Chapter 01

College Planning

During Pat’s Junior Year he starts researching various universities and colleges to attend after high school. Sarge convinces him he needs to research them well so he can visit the ones he’s interested in. By the end of his Junior Year Pat has a list of institutions he’s interested in going to. Early in the research he limits himself to the ones in Texas plus a few others in the surrounding states. In late July following his Junior Year, a week after his talk with the Sheriff, Pat takes a trip to visit the institutions he has left on his list of those to visit to see if he wants to go to them.

Pat’s trip takes him up through San Antonio, Fort Worth, Dallas, Hot Springs, Little Rock, Conway, Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Muskogee, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City. He spends a few hours looking at the campus of each of the institutions he’s interested in going to and talking with people there. He does a lot of his driving in the early evening to have the days for the campus visits. Pat can’t put his finger on what it is he doesn’t like, but there’s something he doesn’t like about the first three campuses and many of the others he visits. He now understands why Sarge told him to visit them. At the end of his visits his list is down to three colleges.

During September of his Senior Year Pat applies to all three of the institutions. He’s accepted by his first and third choices while the second choice college tells him they’ll put him on their call list. During February of his last year of high school Pat finalises his application with his first choice university, gets their confirmation, and withdraws his applications from the other two colleges. Thus he’s now registered to go to university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, when their classes start in August.

Getting Organised for College

Now he’s registered at the college Pat needs to organise the rest of his life in Fayetteville. The first issue to overcome is the requirement for all Freshmen to live in the dorms, so he has to arrange a special exemption, if he can. Talks with Erin and his doctors result in a set of prepared reports with letters from the school counsellors he’s seen over the years as well as all of his doctors plus Erin, Gunny, Bubba, and the Sheriff. All of the documents are worded to emphasis how mature he is for his age while a couple point out how at risk he’ll be in the usual dorm situation.

On the first day of Spring Break in March Pat and Bubba fly out of Maverick County International Airport, Eagle Pass, Texas, to Drake Field, Fayetteville, Arkansas, in a light aircraft Pat charters for the flight up because he doesn’t want to drive up and back. They’ve a meeting with the college Chancellor about Pat’s housing for his Freshman Year.

The taxi from Drake Field gets them to the Chancellor’s office before the time of the meeting so they sit and drink some coffee while they wait for the Chancellor’s prior meeting to end. They’re only a few minutes past the time for the meeting when they’re shown into the Chancellor’s office. He directs them to a discussion nook with comfortable chairs around a low coffee table where they all shake hands and sit down.

Pat starts the discussion with, “Chancellor, I know I don’t fit any of the usual profiles you have for granting an exemption to living in the dorms for my Freshman Year, but I hope to convince you to give me a special exemption from living in the dorm.”

The Chancellor sighs as he replies, “In the past years I’ve heard many requests for an exemption and none have been approved by the board. Tell me your reasons and I’ll tell you why we can’t approve the request.”

Bubba grins when Pat says, “How many of those who asked you were emancipated just after their seventeenth birthday? How many were on the scene when the rest of their family were murdered and they had to call for emergency services for the injuries they suffered as well as the other people injured? How many killed murderers while still in Grade School? I’m not your typical eighteen year old, Sir.”

The Chancellor is stunned by Pat’s questions, but before he can say a word Bubba reaches forward to hand him some police reports while he says, “Here’s copies of the police reports of some of the incidents. The summary sheet on the front gives the essential information. Some gang members ambushed the pickup Pat was in, killing the driver, and Pat used the driver’s guns from the truck’s gun rack to kill twenty-two of the murderers. Pat also killed three other armed gang members with his bare hands. Pat has been living in the adult world for several years. I think you need to look at the psych reports we have as well.” He hands over the other reports then Bubba and Pat sit back to drink their coffee while the Chancellor reads the report summaries.

