Every Breath You Take

Jubilation!

That was the feeling I felt while jumping up and down on the bed at Grandma and Grandpa Marangoni’s house New Year’s Eve 1984 when the number one song of 1983 – “Every Breath You Take” by The Police – was announced on the radio.

My good friend and companion, Ronald Shiderly, was not so eager to share in my excitement and celebration as his favorite tune – “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson – came in second place.

Ronald’s sister, Lisa and the cousins – Robert, Maria, Tricia and Joella Sofia – all took a step back as my euphoria erupted our game of Monopoly like Mount Vesuvius.

Game pieces, property cards and play money went flying in all directions.

I think someone even fell off the double bed we had been sitting on while playing the popular board game. I just know it wasn’t me, which was surprising since my balance is off when I’m walking let alone jumping to and fro atop a bed.

We were listening to Kasey Kasem’s American Top 100 Songs Year-End Countdown while at a New Year’s Eve party with many of my friend Ronald’s family in attendance from his mother’s side – a large Italian clan.

Having Italian relatives of my own – my mother’s sister and brother, Kathy and Harry, both married into Italian families – I felt right at home. However, Ronald may have regretted his decision to ask me to spend the weekend with him after the year-end countdown fiasco.

Psych!

Even though we may have been competitive at times, Ronald and I didn’t let things like that get in the way of our close friendship.

In fact, we had been buddies since the end of my sophomore year in high school. He was three years my junior. We met at the Assemblies of God Pennsylvania-Delaware District’s Kid’s Camp in Cherry Tree, Pennsylvania when we both worked on the dish crew the Summer of 1982; but it wasn’t until the following summer that our friendship blossomed.

Our relationship is what enabled me to get through a rough period in my life when my dad resigned his position as pastor of the Assembly of God church in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania on the eve of my senior year in high school.

I spent many weeks during the remainder of that summer and several weekends throughout my senior year of high school at Ronald’s house, so, I was thrilled when he invited me to spend New Year’s with him and his family.

I was even more excited to find out my chum’s cousins were going to be there as well; because I had a secret crush on his cousin Maria. Too bad I never said anything – maybe I could have kissed her at midnight. After all, it was New Year’s Eve.

We went over to Grandma and Grandpa Marangoni’s little house in Bessemer, Pennsylvania earlier that day; because a party with this Italian family was an all-day affair.

It was off the hook!

We could smell Grandma’s mouthwatering pasta sauce wafting through the house as soon as we came through the kitchen door. She also had a huge dish of rigatoni setting on top of the stove.

Ronald and I snatched a few pieces of the delicious pasta and popped them into our mouths; after which Grandma lovingly smacked our hands and said we would spoil our dinner.

Looking at one another and smiling, this comical pair took a few more when she wasn’t looking; but Mom Shiderly pinched our hineys (something all Italian women do) and told us to get out of the kitchen.

Ronald and I just moved along to see what other mischief we could get into before the dinner bell rang. Upon entering the living room, the cousins were sitting on the couch squished together like a bunch of sardines.

With arms wide open, we all started hugging each other and ended up toppling over like the Leaning Tower of Pisa as we all crumbled on the couch. That’s when Grandpa started yelling – watch you don’t break Grandma’s knick-knacks.

By the time Mom Shiderly and Grandma came running into the room, we were all sitting there quiet as church mice. Upon looking at the two women, these tight-knit cousins looked at each other before shrugging our shoulders.

In unison, we all pointed to the chubby dark-skinned man sitting in the recliner next to us and said, “It was Uncle Duane.”

Following dinner at the boisterous kiddie table, these teenagers snatched the radio from the kitchen counter prior to retiring to one of the many bedrooms for fun and games.

We spent the next several hours listening to Kasey Kasem count down the Top 100 songs from across the U.S.A. The anticipation and excitement grew as the number one song drew near.

We emptied the closet full of games and selected several with which to entertain ourselves as we listened to the music. Every now and again we would pause the games for one or more of us to show off our best dance moves when a favorite came blasting from the boom box.

Between all the chatter mixed with laughter going on inside those four walls, there may have also been a few pillows flying back and forth through the air from time to time.

But when “Every Breath You Take” was announced as the year’s number one tune, pandemonium ensued.

I felt a tiny tinge of sympathy for my buddy because he was desperate for “The King of Pop” to come in first. I tried to be upbeat about it. The mega-star actually had two songs, the other being “Beat It,” – one of my all-time favorites – in the Top 10 that year while The Police only had one.

However, it was of little comfort to Ronald for not having the coveted top ranked position; but all that was forgotten as we rejoined the others to ring in the new year.