Merry Christmas, 1956 Summary

John says that the period from Halloween to Christmas remains fixed in his mind as the time it took for Franny to stop taking three baths a day in an apparent effort to wipe away the scent of her own body that she associated with having been raped. It's during this time that John takes an interest in body building. He begins a regular workout routine and eats food suggested by Coach Bob. The "diet" includes bananas, oranges, greens, ice cream and pasta. John gains weight so that he's teased by his family as being a "cherub" or "teddy bear," but follows Coach Bob's advice and continues to eat and exercise.

Over time, John becomes able to run for a longer period of time and lifts weights regularly. It's Junior Jones who tells him that he should be able to bench...