Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away; They fly forgotten as a dream dies at the opening day.  –  Isaac Watts

Back in Time

The water that you see in any river flowing by you is like life.  Indeed, life does not exist without water.  The water we just referred to is now three more feet down the river and so is your life.  In many ways a river mirrors life.  Sometimes it’s placid, sometimes it’s turbulent.  Sometimes it’s a trickle at a given point but then later can be a flood at that very same spot. The water we just referred to is gone now.  It will never flow by here again and neither will this moment in your life.  What if we could bring the water back to flow by us again?  Some of us try to do this with time, you know.  We want things to be like they were twenty or forty years ago.  But it’s not possible.  It’s difficult for one to imagine going back in time to 1962, because we have seen all the water that has gone down the river and it shapes the way we think about the past.  No, if one wants to go back to 1962, a lot of subtraction must take place before one can understand what it was like back then.  Things were very different.

Let’s do some house cleaning to prepare for a step back in time.  Each needs to erase stuff we take for granted now which did not exist then.  In your mind take it all away so you can understand the past.  Let’s get rid of some of the clutter that keeps us from going back to 1962.  One can’t imagine 1962 with a cell phone.  There were no cell phones then.  Please throw your cell phone into the river in your mind.  You won’t have a cell phone.  No one else will have one either.  There is a phone or perhaps two in your house, but phones are attached to a wall outlet, and the phones are for the whole family to use, not just you.  If you aren’t home, you can call home from a pay phone. Have a couple dimes handy.  Your own cell phone no longer exists.  In 1962 all phones must be connected to wires to function.

Now remove social media.  There is no social media.  If one wants to socialize, he or she will talk to someone or use that telephone in the kitchen or write them a letter.  How one socialized in 1962 is very different from today.  If we need information, we can find it on the internet today, but that is the next thing we must subtract.  One can still look things up.  There are books for that, and one can use the card catalog at the library as well.  You can also socialize at the library.  What’s that?  The internet seems to be disappearing and your laptop and PC along with it.  I think they just got swept away by a flood.  Is there a calculator in the house?  Toss it.  There is no such thing as a pager, there are no compact disks, audio or video cassettes or players for any of that stuff.  Your record player is safe though.  There are no digital cameras.  You can still take a photograph with your Kodak Brownie box camera or a silent movie with an 8mm camera.  When the whole roll or reel is finished, just take it to the drug store to be developed.  You can have your photograph or movie in a week or two.  What does one watch?  The television of course.  That’s one in the living room in its big wooden case.  It’s the only one in the house.  It’s a black and white console model the family shares though some are buying one of the expensive new color television sets for the few programs that are televised in color.  If one is lucky, the television might bring in four or five channels, but more than likely three or fewer.  There is an antenna on the roof so one can access those few channels.  It’s all complicated, that’s why people still rely on listening to the radio or reading the daily newspaper.

I think we are near the 1962 mindset.  Just a reminder that it’s a more formal time so a wardrobe change is in order.  If one wants to attend any event outside of sports, one must dress for the occasion.  The same applies if one wants to go downtown.  Grab a tie and sport coat gentlemen, or a suit if you prefer.  Ladies, you must wear a dress or skirt and blouse, and you’d best have a pair or two of nylon stockings.  Those shoes had better be polished as well.  Now that the reader is properly clothed and the mind has removed all the clutter of today, it is time to go back to 1962, so gather round, sit down, and let me tell you a story about what happened to a couple of kids in high school.

The Ghost

Welcome to the City of Winchester, population 28,412 according to the 1960 federal census.  It’s located in the northwest part of the state along the Marenna River.  Rivers are like life you know.  We’re on the north side of the river.  Up along the hillside on Claremont Drive.  If you look over your shoulder, you can see the river down there.  The address is 1423 there on the right.  It’s the Kjellgos home.  This is where Brian Kjellgos lives with his parents.  His older brother and sister have flown the nest.  Sister Carrie has graduated from college and is employed as a teacher just like Brian’s mother.  Brother Douglas is attending college out of state.  He is studying to become a lawyer just like his father.  Perhaps he will set up a practice here in Winchester once he graduates.  Dad is Anders Kjellgos and Mom is Helen Kurbitz Kjellgos.  Dad jokes that Helen married him, so she didn’t have to throw away her monogrammed bathrobe. 

            That’s Brian in the back yard mowing the lawn.  He’s wearing that T shirt that says WHS BASKETBALL in bold block letters.  He’s wearing a pair of gym shorts and black low-cut Converse All Star tennis shoes with a pair of white crew socks. You can see how he wears his hair.  He used to sport a crew cut. Now it’s still short but he allows it to lay flat like all the other boys are doing.  Brian finished his junior year at Winchester High School in June.  He is eager to return for his senior year but has not yet decided where he will attend college.  Brian is one of the star players on the basketball team and it’s no wonder.  He has been practicing his jump shot since he was quite young.  He would shoot basket after basket perfecting the arm and wrist action as well as the arc of the ball.  He is a bit of a perfectionist, you see.  There will be more on that later.  He was a leading scorer for the Rams averaging 21.3 points per game last season, nearly matching his jersey number, 21.  The team almost qualified for the state tournament, and they believe they can make it this coming winter.  If you hear the crowd shouting for the Ghost, that’s Brian.  A play on his last name of course.  Some even refer to him as Casper.  He played football last year too, but the football and basketball coaches came to an understanding. The basketball coach wants him to concentrate solely on basketball.  He is good enough to land an athletic scholarship and a football injury might jeopardize that chance.

Brian has a summer job working at an appliance store warehouse twenty hours a week, but the management knows he will be leaving in the middle of August.  He has been chosen by the prestigious Youth Leadership Council at Purviance University as one of only 100 students from around the state entering their senior year invited to attend the Student Leadership Forum, 50 girls and 50 boys.  This forum is a prestigious event that enhances any student’s college application.  It will be held on the university campus the week of August 20 – 24.  Brian is looking forward to attending.  His Uncle George Kurbitz is a professor of economics at Purviance.  Uncle George and Aunt Louise have invited him to spend Sunday evening at their house before moving into the dormitory Monday morning.  In fact, Aunt Louise is insisting he have dinner with them every evening that week instead of dining with the others on campus.  Did I mention they live just five blocks away from campus?

The Kurbitz home in Purviance is a nice two-story structure with a full basement and an ample front porch along Oak Street.  Uncle George always walks to work.  Purviance is a lovely college town of 32,000.  In fact, Purviance High School is in the same league as Winchester.  Brian has met several of the players from Purviance following either football or basketball games.  He knows players from many of the high schools in the league and around the state for that matter.  Now before we jump to conclusions, Brian is more than just an athlete.  He is also an outstanding scholar.  He has studied hard to achieve his goals.  His schoolwork is meticulous.  Brian spends the extra effort to make sure all is as perfect as it can be.  He would like to become a lawyer like his dad as well.  One can’t do that without being smart enough.  Brian will also be student body president in September.  If he were not a well-rounded student, he would never have been chosen for the Student Leadership Forum.  All the other students at Winchester acknowledge that Brian is very smart and a leader already.

Uncle George and Aunt Louise

It’s time to head over to Purviance for the forum.  Brian has been allowed to bring one suitcase and one wardrobe bag to the dorm.  It was a 55-mile drive over to Uncle George and Aunt Louise’s house.  It took Brian and his mother a little over an hour to get there.  Brian has had his driver’s license for a half year now and this is the longest distance he has ever driven.  They all had dinner together before Brian’s mom headed back home.  Brian helped his aunt clear the dining room and clean the kitchen before they went outside to the patio in the back yard to join Uncle George who was smoking his pipe.  It is pleasantly warm outside.

“Do you know any of the other students who will be at the forum, Brian,” Aunt Louise asked.

