. "Sit down, Dave. I’m not angry with you." Dave sat back down on the couch and tried
not to shake. "I'm afraid the
children let you labor under a false assumption, something they've done to many
other people. And you're not to blame
for that. You see Zach and Beck, being
twins, are very close. They've always
played together and Beck has turned out to be a terrible tomboy, something her
mother and I are hoping she'll grow out of." Giving his daughter a little hug, he continued. "Sometimes they both forget that she is
a girl and that not everyone is in on it.
Until we moved here, the family has always lived in a small town and
most people knew us, so it was never much of an issue. But I think it's time that Beck start acting
like the lady she is and I also think that it's up to the rest of us to help
her."
For the first time
since her father had intervened, Beck spoke.
"But, Dad.."
"I don't mean
you have to give up playing with Dave and Zach, sweetheart. I simply want you to starting trying to act
like a young lady instead of a little hooligan. After all, you're almost thirteen and you've already had your Bat
Mitzvah. In the eyes of our people, you're
already a woman; it's time for you to start behaving like one. Now go help your mother and come let us know
when the meal is ready." With that
he gave her a kiss on the cheek and sent her off. Turning back to Dave, he smiled.
"I know that this has been rather a shock for you, son, but one
you'll get over soon and even see the humor in it. I hope that you'll remain friends with both of the twins. It's going to be hard on Zach for the next
while. Beck will start pulling away
from him as she becomes more interested in girlish things and he's going to
need a friend. And I'm very happy that
you and he get along so well. You're a
good young man, one that will be a positive influence on my son. I hope you realize that."
The last made Dave
embarrassed. Most adults never saw
beyond the tough guy persona he wore as armor and many didn't like him. Even his own aunt and uncle acted as if they
were a bit afraid of him at times. Not
since his father died had he felt truly comfortable in another man's presence. But Mr. Dahlman reminded him a great deal of
his own father and he felt pride in his praise. He vowed to himself that he would do everything he could to earn
that praise.
Just then, Beck came
back into the room. Carefully not
looking at Dave, she announced that the meal was ready. Mr. Dahlman led the way into the dining area. He showed Dave his place at the table,
seated between the twins. Beck on his
left, who was still ignoring him, but didn't look quite so angry. As the elder Dahlmans conducted the rituals
and blessings of the Shabbat meal, Dave felt transported back to happy
times. To familiar warmth that he
hadn't realized he'd been missing for the past months. Even after his father's death, his mother
had kept the traditions of their culture and there had been gatherings with the
many relatives. Since moving to California,
Dave had not had any contact with his heritage, except for the token Hanukah
menorah and meal that his aunt had tried to have for him.
With the blessings
over, the family started passing the dishes around. Roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, vegetables, a meal so
similar to ones his mother always made it made his heart hurt for a
moment. Although Beck wasn't speaking
to him, Zach made up for her lack. The
two soon reengaged the debate of baseball teams. Mr. Dahlman added his opinions and even Beck injected a comment
or two. When the food came around for
the second time, Dave happily dumped more of the potatoes on his plate. Zach gave the mound on his friend's plate an
amazed look.
"You really
going to eat all of that, Dave?"
He asked incredulously.
Dave tried to answer
around a mouthful, but remembered his manners and swallowed first. "Yes sir, these are the best potatoes
I've tasted, next to my Mom's. And I
love mashed potatoes." He smiled
at Mrs. Dahlman.
The children's father
laughed, "You keep eating potatoes like that and you'll turn into
one."
An evil look crossed
Beck's face. "Yeah, a big, brown,
lumpy spud." Leaning forward so
she could see past Dave to her brother,
"Don't you think he looks a bit like a spud now, Zach?"
Zach sniggered and
nodded. "You're right, Beck. He does kinda look like one. Maybe we should change his name."
"Yeah, Spud
Starsky. Has a nice ring to it, don't
you think?" By this time, the rest
of the family was smiling. Dave decided
that he might as well give in to the inevitable and go along with the twins.
"You know, I
always wanted a nickname. Spud's as
good as any, I suppose." Grinning
mischievously at the girl beside him, "Now
I'll have to come up with a good one for you.
But I'll have to think about it for awhile. Umm, the possibilities."
Surrounded by the
kind laughter of the family, Dave felt at peace for the first time in far too
long. He felt part of the family; part
of something denied him since his father's death. Dave Starsky had found acceptance, his past, and his future. He had found home.
******
The Present
"So that's how
Dave got the name Spud. He had to put
up with it for the next three years and I think that Beck still calls you
that. Doesn’t she, Spud?" Zach teased his friend.
"Yeah, the
little brat even addresses envelopes that way.
