Chapter 36

I was humiliated, I was fuming mad; I had to get out of there without opening my mouth. What would come out would get me in big trouble. I wanted to cry, I wanted to get even, I wanted to run away.

How could I ever face the world again? As I walked home in the rain I had visions of taking Mrs. Ramsey to the Holland Theater this weekend to see me on the big screen in, “It Never Happened.

Of course, all she would see was me falling off a horse. Okay, I would get her to watch Spin and Marty when it was on the air. But all she would see was me riding a bull; then trying to force myself on Annette the first time she talked to me.

If I took her to see, “Hell Fighters,” all she would see was a brief glimpse of me working on an oil rig. Okay, I would join the Marines; that would show them!

By the time I walked home I figured out how ridiculous I was being. It started to strike me as being funny. When I walked into the kitchen where Mum was working on dinner she asked me what I was smiling about. I told her everything.

How I tried to inject passion in my reading, how bad it came across, the stupid thoughts I had on the way home. Then how I realized that it was no big deal, and I should forget it just like Pam appeared to forget me.

Mum’s face looked like a lightbulb had come on.

She said, “I’m so glad I’m not your age. I would never want to live through that again.”

“Live through what,” I brilliantly asked.

“Being a teenager with all those hormones running amok,” she replied.

She then changed the subject.

“Wait here I have some things to show you.” She went into the front room where her cabinet was and returned with a spoon and a cup.

These were very special items; both were made out of silver. The spoon handle was engraved, ‘To my God Child-Richard Edward Jackson from HRH Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain,’ on the back. The cup was engraved, ‘To my God-Child Richard Edward Jackson from Dwight David Eisenhower Commander in Chief Allied Forces, General of the Army USA’.

“These are yours, but they should be kept locked up. One day they may be of great value.”

“Mum would you keep them for now, and I don’t care how much value they may have, they belong with the family forever.”

“I’ll keep them for you, Richard. When I see the fine young man and how you behaved today in the face of great disappointment I am almost ready to forgive you for how you were born.”

Mum had never forgiven me, no matter what she said, about my timing in being born. It was in the middle of an air raid. She couldn’t be moved while in labor, so I was born in her bed upstairs as the bombs fell. They destroyed the house across the street and blew our door open and broke all the windows. You would think she would get over it.

At dinner that night I shared with the rest of the family how I had stunk up the stage. Denny and Eddie thought it was funny. Mary wanted to go punch the old meanie who didn’t like my acting. Dad laughed about it but didn’t make a big deal about it, so that was good.

Dad had his own news to share with the family. Actually, it was several pieces of news. First of all, he had made an offer on a duplex through Tapp Realty. It had been accepted. He hoped to have the purchase completed by Thanksgiving and work started on renovations.