When the Chancellor starts to read the first report Pat adds, “Twice some Mexican criminals issued orders to have me killed and some of their men died trying. We don’t think there’s any danger from them now. However, living off campus I can keep a rifle handy where I live, while I can’t do that in the dorms. Also, it means I’m not putting the other students at risk if I live off the campus.” The man slowly nods in reply.

Several minutes later the Chancellor looks up as he says, “I see you are self-motivated and able to care for yourself. I can see why you have concerns about living in the dorms but I don’t like the idea of you living by yourself, despite the dangers you mention.”

Pat nods and says, “So do I! Which is why I’ve got a list of a number of people to talk to about living in a flat at their residence. That way I can live in my own space while the flat’s owners can keep an eye on me to make sure I keep up with my studies and I behave right. They’ll be like adult guardians but they’ll not have the same level of authority over me.”

The Chancellor thinks for a moment then he says, “You find someone to do that and give me their details. I’ll investigate them and I’ll put the matter to the board if I like what I find out. But we need to have their details by the first of June. Otherwise it’s the dorms for you. Agreed?”

While nodding his head yes Pat says, “Agreed. We plan to talk to a few of the people today. Thank you.” They all stand to shake hands again before Pat and Bubba leave the office.

Housing

Ten minutes after leaving the Chancellor’s office Bubba and Pat are at the house of a family who rent out an apartment over their garage to students. They ask a lot of odd questions which make both Bubba and Pat wonder if they’re the right people for Pat to live near.

The second place they stop at have had it with male students and are now only accepting female students for the apartment in the back of their house. The third place turns out to be an eight apartment complex with the owners living in one of the apartments. The place is summed up by Bubba with the comment, “This’ll be like living in a dorm!”

They stop for a quick lunch on the way to the fourth place which is a little further away from the college than the other places. At the house they’re met by a woman in her early fifties and Pat asks, “Excuse me, Ma’am, are you Missus Warren?” She nods yes, so he adds, “I’m told you’ve an apartment you rent out. May I look at it, please?”

She frowns as she says, “Yes, we’ve an apartment above the garage. But we’re only just now started thinking about renting it out. Who told you we had an apartment available?”

Pat turns to Bubba as he opens his mouth to talk. Only to have Bubba say, “I was told by Master Sergeant Bradley you had a recently finished apartment you were preparing to rent out. He suggested we talk to you about it so you can save on the advertising costs.”

“Did Tom tell you about why we have it?” Both Pat and Bubba give a no shake of their heads. “Our son, Bill, built it during his holidays last year. His company was opening a new office in town and he was going to work there. So he built the apartment for him and his wife. However, they died in car accident four months ago while on their way here. The place is a fully furnished four bedroom apartment with a good gym and a double car space. The apartment has an access separate from the main house and our garage space. There’s also a good covered pool behind the building you can use. When do the two of you wish to move in?”

Bubba replies, “Pat here is starting at the college in August and he’ll be looking to move in sometime during the summer. I’ll be staying on the ranch in Texas. The apartment is a bit bigger than what we were told it was. How much are you asking for rent?” The rate she gives is a fair rate for the size and location, but it’s more than Pat or Bubba had in mind to be paying for Pat’s housing.

Pat asks, “May we look at it, Ma’am? It’s more than I was planning on, but I can afford it. Also, if you allow me to sub-lease to another student or two it’ll be more affordable for me.”

Mrs Warren reaches back and grabs some keys before walking out while pulling the door shut behind her as she says, “I’ll show it to you. If you have anyone move in for more than a day or so we’ll have to check them out and approve them before they can stay for a longer period.”

“Of course,” is Pat’s response. A moment later the three are walking through a very nice apartment above the four car garage and gym. The front stairs are on the side away from the house with another stairway down the back to near the backdoor of the house. The apartment’s roof extends over the twenty-five foot by twenty-five foot swimming pool in the enclosed grassed area behind the garage / apartment building.

