So your are TB

In a Victorian house not far from downtown New Brunswick, a young man was in his bedroom studying for a medical exam. Sitting at his desk with a lone lamp on, he was going through his books of anatomy and identifying nerves and tissue areas of the brain.

A knock came to his door. For the medical student, he rarely broke from his studies when he was intensely in his books.

"Hey Buckaroo," came to the medical student through the wooden door.

"Come in," a voice deep in thought answered back to the intruder.

A man dressed in jeans, cowboy boots and a blue buffalo plaid shirt with red hair walks into the room with several file folders in his hand.

"Looks like your studying is going well. Missed you at dinner," the cowboy remarked to his studying comrade.

Buckaroo took off his glasses and stretched out his facial muscles. He had been looking over the books most of the evening. "I'll fix something later. How are you doing Rawhide? Haven't seen you other than in passing the last few days."

"Been doing okay. I have the files here of the people I think could help start our project." He sat down in a lazy boy chair by the desk and handed the files over to his friend.

Buckaroo turned his attention to the folders, scanning over the four individuals that his friend profiled for him. One stood out above the others to him. "Valerie Frenwick. Says presently unknown for her address," he commented to his friend whom was stretching out in the chair.

"There is a lot more there than printed. Her mother died when she was twelve. Her father committed suicide when she was seventeen. She ran away the day after the funeral. No one has seen her since in the family. Her grandmother, the matriarch of the family, has not heard from her. She has detectives looking for her. I, however, have talked to a few of her friends and they seem to be cooperating with me. I'm working on leads now."

"By what you have here in this file, she fills our qualifications." Buckaroo said in looking at her file again. He commented to Rawhide, "her work at MIT for computer science shows that she can more than help us design the computer and communication system we'll need. She studied in martial arts and tested with honors at all her competitions."

"And she plays bass and synthesizers. She would be a nice addition to the band," Rawhide added.

Rawhide gave a slight smile. Their band was growing. Slugo was showing an aptitude for the drums. A bass player would be nice to have.
Buckaroo looked over Rawhide, "Keep on this, I would like to meet with her. Maybe we can offer something that she is looking for."

**********
I was twenty-one when Buckaroo and Rawhide came looking for me. For the past year I had been living on my own, having run away after my father's death. I was rebelling against my grandmother and the family name for reasons which at the time were only my own.

I had lived on Long Island all my life. I traveled through out the New England area, moving whenever I heard that someone was asking questions about me among my new friends and employers. My grandmother had hired detectives to search for me. I relocated about every two months on average, some places a little longer, and some places just a stop over. In my travels I had bought a motorcycle and traveled light.

In the late fall, I found a boarding house in Elizabeth, New Jersey.   The town was starting to revitalize, and offered decent employment.   I found work by way of a recommendation of friends at a garage that repaired older cars. I had tinkered with my brothers’ cars while growing up; being a grease monkey was a hobby of mine. The owner was impressed with my knowledge. He didn't mind having me, a girl, around the place.

One day, after about a month on the job, a jeep pulled up outside and two men got out. They started to ask questions of my friend Rob, the garage manager. I had warned him that people might come around looking for me courtesy of my grandmother. I was partially under a car so I was hidden from the men while they interviewed Rob.

One guy was a smartly dressed man in glasses; he asked the questions while the other, a cowboy looking man, nosed around the shop. I had drawn up under the car to remain hidden from view.

The smart dressed guy ended his questioning with Rob, and handed him a card.  “If you hear anything,” was what I heard in ending the conversation. 

The men regrouped and returned to their jeep that was in front of the shop. When they pulled away, I immediately rolled out from under the car.

"They are not private detectives. Looks like they seriously want to talk to you." Rob liked the guy. He had been running the shop for over twenty years and could read a person for what they really wanted from you.

He handed me the business card.  Buckaroo Banzai, was the name written on it in bold.  I stuck it in my pocket; I would deal with it later. I went back to work on the car.

