Sean's basement

I was listening to the Howard Stern interview of Cheaptrick celebrating their becoming elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Even though I had listened to their music many times over the years, first on the radio and then on my Ipod, today, as I listened, it brought me back to Watertown, more specifically to Sean Monahan’s finished basement. It’s probably  1979, when I lived in Watertown on Bromfield Street.  I was about eleven years old. His playroom— it was like an adult room but for kids. I couldn’t believe someone our age even could have such a room, away from the parents. He had a loud stereo system that he cranked— usually playing new records by new adult bands— Kiss and Cheaptrick. He had his very own pin ball machine that filled the room with blinking lights and beeps. It was unheard of freedom for a kid my age.

One night he had a little party— me, him, Scott Costello and another kid and four girls, to even things off. We played spin the bottle. I was scared, nervous— petrified really that I might have to kiss a girl. Bottle in the middle and us kids huddled around it— lights dimmed. Spin. Phew, dodged a bullet. When it finally did land on me, I quit the game and went upstairs. I couldn’t do it. Yes, I was chicken.

That first kiss did finally come— Friday night at the Watertown skating rink. Every Friday there was public skating and I used to go all the time with friends or without. We used to skate by and steal each other’s hats. So anyway, that night, Tina Ricci was there and I had a crush on her. She was Tom boyish, played catcher in little league and in my school/grade. Her parents owned Millie’s Variety store— a short bike ride from Bromfield Street. Anyway, I don’t know how it came about but her friend informed me that I had to meet her out back behind the rink. So I did. She was alone sitting beside a huge pile of snow. Everything was dark except the snow and her face. She seemed shy too. I don’t remember how it happened but it did, my first kiss on the lips and it felt like a fireball candy.