Chapter 20: Alice

At lunchtime on Monday, January 20^th a near-riot broke out around the main bulletin board. Second quarter rankings were posted and all one hundred fifty-eight cadets were trying to check their class standing at the same time. A trampled hat caused a fight to erupt between two cadets and others to soon join in the fray. Two senior cadets attempted to restore order, only to find themselves drawn into the skirmish. Colonel Travis finally dispersed the mob by setting off the fire alarm. We instinctively regrouped in the courtyard where we were informed that room chiefs would deliver our test results after dinner that evening.

We went to class and spent a suspenseful afternoon, wondering how we had done on our finals, which had been the dominating school's activity the previous week. I was pretty sure that I had done okay in Algebra, Health and English but I was too nervous to be confident. Latin and Social Studies were my main concerns. I rationalized that I had done my best and that was all I could do.

Getting through the afternoon was torture. The third quarter was underway, but until the second quarter results were known, it would be impossible for me to concentrate on what my instructors were teaching. Even strength conditioning class was not as much fun as usual; my mind was elsewhere. I didn't want to let Smitty down. His patient prodding had been what pulled me through the second quarter. Jordan Foster's encouragement had given me faith that I could conquer the toughest assignments. The rest of the guys, even Dale, seemed more concerned that my inferior work would pull our room's ranking down. I didn't give a shit about pleasing them, I was working as hard as I knew how for myself. I didn't want anything to stand in the way of my playing spring football.

"Foster made Captain," Dale announced as soon as the door to the room was closed. I clapped my hands together a few times but stopped when I realized no one else was cheering.

"Did you get a promotion?" Jarvis asked and when Dale stared at him Jarvis added, "Sir?"

"I made first lieutenant," Dale answered proudly before announcing the rest of the promotions. Jarvis was now a sergeant, joining Smitty who had been promoted to sergeant last quarter. Craig made Corporal, joining Carter at that rank and Charlie got his first stripe. I was the only one in the room passed over.

"Now for the class rankings," Dale said, brimming with elation. Smitty ranked second in the junior class and Jarvis was twenty-first. Carter improved from fourteenth to twelfth and Craig held his former position at twenty-second. "Drum roll!" Dale exclaimed, making me cringe in anticipation. "Our freshmen both improved. Evans rose from nineteenth to seventeenth and Oldham from thirty-second to twentieth. Congratulations gentlemen."

Dale gave the room and company rankings but I was so caught up in my own euphoria that I wasn't listening. Carter came over, shook my hand and told me he expected me to improve again in the third quarter. I congratulated him on his class ranking and his promotion. That was the first time I ever saw emotion from Smitty. He got a little misty-eyed and shook my hand again.

I later learned that room 3 C ranked fifth among the twenty rooms and Company C came in second behind Company D when Jordan Foster entered the room wearing his new Captain bars. He stopped at my bunk and shook my hand first. "You guys got honorable mention for this room showing the most improvement since first quarter," he said, still shaking my hand like he couldn't let go.

"I'm going to make sure you and Russell are on the same team," he whispered to me when he left the room. I didn't know what he was talking about and it didn't really mean much until the next morning's formation.

In the solitude of my bunk I got a chance to reflect on the second quarter and add up the pluses and minuses. On the plus side I was number twenty in a class of forty freshmen. I wondered who twenty-one was and how far ahead I was. Also, who was number nineteen and how far I was behind him? Charlie was number seventeen and had received a promotion. What if I had worked a little harder? On the minus side there was the botched relationship with Colleen and the relationship that never materialized with Debra Simmons.

On the plus side was Alice. The way she had put it, so simply, "I think we each have a special need at this point in our lives. I think we can help each other," gave me hope for the future. Just thinking of how we held each other, touched one another and kissed, brought a warm feeling that made me shake with anticipation and desire. I resolved to not think about what I wanted to happen. My feeling for Alice was genuine. I could not be sure but I thought she felt the same about me. I needed confirmation; I so wanted to be sure. She made a point of being ten years older than me. Was that her way of telling me that she was the adult and would be the one blamed if others found out about us? The fact that she had not put it into words made me feel trusted, that I understood the consequences and would do nothing to expose us. Or was she saying that she would be the one to decide how far to take it? The way she had asked, "Is next Saturday afternoon okay with you?", made me think that I would find out soon. My attempt to think maturely about what the future held was overcome by my youthful anticipation. I had a hard time getting to sleep.

After congratulating those promoted at morning formation, Colonel Travis made an announcement about spring football. Captain Foster would head a student committee charged with the responsibility to plan the spring football program. He promised progress reports as plans were formed.

That afternoon, while working out together, I told Russell what Jordan had said about making sure we were on the same team. We were both anxious to get back out on the field as soon as the weather broke. For now, we had to be content with running the track and lifting weights to stay in shape. We ran in the rain and even with snow on the track but the school prohibited us from going on the practice fields during the winter because our cleats would damage the turf. We ran together every day and lifted on alternate days. I was feeling strong and my new clothes were bursting at the seams. The guys in my room bellyached every time I squeezed a tennis ball too hard and it burst open, but they didn't challenge me physically. Even Jarvis had learned not to mess with me.

As the week progressed, a few details about the spring football program trickled down to our thirsty ears. Jordan and his group of senior cadets were negotiating with other schools to play a game or two. Most of the public high schools were associated with football conferences that prohibited football practice in the spring so a game with them was definitely out. But private schools, such as Dearborn and Bancroft were being approached to see if they wanted to play us. That's all we learned before the leak through one of the committee members was turned off.

Spring football was what I wanted to talk about when I arrived at the Oldham house at the end of the week. But Mr. Oldham was excited about my scholastic achievement. "Your improvement is unprecedented," he congratulated me for jumping from 32^nd in my class to 20^th. My being passed over for promotion bothered me more than it apparently did him. We talked until nearly midnight, him telling me about his early education and growing up with two brothers and a sister. He admitted that he owed a lot to his family for what he learned as a youth, saying it contributed to his success in business. "I want the same for you Sammy. I want you to be successful at whatever you choose to do." He didn't mention Noland or Mrs. Oldham and I didn't pry.

Ned insisted that we go shopping for some new clothes on Saturday morning. I had received a leather jacket for Christmas, which fit me fine. None of my other clothes fit, not even my shoes. We visited the same stores that had outfitted me when I first arrived and the same salesmen served us as before. I would have enjoyed being recognized and served with such courtesy if it were not for my appointment with Alice.

She had suggested we meet in the afternoon but no time was stipulated. How was I going to find out what time she wanted to meet? I didn't dare call her, did I? And we needed to avoid being seen going into the cottage together. I wanted to get there early so as not to miss her.

At lunch Ned noticed that I was nervous. "Got a date?" He asked when he saw me checking the clock.

""Yeah," I said without being more specific.

"What time?"

"I don't know," I admitted, deciding that if he pressed me I would tell him the truth about my 'date' with Alice, the truth being that we were continuing the dance lessons. Passers by would hear the tape playing. As long as we were discrete no one would be the wiser, unless they had the opportunity to watch me dance of course.

"How do you turn on the hot water in the middle cottage?" The question popped out of my mouth before I realized I was putting my thoughts into words. Ned smiled and said he would light the pilot in the hot water heater when we got home.