After work, I went back to my room at the boarding house. The boarding house
offered protection for my motorcycle and the landlady liked me for I paid in advance and kept my room clean.

I pulled out the card and looked at the name again. I had heard this name before but where.  I sat on my bed thinking, pondering over things I had read over the last few years. Medical Journals, I read his name in a Medical Journal that a friend had for a research project.   He was a topnotch student. I mentally went through friends that were going into the field. I remembered a friend that was attending NYU as pre-med. I still had her number at her apartment just off campus.

Tatum did know who he was. "Buckaroo Banzai. The man is totally dreamy,” she said over the phone

"What's his deal?" I asked her. Not knowing much about this Buckaroo Banzai. I had heard that he was a doctor that was about it. Why was he looking for me?

"He's finishing up at Columbia P & S. He has perfected several new techniques in microsurgery. The man is a dream to look at and very intelligent to boot. I heard that he is looking for people to help start up a think tank. What brings this up?"

"He came by asking questions about me."

"He's interested in you. Maybe that piece you did on computers shaping the economy while at MIT got his notice."

"Don't know. Thanks Tatum for the information."

“No problem.  You hang in there.  I hope you can go back to school to finish up. You were one of the best.”

“Thanks.  Sometime I’ll get back there and finish up my degree.  Right now grandmother is still looking for me.”

“If you need anything, just call.”

“Will do.”

I hung up with her, still fingering the card. The card listed a number in the New Brunswick area. It wasn't to far to go from Elizabeth.  'Guess I'll pay him a visit.' I told myself. I went off to bed pondering what a neurosurgeon wanted with me.

***********
The next morning, from work, I called the number on the card and got al older lady. "Dr. Buckaroo Banzai's," said a sweet old voice.

"Yes, Dr. Banzai had left a message for me to call him. I'm Valerie Frenwick."

The lady took a minute to answer back then I was connected to a male voice. "Miss Frenwick. I'm Rawhide, Dr. Banzai is currently in class." 'Must be the Cowboy.' I thought back to the two men who questioned Rob.

"I can call back...." I started to say.

"No. Dr. Banzai and I would like to meet with you if possible." He sounded a bit to eager for my taste.

"Our meeting will have to be on my terms,." I told him. I wanted to control the situation and site. I never could tell if my grandmother would have a trap, elaborately planned.

"Within reason," Rawhide said with a warning glare in his voice.

I took that was 'don't try my patience.' "I’ll meet you by the river in Elizabeth River Park. Near the main parking lot, there is a trail to the river.  Follow it to the benches. I'll meet you there." A public place with people moving about was what I wanted.

Rawhide wrote down the instructions. " I don't see a problem in that. How about two o'clock tomorrow?"

"Look forward to it. See you then." I hung up the phone and asked myself again 'what did they want with me?'
***********
The two men that I would know to be Buckaroo Banzai and Rawhide were at the park at the appointed time. They walked to the river and went to the benches over looking the flowing water. The Cowboy stood looking in either direction of the passerby's. The smart dressed man looked to be telling his friend something.

To me, Rawhide was the nervous type, looking all around. Checking out what was around them. I know that feeling, trying to keep my grandmothers detectives off me for four years had made me a suspicious of everyone that I come into contact with.

'One looks like a model and the other looks like he should have a horse with him,' I thought. Then looking at the two, if it was a trap by my grandmother I couldn't take on both. I had to trust the situation.

On roller skates, I came down the path to where they were at the benches. I had picked to wear a pair of faded jeans, a red sweater, and had pulled my long, mid back blond hair back into a ponytail. I looked like the average girl, out having some fun in the park.

I approached them with what confidence I could muster. "Hello, Dr. Banzai. Rawhide." I could see them look me up and down. "Valerie Frenwick."

