The Prisoner of Glenda

Chapter 1: A Friendship is established

My name is Andrew Johnson. I grew up in South Philadelphia the oldest of two children. My father was a postal driver and my mother a stay at home mom. My story starts in my twelfth year when we moved into our first house.

Like most of the homes in that part of town, that house was a small "row house" located in a very narrow street. At twelve years old my world was not much larger than that one block. It's funny, but as I travel back to the old neighborhood today the one thing that I notice immediately is the absence of trees and shrubs. Grey remains the dominant color.

Down the street, only ten doors away, lived my grandmother and her own mother's home was just a few streets to the east. In my community, families tended to live close to one another. Members rarely moved away. This custom held regardless of the ethnicity of the neighbors.

I was a rather shy kid and not one to make friends easily. I was also tall for my age and lanky. My height made me a target for every bully in the neighborhood. I had had a few fights a couple of years ago in my old block, just enough to establish myself in the pecking order. Therefore, I had grown unaccustomed to the violence that marked my age. In this new place, the process was starting over.

My adversary was a boy called 'Tank'. He was half a full foot shorter than I was but made up for his height in bulk and bravado. I was called out one afternoon while coming back from the corner grocery. Unfortunately, for Tank he managed to break one of my packages during our introduction. That act infuriated me. I was facing big trouble from my mom for that damage. If I were going to pay then Tank would pay double.

The fight was over quickly. I dispatched Tank with a left jab to the eye. He went down hard and stayed down. He was literally carried away by friends. I knew that there would be a rematch but I thought I would have a few weeks of relative peace. Tank had other ideas. He used his time to persuade four other boys to assist in his revenge.

A week later, his gang jumped me on my way home from school. I was unprepared for the attack and would have gotten seriously hurt had not it been for the intervention of two other boys. I did not know their names; I had seen them only a few times. I only knew that they went to the local Catholic school.

The smallest of the pair rushed in fists flailing and overcame two of my assailants single-handedly. His partner intervened when it was apparent that his friend was going to be hit from behind. I had never seen boys fight like that. They fought as a team and they were fearless. There was a calm confidence in their movements that dominated the fight. My attackers were beaten back and never challenged me again.

Later we introduced ourselves. I thought they were brothers since they bore a strong resemblance to one other. The one who first came to my defense was Michael McCarthy his partner was Bradley Thomas. Both were my age and we soon developed a fast friendship.

Michael was the most outgoing of our group. He had an easy manner, was quick to laugh and always had a ready joke or funny story to tell. He was also the most athletic. He knew everyone in the neighborhood and was liked by most; he was a natural leader.

Brad, as he preferred to be called, was our negotiator. Where Michael genuinely enjoyed meeting people Brad enjoyed striking deals. Brad was the talker. He was the most adept at reading people, at sizing up situations quickly. If a situation posed any danger, Brad would alert us. He seemed to have a sixth sense about such things.

Since Brad was an only child, we became his brothers. Neither Michael nor I had brothers. We both had younger sisters though his was much younger by seven years. My own sister was just two years younger than I was and she acted as if she were the older one.

At the time we met, Michael had lost his father in a fire some six months prior. The absence of his father during the school year acted to restrict many of our activities; so the three of us became accustomed to hanging out at his house as he babysat for his sister or helped his mom with various chores.

Much of the time at Michael's was devoted to reading and trading comic books or baseball cards. All of us were big comic book fans and by extension, avid readers. We graduated to short stories and adventure books with the help of Michael's mother who was an English teacher. Our reading kept us out of much of the mischief that was endemic to the neighborhood at that time.

When that first summer arrived and Michael's mother was home our interests changed. Now that were free we played baseball from sunup to sundown. Most times, we played in the sandlot behind our street. Brad got permission from the manager of the container company that owned the lot to use it for our games, while Michael became the organizer of the teams.

