The Misadventures of Howard Eastman

Chapter 3: The New Kid on the Block

Song: Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N' Roses

In 1985, Howard's parents enroll their five-year-old son in the private K-12 Balboa City School in San Diego. Howard starts Kindergarten in September of that year.

Young school-age Howard Eastman is described by his teachers to be a "very friendly and outgoing boy" with a "constant need to please everybody." This is absolutely true as Howard likes making friends with anybody including both kids his age and adults. Howard is always there to cheer up one of his peers when something is wrong in their lives.

In his elementary years, Howard never studies but still manages to get near perfect marks in school. As his second grade teacher Mrs. Rosenberg says "I don't know how he does it but everything just seems to come to him."

However, while Howard is good academically, he is even better physically. Since he was very young, Howard has always loved sports. At the young age of six, his parents sign him up on several teams including Pee-Wee Soccer, Pee-Wee Basketball, Little League Baseball and Touch Football. His father once even has to have a fight with his soccer coach because his touch football practices were starting to conflict with his soccer practices.

"I'm sorry Mr. Eastman," orders Coach Murphy, "but if your son can't come to all of the practices, he is going to be cut from the team."
"So what!" Rick Eastman barked back. "You can't punish my son for wanting to be too athletic!"

In the end, Coach Murphy relents and lets little Howard stay on the team.

When Howard is seven, after his Touch Football team beats the opposing team, a player on the other team walks up to him and punches him in the nose. This unfortunate incident propelled Rick Eastman a black belt himself to sign up Howard in yet another sport, Tae Kwon Do. At this point, Howard meets his Sensei Mike and the two develop a close friendship.

While working as a paralegal, Rick Eastman goes to the University of San Diego Law School to fulfill his family legacy of becoming a lawyer. He graduates in 1987 and the family of four takes a trip to New York as a result.

When Howard is eight, his parents give him and his five-year old sister Allie a surprise for Christmas...a little golden retriever puppy, the runt of the littler of one of Rick client's dogs. The family names the dog Bentley after the car and he becomes Howard's best friend.

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Tori and Rick taking Howard age 5 to his first day of school in September 1985.

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Howard age 6 singing a Christmas carol at St. Anne's Catholic Church on Christmas Eve 1986

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Howard age 7 after taking a shower on a steamy day in August 1987.

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Howard's sister Allie age 5 with their puppy Bentley in April 1989
 
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Chapter 4: Discovering a Passion

Song: Bust a Move - Young MC

While he is growing up, young Howard Eastman realizes that he has a passion for two things, football and women.

First is football. Being a five sport athlete at the young age of nine, Howard is advised by both his coaches and parents to focus mainly on only one sport. His mother says to him,

"Howard, I don't want you to stress yourself out so I suggest that you quit at least one of your sports and focus on the other ones."
"But mom!" replies Howard, "I'm happy with everything."
"Wait till you get into the sixth grade and then you'll have to much schoolwork and with all your sports, you'll have no time for your friends."

There was nothing that Howard loved more than his friends (except for his family of course) even sports so he reluctantly takes his mother's advice. In the fall of 1989, Howard decides to drop out of his soccer team and instead joined a more rigorous youth travel football team called the Cortez Hill Bobcats.

With soccer out of his schedule, Howard now can focus more on football, a sport he enjoys more. He also doesn't have to worry about Coach Murphy anymore who began to resent Howard after the disagreement with his father.

Young Howard works out a schedule with his parents that he will play football in the fall, basketball in the winter, baseball in the spring and Tae Kwon Do in the Summer along with attending day camp in Balboa Park. With this arrangement, now Howard doesn't have to worry about two of his sports conflicting with each other.

Howard's father now a successful lawyer shares his practice with Dave Wilkinson, a veteran lawyer who has been practicing for over forty years. However in 1991, Dave retires leaving the inexperienced Rick Eastman to have a practice all by himself. With a spot open, another lawyer named Miguel Alonzo applies for a job in Rick's law firm. Miguel is new to San Diego for he moved with his family from Florida in May of 1991. Rick gives Miguel the job and the two become good friends with each other.

However, it turns out that Miguel has an eleven-year-old son named Hector who is the same age and in the same grade as Howard! He is also enrolled to start the seventh grade in September 1991 just like Howard! Furthermore Hector is also an athlete but unlike Howard, he only plays one sport and that is football. Hector and Howard become instant friends.

After playing a game of football with him in the street, Howard realizes Hector's athletic abilities,

"Dude!" exclaimed Howard. "You play really good! Perhaps better than me!"
"Well I'm not that good," replied Hector.
"You would be perfect on the Bobcats."
"What's that?"
"It's the travel team I'm on. They practice six days a week up on Cortez Hill. Tryouts for next season are next Friday."

The next Friday, Hector tries out for the Bobcats and he makes the team. This will begin a new friendship between him and Howard that will last for many years.