Dr. Banzai, the smart dressed one, offered his hand for a handshake. Rawhide offered his hand and said howdy ma'am. Buckaroo suggested a walk along the river, while we talked.  They walked, while I rolled down the walkway, talking as we went.

"You were looking for me?  For what reason?" I opened the conversation.

"To see if you would be interested in a proposition," Buckaroo offered up.

"My first question is why me?'

"First I saw your writings from MIT. Computers are the wave of the future and society needs to be ready for it. Secondly, in looking into your background you have an interest in music and working on challenges."

Slowly I skated along as we walked.  I was somewhat impressed he had read my published report, but it was just a small essay that I had submitted.  Computers were going to become a mainstay in business and home, if not in ten years, twenty at the most.  Developments, in the industry, were showing that to be the trend. "The proposition is?"

"Join Rawhide and myself in starting up an institute, a think tank you may say.  A place that will incorporate my ideologies, where people to come and learn on their free will without government pressure on matters that will help the world undo what it has done to harm it. With that I need a core group that can develop standards and help run the institute in the advance technology. Your computer savvy is known well in circles. Plus I'm interested in starting a music group and you play several instruments."

Apparently they had done a serious background check on her. Valerie looked at him. "You know much about me."

Rawhide stepped in.  "When considering anyone to work with us, a complete check is done on the person. Yours is pretty clean, other than you ran away from home before you were eighteen."

I stopped moving and looked at him straight in the face. "For reasons at this time to be left alone, I ran away from a house with no love. I was about to turn eighteen when I left Ms. Tabatha Frenwick. She has no hold on me now nor then." My anger rose at the thought of her name.

Rawhide had stepped back, taken aback by my anger.  Buckaroo brought my attention back to him and continued. "That is something else we would like to talk to you about. You have been in hiding for over three years now.  We would like to offer you a new identity. That is, officially change your name, and all that goes with it, official documents and such. We would notify your grandmother that you are well and such but at this time you still would like to keep your affairs your own. And tell her any further interference she would be dealing with my lawyers that would very easily out do hers."

I was taken a back; they would do that for me. Help me get started and help me stay away from the family? "Why me?"   That was a very serious question to ask, and one that seemed to keep repeating itself in this conversation.
Buckaroo looked at me. "You made the best of situations that people placed on you. You have continued working on your physical self, I met your current instructor, and you continue to work on your computer concepts. You are strong within."
For once someone complemented me for my will. Before I had been told I was headstrong. But in my family, my brother Andy and I, could never do anything right, even if we won first prize.

"It sounds an offer that is to good to be true," I commented. "What am I expected to do?"

"Set up a computer system and maintain it. Become Rawhide's assistant for he will be adding additional members. We are looking for land to build our institute on. Then the building of it and keeping pace of expansion." I saw a "but" in his eyes.

"I must tell you however; joining me will not be just these jobs. I have a strong urge to keep the world in the right. To help correct what man has done to the world. And that includes in finding and hindering a man that I personally know is harming the world, as we know it. Hanoi Xan has many times created situations that have harmed the world in many places. Along with what he stands for, there is a blood feud between him and myself. Our lineage to each other is deep and not forgiving. I am personally calling to see that he is stopped one way or another. That is why I know that you have kept up your martial arts and you have kept in shape."

"You need a physical presence then," I pointed out obviously

"Yes," he answered.

I had been in fights and came out the better. I had been very good with weapons and even carried stars with me for protection. "You would like me to continue these studies?"

"Much, and even further in training of your choice."

That intrigued me. He didn't care if I was a girl.

Then I thought of the music, "and the band you are putting together?"

"Rawhide is the piano man, and I have rhythm guitar. We are currently training a friend on the drums."

"I prefer bass. Been playing off and on nights in the city with some friends. Cover work mostly."

"That is good.  We play covers at the moment ourselves, but once we get more members, hope to start our own." Buckaroo looked at me with serious intent.  “How does this sound to you?”

"I need to consider it first. Your offer is very tempting."