You should see how my mailman looks at me sometimes. But I don't mind it from her." Starsky turned to glare at Hutch. "But I'd better not hear you ever call
me that, Hutch, or you'll be one sorry partner."
Hutch affected a look
of pure innocence, one that his partner didn't believe for a minute. Giving him one more warning look, Starsky
sighed. "I never did come up with
a good nickname for her, not one that stuck anyway. Hey, Zach how is she anyway?
I haven't received a letter from her for a bit. I was wondering how she likes being an old
married lady. You know it almost broke
my heart when she told me she was getting married. I thought she was waiting for me." The laughter in Starsky's eyes spoiled his attempt at sounding
like a rejected suitor.
Laughing, Zach
punched Starsky in the shoulder.
"You had your chance, Dave, but you blew it. Should have moved to Seattle with us and
kept closer tabs on her. I'm afraid the
minute she laid eyes on John it was all over for you. Besides, I always thought it was Del you had the hots for."
"Hey, after the
Danny Adler incident, I knew better than to moon over her. Especially after she pushed me off the
porch."
Hutch and Huggy both
leaned forward at that. "Do tell,
Starsky, my man. What ever did you do
to warrant that?" Huggy's brown
eyes twinkled in anticipation.
Starsky started to
answer when Zach interrupted him.
"Let me tell them this one, Dave.
I don't think you'd do it justice." He grinned evilly at his friend.
Starsky gave him a pained expression and settled back, looking as if
he'd like to hide under the table.
Zach, still grinning,
began. "It all started the spring
of their junior year. Dave here had
finally saved up enough money to buy this really beaten up car and he was so
proud of that ugly thing...
Spring 1960
Dave Starsky was
whistling as he lovingly rubbed wax into the hood of his car. His new car. Well new to him anyway.
He'd worked hard to save up the money for it, mowing lawns, running
errands for people. Even worked a short
stint as a delivery boy for the grocery until the unfortunate incident with
Mrs. Brownlee's eggs and the St. Bernard.
Anything he could think of to make money, he'd done. Every cent that he received for gifts went
into that special savings account until he had enough to buy this car. Every cent he could scrounge, beg, or charm
out of relatives went towards it.
Everything.
Of course, when he
bought it, it wasn't in that great of shape.
The '54 Chevy two-tone had been in an accident and sold as scrap. It was in need of lots of tender loving care,
which he had been more than happy to do.
His uncle Al had allowed him to work on the car at his garage in
exchange for him doing odd jobs. Meryl,
his uncle's apprentice, was there to lend advice and the occasional helping
hand in the transformation. Zach too
had spent many an hour passing tools and good-natured ribbing to the
project. It had taken most of the
winter, but it had all been worth it.
His car was beautiful and it was all his.
Now he could ask Del
Dahlman out on a real date. He gazed
off into the distance for a moment to dream about that date. Delilah Dahlman, her long chestnut brown
hair, and big soulful brown eyes were all he thought of. He had to be careful not to look at her in
the History class they shared or he'd lose all track of what they were
studying. More than once he'd been
caught not paying attention and been embarrassed when called to answer a
question he hadn't heard. His other
classmates would laugh at his stumbling, trying to second-guess the
teacher. That was bad enough, but Del,
who was a whiz at History, always gave him an appalled glance then tried to
pretend she didn't know him.
Dave could just
envision the look on her face when he arrived at her door, dressed in his best
suit, flowers in hand, ready to whisk her off in his new car. He was planning on asking her to the Junior
Spring Dance, and maybe, just maybe, to go steady with him. Young Dave was in serious love. A wet sponge hitting him in the side of the
head shattered his wonderful daydream.
"Hey, Spud. You're going to rub all the paint off if you
keep going over the same spot forever."
Beck looked innocently at him from the back of the car where she'd been
washing the chrome.
Zach popped up from
where he'd been polishing one of the doors.
"Ah, leave him alone, Beck.
He's busy dreaming about a girl, and we know which one, don't we?"
The two chorused
together, "David and Delilah, sitting in a tree..."
"Shut up you
guys!" Horrified, Dave looked
around to make sure that no one had heard the twins taunting. While it was really no secret how he felt
about their sister, he didn't want it broadcast all over the
neighbourhood. Especially since he
hadn't even approached the girl in question about the date yet.
The short skirmish
that ensued left the three of them laughing and gasping for air on the
lawn. Once again, the twins had managed
to overpower Dave and tickle him into submission. Zach had gone through a growth spurt over the winter and was now
taller and heavier than the older boy, much to Dave's chagrin. He had begun to wonder if he were ever going
to grow past the five foot eight that he had stalled at. His Uncle Ben had assured him that his
father had been late in coming into his full height, and that Dave would
probably catch up shortly.