In addition to his growing interest of football, and friendship with Hector Alonzo, Howard discovers his immense love for women that will be both a blessing and curse to him in years to come.

Howard learns the truth about sex at the age of eight when an older kid at his school spills the beans to him. After Howard refuses to believe him, the kid's friend tells him to walk into his parents bedroom late at night. A couple of days later, Howard walks into their room and learns the truth for himself. "Whatever you do don't tell Allie!" is what Howard remembers his stunned mother saying to him that night. Later on in his life, he would recount that that single moment completely destroyed his innocence.

When he is nine years old, Howard develops a crush on a girl named Jeanne Olsen who is two years older than him. He asks her out by giving her a letter. Unfortunately, Jeanne didn't return Howard's feelings for her and his first romance in his colorful romantic life ended in a disaster.

At the age of ten, Howard managed to go on a date to the movies with another older girl named Tanya. At the end of the date, precocious Howard leans in to kiss her but she runs away disgusted never to go out with him again.

When Howard becomes friends with Hector all they talk about besides football is girls. Hector is much better with the ladies than Howard is and Howard soon gets jealous that he is going on dates instead of spending time with him. Hector responds by saying,

"Don't worry man! You're still better than me at football!"

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Nine-year-old Howard reading his Uncle Pete's interesting magazine in July 1989

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Howard aged 10 living it up in the back of his grandpa's car in March 1991

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A picture 11-year-old Howard randomly took of his friend Hector on a very important phone call using his father's Polaroid camera in August 1991

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Hector Alonzo (left-age 12), Howard Eastman (center-age 12) and Allie Eastman (right-age 9) with Hector's dog Jimmy celebrating Hector's sister's Quinceañera in September 1992
 
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As of the first four chapters, here is a breif cast of the main characters we have already met ITTL:

Howard Eastman (b. 1980) - The main character, just your average boy, or is he?
Rick Eastman (b. 1958) - Howard's father, lawyer
Tori Eastman (b. 1963) - Howard's mother
Allie Eastman (b. 1984) - Howard's younger sister
Hector Alonzo (b. 1980) - Howard's best friend
Maddie Delarosa (b. 1961) - Howard's aunt and godmother, Tori's older sister
Pete Delarosa (b. 1959) - Howard's uncle and godfather, Maddie's husband, formerly Rick's best friend
Jodie Hanratty (b. 1938) - Howard's maternal grandmother, Tori's mother
Sean Hanratty (b. 1933) - Howard's maternal grandfather, Tori's father, banker
Miguel Alonzo (b. 1948) - Hector's father, Rick's law partner
Bentley (b. 1988) - Howard's pet golden retriever

So far, what are your impressions of the TL, Howard and the other characters? Who's your favorite character besides Howard? What do you think is going to happen to Howard in the future?
 
Well I'm Catholic and I verified online that any child can get baptized legitimate or not as long as their parents regularly go to mass (which Howard's parents do). In only a couple of instances, a child was refused to be baptized because they were illegitimate but in almost all of these cases, their parents were not practicing Catholics.

As far as the second question, my Google search provided no answers on it but I would guess that as long as they go to confession (or perhaps fill out paperwork) they can still get married. Since Howard's parents get married over three years after their so is born, they would have more than enough time to fulfill all the required prerequisites.

Then again, if you still have problems with this, I don't mind making Howard Protestant.

This is somewhat true, but I would refine it thus:

Children born out of wedlock (illegitimacy as a canon law term went out with the 1983 Code of Canon Law) can be baptized, if the priest is reasonably certain the parents intend to raise the child Catholic. Pastoral practice in the United States is to not impose additional restrictions, though in the recent past it was different, especially elsewhere (hence then Archbishop Bergoglio ordering his priests to baptize children out of wedlock.

As to marriage: Assuming the two parties are Catholic and free to marry (that is, not being married or having been previously married to a living spouse), they may do so, subject to additional requirements of the local bishop. However, due to that last requirement, it is common practice in the United States to, if the two parties concieved a child beforehand, to wait until the child is a year old. This is mostly to ensure that the spouses are not just being forced to marry to keep up appearances (which could be construed as lack of consent, such standards being higher in Canon Law than civil law, and thus invalid). Then there is of course marriage prep, which can last as long as six months, which applies to all couples (a series of lectures and activities to reinforce the necessity of working together, as well as Catholic doctrine on marriage - such as the prohibition on contraception in marriage). But yes, the Eastmans would have been able to be married at that point in time.

Flubber, no, it's not just about going to Mass, though attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation are binding on Catholics, subject to the usual legitimate excuses. When parents approach the parish priest to have their children baptized, there is usually a conversation or two, so that the priest knows the parents intend to raise the child Catholic (too often the parents BS the priest, but that's another rant entirely). Also, Mass attendance does not give the couple a mulligan for extramarital sex. It's a sin, yes, but the Church teaches everyone sins (Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary excepted, naturally), and that's what Confession and Penance are for.
 
