Chapter 68: Like a Ton of Bricks

It was our practice to make our beds as part of our preparation for Sunday evening formation. I dropped my satchel containing clean clothes on my footlocker and was tucking the bottom sheet under the mattress before I noticed the quiet in the room. No one was talking.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. Marcy Cochran told me that all the girls at Speedwell knew that Jeannie was out of danger. And if all of the Speedwell girls knew that I had taken Jeannie's virginity, all of the Cromwell Cadets knew about it too. Was that the reason no one was talking? Or was it something else?

Everyone knew that I had left the dance early. Did they know the reason? How could they? Was that the reason for the quiet? No, it was something else.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn't have to look at Lester to know he had danced with Cindy. Why hadn't I warned her about him? Doctor Koskowski's words skipped through my mind like a banner being dragged across the sky by a small craft, 'In future sessions you will learn to consider the penalty before you act.'

I held one end of the pillow under my chin and dropped in into the pillowcase. Lester was putting the final touches to his bunk, taking longer than necessary to make sure the top blanket was folded properly. Did I need proof that he had danced with Cindy? Would he boast about it? Could he feel my rage? Doctor Koskowski's accent was ever so slight, 'Consider the penalty before you act.' A scene of me relinquishing my driver's license to Mr. Oldham danced in my head.

Room Leader Laredo broke the silence when we heard neighboring rooms empty into the hall. "It's time for formation. Look sharp, gentlemen," he ordered.

Colonel Travis was wearing the beret, Eisenhower-style jacket and paratrooper boots. I wondered if he knew what the decorations on his chest represented. He congratulated the varsity for our win over Bancroft and said the bus would be leaving for Sinclair High School on Friday right after lunch. Formation ended with a cheer.

Back in the room I stored my clean clothes and sat down to study. Eddie joined me but we didn't talk. The room was unusually quiet. It was like I was a grenade and everyone were waiting for me to explode. They seemed to know my pin had been pulled. At nine-thirty I reviewed Eddie's homework, without talking because as usual, it was perfect. I heard Spence and Cory Buford conferring in hushed voices about Buford's homework but otherwise the room was like a tomb.

At nine forty-five I stood up, knowing all eyes in the room were upon me.

"Lester," I said.

"What?" He was seated at his desk, looking up at me.

"Stand up."

"Why?"

"You know why. Stand up," I repeated and heard Doctor Koskowski's words play in my mind, 'Consider the penalty before you act.'

"You're not going to..." Lester said as he got to his feet.

"Remove your shirt and tie."

"Why? You're not going to... tell him Orlando," he said, looking at the Room Leader. Laredo was watching us but he said nothing.

"Take off you shirt and tie so you won't get them wet," I said, feeling tightness in my chest. Realizing that I was too tense I reached down to pick up a tennis ball from my desk. The sudden move made Lester react. By the time I had squeezed the tennis ball three times his shirt and tie were off and lying on his bunk. His body was bare to his waist. I felt sorry for him and had to tell myself not to chicken out. I squeezed the tennis ball again and looked down at Eddie.

"Tell anyone in the restroom I said for them to get out. Hold the door open and wait for us."

Eddie was out of his seat and headed for the door before I finished the second sentence. I squeezed the tennis ball and watched Lester. He looked from me to the Room Leader and back to me. I expected him to deny that he had danced with Cindy. He said nothing. What I saw in his eyes reminded me of the quarterback as I was bearing down on him.

"Move!" I said, trying to keep my voice even and firm. Lester was too petrified to budge. "Move!" I repeated and he took his first step toward the door.

Three cadets from Company B were outside in the hallway, grumbling amongst themselves until they saw me following Lester to the restroom and our roommates creeping along behind us.

Eddie was inside the restroom holding the door open. Lester stopped at the door and looked back at me. "Inside," I said and he didn't hesitate to enter the restroom. But he stopped again at the door to the first toilet stall.

"Ed, stand on the toilet in the next stall and hold the door open for him," I said and watched Eddie Maize scamper to the adjoining stall and hop up on the toilet. Our roommates filed into the restroom and I heard Room Leader Laredo speak to the Cadets from Company B, "We're conducting a room meeting."

Lester was trembling. "You're not... going to... do this... to me. Tell him... Orlando. Tell him I'm his... superior."

"I'm not going to do anything to you unless you make me. You have a choice. Either stick your head in that toilet bowl or tell me I have to do it. I don't care which it is but make your decision quickly."

"You can't... you won't... make me..." he pleaded but when I took one step toward him he turned and walked into the stall. Our roommates crowded around to see what Lester would do but I stayed back and caught Eddie's attention. He looked down at Lester and shook his head to indicate Lester was not complying with my order.

"Make it quick, Lester," I said, bouncing the ball on the floor and watching Eddie nod to me.

"He's doing it," Spence said, turning to me to be helpful.

"He's taking it out," Buford announced.

"Keep it in there. Let me hear you flush," I said, bouncing the ball and watching Eddie for a sign. He shook his head.

"Let me hear you flush," I repeated as I bounced the ball once more and was rewarded with the flushing sound. Eddie grinned at me as he nodded his head.

"That's enough. Show's over, gentlemen," Room Leader Laredo said. He held the door open and watched us file out of the restroom. We had to undress in the dark because it was after lights out. I smiled to myself as I listened to the others grumble in the darkness. I must have been asleep when Lester returned to the room.