“No, the attendees are from all over the state.  I’m the only student from Winchester.  I suspect most will be from down south around Tremont,” Brian replied.

“That stands to reason,” Uncle George noted, “I’d guess about two thirds of the state’s population live down south in either Wayne or Blasco Counties.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting other students from around the state.”

“I know a couple of professors on the Youth Leadership council.  I can guarantee you will be with the cream of the crop when it comes to outstanding students.  They work hard to find the best of the bunch,” Uncle George explains.

“If you meet one or two others you enjoy socializing with, you can invite them to dinner any evening this week,” Aunt Louise told him.  “We always like to have students over.  Just give me a call ahead.  There are pay phones all over the campus.”

“Thank you, Aunt Louise.  I will certainly let you know.”

“Just don’t invite the whole dormitory full,” Aunt Louise added with a chuckle.  “Do you have enough change for the phone call?”

“Yes, ma’am, I do.  I figured they might have pinball available too.”

“Will they allow you to spend evenings here as well?” his aunt asked.

“I’m not sure.  We will be working on some sort of project with a partner and there will be homework involved from what I read.”

“I’ve heard of the projects in past years,” his uncle responded. “Dr. Schwabb has told me they pair the students by two and they expect a detailed report along with a presentation about their project.”

“Well, if you are allowed to have free evenings you may spend as much time here as you wish,” Aunt Louise offered.

The three spent a lovely evening in the backyard until nine o’clock.  Brian excused himself and headed upstairs for the evening.  There were four bedrooms upstairs.  Aunt Louise had Brian stay in Sadie’s room.  Sadie is Brian’s closest cousin, both in age and distance apart.  The two spent hours playing together when they were younger either in Winchester or Purviance.  Sadie just graduated from Purviance High School in June.  She was spending the summer working at a girls’ camp as a counselor.  Sadie is the youngest of the Kurbitz offspring.  She has two older sisters, Ellen and Nancy.  Nancy is attending college out of state and has a job there for the summer.  Ellen is much older.  She is married and has two small children.  Brian has the whole top floor to himself because his aunt and uncle sleep downstairs.

Brian’s travel alarm went off at six o’clock Monday morning.  He got out of bed, took a shower and brushed his teeth.  He then put on his slacks, white shirt, tie, and sport coat.  He was ready for the forum.  He headed downstairs for breakfast with his aunt and uncle.

“Do you have your suitcase all packed?’ Uncle George asked.

“Yes, sir.” Was his reply.

“I can give you a ride over to the dormitory,” his uncle offered.

“Oh, you don’t have to go out of the way, Uncle George.  I can walk over.”

“Nonsense, son,” You have that suitcase and wardrobe.  Your arms will fall off if you lug them that far.  Let me take you.  I insist.”

Opening Day of the Forum

At ten minutes to 8, Brian and Uncle George were in the car.  It was a short ride to the dormitories.  Other students were arriving as well.  Some were being dropped off by family members while others were arriving via taxi.  Brian got out of the car, gathering his luggage.

“Thanks for the lift, Uncle George.  I’ll see you at dinner time.”

“Take care, Brian, and have a great day.”

Brian walked into the boys’ dormitory, signed in, and made his way to his assigned room.  As he approached the door, he heard a shout from down the hall.

“Hey, Ghost!  Is that you?”

Turning around Brian spotted Roy Bingham, the center on the Lawton High basketball team in Huson.  He was an outstanding player who was a head taller than everyone else.

“Oh, hi, Bingo.  Man, I’m surprised they let you attend?  They must have lowered their standards.”

“I was wondering the same thing about you,” Roy said as he shook Brian’s hand.

“Have you decided where you are going to college?” Brian asked.

“Not yet but St. Bartholomew keeps insisting they would like me to play for them.”

“Oh, man.  That would be sweet.  They have a great team and they’re always in the national championship tournament.”

“Yeah,” Roy agreed. “I might just have to take them up on their scholarship offer.”

The two athletes began greeting others as they arrived including the quarterback from Forbes High School in Tremont, Mike Partlow.  He sported a patch on his letterman’s jacket that read State Champions.  There were other boys who were outstanding scholars though not into athletics.  It seemed remarkable how quickly they made friends though.  The boys imagined the same thing was going on in the girls’ dormitory as well.

“Hey, did you hear some girl arrived in a state trooper’s car?” one of the boys mentioned.

“What?” the others wondered.  “Who rates arriving via a state trooper?”

“A convicted felon?” one of the boys speculated to a round of laughter.

Meanwhile over in the girls’ dormitory one young lady was discovering a new situation where no one knew who she was.  Here she was, just another girl making new friends among strangers.  She was looking forward to this forum.  It would provide her with a bit of anonymity without people fussing about where she was and what she was doing.  The powers to be all knew she would be safe here.  The staff at the university knew who she was and understood her anonymity was to be kept for the week.

A bit later after all had settled in and made friends with the others, the boys who had not yet dressed for the occasion, donned shirt, tie, and sport coat before making their way to the Fletcher Hall convocation center for the opening session.  They had been directed to use a side entrance that had a narrow hallway leading to a lecture hall.  It was the most convenient entryway from the dining hall and the dormitories.  The incident happened while the boys were standing together in the hallway chatting away with each other.

“What do you think you guys are doing?” asked a young lady behind them.

She was an attractive girl who looked quite a bit like Tuesday Weld sporting a bouffant hairdo common to most girls her age.

“I beg your pardon?” Brian asked the girl.

“Why are you guys blocking the hallway?  Can’t you see others would like to proceed into the lecture hall?”

She certainly was a gorgeous girl but here she was trying to tell others what to do.  Now it would have been very easy for Brian and the other boys to just step aside and let the girls pass by, but Brian made a mistake.  Perhaps he wanted to show what a big shot he was in front of the other boys.  Who knows?

“Who made you the hall monitor, Miss High and Mighty?” he asked.

“I’m just someone who would like to walk into the lecture hall which is being blocked by an arrogant fool.”

“Whoa!” Roy laughed. “The Ghost just got stung!”

The boys laughed as Roy and the others stepped aside so the girls could proceed into the lecture hall.  The young lady gave Brian a stone-cold glare as she passed him by.  In a few minutes all were finding seats in the lecture hall.  That girl was seated over on the left side with her newfound friends.

“Don’t look now, Ghost, but Goldilocks is giving you the evil eye over there,” Roy said as he leaned in Brian’s direction.

  When Brian glanced over and caught that girl’s eye, she stuck her tongue out at him.  Brian just laughed.

The opening lecture was on building character.  The attendees were advised to set a good example for the other students in their respective schools.  That meant using good manners and speaking with others respectfully and in a cordial manner.  Brian hoped that a certain girl was listening to what was being said.  At the same time there was a young lady on the other side of the lecture hall who was hoping that an arrogant young fool was listening as well.

Following the character-building lecture, the students were given a syllabus concerning the projects.  Together they went through the syllabus and a few questions were answered.  With that, one of the counselors began to announce who would be paired with whom.  Brian imagined being paired with Roy to work out plans for a holiday basketball tournament.  Roy, however, was assigned to be with another student.  It was obvious each guy was being paired with a girl.

“Mr. Brian Kah-jellos,” the counselor called out trying to pronounce the strange surname.  Roy chuckled at the mispronunciation.

Brian stood to see who he would be paired with.  He was used to hearing his last name butchered and knew the counselor was referring to him.

“You will be working with Miss Grace Robinson.”

Brian looked about the room to see who his partner would be.  Across the hall, Miss High and Mighty stood up as Brian’s heart sank.  Roy was no help as he began to laugh punching him in the arm.  Brain failed to see the humor in the situation.

“Your project will be to plan for a homecoming court.”

Brian’s heart fell again.  He was going to have to work on an assembly, a coronation, and a halftime ceremony with that cranky girl.  Maybe this week was not going to be as enjoyable as he had anticipated.  It certainly did not make it any easier having Roy and the other boys sitting there chuckling.