Both Pat and Bubba like the apartment. They look at each other then they smile at each other. Pat turns and says, “I like the place. However, before we complete the paperwork there’s one issue I need to tell you about.” Mrs Warren turns to scrutinise him, and Pat says, “I’m eighteen years old, but this is the first time I’ll be living on my own. If you don’t mind, I’d like for you to keep an eye on me and to let me know if I’m slacking off or wavering off the course I should be on. The college Chancellor agrees I should have someone checking up on me too.”

She grins as she replies, “So I should treat you like you’re my son or grandson living in the apartment?”

Bubba grins, “That’ll be ideal, Missus Warren.”

Twenty minutes later they’re signing the lease papers for Pat to start leasing the apartment as of June first and he hands her a cheque for the first month’s rent, last month’s rent, and another two month’s of security deposit. He’ll get the keys the day he arrives to move in.

From there they go to a car dealership to buy Pat a new car. While in the taxi on the way there they phone the Chancellor’s secretary with the details of where Pat will be living, and who with.

All Pat wants in the vehicle is a reasonable level of comfort with four wheel drive plus a towing package, but not a pickup truck. Bubba likes the GMC Yukon so the yard they go to is the local GMC dealer. After spending half an hour in the yard looking at the different models and accessories Pat decides to purchase the Yukon SLT they have on a special sale. It has the towing package, sunroof, and many of the other optional extras. A big point in its favour is it’s already registered because it’s been used by the dealership staff for their work and they no longer use it; thus they can drive it away then change the registration and the plates. Pat grins as he says, “It may be hard to find at night but it’ll be easy to keep clean!” Bubba laughs because the car is onyx black with an all black interior, black wheels, and black tinted windows. The big thing Bubba likes is the extra security package fitted to the SUV. Because this is ready to go they don’t have to stay overnight while they have it made ready.

After a quick trip to have the vehicle registration and insurance put into Pat’s trust company’s name they’re on their way home. The pickup Pat has been driving since he got his license will be left at the ranch for use by the new tenants moving in to live at the ranch with Bubba.

They take their time on the drive back to Texas, with a few days spent in the Fort Smith area for Bubba to visit his family there. It’s twelve hours on the road if done in one long run with two drivers, thus they can afford to take the time to visit Bubba’s family for him to catch up with them. They also make a few other stops on the way back to the ranch. They return to the ranch early in the evening on Saturday.

All is now ready for Pat to go to college in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He just has to finish high school and to move up there in a few months time.

Last Tasks Before Leaving

Pat was looking at joining the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars Auxiliary at the local post when he turned eighteen. However, when he spoke to the local VFW President about it the president convinced Pat to join the VFW Auxiliary as a National Member at Large so he can visit and help at any VFW post he happens to be near.

Another task Erin has Pat do before he leaves the area is to sit the remaining paramedic exams now he’s old enough to legally do the tests and be licensed. She’s had him obtain all of the qualifications he can for his medical training when he reaches the right age to be allowed to sit the tests, despite having the training and knowledge for years before then. For these latest exams he has to be eighteen years of age, so after he turns eighteen he takes the tests and gets the certificates. Somehow, Erin had made arrangements for Pat to do the in-hospital and ride-along in the ambulance aspects with the local services while he was seventeen so they had the paperwork to submit once he could do the final tests and submit it all to the relevant authorities.

During the last few weeks before he leaves Pat visits all of the people he knows in Maverick County to spend some time with them to say ‘Goodbye, for now.’ He also talks with each of the tenants working the land he owns to see if there’s anything more he can do for them before he goes away to college for a few years.

The last weekend before school ends Pat takes the time to do a full walking examination of the main property by himself. First he walks the whole boundary then he takes his time walking through every part of the ranch while making sure everything is OK before he leaves for a long absence. The ranch is his responsibility so he’s making sure it’s right before he leaves. Sarge trained him to take care of his responsibilities, so that’s how Pat is and that’s what he’s doing before he leaves the area.