"Choices are what I offer." Buckaroo told me. I stopped and looked into the face of the man with a plan. Very seriously he looked at me.

I answered him, "It's more like the path less traveled. Sounds like you are breaking new ground."

"We are," he said with confidence.

We started back towards the parking lot and stopped by the jeep that I had seen earlier that week. I shook hands with them again in departing.
"Call that number on the card with your decision. If you do consider, Rawhide will give the information that you'll need." Buckaroo said while getting into the jeep.
"I'll do that.”

Rawhide drove out of the parking lot. I watched them turn into traffic and leave. I turned and skated along the river walk thinking about the proposal that was just offered to me.

************

With little sleep, I knew what my decision was to be, had to be. Join these two men and see where it led me. I checked out more information on Dr. Buckaroo Banzai. His bank account could fund the beginning of any endeavor he wanted. His published writings went from microsurgery to crime psychology.
He wanted to break society's rules and I wanted to be part of it.

The next morning I prepared my backpack and called the number on the card again.

"Buckaroo Banzai's," the older lady's voice said.

"Valerie Frenwick for Rawhide."

A few moments Rawhide was on the phone. "Ms. Frenwick."  There was a glance of a smile in his voice. 'The man did smile.' I thought.

"Yes, Rawhide, I was calling to say that I accept."

"Glad to hear it."

"I settled my account with the boarding house so...."

"You're free to move. We live in a house on the outskirts of New Brunswick. An old Victorian." Rawhide gave her directions to the house and the address.

"Takes about an hour depending on traffic."

"On my way."

**********

I pulled into the driveway of the address that Rawhide had given me. The Jeep was in front of the garage that was in the back of the yard.

Rawhide came out the front door to meet me. He eyed my mode of transportation. It wasn't unusual to have someone look at my slender body on the hulk of bike. I swung off the bike, taking my helmet off. I had strapped my backpack onto the rear of the bike. Rawhide stepped down towards me while I took my pack off the bike.

"Nice machine," Rawhide commented.

"Bought it at an auction not to long after leaving home."

Rawhide took my pack from my hands. "That is all you have?"
"I haven't had the need to have much, I have move more about every two months.  One needs to stay light," I pointed out to him.

We walked up to the front door and entered the house. There was a deep foyer that ran to the rear of the house.  To the left was the living room of the house. It was a large room with a family den to one side that had a pool table in it. The kitchen could be seen beyond that, they apparently had knocked out a wall making the room larger.

"We like open rooms, gets everyone involved plus for security reasons." I stored that last bit of information, 'security reasons.' To our right was a room that was bare to the walls. "Our proposed room for the computer center," Rawhide told me.

He then took me up the stairs. "Let me show you to your room." He stopped at the third door on our right. He opened it to show its contents: a dresser, double bed, and desk. "It's neutral, but you can add what you want." On the desk were a few items. He laid my backpack down on the bed. "There is a personal credit card to buy what you need for your room, clothes and such. Another card to buy the supplies that your will need for the computer system. Keys to the house and vehicles, we have the Jeep and a Suburban."

Rawhide showed me what Buckaroo had said yesterday about new identities.

"One thing, when you join on with Buckaroo, you get a new name. Fresh start, no history."

"So what will that be?"

"Buckaroo said you look like you wished you were a tomboy when you were growing up. Tommy Boy."

I looked at Rawhide and thought for a moment that it did fit. I could mess with the best of them. I scrapped it out with two brothers. And could hold my own. This was going to be interesting. "Tommy Boy.   Sounds good," I told him.

To me a new beginning, to see what I could do on my own. But I wasn't on my own, I was looking to be nurtured by two worldly men who saw prospect in me to achieve without berating me with words that I could never achieve it.

I turned to Rawhide and nodded.  “To a new life.”

He nodded,  “To a new life.”

@ 2005 Tommy Boy fan fiction * design and content by Paula C. *