The next morning was just like any other Monday morning with everyone scurrying around to get ready for morning roll call. By lunchtime every Cadet in the school had heard what happened to Lester. Everyone knew that I was involved but the stories as to how it came about varied greatly. The most outrageous account that got back to me was that I had caught Lester and Jeannie together and had held his head under water until Room Leader Laredo had to intercede.

Russell is the only one I told why I had to leave the dance early the previous Friday. "Why didn't you tell me you had to go see the boogie-man? I would have kept an eye on Lester and that would have saved you the trouble of drowning him."

"I didn't see the boogie-man and I didn't drown him," I said but I could see that Russell was going to believe what he wanted.

Orlando Laredo spoke to me privately to let me know that he wouldn't stand by if I made a second move against Lester. "I have it on good authority the Colonel is going to overlook your aggressive nature this time but next time will be different."

"Thanks for not interfering," I said, offering my hand.

"You're going to be a room leader next year. I hope you've taken something positive from this experience," he said as we shook hands. I was shocked to hear him predict that I would be a room leader. I was in my third year and only had two stripes on my sleeves. Being chosen to be a room leader was a long shot.

Lester didn't speak to me until Friday morning while we were shaving. "Too bad Sinclair doesn't believe in dances after the game. I would sure like to have the last dance with Cindy again."

I dropped my razor in the sink. My hand was trembling. I was afraid I would reopen the gash in my right cheek if I tried to remove the few whiskers around it. I looked at Lester's reflection in the mirror. He was wearing a shit-eating grin.

"You never learn, do you Lester?"

"I talked to Orlando about you. He isn't going to let you bully me any more," he said, a cockiness in his voice that I found unnerving. I splashed cold water on my face and picked up my shaving gear. If I got a demerit for missing a few whiskers, so be it.

"You may want to consider the penalty before you act," I said, quoting Doctor Koskowski as I left the room.

I told Russell about my confrontation with Lester on the bus ride to Sinclair. We agreed that something had to be done about Lester before the Dearborn game when the next post-game dance would be held. Unfortunately, others overheard Russell mention that I would be leaving early because of my appointment with the 'head-doctor.'

I'm not sure which player overheard us talking but by the time the game was over every member of the team knew that Russell and I planned to 'get' Lester and that I was seeing a shrink. Some of the coaches had learned about our plans and about my Friday evening appointments too. Mr. Sterling said that he wanted to see me after practice on Monday. "What type of psychiatry does your doctor practice?" he asked. I didn't know. I wasn't comfortable with Russell referring to Doctor Koskowski as a head-doctor and I didn't know where 'shrink, ' came from.

Mr. Oldham's car was parked near the Baldwin car. He handed me the ignition key and I understood that I was to drive his car but my attention was on Cindy as she and Jeannie were getting into the backseat of her dad's car. She waved and I waved back. She mouthed, 'I'll call you, ' but there was no way for me to answer that I would not be home because Mr. Baldwin was glaring at me. I tossed my uniform hat in the backseat, right into Suzanne's lap. "You're in a jolly mood," she said.

I was in a great mood. We had won a game against a school that had five hundred males to our one hundred and sixty. Mr. Oldham told me about the twenty-four points our offense had scored, one touchdown in each quarter. I had to admit that I had not paid much attention to the offensive play because Mr. Sinclair kept us busy explaining what we were doing wrong and the things he wanted us to do when we got back on the field. "It's too bad they can't convert an extra point. Have you considered kicking?" Mr. Oldham asked. I laughed and said that I had never given it a thought.

"Park in front of the house," Mr. Oldham said when we got home. "You can drive to your appointment."

We had a leisurely meal as we had more time than the previous week. We were all in a good mood, me because we had won the football game and I was going to drive Mr. Oldham's car to Dr. Koskowski's house. I found out later why their moods were carefree. Mr. Oldham walked out to the car with me and told me that Mr. Baldwin had apologized for his accusation that I had knocked up his daughter. Apparently, it was a false alarm. "He's still angry at you but he found out that it wasn't totally your idea," Mr. Oldham said.

Wow! I thought as I drove the few blocks to the Doctor's house, Cindy must have confessed to her father that she had urged me to have sex with her sister. Wow! He didn't even caution me to be careful with his car.

Dr. Koskowski introduced me to her family. The little girl, Sally, had golden curls and only removed her thumb from her mouth when she heard her mother make a clucking sound. The boy, Curtis, made a point of inspecting my hand as he shook it. Mr. Percy Jones was a big man with very little hair on his head.

It was apparent that she was very proud of her family. "I must apologize for the way Curtis looked at your hand. I almost never discuss my patients with them but they were curious about you coming to the house and I had to tell them something. I told them you have strong hands," she explained as we took our seats.

"Your husband has a different name," I said, thinking it was a polite thing to say.

"He has his PhD in Chemistry but he prefers Perce or Mister Jones. He says I'm the real doctor," she said and then as an afterthought, 'Oh, you're referring to the surname. I didn't change my name because I was already in practice when we married and my patients know me as Koskowski."

It didn't dawn on me until I was on my way home. Damn, the doctor pulled a fast one on me. Introducing her family got me to see her other side. It made me trust her and open up. Without recognizing that I was being duped I told her about my difficulties with Lester, how I felt about it and the action I had taken to resolve the issue. I must have talked for twenty-five minutes and she listened. At the end of the session she said she thought we were making progress. "Just remember, consider the penalty before you act," she cautioned before reminding me that she would see me next week.