Holiday and Moving In

Time moves on, exams are done and marked, then Pat’s High School Graduation occurs on the Friday of the first week of June. Gunny and Erin organise a Graduation Party for Pat at his favourite eatery in Eagle Pass. Pat is surprised by the number of people who call in for a visit to say a few words and to wish him well at college. The party starts in the mid-afternoon and it goes on until the late evening. It’s midnight before they return to the ranch after the party.

Saturday morning Pat is up a little later than usual, but he has all of the time he wants right now. The Yukon is the only vehicle able to carry the whole new ranch crew at once so they all went to the graduation in it then on to the party. Now Pat has to pack the Yukon for his move to Fayetteville and the short holiday he’s taking on the way there.

The back seat is lowered to increase the cargo area. Pat’s electric motorcycle is the first item in, set in place, and tied down. Around it are packed the several boxes of things Pat is taking with him, then the bags of clothes plus his camping gear go on top of the boxes. While he’s setting the safety net to hold the load in place Pat sees a box he’s not seen before that’s about two feet thick, three feet high, and four feet long. When he reaches for it to see what it is Bubba says, “That’s our ‘Going Away to College’ gift for you, Pat. It’s not to be opened until after you reach the apartment.” Pat turns to him, nods to show he understands, and reaches out to shake Bubba’s hand. For the next few minutes Pat is hugging or shaking hands with everyone. Then it’s time for him to leave. Pat turns to the car, opens the door, gets in, and drives away. It’s hard for him to leave, but he has to go away to finish his education. Life must go on.

Pat stops at the front gate. After he locks it behind him he turns to wave at the camera, gets in the car, turns right, and drives off to Laredo while the sound system plays a medley of his favourite country music.

He’s lived in Texas for eight years, but he has left Maverick County only four times since he arrived. Two trips into Mexico when he was younger, then his college tour trip last year, and the trip to Fayetteville this year. School holidays were all spent at the ranch, except for some days in Eagle Pass for activities. He wants to get to Fayetteville to get to know it well before college starts, but he’s taking a few weeks holiday to do some ‘Rest and Relaxation’ with a little bit of sight seeing along the way. His plan is to drive to Laredo then east to Corpus Christi to see the Gulf of Mexico he’s heard so much about over the years. Other places he plans to visit are Galveston, Houston, New Orleans, Vicksburg, Little Rock, and travel to Fayetteville. He can take as long as he wants to on the trip, but he plans to be in Fayetteville in three weeks’ time.

The amount of time Pat spends at the towns and beaches along the gulf is a lot shorter than he intended because he finds the large crowds of tourists and holiday makers too much for him. When he nears New Orleans he decides to skip the city due to the obvious crowds he can see on the city’s outskirts. The end result is his planned twenty day trip has him driving into Fayetteville twelve days after leaving the ranch.

Pat does a lot of thinking on the drive north from New Orleans due to concerns about his attitude to the crowds. He has no issues with the large crowds on market days in Eagle Pass and he never had an issue with all of the people on the bases he lived on. However, the large crowds in the cities disturbed him in some way he can’t understand, even when the crowds aren’t as big as the Eagle Pass market day crowds. It takes him a few days to work out it’s not the number of people he finds disturbing, it’s the frantic pace they move at while ignoring everyone around them.

While checking everything out at the markets all of the people move around like a milling herd of stock, but they often stop to speak with the others at the market. However, the people in the city crowds are going from one place to the next very fast while ignoring almost everyone near them. Even those travelling together talking ignore those around them.

For the first time in his life Pat understands a phrase he read a long time ago in a story where a character said everyone was in ‘a personal isolation in the overcrowded cities.’ It describes what Pat saw and felt in the crowded beaches and cities. The realisation of the isolation he feels also emphasises how much living out on the ranch away from people most of the time has affected how he views crowds and people. It also gives him a major insight into why some of the retired military people like to live away from the city crowds in places like the ranch. He soon realises he’s now more of a ‘Texan Ranch Cowboy’ than the ‘Aussie Townie’ he was when he first arrived at the ranch eight years ago.