When all the students had been paired up, they were instructed to pick up a packet of supplies.  They were also instructed to take fifteen minutes to get to know their partner and then the next hour working on an outline of their plan.

“All right students.  Come get your packet of supplies.  Then you and your partner find a quiet place where you can begin working together. You may stay here in the hall or go outside.  It’s up to each pair.”

Reluctantly Brian rose and made his way over to where his partner was waiting for him at the supply table with a glare on her face.

“Okay, Mr. Arrogance, let’s get our stuff together and get this over with.”

“And a good day to you as well,” Brian answered.

“We’ll see,” she scoffed.

Together they picked up their packet and went outside to a picnic table along a pathway.

“All right, what was your name again?  The young lady asked.

“I’m Brian Kjellgos,” he answered.  “But my friends call me Ghost.”

“Kjellgos?” she asked, “How do you spell that?”

“G-h-o-s-t,” he teased.

“Very funny,” Grace scowled, “I meant your surname.”

“K-j-e-l-l-g-o-s,” he replied.  The K-j is pronounced like C-h.”

“Why isn’t it just spelled that way then?”

“I don’t know.  I guess it’s just the way the Norwegians spelled it.”

“And how did you get a nickname like Ghost?”

“It’s a play on my last name. Kjellgos/Ghost.  Get it?”

“It sounds sort of… deceased.  I’d rather call you Brian.”

“No, I don’t mind.  Now what was your name again?

“Grace Robinson.”

“And where do you go to school, Grace Robinson?

“Midway.”

“Oh, the state capitol.  Does your daddy work for the state?”

Most of the time Brian is quite good at figuring things out given a clue or two but, in this case, it totally escaped him.  He failed to see the connection between Midway and the surname Robinson.  On Brian’s behalf he can be forgiven, lots of folks live in Midway and Robinson is a common name.  There will be more on this later.

“You might say that.” The girl responded.  “Where do you go to school Brian Kjellgos?”

“Winchester.  Home of the Rams.”

“Oh, I know all about Winchester.  We whooped you guys in football last year.”

“You weren’t the only ones.”

“So do you play football for Winchester?”

“I did last year but I won’t this year.”

“Why not?”

“The basketball coach doesn’t want me to get injured.”

“Oh my, that would be terrible if you stubbed your toe.”

“Very Funny.  Basketball is my main sport.  I’ve made all league over the last two years.”

“I can certainly believe you’ve made all ego.”

“Look, I’m a very good basketball player.  I average 21 points a game.” 

“Why so few?”

“For your information a 21-point average is outstanding.  So did you ever see me play while we were in Midway?”

“No, thank goodness.  I was probably playing in the band, but I don’t pay attention to the games.  Watching people toss a ball around doesn’t sound very compelling.  Besides I can’t stand jocks.  They’re all conceited like you.  I’ve debated in Winchester on the Midway debate team.  Do you remember seeing me before Mr. Ghosty?”

“You’ve got me there,” he laughed. “So along with debate, what other things are you involved in at Midway?” Brian asked.

“I play clarinet in the band and violin in the orchestra.  I’m also involved in student council.”

“You sound like an accomplished student.”

“I suppose so.  And what about you?  Do you spend any time outside the gym?”

“Of course.  I will be student body president this coming year.”

“So will I,” Grace responded.

“I’m also in Honor Society.”

“Ditto, Except I’m president of Honor Society.  What’s your GPA?”

“Right now, it stands at about 3.7,” Brian told her, “How about you?”

“Exactly 4.0.”

“So, you’re in line to be valedictorian?”

“You got it, Einstein.”

If the two were playing one upmanship, Grace would be in the lead.  One must remember that students at this forum are the best of the best from around the state and Brian was learning what that meant.

“I bet you have a girlfriend, don’t you Brian?’

“Yeah.”

“Tell me about her.  What’s she like?”

“Why the personal question?”

“Because we’re supposed to spend 15 minutes learning about each other so get on with it.  Answer the question.”

“Well, my girlfriend’s name is Christy Belden.”

“And…”

“And she is a cheerleader.  We’ve been sort of going together for several months, but I’ve known her since sixth grade.”

“Oh sweet.  A cheerleader.”

Brian missed the sarcasm.

“Yes, now you answer the question.  Tell me about your boyfriend.”

“I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“What? Come on.  A pretty girl like you without a boyfriend?  Give me a break.”

“Thanks for the offhand compliment but no, not currently.  Don’t get me wrong.  I can always find a date for any occasion, but things are a bit complicated.”

“How so?”

“Let’s just say it’s complicated and leave it at that.  If I want to go on a date with someone, I can easily find a date.”

“You must have strict parents.”

“No, I wouldn’t call them strict.  Do you have any siblings?”

For some reason, Grace didn’t want to dwell on the boyfriend topic, so Brian left it at that.

“I have an older brother and an older sister.  How about you?”

“I have a younger brother.  He’s 13,” She replied.  “Do we know enough about each other to get started on this project?”

“I suppose so.  I know your name is Grace.  You live in Midway…  Oh, wait, have you always lived in Midway?”

“No, only the last five years.  I was born and raised in Tremont Heights.”

“Oh, a metropolitan girl.”

“I guess so.  We still own a house down there.”

“So, Grace is a big city girl who now lives in Midway.  Her dad works for the state.  She has a younger brother and she’s about the smartest girl I will ever meet.”

“Keep it up, Brian.  You’re growing on me.  Let’s cut the nonsense and get started,” she said as she began opening the packet.  “You’d better carry your own weight, because I don’t want to have to do all the work.”

“Neither do I so you had better do your share also.”

Inside was a notebook with ample sheets of paper, four pens, four pencils and a set of colored pencils.  Grace studied the pack of colored pencils for a moment.

“Colored pencils?  And no coloring book?” she shrugged.

“A touch of color never hurts a good presentation,” Brian chuckled.

Grace handed him the notebook along with a pencil and a pen.  Brian placed them carefully in front of him on the table.

“Oh, my word!” Grace exclaimed.

“What?”

“You placed the notebook squarely on the table with the pen and pencil perfectly parallel to it.  Don’t tell me you’re a perfectionist.”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“Well, I would because I just observed it.  Perhaps you’ll make a good working partner after all.  Perfectionists always pay close attention to the details even when it comes down to placement of their writing utensils.”

Brian thought for a moment.  Perhaps Grace was correct.  Brian always worked on all the details until he was satisfied a task was well done.  It was the same for both academics and athletics. Once he got started on a project, he often became obsessed with it until it was close to being perfect in his eyes or a deadline put an end to the work.  He also liked his things well organized.

“I’ll take that as an offhand compliment.  Thank you, your Grace.”

She responded to his comment with a chuckle.

The two began working on a rough outline that included nomination of candidates for homecoming court, the voting process, the coronation assembly, involvement in the parade, and presentation of the royalty at halftime.  After that they began brainstorming the details like what would be done during the assembly, and which staff should be consulted in preparation for all aspects of the project.  At the end of the hour the students reported to the dining hall for lunch. 

At the dining hall it seemed that students were having lunch with their project partners, perhaps to continue planning.

“What the heck?  Let’s sit together, Brian.  Heaven knows we could use the extra time to keep working.”

“I would like that,” he replied, and he was telling the truth.  He never passed up opportunities to sit next to an attractive girl, and Grace was no exception even though she was a bit pushy.  The two filled their trays and sat down together.

“Grace, I need to apologize to you for earlier today.  I shouldn’t have called you out this morning.  I should have just stepped aside like a gentleman and let you and your friends pass by.  That was very rude of me.”

“Apology accepted.  And I guess I owe you an apology as well.  I should not have called you an arrogant fool.  That was rude of me as well.  I should have been more courteous.  Besides you are showing me you are neither arrogant nor a fool.”

