School Days Read online

  Other kids had taken their place; they were what I thought of as the ‘elites’. Now we lived in a small town, so there wasn’t anyone who should be a snob. But like Orwell wrote, some pigs are more equal than others.

  The highest ranked, ‘pig’ there was Anne Howison. Her Dad was a big time contractor and business owner. I think he owned a bunch of IGA stores. He started out small in Bellefontaine and grew quickly. I know he was in business with several other big wigs from Columbus.

  Her parents were divorced. Anne would start school in Bellefontaine every year, but at Thanksgiving she would transfer to live with her mother in Clearwater, Florida. She would then be back after Easter to finish out the school year with us.

  I had a crush on her since the second grade as she was a text book blue eyed blonde. She never knew I existed. Over the years she had gone in my eyes from an angel of perfection to someone I knew.

  Now Anne was motioning for me to sit beside her.

  “Hi Ricky, I saved you a chair,” she bubbled.

  I sat down because I needed a seat and was hungry. I knew this was about social status, her status reflecting in my glory. When I thought about it, it was funny, I didn’t want the attention; she did. Why couldn’t I write a transfer of fame and glory to her, and get on with my life.

  She proceeded to tell me she was about to make their annual trip to Florida, she couldn’t wait to get back to Clearwater High and the Tornado’s.

  Bellefontaine was okay, but the larger school had so many more interesting people. Why except for us, this town was pretty boring. As I listened I realized that she wasn’t the person I thought she was.

  I escaped as quickly as I could. Tom was walking out the door at the same time so we walked toward the other end of the school together. Our classes were as far away from the cafeteria as you could get. Tom started with, “I see Queen Anne has set her sights on you.”

  “Looks like it, should I run for the hills.”

  “Nah she wouldn’t seriously date you, you are just the biggest fish in the pond right now, so she has to be seen with you. Rumor will take care of the rest. Before the day is over you will be facing a possible shot gun wedding.”

  “I think I would let them shoot me.”

  “My feelings exactly, I don’t know what people see in her, she is the most popular girl in school, and she has done nothing to earn it.”

  “Tom that is how I feel about myself.”

  “Nonsense, you have accomplished things, your grades are out of sight; golf and rodeo speak for themselves. You have accomplished things. Name me one thing she has achieved for herself or the school.”

  I couldn’t.

  Tom continued, “You have done some neat stuff, but you are still you. Right now I admire the way you aren’t letting it go to your head.”

  “Thanks Tom, I can’t tell you how hard it is, not getting a swelled head, but listening to other people carry on.”

  “Well don’t do anything else for the rest of the school year, and maybe it will settle down.”

  “Uh, Tom,” I then proceeded to tell him about the upcoming movie with John Wayne. He was the first I had told, but since the school office would be getting a call from the studios tutor I knew the news would be out.

  Tom heard me out with only a few gasps, and holy craps. He then said something that really helped.

  “You are destined for fame, live with it.”

  He was right I had no choice, but to live with it or go nuts. I had been agonizing since school started. Maybe it was time to accept that I was famous locally, and still act like I always had.

  The rest of the day went smoothly; occasionally I would repeat to myself my new mantra.

  “Live with it.”

  When I got home Dad asked, “How did your day go, Rick?”

  “Fine how was yours?”

  “It was okay, I was hoping to get called for work today but the railroad is just getting slower all the time. They are talking about suspending passenger service.”

  “That just shows you are on the right track.”

  “How was school, kids pay a lot of attention to you?

  “Live with it,” I thought. “Yeah, the usual group of hangers on sucked up; my friends treated me as usual.”

  “Good; and I’m sorry about making you carry your trophy this morning. Your Mum sure gave me a hard time about it.”

  “Yay, Mum. You are the nastiest meanest Dad I have… wait you are the only Dad I have.”

  “And don’t you forget it!”

  “On a more serious note Dad could I call Mr. King? I need to find out if he’s had any luck getting an electrical and mechanical engineer to work with me on my hairdryer.”

  “Go ahead, and why don’t you spend a few minutes talking to that girl of his while you are at it.”

  “Gee Dad you are the best, nicest Dad I have, oh wait…”

  After dinner I called the King residence. Mrs. King answered and told me Mr. King was there, it was a shame that Judy was at the library, she would be upset because she missed the call.

  Mr. King came to the phone. I explained the reason for the call.

  “You are in luck Rick. I talked to two young engineers, one an electrical and the other a mechanical. They both are young newlyweds and would love some extra cash.”

  “That’s great; do you think they could come here on Saturday?”

  “I’m certain they will.”

  “Tell them I will pay their expenses plus fifty dollars each for the day. See if they can ride together. Also they will have to sign a NDA up front.”

  “I will talk to them tomorrow, I told both of them about the NDA requirement. They wanted to know what you were designing, an atomic bomb?”

  I laughed, “If it sells like I think, it is better than an a-bomb.”

  “I think you are correct.”

  “Before we hang up, one more thing, can you recommend a patent attorney.”

  “We have them on staff, but that wouldn’t work for you. I will ask one of them if they can recommend one.”