I was not a particularly good player but I was chosen on all teams where Michael was the captain; and Michael was always the captain. It was in this setting that Rueben Lopez joined our group the following summer.

Rueben's was the only Puerto Rican family in the neighborhood. I had heard whispers from the adults in the block soon after they arrived. Being curious, we introduced ourselves to him. Rueben's love for baseball made us all instant friends. For his part, Rueben became very infatuated with my sister, so I never knew whether it was baseball or she that made us become friends. Years later, when he married my sister Debbie I thought I knew the answer to that question.

I found that I could not be my normal introverted self around these boys. I was used to being the odd man out, but their outgoing natures carried me along. Michael had a habit of always drawing me into a conversation and Brad knew how to push me into meeting new people. Looking back, I can say that I met most of my other friends through them. For the next six years, we were inseparable.

By our eighteenth birthdays, we were looking toward college. My grades were exceptional and so were those of my friends. Our sights were set high. Over the objections of our parents and some of our teachers Michael, Brad and I had applied to the University of Pennsylvania.

We had spent the last six years as an unofficial study group. Even though I was in public school and they were in the catholic school we still shared notes and papers. I tutored Michael in math when he fell short and Michael tutored me in English. Brad was a science nut so he helped in those related subjects. This time together had paid off. Our SAT scores were all in the high 1400s.

Rueben however, had a different plan. His dream was to become a military officer. Upon graduation, he became property of the U.S. government as a Marine recruit. He would eventually become a Captain in the Intelligence service.

When we were accepted to the University, our parents were overjoyed. None of them had dared believe we could be admitted. Most of the kids I our neighborhood did not go on to college let alone an Ivy League school, so we became minor celebrities.

Our timing had been perfect. The University was making an extra effort to recruit within the city and we were the beneficiaries of this change in policy. The policy reflected political pressures of the times. While there were scholarship funds coming our way we were also taking on a huge amount of debt. In my case, that debt was actually larger than my parent's mortgage. My parents were horrified at the prospect but I was undaunted.

Given our close friendship made it a foregone conclusion that we would become roommates. In late August of 1978, we moved into a two-bedroom suite in one of the new high rise dormitories. Our apartment was located on the 13th floor of a 24-floor story tower. Having lost a coin toss Michael got the smaller bedroom to himself while Brad and I were sharing the larger one.

This was my first real venture outside the neighborhood. I had passed through the University's sprawling campus many times while riding the bus, and dreamed of what it would be like to be a student there; but the reality was very different. There were almost 100,000 people employed at Penn and another 20,000 students. The campus was a city within a city. I was awestruck. I would have probably been too intimidated to function had it not been for my friends. They would simply not allow me to withdraw into myself. The fact that we were often mistaken for football players as we walked through campus helped too.

I should mention how we looked at that time in our lives. Michael was 6 feet 2 inches tall and about 210 lbs. with broad shoulders. His hair was black and worn short. A casual observer might see the resemblance to the actor George Clooney, though Michael's body mass was more well defined; and of course there was that engaging smile.

Brad was slightly taller than Michael at 6 foot 3 was. He was also not quite as muscular but he was solid. He too had black hair worn in a longer style than Michael's did. What one noticed about Brad first was the cleft in his chin followed by and those piercing light blue eyes. Brad's voice was also distinctive; he was rarely one to be quiet. Except for when he slept, Brad was always talking.

I was the same height as Michael. However, he out weighed me by about 20 lbs. As for memorable features, I am told that my eyes set me apart, but I cannot see it. Other than that I am pretty much average...certainly when compared to my best friends.

To Michael the University was no more than a macrocosm of our old neighborhood. He set about making friends in every corner of the campus. It took him only a few weeks to meet most of the freshmen class. In addition, I was amazed at how many professors, teaching assistants, secretaries and janitors Michael knew on a first name basis. He never failed to introduce me to everyone during our walks across campus. Over time, whatever anxiety I had about being there vanished as my circle of acquaintances expanded.