“I accept your apology.  I guess we could have gotten off to a better start.”

The two continued brainstorming as they ate, and they also shared small talk about what went on at their respective schools.  At one point they began talking about life aspirations.  Brian shared that he too wanted to study to become a lawyer like his father.  Grace was unsure of what direction her education should take her.  She did share that she would love to perform in a large orchestra, perhaps down in Tremont.  She didn’t have much to say about her parents, only that her mother did a great deal of volunteer work.

In the afternoon each pair met with a proctor to go over their rough outline.  The proctor gave lots of helpful suggestions about how the details were to be filled in.  It was a beneficial meeting as she asked about some details the two had not considered.  Luckily, both were taking copious notes.

During the afternoon closing lecture students were encouraged to take part in volunteer opportunities in their own communities.  Brian and Grace sat together for that session as if they were an item now.  But then all the others were sitting with their partners.

“Shall we plan on dinner together, too,” Grace asked as they filed out of the lecture hall. 

“Well, I promised my aunt I would eat dinner with them this week.  But she said I could bring a friend along.  Want to come to dinner with me?”

“Oh, I don’t know.  I wouldn’t want to impose on your aunt like that.”

“I don’t think she would mind.  I can call her.”

“No, I’ll eat with the others in the dining hall.  As soon as you get back to campus come find me at the girls’ dormitory though.  My room number is 211.  Just ask at the front desk.”

“Okay, I’ll see you later.”

Brian took the short walk to Uncle George and Aunt Louise’s house.  They were glad to see him.  Uncle George was watching the news on television, but he turned it off when Brian came through the door.

“Did you decide not to bring a friend?” his aunt asked.

“I did ask my project partner, but she declined the invitation.”

“So, tell us how the day went,” his uncle said. “Tell us more about your partner.  What’s her name and where is she from?”

“Her name is Grace Robertson and she’s from Midway.”  One might note that Brian has confused Robinson with Robertson.  The slip likely caused his aunt and uncle to not make any connection.  “She is a 4.0 student, plays the clarinet and violin.”

“She sounds like an accomplished student,” his aunt observed.

Brian continued filling them in about the day’s activities, dropping the name Grace several times. 

“So, we are planning to get together this evening and continue to work on our project.”

“Brian, I want you to invite Grace over for dinner tomorrow night,” his aunt insisted.  “Don’t take no for an answer this time.  I would like to meet her. Tell her your aunt insists.”

“Okay, I’ll tell her.”

The three sat down for dinner and continued their conversation.  After dinner Brian began helping clear the table.

“I can get this, Brian,’ his aunt said.  “You need to go work on your project with your partner.”

“If you insist.”

“I do.  You have more important things to do than clean up after dinner.”

With that, Brian said his good-byes and walked back to campus.  He entered the foyer of the girls’ dormitory approaching the front desk.

“Could you please contact Grace in room 211 and tell her that her project partner is waiting for her?”

“And what is your name?” the receptionist asked.

“Brian Kjellgos.”

The receptionist jotted his name on a log sheet, got on the intercom and buzzed into room 211.

“Yes?” Grace answered over the intercom.

“There is a Brian Shell Ghost waiting for you in the foyer.”

“Please tell him I’m on my way.”

It was less than a minute before Grace appeared, notebook and supplies in hand.  The two went back outside and found a picnic table where they could continue working.

“Why don’t we give each class its own color?” Brian suggested.  “Red for sophomore, blue for junior, and yellow for senior.”

“That’s a great idea,” she answered as she began taking out the colored pencils.

The two began working intently.  Brian was so involved in his task he wasn’t paying any attention to Grace.

“Oh, Brian?”  Grace asked.

“What?”

“Look at me.”

Brian looked up to see Grace sitting there with a colored pencil stuck in each nostril.  He began laughing and as Grace also began laughing the pencils shot out of her nose.

“Gee, I’m sure glad we’re taking our project seriously,” he laughed.

The little incident relieved a bit of the tension between the two.  He had been feeling a bit intimidated working with such a smart girl.  As the two continued to work together they made small talk on the side.  A look at Brian’s watch told him they needed to return to the dormitories before curfew.  He walked Grace back to the girls’ dormitory first.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he replied before asking himself why he had even said such a thing.  “Good evening, Grace.”

He was barely inside the foyer of the boys’ when he spotted Roy Bingham.

“Geez, Ghost, you really lucked out.  You have the cutest partner of the whole forum.”

“Just luck, Bingo my friend.  Just the luck of the draw.”

“You’d best get her address and phone number before the end of the week.”

“I’ll do what I can, but I already have a girlfriend back home.”

The Forum Day Two

Brian’s travel alarm rang first followed quickly by an announcement over the intercom that it was time to get out of bed.  The boys showered and got dressed in their shirts and ties before the 7:30 call to the dining room.  As he entered the dining hall he looked about.  There Grace was talking to a couple of newfound friends.  Brian walked over to her.

            “Good morning, Grace.”

            “Good morning, Brian,” she answered as the other two girls giggled.

            “What was that all about?” he asked as they walked over to fetch a tray.

            “Oh, nothing.  Those girls think you’re cute.  I may have to set them straight.”

            What was it about Grace?  She was so different from any other girl he had ever met.  She seemed so perceptive, self-assured, had a good sense of humor, and was just fun to be around.  The two chatted about their project as they ate breakfast.

            “By the way, my Aunt Louise says she wants you to join us for dinner at her house.  She says she insists you come.”

            “I don’t know, Brian.  I was instructed to remain on campus.”

            “Their house is only a couple blocks away.  I would hardly call that going off campus.  I don’t see why you shouldn’t come.”

            “I don’t want to get into any trouble.  Let me think about it for a while.”

            “And I don’t want to get in trouble with my aunt either.  She insists you come.”

            This was an interesting proposition for Grace.  She was seldom in anyone’s home for dinner.  Whenever she had been invited to someone’s house, it had always been so nice to see how normal people lived.  She always enjoyed every opportunity she’d ever had.  It might be interesting to see how people who didn’t know who she was would react as well.

            It seemed odd to Brian that she would hesitate to accept a simple dinner invitation, but he left it at that.  After breakfast the two bussed their trays and headed over to Fletcher Hall via the narrow hallway.

            “Do you want to stop here and block foot traffic?” she asked in the hallway.

            “No thanks,” he laughed.  “I’d rather not.  I might get into trouble again.”

            Grace just gave him a little punch on the arm in response.

            “Go ahead and find a seat, Brian.  I need to use the restroom.”

            As Brian found a seat up front, Grace walked past the restrooms to the nearest pay phone booth.  After a quick collect call, she returned to the lecture hall.

            “I’ve made up my mind, Brian.  I’ll come with you to your aunt and uncle’s house for dinner.”

            “Good, do you mind if I go give Aunt Louise a quick call to let her know you’ll be coming?”

            “No problem.  Go for it.”

            Brian walked by the restrooms to the nearest pay phone.  The receiver felt warm.  Someone must have just used it.  After he alerted his aunt, Brian returned to the lecture hall.  All seemed about ready to begin as the students were making small talk.

            “Look around the room, Brian.  Do you notice something?”

            He looked about but didn’t seem to see anything out of the ordinary.

            “What am I supposed to see?”

            “Everyone here is white.  There are no minority students.”

            “Now that you mention it, you’re right.”

            “I can’t believe whites aren’t the only smart people in the state.  You’d think they could include others.”

            Brian thought for a moment of his friend on the basketball team, Tyrone Helton.  He was plenty smart in the classroom.  One would think there would be many in the state like Tyrone who could have qualified for this forum.

            The reader should note this forum took place in 1962 so the unrest later in the decade had not yet changed people’s perspectives.