  “Thanks Mr. King, tell Judy I’m sorry I missed her.”

  “Don’t tell her I told you, but I know my daughter. Your phone will ring within the hour. She’s due home in half an hour, it will take her twenty minutes of whining for her mother and I to give in, then ten minutes making sure she looks good.”

  Now that was scary in several ways, her father knowing her so well to make the prediction and her cleaning up for a phone call. I wondered if my parents knew me that well. That was really scary!

  Mr. King knew his daughter, almost to the minute our phone rang. It was Judy. We talked for about five minutes, it was long distance and it could get expensive. We updated each other on our days. We had been writing to each other two to three times a week.

  We shared things that we would never share with local friends. The sharing was about our insecurities on how others viewed us and that no one understood us. It was amazing that we both had the same concerns.

  Because of this our conversation was about current events without having to give each other background. When I told her about Tom’s comment of, “live with it,” she agreed that was the best way for me to handle things.

  She lowered her voice and you could tell she didn’t want her parents to hear.

  “Has wise old Tom any advice about boys staring at my boobs?”

  “Yeah, Live with it.”

  That broke her up in laughter and we said good night and we assured each other we would write again this week. Of course I thought about her boobs for the rest of the evening. Was that what she wanted?

  I finished my trip around the world that night. Now satellites were doing it in eighty minutes!

  Chapter 4

  Wednesday was an overcast day, threatening rain but it never let loose. That was how school seemed, something might happen but it didn’t.

  Lunch was more of the same old, the suck ups sat at my table, Tom waved across the room and I could see h
is lips form.

  “Live with it.”

  I did, I was polite but made no commitments. Anne was the most insistent that I join her at Don’s on Saturday. I finally told her I had some people coming from Columbus on Saturday. Boy that opened up the questions! I just laughed them off and said it was a private family matter.

  I left a frustrated looking Anne Howison at the table and headed back to my next classroom. It was study hall so I could do research on a paper I was working on. I found the opening up of California for American settlers by the Rowland-Workman party.

  Those two guys seemed to go from one mess to the other. John Rowland’s family lived in Morgan County, Ohio, that is where my Dads family came from. I wondered if there was any connection.

  I asked Dad about it at dinner that night. He had no idea, he really didn’t know a lot about his side of the family. His parents were divorced in the 1930’s and he lived with his mother. He hardly knew his grandfather Earl; he did know that his grandparents didn’t get along, and that Earl’s second wife wanted nothing to do with Dad and his brothers.

  That ended that thought.

  I messed around with my hairdryer but really couldn’t make any progress till professionals had looked at it.

  To be different that night I read an Australian poem about people chasing a thoroughbred horse which had broken out of its paddock and ran off with wild horses. The hero risks life and limb to capture the horse, and in doing so restores his good name and wins the girl.

  Thursday was clearer but still not the brightest of days. My morning run was past the airbase again. I liked that it was out in the country. One day I had even disturbed a couple of deer. They were still as scarce as they had been for the last twenty years.

  Dad told me that during the great depression they were hunted almost to extinction in the Eastern and Midwestern states. So hunting had been severely limited by law. Deer had no natural enemies around, so I wondered if they would end up over populating the area.

  School was pop quiz day, every class had one; I think it was because of the event tomorrow the teachers knew that no real work would be accomplished.

  At lunch Anne asked if it were true that I was going to be in another movie with John Wayne. I confirmed it, no sense in denying it now. She squealed and hugged me. I wondered if this was how a cow felt when it was branded. I returned the hug slightly. Funny I had day dreamed about her for years, now I could care less. Live with it.

  Tom even brought that up as we met after lunch; “I see Anne has branded you as hers.”

  Great minds or what?

  “She tried, since there are no girls at this school that I’m interested in, it really doesn’t matter.”

  Tom picked up on this school.

  “So what school does the girl go to that you’re interested in?”

  “Clintonville over by Columbus,” I replied.

  “I know that school, its right across from the Park of Roses. I have an aunt that lives near there. Where did you meet her?”

  “At the sectional golf tournament, her dad is one of the golf associate big wigs. I saw her again in Columbus, and we write each other. I talked to her on the telephone last night.”

  “That sounds serious.”

  “As serious as fifty miles will let it be.”

  “That is a bummer, well if she is still around next year you will have your driver’s license.”

  “Time will tell,” as my Mum always said.

  As long as my one friend, that was how I thought of Tom, understood the score with Anne, let the rest of the school think what they want. I even wrote that in my letter to Judy. That may have been a mistake.

  I went down to Wolfeins after school and picked up my suit. The alterations Henry had made were exactly right.

  That evening I had a brief call from Mr. King, he confirmed that Don Thompson an Electrical Engineer along with Paul Samson would show up at my house at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. They were willing to sign the NDA, and would like their pay in cash if possible.

  I would pay in cash. There would be fifty dollars each and nine dollars for the person that drove. This was based on the 1958 mileage rate of nine cents per mile.