Pat knew things would be different in Fayetteville due to the college having twenty-six thousand students, which is the same as the whole of the Eagle Pass population. The City of Fayetteville has ninety thousand people while the whole metropolitan area is half a million in about the same amount of land the fifty-five thousand people in Maverick County use. Of course, Maverick County has a lot more stock than the metro area of Fayetteville, but there’s going to be a lot more people in the area around Pat than he’s been used to. He settles for hoping the pace in that city won’t be as hectic as what he’s seen in the cities in the last few days and the people are less isolated than he’s noticed while on holiday.

Unpacking

There’s not a lot of gear in the Yukon, so when Pat arrives at the Warren residence it doesn’t take him long to unpack everything. He has only three things not destined for the apartment: the motorcycle, his tool box, and the Yukon. Once everything is in the apartment he puts it all away before he opens the gift from his friends. It turns out to be large framed photos of them to hang on the walls. The photos of Sarge, Digger, and Hard Ball are in black frames instead of silver ones. He distributes the photos in the lounge room of the apartment. They rest against the walls until he gets what he needs to hang them up on the wall. Right now he has to do some grocery shopping so he asks Mrs Warren to show him the stores he should go to. She’s very happy to help him with shopping.

An hour later Pat is bringing up box after box of supplies while Mrs Warren puts them away in the cupboards and refrigerator for him.

After putting the groceries away Pat asks Mr Warren to help him with hanging the pictures. Walking into the room from the front door the left wall has his family, his uncle’s family, Sarge, Digger, and Hard Ball. On the right are Bubba, Gunny with Angela, Erin with Billy, then all the new residents at the ranch. Some of the existing pictures on the wall are soon moved to other walls so these two walls are dedicated to Pat’s family.

Pat asks Mr Warren for permission to install a gun-safe and is shown a secure locking cupboard suitable for storing guns is hidden in part of the built-in cupboard in the master bedroom. The unit is so big Pat simply places the gun-case he has with both of his rifles into the gun-safe before he resets the combination then he shuts and locks the cupboard.

The Apartment

The four bedroom apartment is built over a four car garage with a gym, workshop, and storeroom. The main stairway is on the outside of the garage to go up to a platform at the front corner of the lounge room with the back stairs going from the verandah door in the middle of the rear wall of the lounge room down to the opposite corner of the building to the front stairs. Both stairways have rails at three and a half feet above the steps with boards from the rail to the steps. The front stairs have their own cover at eight feet above the steps while the rear stairs are under the transparent extended roof over the pool and yard. Both the stairways are protected against the weather, and so is the pool area.

When you enter the apartment from the front stairs you enter a large twenty-two foot by twenty foot lounge room. The door on the right goes to the verandah and downstairs, the door diagonally opposite the front door goes to the twelve foot by twelve foot kitchen while the door on the left goes to the hall to the bedroom area. Going to the bedrooms you enter a four foot wide hall ten feet long which takes you to another hall of the same size. Standing in the middle of the ‘T’ intersection of the halls places the door to a fifteen foot by ten foot bedroom on your left rear quarter plus a twelve foot by ten foot bedroom on your left and right hands. A toilet with its own sink is on your front left, the bathroom is on your front right, and on your right rear is a fifteen foot by twelve foot bedroom with a twelve by six foot en-suite between it and the kitchen.

The apartment is fully furnished with the lounge room set up as an open floor arrangement. The far corner between the kitchen and the back door has the dining table in a dining nook setting with the corner on the other side of the rear door set up with the television and lounges for talking or watching video. The sound system is along the wall of the en-suite in the corner made by the big bedroom and the en-suite. The place is well set out and very spacious with an open traffic area in the middle.

