Reading “The Times of Our Lives – A Lawrencian Memoir” is like travelling through time back to the city of the late 70’s. The author, Fred Caratini, writes of walks across the Duck Bridge, late nights at Riley’s Roast Beef and the yearly vaccines doled out by a very patient Dr. George Mansour. But the book is more than the story of how the city has changed, it chronicles the very personal, very real life of its author.
Caratini grew up on Juniper Street and the Stadium Projects. His mother, Lydia Esperanze Rodriguez, emigrated from Spain to Puerto Rico where she met Fred’s father, Alfredo Caratini, who had recently arrived from Corsica. Fred describes his father, who served during the Korean War, as “a good guy when he was sober.”
Domestic violence and alcohol abuse eventually led to the disintegration of the marriage and Lydia raised Fred on her own. “She was a wonderful mother. She did what she had to do. She got on any program that could provide for us. She always worked. It was pretty much the two of us against the world.”
It was a tight knit community and Lydia had relatives and neighbors she could rely on. “My grandmother took care of me a lot. And Gigi…she owned Gigi’s Subs and she’d stuff me to the gills when she took care of me,” he laughs.
The violence and alcoholism left its mark on Fred. “I remember one time, living on Broadway, and my mother says ‘look, look’ and there’s my father walking down the street, he’d be so drunk he could barely hold himself up, falling against the buildings. When you see those images as a kid and the resulting violence, it does something to you.”
Caratini’s best friend was Eddie Arrajj (GLTS 1982) who he renames “Freddie” in his memoir. They met when they were both very young and bonded over their love of comic books and drawing. Caratini’s life began to be more about fast times and the high life and he began associating with a group of kids who were not leading him anywhere good. “Eddie was the one who was always there for me – my real true friend – and I introduced him to that crowd…” Caratini choked up. “That’s my big regret.”
When it came time to choose a high school, Fred’s mother was adamant, it would be Greater Lawrence Technical School. “I didn’t necessarily want to go to GLTS, my mom said it was a better school because I could learn a trade. I met some great people there.”
Caratini went through the exploratory program and settled on the Graphics program, which was then called “Commercial Art”. An old friend from his art class at the Oliver School was in the same program – Karen Pelletier (GLTS 1980). It wasn’t until later in high school that they both realized that their “friendship” had blossomed into something more and he began spending time with her family.
“They were like the Waltons – they actually sat and ate dinner together every night. I never had that before, I was like ‘wow – families actually do this!’ I kind of adopted her family. Don, her father, was always there for me and her mother, Ruth, she was wonderful”, he smiled.
Fred realized that he had to start making better decisions and a special teacher at GLTS helped with that. “Mr. Koustalakas – if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have graduated. He spent a lot of time on me. And it was his personal time, after school, teaching me the technical aspects of graphics. He’d listen to me when I had a problem.
For some reason he focused on me. He felt that I had talent and didn’t want to see it wasted. He’d advise me about my associates – at first it went in one ear and out the other. But my last year I went from D’s and F’s to making the honor roll.”
Caratini’s life was changing. “People are in your life for a reason. Whether for good or bad – you’re glad you knew them because they molded you. We’re all like a piece of clay – we’re getting molded one way or the other – but you have to decide who you allow to mold you.”
Fred began cutting ties with friends that he realized weren’t positive influences in his life. His advice to today’s students at GLTS? “Keep your nose in the books, and watch your friends. So many friends aren’t thinking about you – be loyal to the ones who are loyal to you. They’re your true friends. That’s easy to lose track of sometimes.”
English was always Fred’s best subject at GLTS. His favorite author was Poe and he developed a deep appreciation for Shakespeare under the tutelage of Miss Fiduccia. “First we’d study the plays and then she’d play the albums for us. All the kids, even the delinquents and the jocks loved it – none of them missed one of her classes.”
Fred graduated and married Karen in 1981. In 1988 they had the first of their four children – Kaussandra (GLTS 2007), Charyse, Alexis (GLTS 2011) and Sydni (GLTS 2012) and a few years ago they were blessed with a grandson – Tristan Xzavier. But he was still haunted by the past and his temper was always just below the surface.
He began seeing a therapist, Jeff Rosenstein, who told him that he needed to release his demons and suggested that he started writing. He wrote about the violence and the drinking and the drugs and his friends – the ones he still had and the ones he had to let go. He thought of the last line in the movie Stand By Me. “I never had friends like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”
Fred began the process of exorcising his demons. He wrote and wrote and one day he turned to his wife and said “I think I have enough that I could make a book out of this.” Karen told him to go for it. He shuttered himself in a room with his notes, a computer, a dictionary and a thesaurus and began the painstaking process of forming paragraphs. After four long cathartic weeks he had his book.
Fred’s children are proud of their father’s work as is his wife of 37 years. He gives credit for most of the positive changes in his life to Karen. “She’s a very intelligent woman. She’s my confidante, she’s my best friend.”
As Fred quotes his favorite Shakespearean verse from Romeo and Juliet it’s not hard to figure out who he’s thinking of. “My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.”
Fred Caratini will be featured at a book signing at Barnes and Nobles in Salem, NH on Saturday, July 14, 2018
“The Times of Our Lives” is available to purchase on Amazon