Of course, Brad was busy making friends too, getting up close and personal with the female population on campus. We met ALL of Brad's girls. He had this ritual of sorts where he had to introduce us to his dates prior to going out for the evening. He was not bragging or anything; it was almost a way of getting our approval for his choices. I never understood his reasoning but since we were meeting some of the most beautiful girls on campus, I never asked either.

After the first few weeks, I was beginning to wonder how Brad was financing so many outings. He was gone almost every evening. My question was answered when Michael explained that Brad had a particular penchant for ensnaring "wealthy" female students. They were happily paying his way. I do not know how he did it, though he certainly extended numerous double dates. The girls came in all shapes sizes and ethnic backgrounds. Brad simply had a passion for girls.

I got the impression though that Brad was sometimes 'too smooth' for his female conquests, many of whom distrusted being out with him alone that first time. Me, I was not particularly articulate with girls. I had had no experience in dating. Now Brad was offering me introductions to women almost daily.

Later, the introductions came after offers of double dates. Of course, I accepted every offer! Looking back on this, I would now admit that I went a bit too far. By early in the second month of school I was dating 2 to 3 times a week. When I was not preparing for a date, I was following up on previous ones. These women quickly became my obsession.

My grades plummeted. At the end of that first semester, the Associate Dean threatened to pull my scholarship unless I shaped up. The threat was a wakeup call. By Christmas break, I stopped accepting all dating offers. When the second semester began, I was a confirmed scholar.

I missed the girls; I was not having sex with any of them and no lasting romantic relationship ever resulted, but I honestly enjoyed the conversations and just being around them. Their perspective on things was so different. It was refreshing. They were fascinating people and every so often, I was surprised by a more passionate than expected kiss at the end of the evening. So yes, l was very sad to leave that life.

When I became unavailable, Brad went exclusively to Michael when he needed to double. This was a challenge for two reasons. First, Michael was very popular among the girls and preferred not to double date. Second, he offered a lot more competition for Brad. However, some of these girls simply refused to date Brad alone. He required a buffer. Michael was perfect for that role. It was on one of these dates late in the spring of freshman year that Michael met Glenda.

Brad had been talking to Glenda for several weeks by that time. Though she was very friendly, he was having difficulty getting together with her. Without 'alone time' he would never be able to separate her from her panties. To get there she needed to become comfortable with him so Brad arranged a double as the first step. He appealed to Michael. Would he please go on just one last double date? Michael being the friend he was reluctantly agreed.

Michael gave me perspective on this episode years later. Glenda was actually trying to get Brad to leave her alone. While she enjoyed his wit and found him amusing, she was not interested in him romantically, nor was she interested as a sex partner. Nevertheless, she also thought he was a nice person so she did not want to hurt his feelings. She surmised that the only way to get Brad to move on was to deflect his attention. Brad was manipulated into a date and baited with one of her girlfriends.

As was his habit, Brad had the girls come by our apartment at the beginning of the evening. They knocked on our door about 6pm. He was waiting; sure to be the first person they saw. I was sitting in the kitchen area off to the side with papers strewn across the table in effort to finish an upcoming paper.

The girls entered the room and Brad was speechless. Glenda had chosen the bait with great care. Her name was Sonya. She was a part-time model and actress; and in a word, she was gorgeous. She stood about 5'9" with long blond hair and a face made for magazine covers. When I saw her, I guessed her to weigh in at about 120 lbs distributed over a 34-23-33 frame. This last piece of information was a fair guess (Brad had taught me well in estimating measurements).

Where this girl was tall, Glenda was probably no more than 3 inches above 5 feet. She too was blond but her hair was styled in a shorter cut, more contoured to her face. One look and I knew immediately why Brad was pursuing her.

Glenda was very pretty. Had it not been for her height she might have been a model like her friend, and she was stacked. In my neighborhood, we would have labeled her a brickhouse. Brad did not seem to notice though; he was studying Sonya.