This was little
comfort to the sensitive young man. He
had already lost his spot on the basketball team due to his lack of
height. The coach had assured him that
he was a skillful player but that his lack of height was a deterrent when it
came to playing against taller boys. He
had tried out for and got a position on the football team as an alternative to
basketball. Making that team had done
much to restore his self-confidence but little to make up for losing out on his
first love.
But his pride and joy
made up for all that disappointment.
Lying there on the grass, he couldn't help but admire his beautiful
car. Shining in the sunlight, the cream
and tan paint job was perfection. The
black furry dice he'd found at the dimestore were just the right touch hanging
from the rear-view mirror. His
car. How could any girl, even the
angelic Delilah, resist him and his great car?
Rolling over to face Beck, he worked up the courage to ask the question
that had been running through his mind all day.
"Uh, Beck, is
Del home? Do you think if I asked her
today to go to the dance she'd say yes?"
The girl contemplated
the question. At fifteen, she was
turning into a beauty in her own right.
But she was still so much a tomboy that both her brother and her friend
tended to forget that she was a girl. Somewhere,
deep inside, she felt a stirring of jealousy.
Just a little. Although she
would have scoffed at the notion, underneath the dungarees and baggy t-shirt
was the heart of a young woman. One who
just maybe had a little crush on her handsome friend. Turning to look into his bright blue eyes, so hopeful, she
couldn't resist the urge to give him anything he wanted. Even if it was her sister and not her that
he wanted.
'Yeah, she's
home. I don't know if she'll agree to
go to the dance, but you won't know until you ask. I know Del likes you. All
of my sisters like you, they think you're cute." Glaring at her brother who was snickering from his spot on Dave's
other side, she snapped. "Well,
they do. And I guess he is kinda cute,
in a dopey way. They seem to think it's
appealing. Why I don't know, but they
do." A little angry now with both
her twin for laughing and with herself for revealing too much, she got to her
feet and started to leave. "Go ask
her Dave. The worse she can do is say
no." With that, she stomped off
down the street to her house, leaving the two stunned males staring after her.
Dave was the first to
break the silence. "What the heck
brought that on?"
Zach shrugged. "Ah, who knows. Girls can act really strange sometimes. There are days with those four when I'm
afraid to come out of my room. Come on,
let's go finish waxing the car."
The two boys, united
in the eternal male confusion at the feminine segment of the population, went
back to work. Soon they had the car
waxed within an inch of its paint job and the two stood back to admire it. They looked up from their handiwork when
another car pulled up beside the Chevy.
At the wheel of the little sports car was Dave's classmate Danny
Adler. Dave wasn't overly fond of
Danny. He was a bit too arrogant in the
other boy's opinion. Coming from a well
to do family, he lacked for little, from his new car to the fancy clothes he
wore. To make matters worse, he had won
the very position on the basketball team that should have been Dave's.
"Nice heap
there, Davy. Under which rock did you
find it?" Danny laughed. Dave tried very hard not to let Danny get to
him. He knew his car, while not as
snazzy as the sportier model, was still pretty cool. Nothing the other boy could say would dampen his love for his
car.
"Ha, ha
Danny. What brings you to our neck of
the woods?" Dave nonchalantly
leaned against his car.
"Come to visit
those beautiful Dahlman sisters. Hey
Zach, your sisters' home?" Came
the casual answer.
Zach leaned beside
Dave against the car, unconsciously duplicating his friend's stance. To an outsider, like Danny, they presented
an united front. Not one to be crossed
easily.
"Some are, some
aren't. It all depends on which one
you're talking about. And which one you
think might be willing to be bothered by you." Zach replied in a bored voice.
"Huh, think I'll
just go and see for myself. You guys
just stay here and play with Davy's little car." With that, Danny gunned the motor and roared the length of the
two yards to the Dahlmans' house.
Screeching to a halt he parked on the wrong side of the street and then
seemed to ooze up the walk to the house.
The friends tried to
maintain their cool façade until they saw Danny allowed entrance to the house
by Zach's mother. Looking at each other
in dismay, they were both afraid of the same thing. That Danny Adler was there to ask Del to the dance. Zach was the first to come up with *The
Plan*.
"Dave, get your
butt in gear and go get cleaned up.
I'll go home and run interference until you can get there. There's no way that I'm going to let that
cretin ask my sister out before you get the chance. Now get going." With
that last command, Zach turned and practically flew towards his house. Dave took his friend's advice and dashed
into the house, stripping off his wet t-shirt as he charged though the kitchen
door.
Ten minutes later,
hands and face freshly scrubbed, clad in clean jeans and madras print shirt; he
arrived, somewhat breathlessly, on the Dahlmans front porch. Giving himself the once over, he knocked on
the door. Beck, alerted by her brother
had been keeping watch. She opened the
door and ushered her friend inside.