            The opening session dealt with how the presentation of projects would proceed.  They would be scheduled for both Thursday and Friday.  Each pair would have only ten minutes to give their presentation.  They were advised to keep things simple and concise.  If anyone reached the ten-minute mark, they would be abruptly cut off in mid-sentence.  There were to be 30 presentations the first day and 20 the next, beginning at 8:30 AM.  The written project was to be turned in following each presentation.  The projects and presentations would be judged on a scale from 1 to 5, 5 being the highest.  Requirements were listed in the syllabus.  Questions from the students were entertained.  When all seemed satisfied, another speaker stood to give a lecture on delegating responsibility to lighten one’s workload and to be inclusive.  At the conclusion, the participants were given the rest of the morning to work on their projects.

            Since it was windy outside, most pairs headed into the library or stayed behind in Fletcher Hall.  It would be a shame to see one’s hard work blowing away across the campus.  Most of the details had been hashed out and Brian and Grace agreed they were ready to begin the required written project proposal while talking about how they would deliver the presentation.  Grace came up with the idea to ask the other person a question to segue from one part of the proposal to another.

            “You could say something like Grace, what would the introduction of royalty look like?”

            “Yes, that sounds great.  It sounds better than saying, Brian will now tell us about how the royalty would be introduced.”

            “I have a hunch we are ahead of most other pairs from what I hear at the dorm,” she observed.  “We should sign up to be the first pair to give a presentation.”

            “Go first?”  What if we aren’t ready?”

            “We’ll be ready.  I think our proposal looks great already.”

            “But what if we decide to revise a section or two?”

            “I don’t think we’ll need to.  Besides, we would feel relief with our presentation out of the way early and we’d be able to sit back and listen to the others without having to stress about it.  You’re a perfectionist Brian.  Our proposal doesn’t have to be perfect; it must just be well done.  We will be there.  We are almost there.”

            “But if we work on it a bit more, we could make sure that we get a 5.”

            “We’re going to get a 5 Brian.  I’d be willing to bet on it.”

            “A bet?  What are the stakes?”

            “If I’m wrong.  I will march around that fountain in front of Old Main, cluck like a hen, and shout Brian was right, and I was wrong.”

            “And if we do get a 5, what do I have to do?”

            Grace thought for a bit.

            “Let me see.  If we get a 5, you must come to Medford and take me to our fall formal.”  Her answer was bit impulsive because she liked this guy.  She immediately had second thoughts.

            Brian thought for a minute.  He couldn’t lose either way.  He’d either get to watch her make a fool of herself at the fountain or he could have a date with this pretty young lady.

            “You have a bet.  I can’t wait to see you march around that fountain and I’m going to invite everyone to come watch.”

            Grace hoped she hadn’t done the wrong thing.  What if he did come to Midway to take her to the dance.  Would it turn out like all the others?  It was only the second day working with him, but she was beginning to like what she saw in Brian.  She enjoyed being with him.  He was always working hard and pulling his own weight.  He was also thoughtful and considerate despite her first impression. When she had been away from Brian the previous evening, she couldn’t stop thinking about him.  Grace had been through this before with other boys, but here she was forming a connection this time.  Was she willing to risk it?  It might work out or it might not.  She hoped it would.

            “And I can’t wait to see you in a tux at my place taking me to that dance.”

            The sign-up sheets were out for the closing lecture.  Grace raced down to sign up, returning to report they would be the very first presenters on Thursday morning.  Brian felt a little uneasy about it, but Grace felt so confident about their presentation.  Perhaps he was stressing about it too much.  When the closing session was over the two joined the others as they headed outside.  The others were headed to the dining hall, but Brian and Grace allowed them to pass by.

            “Well Miss Robinson, shall we take a stroll over to Oak Street?” Brian said as he extended his arm to her.  To his delight she put her hand through his elbow and the two set out across the campus.  Grace wanted to know all about his aunt and uncle’s family.  Brian filled her in on the details.  He also appreciated that she held his arm all the way over.

            “Here we are Grace.  This is the house.”

            “Oh, it’s so lovely!  What a classic design and I love the porch.  I bet that swing gets a lot of use.”

            “Sadie and I used to swing on that thing all the time when we were kids.  It holds a lot of memories for me.”

            As they made their way up the steps, Aunt Louise was there to greet them.

            “Hi Brian.”

            “Hi Aunt Louise.  I’d like you to meet my friend Grace.  Grace this is my Aunt Louise.”

            “Welcome to our home, Grace,” she said as she extended her hand in greeting.  Grace let go of Brian’s arm.

            “Thank you, ma’am.  I was just telling Brian how lovely your home is.”

            “Thank you, Grace.  We’ve lived here a long time.  Please come in and meet Brian’s uncle.”

            As they entered, Uncle George was folding up the newspaper he had been reading and put his pipe down.  He only smoked the pipe outdoors but was forever chewing on it in the house.  He rose to his feet.

            “Uncle George, this is my friend Grace.  Grace, this is my Uncle George.”

            “I’m pleased to meet you, young lady,” he said holding out a hand.

            “And I’m pleased to meet you as well Dr. Kurbitz.  Brian tells me you are a professor of economics.”

            “What’s that nephew of mine been telling you about me?  I hope it wasn’t all bad.”

            “Oh, no, sir,” she laughed.  “He seems to think highly of you.”

            “Now if you will excuse me,” Aunt Louise said.  “I must get things together in the kitchen.”

            “May I help you, Mrs. Kurbitz?” Grace asked anxiously as if an opportunity might pass her by if she didn’t act quickly.  Here was a chance for Grace to be in a real kitchen in a real house.

            “Why certainly, I’d love to have you assist me.”

            The last thing the gentlemen heard was the voice of Aunt Louise complimenting Grace on her dress and fussing about an apron. When the ladies had made their way into the kitchen, Uncle George spoke up.

            “Wow Brian, she’s a peach.  You sure picked a good partner.  She’s everything you told us about last evening.”

            “I didn’t pick her, Uncle George.  The council assigned us to be partners.”

            “She’s so polite and cute as the dickens.”

            “I guess so.”

            “You guess so!” his uncle scoffed as he punched his arm.  “Come on, man.  You can’t fool me.  You look like you have stars in your eyes.”

            “Maybe so, but she lives in Midway, and I live 70 miles away in Winchester.  I doubt anything will come of this.”

            “You never know, son.  You never know.  Would you care to watch the newscast on television?”

            “Sure.”

            The news was still on when Aunt Louise announced it was time for dinner.  The news anchor was just saying there would be pictures of the governor’s visit to the Twin Cities to open the new section of freeway following a commercial break when Uncle George turned the set off.  As dinner proceeded there were lots of questions as the adults got to know Grace.

            “Brian says your father works for the government, Grace, his uncle said.  What does he do?”

            “He, ah, works in the governor’s office.”

            Grace’s answer was technically correct, so she wasn’t telling a lie.  It was also a satisfactory answer as no one pressed her for more information.

            “I served on the last governor’s economic task force about ten years ago,” Uncle George said.  “We had several meetings at the capitol building.”

            “I live just a couple blocks from there,” Grace noted.

            The rest of the conversation was very cordial, and Brian’s aunt and uncle were impressed with this young lady.  During dinner it was decided that Grace and Brian might just as well work on their project out on the patio.  There wasn’t as windy as there had been earlier, and it was pleasant outside.

            “May I use your bathroom, Mrs. Kurbitz?” Grace asked.

            “Of course, you may, sweetheart.  Its right down the hallway.”

            When the bathroom door was closed it was Aunt Louise’s turn.

            “I am so impressed with Grace, Brian.  She certainly lives up to her name.  She is so polite and poised.  Someone has taught her how to act like a lady.”

            Brian wondered what Aunt Louise might think about Grace’s poise if she saw colored pencils exploding from her nostrils.

            “She acts like someone twice her age,” Aunt Louise continued.  “She is everything you told us about yesterday and more.  I hope you stay in contact with her after the forum is over.”