I'm sorry but I've been busy the last couple of days and I haven't had any time to update. However, this TL is still alive and I promise that I will try to update in the near future.
 
Chapter 5: Becoming a Man

Song: What is Love - Haddaway

It is June 25, 1993 and one day away from the thirteenth birthday of Howard Eastman. Howard's friend Charles "Spike" Chapman tells him that in Jewish tradition, turning thirteen symbolizes the transformation of a boy into a man. This is exactly the case with Howard.

As soon as he hits his teenage years, Howard kisses his childhood memories goodbye. He begins hanging out less with his parents and kid sister and more with his friends Hector Alonzo, Spike Chapman and Brandon Clark. The four form their own clique called the "Wolverines" with secret handshakes, passwords and everything. The four friends do everything together from flirting with high school girls at the mall, to sneaking into R-rated movies, but above all there is one thing that they like to do and that is to play football.

However, Howard Eastman can't say that he has become a full man until the summer of 1994. His family goes over to New Jersey to visit relatives for three weeks. Howard hates the fact that he is forced to leave his friends and San Diego but this will soon change.

On a blistering late July day, Howard is on the beach when a girl he never seen before comes up to him.

"Hi, have you seen my hat? It fell into the water!" says the girl.
"I think I did see a hat fall into the water a couple of seconds ago," replies Howard. "I can help you find it."

Without further ado, Howard sprints into the water and in no time recovers the girls hat. He hands it back to her as she grins.

"You are my hero!" exclaims the girl.
"All I did was find your hat," replies a confused Howard.
"You don't understand. My grandfather gave me that hat the week before he died. It's the last memory I have of him."

From that moment on, Howard knew that he had a special connection to the girl so they began talking. They introduce each other. Howard finds out that the girl's name is Brittany and she is from Kentucky. It is her first time to the east coast and she is also visiting relatives.

Howard and Brittany hang out for the next week. They do everything together and Howard stops missing his friends at San Diego. However it is soon time for Brittany to head back to Kentucky. Brittany and Howard spend their last day together alone on the beach watching the sunset. And then they kiss.

It was the first time Howard has kissed a girl. He truly had become a man.

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Howard age 13 with his dog Bentley in September 1993

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A photo of Howard age 13 taken by his friend Spike after school, April 1994

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Howard and Brittany, both 14 in August 1994
 
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Chapter 6: Anything Can Happen

The Sign - Ace of Base
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNPjeIamsck

Fourteen-year old Howard Eastman does not want to leave the Jersey Shore on August 8, 1994 but he had to. The place has a sentimental connection to him. It was where he kissed Brittany Miller the evening before. But all good things must come to an end.

Howard arrives back in San Diego feeling depressed. His first love was now gone and she will probably never come back to him again. Howard's friends try to cheer him up but Howard doesn't want anything to do with them. The usually extroverted Howard Eastman for once just wants to be alone.

There is only one thing that does eventually get Howard out of his funk and that's football. In late August, a couple of weeks before school is going to start, Howard's friends Hector, Spike and Brandon ring his bell. Hector is holding a brand new Rawlings football in his hand.

* "Hey, buddy," says Hector patting Howard lightly on the back. "Come on. Put your girl trouble behind you and toss around the ball with us."
* "I don't want to!" responds Howard.
* "Come on man!" says Brandon. "It will be fun."

Howard knows that he doesn't want to start freshman year on a bad note so he relents.

* "Fine, I guess I'll come."
* "That's the Howard I know!" exclaims Spike.

The four "Wolverines" go to the park and begin playing a 2-on-2 game. Before he knows it, Howard actually forgets about his brief romance with Brittany and instead focuses on the joy of the game. In the end, Howard is smiling and laughing with the guys and it's hard to tell that only two hours before he was crying and being miserable.

* "See Howard," says his best friend Hector. "We knew a little game would make you your old self again."
* "Thanks," replies Howard. "But I'm still upset about the whole Brittany thing. You don't understand Hec. I loved her."
* "Bro, you just have to put the past behind you. Believe me. There will be plenty of girls that you will kiss under the sunset."
* "I don't think that will happen man. Hell, the Chargers will go to the Super Bowl before that happens."
* "Howard buddy. Just remember this. Anything can happen."

Hector is absolutely right. Anything can happen.

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A sad 14-year old Howard Eastman trying to force a smile in late August 1994
 
So, um... where's the alternate history? Is this all just (incredibly long) buildup?

The alternate history is that this dude is born. You will start seeing major changes when he becomes an adult. I'm sorry about the long buildup but all this stuff is crucial for understanding the true AH stuff later on. :D
 
The alternate history is that this dude is born. You will start seeing major changes when he becomes an adult. I'm sorry about the long buildup but all this stuff is crucial for understanding the true AH stuff later on. :D

I eagerly await. I have to admit, all the seemingly average everyday life build-up makes me anticipate something awesome happening later. :D
 
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