"They're in the
living room." She whispered. "He hasn't asked her yet, but you'd
better hurry."
Dave was too worried
to notice this about face on Beck's part.
He grinned thinly at her and then sauntered into the living room,
looking as if he hadn't a care in the world.
Zach, slouched in the big chair, feet up on the coffee table, was
talking a mile a minute about nothing in particular. Danny and Del were sitting on opposite ends of the couch. Danny looked like a thundercloud and Del
appeared to be contemplating murder.
They all looked up in various stages of relief when Dave entered the
room. Nodding at Danny, he turned one
of his thousand watt smiles on Del.
"Hello,
Sweetheart." Affecting his best
Bogart voice, Dave sat down beside Del.
"I was wondering if you'd like to go for a little spin in my
car? Maybe stop off and get an ice
cream or something?"
Del looked up into
that hopeful face and proceeded to break his heart. "No Dave. I don't
want to go for a ride in your car. I
don't want to go for ice cream. And I'm
not your sweetheart. Now would you and
the terrible twosome here go away? Go
and play your silly ball games or whatever it is you do and leave Danny and me
alone." With that she stood up and
stalked out the front door, Danny grinning, right behind her.
The rejected young
man felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach. Zach and Beck quietly came and sat beside
him, like bookends, trying to give him a little comfort. Beck lay a hand on his arm. He turned to look into her kind eyes and
made a decision.
"Damn it, he's
not going to win that easily."
Dave jumped up from the couch, not seeing the hurt look on the younger
girl's face. Followed closely by Zach,
he marched to the door and out onto the porch.
There he found the object of his affection and his nemesis sitting far
too close together on the step.
"Del, I thought
we were friends. I was hoping you'd
agree to go with me to the Spring Dance."
Danny stood and
turned to face Dave. Even standing one
step below he was a bit taller than the angry young man. "Listen, Starsky." The way Danny said his name it sounded like
an insult. "Del is going to that
dance with me. Why in the world would
she want to go anywhere with a putz like you when she can go out with me?"
The condescending way
he spoke made Dave see red, but he managed to hold his temper. Unfortunately, Danny had no such
restraint. He tried to rabbit punch the
other boy in the stomach but the former Brooklyn tough kid saw it coming and
grabbed him by the arm and flipped him off the step. Del threw herself between the two combatants.
"That's
enough. I'm not going to the dance with
either of you two heathens. Sam Jacobs
already asked me over a week ago and I'm going with him. Now both of you, get lost." She glared from one to the other, daring
either of them to say anything.
Danny picked himself
up and without even looking at the group on the porch, left. Del stepped up onto the porch and scowled at
Dave.
"If it wasn't
for the fact that you're a friend of my stupid little brother, I'd ask my
parents to ban you from the house. If
you so much as ever speak to me again, I might just reconsider that. I can't believe you. Fighting with my guest. On my own front porch. What were you thinking?" She waited for an answer. All the heartbroken young man could do was
stare at his feet and try not to cry.
Disgusted with the whole male race, Del reached out with both hands and
gave Dave a shove. Caught off guard, he
stumbled backwards and landed on his butt in the junipers in front of the
porch. Del stomped back into the house,
slamming the door behind her.
********
The Present
Starsky's three
friends laughed uproariously at the vision of the young Dave sitting in the
bushes. The object of this hilarity
glowered at them all. Hutch was the first
to recover.
"I'm sorry
buddy, but even you must admit it's rather funny. Did you get a date to the dance after all? And did you ever go on a date with
Del?" Hutch had to wipe the tears
of laughter from his eyes.
"Yeah, smart guy,
I asked Suzie Lawrence to go with me.
She just happened to be the captain of the cheerleader squad. She and I went steady for the rest of the
school year. But I never did work up
the courage to ask Del out again. We
became friends again but I was always a little afraid of those juniper bushes
after that." Starsky's sense of
humor had returned and he was able to laugh at himself a little.
"Hey,
Starsky. I just remembered
something. There's that picture on the
bookcase of your graduation. You know
the one with your Mom and your Uncle and Aunt.
The one with a whole bunch of other people, including those gorgeous
girls. Is that the Dahlmans?" Hutch quizzed with an expectant tone in his
voice.
Starsky smiled. "Yep, that's the Dahlmans, alright. Because Del and I were in the same
graduation class, our families threw us one big celebration. That picture was taken just before the
prom."
"I remember you
had your arm around a particularly pretty girl. Was that Del?"
"Nope. I finally wised up and asked the prettiest
and smartest of the sisters to be my date for the prom. And Beck said yes. I really think that if I hadn't gone back to New York after
school ended, she and I might have eventually gotten married." Starsky looked a bit wistful.
********