Glenda ended the silence. In a surprisingly raspy voice, she directed Brad to close the door and to close his mouth. Her friend she directed to sit. Then she turned to me and said a quick 'Hi' before asking Brad if I were her girlfriend's date. If I was, I needed to get dressed. They could not be seen with me looking like that. Her girlfriend had a bewildered look when it registered that I might be joining them.

As if on cue, Michael came out of his room at that moment and introduced himself. He was to be their fourth. Glenda accepted the news then shifted over to Michael, letting it be known that he was her partner and not Brad. Brad of course was all too happy to switch and Sonya looked relieved that I was not the chosen escort. With the pairings settled, they were off.

Glenda's plan worked and Brad left her alone. However, she had not counted on becoming involved with his roommate. Over subsequent weeks, Michael began to spend more and more time with her. She became a frequent visitor to our apartment. One might have thought there might be some friction or tension between Michael and Brad. There was none. Brad had moved on. His relationship with Glenda settled into a playful friendship.

From what I could tell, the feelings between Michael and Glenda were serious from the onset. She had a special look for him every time he entered the room or began speaking. The way he looked at her was a mirror image. They were constantly touching one another and deferring to each other in conversation. That was surprising since Glenda was a very take-charge kind of person. It was apparent to everyone that these two were silly in love.

Because she was Michael's girl, I made every effort to be her friend. We were polite to one another but that was the extent of our relationship. I now wonder if I did not have some bias towards her that kept us from being closer.

Glenda had grown up in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia, had been raised a Quaker like her mother, and had attended Friend's Schools for her entire life. Her parents were from old money. Since she was their only child, they shamelessly indulged her.

Why her parents conceded to allow her in University housing was a mystery. Even so, her apartment was furnished with the help of an interior decorator. She had a wardrobe consultant select her clothes, which were both trendy and expensive; and she had a new car garaged on campus for her convenience. Money was never her concern.

As a child of privilege, Glenda had traveled extensively in Europe and South America since her pre-teens and was fluent in French and Spanish. Ordinarily I would have found her a fascinating person to converse with. Nevertheless, for all of her exposure to the outside world I was annoyed that she seemed to be so dismissive of places closer to home.

She knew very little of the city. What she did know seemed clouded in fear and prejudice. Glenda had never even seen the more upscale places or the cultural sites of the city let alone the array of ethnic neighborhoods that gave the Philadelphia its character. I wondered how Michael would introduce her to his mother. Would he dare take her to his boyhood home? Would she travel there with him or refuse, urging that they meet in some other neutral setting on campus?

She and I were from different worlds. I had had classes with rich girls like her, snobs from the burbs who grudgingly recognized my existence, but only when they felt compelled. She seemed to embody that same attitude of privilege and entitlement that I had come to detest.

I thought Glenda tolerated me because of Michael. Michael for his part recognized our chilly attitude towards one another. He was quick to tell me about Glenda's good qualities when we were alone. I assumed he was telling her good things about me when he was with her. I knew this tension between us bothered him. Therefore, I endeavored to make our contacts brief and avoid her where possible.

Almost a year had gone by since my academic warning. My grades were on track but my romantic life was non-existent. I could not look to my roommates for help. My best friends were engaged in their own pursuits. I was lonely and looking for someone.

Chapter 2: Missteps and misjudgments

It was near the end of my sophomore year that I met Denise. She was a cute girl of 18 to my 20, about 5'5" tall with curly brown hair and tight body with the roundest little derriere. She was working behind the counter of a deli several blocks from our apartment.

I first saw her while she was working. We barely spoke that time. I think we were sizing each other up. I flirted with her off and on for the next 3 weeks. Well, I called it flirting though I doubt anyone else noticed. I tended to linger longer at her register when I paid the bill. She actually started each exchange with small talk.