            “I probably will.  She certainly impresses me as well.”

            When Grace emerged from the bathroom, the two took their notebook out to the patio and kept working on the project.  By the time they needed to return to the dormitories for curfew they were essentially finished except for a few minor details.  As they set off on foot, Brian offered an elbow again, and she took it.

            “Your aunt and uncle are so nice.  I barely know any of my aunts and uncles.  You’re so lucky.”

            “They are my favorite relatives.  I’ve spent so much time with them over the years.”

            “I should add that their nephew is also very nice also.”

            “Thank you but, so are you.  I had my doubts when I first met you, but I know better now.”

            Grace smiled and squeezed his arm.  As they approached the dormitories, she had an idea. 

            “Let’s hold hands, Brian and see what kind of gossip we can create.”

            They walked by the boys’ dormitory first and drew a couple doubletakes but when they entered the foyer of the girls’ dormitory there were several glances and quiet whispering.

            “I’ll see you in the morning, Brian.  Thank you for a lovely evening.”

            Brian smiled but contained the laugh.

            “I’m looking forward to it.  Good evening, Grace.”

            Brian walked back to the boys’ dormitory.  By then word had spread quickly.  It was Roy who spoke first.

            “Geez, Ghost!  Two days and you have a girlfriend already.  You must be a smooth operator.”

            “She’s not my girlfriend, Bingo.  She’s just my project partner.  I already have a girlfriend at home.”

            “Yeah, sure, we all saw you guys holding hands.” Roy responded.  The other boys agreed with Roy.  They had seen the firsthand evidence.     

The Forum Day Three

Grace and Brian, who were now being seen by the others as a couple, had breakfast together.  The two shared responses they received from their little charade the night before and had a good chuckle.  After they had bussed their trays, they proceeded toward the lecture hall.

“Brian! Hold my hand! Let’s play this for what it’s worth.”  She just wanted to hold his hand if the truth was told.

The ever-faithful Brian did as he was told.  He enjoyed holding her hand.  In his mind he was beginning to wonder how he was going to explain all this to his girlfriend Christy back home.

The morning lecture was on inclusiveness.  They discussed avoiding the formation of cliques and going above and beyond to make sure everyone could take part in any activity with a sense of belonging.  There were a few last-minute announcements concerning the projects before each pair was sent to meet with their proctor for a final look at their preparations.

“If I were you,” the proctor said, “I would certainly mention how you could provide opportunities for inclusion in the coronation.  Other than that, I’d say you two are ready.  If I may say so, this is one of the best prepared projects I’ve seen over the years.  Congratulations on a job well done.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” both said as the proctor rose to dismiss them so they could put the finishing touches on their project.

They found a picnic table outside Fletcher Hall and set to work.  They made the suggested addition and used their best cursive writing for the narrative.  When that was done, the two practiced giving their presentation while Brian kept an eye on his watch.  They needed to keep up a good pace to get everything in under ten minutes.  The last practice took only eight and a half minutes, so they were essentially ready.

“Maybe we should add how we are going to raise money to purchase the robes and crowns,” Brian suggested.

“Brian!  Look at me!” Grace insisted. “We have completed our project to the best of our ability.  It’s good.  We don’t need to add anything more.  The proctor even said as much.  We’re finished!”

“But we could…”

“BRIAN!”

Perhaps Grace was right.  Maybe he was a perfectionist, but he still had a few doubts.  He was beginning to think they might just score a 5.  If that happened, he would have to take Grace to that Fall Formal in Midway.  It would be a long drive but then he’d be able to be with her again.

“If we’re done, what are we going to do for the rest of the afternoon?” he asked.

“We’ve worked hard.  We deserve to take it easy for a while.  Let me take our work to my dorm room and we’ll think of something to do.”

Brian wasn’t used to a girl taking charge like this.  It’s what leadership is all about though.  It’s why she was here.  He rather enjoyed her spirit.  She was like a breath of fresh air.  He never knew what she was going to do next.  Grace was up to her room and back in the foyer in no time.

“What shall we do first?” she asked.

“Let’s go have a look at that fountain you’ll be marching around tomorrow.”

“Okay.  While we’re there you can toss in a nickel and wish you hadn’t made a foolish bet with me.”

“That remains to be seen.”

The two scampered over to the fountain and sat down on the edge.  Grace splashed her hand in the water then flicked the drops on Brian. 

“I love the sound of water in motion,” she said.  “It could be a river or the surf at the ocean or just this fountain splashing here.  It’s so soothing.”

“Yes,” he agreed. “You’re right.  It is relaxing.”

“We should go wading,” she suggested.

“We probably shouldn’t.  They probably don’t allow it.  Besides, I’m wearing a nice pair of slacks and you’re wearing a skirt and nylons.”

“But it’s summer Brian.  This fountain can’t be more than eighteen inches deep. The water is warm, and our clothes will dry out in no time.  A change of clothes is not far away either,” Grace insisted while she was kicking off her flats.

“Are you serious?”

“Watch me.”

Grace stepped over edge in her stockinged feet.

“Come on Brian.”

“Give me a minute.”

Brian removed his shoes, took off his socks, and rolled up his pants legs.  Then he carefully stepped over the edge.

“Grace is right, and Brian is wrong,” she began to sing as she started marching around inside the fountain while she held Brian’s hand.

“Wait a minute that’s not how it’s supposed to go.”

“Buck, buck, buck, buck,” was her only reply.  She reached her free hand down and splashed him again.

“Oh, boy.  You’re asking for trouble.”

When she reached down to splash him again, he grabbed her to prevent it.  With his arms wrapped around Grace this was as close as these two had ever been.  Grace stopped struggling and the two were left hugging each other.  Grace put her head on Brian’s chest.

“I don’t want this week to end,” she said with a sigh.  This whole experience has been so wonderful.  I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.”

“Fun?” he questioned.  “This has been a whole lot of work.”

“Yes, it was a lot of work but that’s beside the point.  I got to work with probably the best partner available at the forum.  I got to spend lots of time with him.  I got to meet his aunt and uncle, and I got to know him very well.  Brian, I’m going to miss you when the week is over.  We only have two days left.”

“I’m going to miss you too….”

Brian’s sentence was interrupted by a shout.

“Hey!  Hey, you two kids!  Get out of that fountain!  What do you think you are doing in there?”

It was a campus security officer.

“We’re sorry officer,” Brian shouted back as he took Grace’s hand leading her back toward the edge where they had stepped into the fountain.  “It’s hot out.  We were just trying to cool off.”

“Well, you love birds go do your smooching somewhere else.  You’re not allowed in the fountain.”

“We weren’t smooching, sir,” Grace protested.  “We were just hugging.  Anything wrong with that?”

“Not on dry land.  Grab your stuff and enjoy the fountain from a distance.”

“Yes sir,” Brian replied, as he began rolling his pants legs back down.

They sat on a nearby park bench while Brian put on his socks and shoes.  Grace didn’t put her shoes back on but sat down beside him anyway.

“So, what should we do now?” she asked.

“There’s a nice park down by the river that Sadie and I used to walk to.  Do you want to go down there?”

“We can’t go to the park, Brian.  It’s off campus.”

“Well then, I’d like to have a look at the gym if you don’t mind.  We can see if it’s open.”

“That sounds good to me,” she agreed.  Exploring the gym wasn’t a great idea for her but Brian played basketball.  He would naturally want to see the gym.

“I think it’s over that way,” Brian said as they began walking.  Grace walked beside him in her stockinged feet, carrying her shoes.

The gym was indeed open.  The two walked in.  There were a few boys shooting baskets at the other end of the court.

“Wow, would you look at this!” Brian said in amazement.  “Look at all the seats.  I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a gym this size before.”

“It looks pretty big all right,” Grace agreed.

“Hey, guys,” Brian shouted.  “Can we borrow one of your basketballs?”