Pat is soon set up in his new home for his years at the college.

Settling In

Pat arrived early enough in the day there’s still enough light to have a look around the area with a lot more care than he has before. Also, after the drive and unpacking he doesn’t feel like cooking, so he drives out to see where the nearest eateries are. Although the Warren house is in what looks to be one of Fayetteville’s older areas Pat isn’t sure if it’s an old area or not. Some houses look very old while some look very new. The lot the Warren house is on is large when compared to most of the other houses close to it, so he wonders if the original lots in the area were bigger and many of them have been either sub-divided or had additional buildings erected. The area is residential with a few scattered small businesses in it while a fair sized business district isn’t far away. There are several eateries he can choose from for his dinner and he ends up having a tasty roast beef dinner in a small family restaurant.

The college campus isn’t close enough for Pat to walk to college each day, plus it’s also fairly large and spread out, so he has to drive. But it’s a short trip which he can do on the motorcycle in good weather.

After breakfast the next morning Pat’s first task is to visit the nearest Office of Motor Vehicles to have his license changed to a local one and to change the motorcycle to a local registration since the Yukon is already registered in Arkansas. The change over is easy because he took all of the required paperwork and he rode the motorcycle so he can immediately change the plate. A bit of planning and checking their website made it very easy for Pat to be fully prepared for the tasks to be done right away.

His second morning stop is the college to confirm his registration is all done. He takes the opportunity to get the required identifications for himself and both his motor vehicles. When he finds his campus mailbox it has some college mail for him, including the official approval to live off campus. While there he stops at the bookshop to buy the text books he knows he’ll need for his first semester. The paperwork he has doesn’t list all of the books he’ll need, but there are enough listed to make it worth the trouble to buy them now so he can start reading ahead for his classes.

Pat returns to the apartment in time to cook a late lunch.

After eating a simple meal of sandwiches and hot soup Pat walks out onto the verandah while he finishes his cup of hot chocolate. He’s surprised to see a woman and two children in the pool area sunbathing. He stands there thinking about what to do for the rest of the day while he sips on his hot drink. When he finishes his drink he turns and he goes to the kitchen to clean up after himself.

For the next forty-five minutes he’s very busy cooking. The first task is the easiest to do when he places the large rump roast he bought in a glass oven dish, pours an inch and a half of water into the dish, and he sets it in the oven to slow roast during the afternoon. Then he mixes condensed milk, gelatine, vanilla, sugar, and passion fruit seeds in a blender before putting the bowl of mix into the fridge to set for tonight’s dessert. The vegetables are left to prepare and cook later in the day. Happy all is on track for a good meal he goes out the front door to talk with his landlady.

When Mrs Warren answers the front door he says, “Good afternoon, Missus Warren. To celebrate my move I’m cooking a roast beef and I’d like you all to join me for dinner tonight.”

She smiles as she says, “First, I’m Ann, and my husband is Bert! Have you got enough for six? Since you signed the lease my daughter, Betty, and her kids, Charlie and Curtis have come to live with us.”

Pat grins while saying, “Yes, there’s enough. I figured the group in the pool area were part of your family. But isn’t one a girl?”

Mrs Warren laughs while replying, “Charlie is short for Charlene.”

“The roast should be done by six thirty. Will Bert be home by then?”

“Yes! He gets home about five thirty. I notice you didn’t ask about the kids’ father. Why?”

“Since you didn’t give me his name when you listed the family I felt he wasn’t in residence. You’ll tell me about him when you want to, if you want to. It’s none of my business so I leave it up to you and Betty to tell me what you want me to know about him.”

“That’s a very refreshing attitude. Most people want all of the details the moment you meet them. He died of cancer in January and Betty is back with us while she finally works on her Master’s. We’ll see you at a little after six. Also, you can come to the back door when you want to talk to us. Just knock and walk in, all of our friends and neighbours do.”