  He also told me he had asked their patent attorney if he could recommend anyone. He came up with Marvin Christensen a recent graduate practicing in Columbus. Mr. King provided me a phone number for him. I inquired as to his wife and daughters health.

  He laughed and said, “Judy is fine. I will tell her you asked.”

  “Thanks Mr. King,” as he hung up.

  I now had a new problem. I needed an NDA. I asked Dad if he had the time tomorrow to see our lawyer for help.

  “Lucky for you I do, I will ask him to use the one from Warner Brothers as a model if he doesn’t have one. That way we may be able to avoid a day of billing in research.”

  Later that night I tried to read, but just couldn’t get into it.

  After my morning exercises and run, I got cleaned up and put on regular school clothes. Dad would pick me up at lunch time; Mum would have a sandwich ready while I changed clothes. The whole family would be going to the event.

  For once the whole family was at breakfast. I asked, “What’s the special occasion?”

  Mary laughed and said, “You are silly.”

  I looked at my parents, they exchanged looks and Dad got the duty.

  “Rick there has been a project in the works for a while. It started right after your summer vacation. The local authorities have decided that you are the person to put Bellefontaine on the map. No famous person other than the Indian Chief Blue Jacket has come from here, and actually Wapakoneta has a better claim than we do.”

  “What are they planning?” I asked with some trepidation.

  “There is this movie,” Dad started but petered out.

  “Yes,” I prompted.

  Mum broke in, “They contacted the studios, Warner Brother and Disney, who have loaned them some of the footage from the movies you were in, then the Rodeo Association and the Ohio State Golf group, loaned their footage.”

  “Then for some reason Warner Brothers got involved again and made it a professional production. They were really scrambling to get your golf championship play and trophy presentation into the film. They have made a fifteen minute movie of your career so far.”

  “Live with it; Live with it, Live with it,” I thought.

  “Oh is that all, I thought they were going to make a big deal of things.” I can’t believe I said that with a straight face. “Live with it, Live with it,” I kept chanting to myself.

  My parents both had a relieved look.

  Dad said, “We were afraid you would go berserk on us and refuse to attend.”

  “I’ll live with it,” as my inner self was becoming a gibbering idiot.

  Denny asked, “Why don’t you want to be famous and everyone be your friend.”

  “That’s the problem Denny, how can you tell who your true friends are?”

  “Only be friends with people you already know.”

  “What if I meet new people, what if I meet a girl, does she like me, my fame or money that I may have? That’s why I appear upset at times, being famous is not as much fun as you think. I’m only famous in Bellefontaine, what do you think people like John Wayne or Elvis, or even the new golfer Jack Nicklaus or the chess player Bobby Fischer feel when they meet new people.”

  “That would be hard. I guess you would just have to live with it.”

  “I think I said that,” I grumbled.

  Of course school was all in an up roar when I got there. It was like a free day for everyone. I noticed even the teachers were spending more time talking to each other, rather than watching the students.

  Anne Howison and three of her followers came up to me. Before she could say anything, I told her.

  “They will be showing me receiving the golf trophy in the movie today; the girl hugging me is Judy King my girlfriend.”

  I don’t know what she was goi
ng to say, but that took the wind out of her sails.

  She replied, “Oh good, I’ve wanted to see her, I heard she isn’t very pretty.”

  I smiled and said, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

  I just hoped they had a good full picture of Judy. She was as pretty as any girl in Bellefontaine, but then I realized that I was the beholder!

  They moved on, with whatever mission Anne had unaccomplished to my relief. It did make me think, was Judy my girlfriend, yes she is a girl, and a friend, but girlfriend? If she was my girlfriend, it was going to be a long distant relationship for some time to come.

  I gave up trying to accomplish anything before lunch. I started to get tired of telling kids and teachers that I hadn’t any idea of what would be going on later today.

  Chapter 5

  Finally it was lunch time and Dad picked me up. I inhaled my baloney sandwich, put on my suit, tied my tie and we were ready to go. Mary was in her cheerleader uniform. Mum and Dad were both dressed to the nines. I didn’t even know Dad owned a suit. When asked he told me it was new this week.

  We drove downtown to the Holland Theater. Two students were waiting for us, one to guide my family to their seats, another to take me backstage. Waiting there was Mr. Gordon our principal, Mayor North, the President of the County Council, Mr. Winters the Superintendent of Schools, and a Mr. Jack Evans from the publicity department of Warner Brothers.

  Mr. Gordon was the only one that I knew; he introduced me to the others. Mr. Evans introduced himself. He gave a very quick explanation of what was going on with them.

  “Rick, when the city and county contacted us for the footage from, “It Never Happened” and “Hellfire,” and explained what they intended we saw a publicity opportunity for your next movie, “The Cowboys.” We are turning your tribute here into a TV special which will create interest in the movie. The great thing about it is the television network, ABC, will be paying us for our publicity.”

  He continued, “Your parents have signed off on the contract. We own most of the footage, but not all, it has been interesting putting it together, I thought movies had a tight schedule. When you get down to it, it is an advertisement. Nothing like this has been done before. The closest was when Walt Disney did his specials on the building of Disneyland.”