“Sure thing,” one of the boys said as he kicked one rolling down the court toward them.

Brian retrieved the ball, took off his sport coat, sat down and started taking his shoes off again.

“What are you doing?” Grace asked.

“You’re not allowed on a court in hard soled shoes.”

He set his shoes aside and Grace placed her flats neatly beside his like a perfectionist might do.  Brian took the ball, dribbled onto the court, and turned for a jump shot.  The ball drifted cleanly through the net making a swishing sound without touching the rim.

“Wow, that’s pretty good!” Grace said in disbelief.

“Your turn,” he said as he handed her the ball.

Grace carried the ball toward the net, which is referred to as travelling.  When she tossed the ball, not only did it miss the net, but it also missed the backboard too.  The two laughed as Brian flipped the ball to her again. 

“Try tossing it underhand this time.”

Grace studied the net carefully and then flipped the ball.  It touched both the backboard and the rim but bounced back onto the court.

“Your turn,” she said.

“Toss the ball to me while I run by you.” 

Grace did just that as Brian took the pass and laid the ball onto the backboard.  It bounced back into the net.

“Do you ever miss?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m not perfect.”

“I could have told you that,” she responded.

“I think you already have.”

Grace tried to shoot a basket again to no avail.  Brian had watched girls play basketball before, but it was an odd game.  They had to wear outfits with funny skirts and the guards were not allowed to go down court.  They had to stop at the half court line while the other three girls tried to keep the other team from scoring.  Brian tried to imagine Grace playing basketball, but it was a long stretch.  After about twenty attempts she finally got the ball to go through the net.  Brian cheered for her and so did the boys at the other end of the court.

“I think I’ll just watch you shoot the ball if you don’t mind,” Grace said as she sat down on a bench by their shoes.

Brian put up several shots… jump shots, lay ups, hook shots, and a couple free throws. They didn’t all go in but most of them did.

“Hey kid, you want to join us for a little three on three?” asked one of the boys who had been watching him.

“Oh, no thanks.  I didn’t bring my gym clothes nor tennis shoes.”

“Well, you can play with us any time you want.”

“I’m from out of town.  I don’t live here in Purviance.”

Brian gave them back their ball, sat down beside Grace, and began putting his shoes on.  With her stockings now dry, Grace slipped into hers too.  The two left the gym and began strolling back toward the lecture hall.

“Stop and listen, Brian.  Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”  All he heard was a bird chirping away in the distance.

“It’s a white crown sparrow.  We don’t have to be at the lecture hall for another half hour.  Let’s sit on this bench and listen for other birds.”

As they sat on the bench Brian stretched his arm out behind her back and to her credit, she snuggled in next to him.

“I can’t believe how nice it is.  With our project complete it’s like we are free to do what we want.  I so enjoy just being with you, Brian.”

“I really like being with you too, Grace.  I want to get your address and phone number before we leave on Friday.  We should keep in touch.”

“You’re right but I can only give my address.  Our phone number is unlisted.  I can’t give it out.”

Brian had heard of unlisted numbers before, so he didn’t press her on the issue.

“Like I was trying to tell you while we were in the fountain, I’m really going to miss you Grace and I don’t want to just cut things off on Friday.  I want to continue to talk to you on the phone and write you letters.  I hope we can find some way to see each other again too.”

“I’d like that also,” she responded though it might prove to be a bit awkward.

“The other thing is if one of us visits the other’s high school we should try to see each other.  Like if you come to a debate in Winchester, you should let me know so I can come see you.  Same is true if I’m in Midway playing basketball.”

“I suppose that could happen too.  We should get going.  It’s about time for the closing lecture.”

The two proceeded hand in hand to the lecture hall, again drawing glances from the others.

“Where is your notebook?” one of the girls asked Grace.

“It’s in my dorm room.  We’re all done.”

“You’re finished?” she asked in astonishment.  “We have a way to go yet.”

The closing lecture was on etiquette in social situations.  They even had a couple proctors act out a scenario.  Then another couple of proctors acted out the opposite which brought lots of laughter from the students at the forum.  After the lecture the students proceeded to the dining hall while Brian and Grace headed off hand in hand towards Oak Street.  Along the way they passed an elderly couple also walking hand in hand going in the opposite direction.  The couples exchanged a cheery hello as they passed each other.  Grace leaned over to speak softly to Brian.

“That could be us in a mirror fifty years from now.”

Brian wondered if Grace was thinking seriously about this or if it was just an expression.  It was hard to tell when she was serious or when she wasn’t.  When they approached his uncle and aunt’s house, they saw them both on the porch swing waiting for them.

“Hi Dr. and Mrs. Kurbitz,” Grace called out as she picked up the pace dragging Brian along by the hand.

“Hi, Grace,” Aunt Louise responded as they both rose from the swing.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Grace and Aunt Louise shared a hug as Uncle George looked on in approval.

“How was your day?  How is your project going?  Come tell us everything,” Aunt Louise said as they entered the house. 

Uncle George gave Brian a wink on the sly.  His aunt was again complimenting Grace on her skirt and blouse.  Brian wondered what she might think if she saw Grace wading around in the fountain clucking like a chicken in that same outfit.

The four enjoyed a lovely dinner outdoors.  It was obvious to Brian that his aunt and uncle were just as intrigued with this young lady as he was.  Their chit chat was unremarkable and centered mostly on Brian’s siblings and his cousins.  Since their project was finished the kids stayed at his aunt and uncle’s house while Grace soaked up this pleasant experience.

Later, as they were walking back to the campus hand in hand, Grace confided in him.

“I’m jealous of you, Brian.  You have such an enjoyable life.  If your mom and dad are anything like the Kurbitz’s, you are more than a lucky guy.  You have an amazing family.”

“I’ve never thought about that.  I guess I do have a happy life.  Is yours not?”

“I’m happy enough, I guess, but it’s not like what you have.  My life is a bit more complicated.”

“How so?”

“Oh,” she thought for a moment.  She pondered coming forth and telling him the full story but then if might ruin her state of bliss.  “It’s just a different way of life.  I don’t know how to explain it.”

Brian walked her to the girls’ dormitory where he bade her farewell for the evening.  Brian couldn’t see her crying alone in her bed later.  She really liked this boy.  It was going to be hard for her to lose this one.  Grace had difficulty falling asleep.

The Forum Day Four

Brian decided he should wear his suit for the presentation.  He could always change back into a sport coat at lunch time.  When he was ready, he proceeded with the other boys toward the dining hall.  Instead of referring to Brian as the Ghost, some were calling him Lucky Dog.  The girls began showing up later as Brian waited patiently for her.  Then he saw her.  She was wearing a blue jumper with a white blouse beneath, a white belt and white low heels.  She looked amazing.

“Wow, Grace.  You really look great this morning.”

“Thank you,” she responded, happy she had swept him off his feet.  She reached to straighten his tie. “Looks to me as if we both had the same idea.  We want to make a good impression with our presentation.  You look very handsome, sir.”

Brian smiled as the two picked up a tray for breakfast.  When they were seated Brian took out the piece of paper.

“Here is my address and phone number, tell me yours and I’ll jot it down here.”

He was all prepared with pen and paper.  Grace hesitated for a bit as Brian wrote down Grace Robinson.  This could spill the beans.

“It’s 300 South Capitol Boulevard, Midway.”

“That’s kind of a round number.  Is it on the corner?”

“Yes,” she answered, though the address took up the entire block.

“It sounds close to the capitol grounds too.”

“Yes, the capitol building is only a couple blocks away.  I can walk there.”

Here again Brian was not making the connection, and Grace was amazed he didn’t figure it out from the address.  She let out a sigh of relief.

“And your phone number?’

“Like I said, it’s unlisted.  I can’t give it to you.”

“Oh, that’s right.  Do you think we should practice our presentation again, Grace?”

“We’re ready, Brian.  We’ve already practiced it about a dozen times.  We’re going to be fine.  Eat your breakfast and relax.”

After breakfast the two headed over to Fletcher Hall sitting in the first row with easy access to the podium.  Nine proctors were also seated in the front row with pens and clipboards ready to judge each of the presentations.  Morning announcements were made, and the fourth day was underway.

“All right.  We are ready to proceed with presentations,” the moderator announced.  “Our first presenters will be Mr. Brian Ka-jellgoss and Miss Grace Robinson.  Would you two please come to the podium?”

            Grace and Brian arose and went up the stairs and onto the stage to the podium.  Grace placed the outline notes on the podium and looked out at the proctors as Brian stood by her side to await his cue.  The lead proctor held up his stopwatch.  Grace glanced at Brian and gave him a wink.

            “You may proceed when you are ready.”

            Grace was ready as she began their presentation.

            “Good morning students,” she said as the lead proctor started the stopwatch.  She spoke a little louder, “Good morning students!” 

This time several in the audience realized that it was a prompt and responded by returning the good morning greeting.

“I’m excited for homecoming!  How about you?”

“Yes,” came the audience response.  They were catching on that there was to be some interaction.

“We have a great plan in place for the homecoming court.  Brian, how are we going to select candidates for royalty?”

“I’m glad you asked, Grace.  Here’s what we’re going to do…”

This was a unique opening which drew everyone’s attention and that of the proctors as well.  They proceeded through the presentation like clockwork just as they had practiced.  As the proctor’s stopwatch ticked past nine minutes, Brian concluded the presentation.

“…and so there you have it students, a homecoming royalty celebration you won’t forget for years to come.”

As Grace and Brian bowed to the audience the room burst into loud applause and almost everyone stood in recognition.  The proctors were blown away by how good the presentation was.

The moderator approached the podium clapping his hands and gestured to Grace and Brian to return to the audience.

“Thank you, Mister Ka-jellgoss and Miss Robinson, for your presentation.  I might say in addition that the bar has already been set rather high this year.”

Instead of returning to the front row, Grace grabbed Brian’s hand to take him toward the twelfth row of seats.  As the moderator introduced the next pair, he was likely feeling sorry for them having to follow the first presentation.  As they sat down Grace grabbed Brian’s arm in a hug.

“We did it Brian!  We nailed it!  We’re going to receive a five for sure.”

Brian loosened his tie as he sat back to hear the following presentations.  He did feel relieved to be finished so early and he did feel more relaxed.  She was right, but then she was right most all the time.  She was likely right about the five as well.  They listened politely as each pair took a turn.  There were to be 18 presentations in the morning with 12 more after lunch.  At one point a pair was struggling with a presentation on sophomore orientation.  Grace rested her head on Brian’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

“I’m falling asleep here Brian,” she whispered.  “Wake me up.”

He shook her arm, but she didn’t lift her head off his shoulder.  When it was time for lunch the students stood, stretched, yawned and made their way to the dining hall.  It was proving to be a marathon.  It had to be if all 50 presentations were to be given in two days.  When lunch was finished, Brian excused himself to return to his dorm room and change into slacks and a sport coat.  Grace decided not to change clothes.

The afternoon session was just like the morning session.  One after another each pair went up to the podium.  Surprisingly, a presentation on planning a mother’s tea was one of the best.  A boy portrayed his partner’s mother.  It brought down the house and was well organized too.  The audience reacted to the presentation much the same as they had reacted to Brian and Grace’s.  After the final presentation of the day, the students were reminded that the results would be posted on a bulletin board in the dining hall when they were compiled.

Assuming the results would likely not be available until after dinner, Brian and Grace walked hand in hand over to his aunt and uncle’s house.

“Can’t you please give me your phone number, Grace.  I really want to stay in touch with you.”

“I’m sorry, Brian.  I’d give it to you if I could.  If you are worried about not being able to talk to me, why don’t we schedule a phone call once every week?”

“But you would have to pay all the long-distance fees.”

“Don’t worry about that.  It will not be a problem for my parents.”

“What if I’m not home when you call?”

“Why don’t we set a time each week so you can expect my call?”

“Well, we’re kind of busy most every day.  Sunday isn’t so busy though.  How about every Sunday.”

“Sunday it will be then.” Grace agreed.

“We go to church every Sunday so it will have to be in the afternoon.”

“Let me guess.  It’s a Lutheran church isn’t it.”

“How did you know?  I haven’t told you anything about my church,” Brian asked, astonished she would know.

“I took a wild guess based on your last name.”

“Yeah, makes sense I guess.”

“Bet you don’t know what church we go to.”

“I can’t even guess, and I don’t want to lose two bets in one day.”

“Episcopal.”

“So, what time should I expect your phone call?

“How about one o’clock?”

“It sounds fine.  One o’clock every Sunday afternoon.  I’ll be waiting by the phone.”

They arrived at the Kurbitz house and went up the steps.  Brian knocked on the door but there was no answer.

“Oh, oh, they’re hiding from us,” Grace laughed.

“We’re a bit early.  They’re probably in the back yard.”

That’s exactly where the two found them.

“Surprise,” Brian said to them.  “We’re here already.”

“Oh, hello,” Aunt Louise said. “We didn’t expect you for another half hour.  Oh, Grace I love your outfit.”

“It was a long day,” Brian replied.  “They excused us after all the day’s presentations were done.”

“How did you two do?” Uncle George asked.  “Did you get a 5?”

“We don’t know yet,” Grace answered.  They’ll probably have the results posted when we get back on campus.”

“Your mother called today, Brian,” his aunt told him.

“What did she have to say?” he asked.

“We chatted for quite a while.  Hopefully your ears weren’t burning.  Yours either Grace.  She’s going to arrive in the afternoon so we can visit for a while before it’s time to pick you up.”

“I can walk here, Aunt Louise.  Tell Mom not to drive over.  There will be lots of other cars waiting.  I can easily carry my suitcase and wardrobe bag over here.”

“Your arms will fall off,” Uncle George warned.

“No, they won’t, Uncle George.  I’m not a weakling.”

“You do whatever you want, dear,” his aunt said.  “I should head into the kitchen and get started.”

“May I help, Mrs. Kurbitz?” Grace asked.

“Certainly, honey.  Come along.”

Aunt Louise grabbed Grace’s hand and together they headed into the kitchen chattering away.

“That girl has certainly impressed your aunt.  Did you get her address and phone number, Brian, because if you haven’t, you’re a fool?”

“I have her address, but her phone number is unlisted.  She promised she would call me once a week.”

“Maybe she just doesn’t want her folks to know about you.”

“It’s unlisted.  Her folks just don’t want her giving it out I guess.”

“Maybe they’re up to something illegal,” his uncle laughed.

“I would doubt it.  Grace doesn’t strike me as someone from a shady family.”

“No, I would doubt it too.”

They spent time outside chatting about things, mainly baseball and basketball.  Soon Grace was at the back door wearing a frilly apron.

“Dinner is ready.  Time to come in.”

It was the last family style meal at the Kurbitz home for Grace.  It was a simple meal in a classic home.  There were no cooks nor servants and she could go into the kitchen when she wanted.  She had really enjoyed these little side trips off campus.  They were like an additional slice of normal life. 

“Thank you, oh so much for inviting me to dinner, Mrs. Kurbitz.  I really enjoyed spending time with you and Dr. Kurbitz.” Grace said as she gave Aunt Louise a hug.

“It was our pleasure, Grace.  Perhaps you can over again sometime in the future,” Aunt Louise replied as she held Grace close to her and glanced at Brian.  If Grace were ever to come again, Brian would have to do something to make it happen.  Brian could see his aunt was sending him a message by the look on her face.

“Now you two get on back to the campus.  I’m sure they’ve posted the scores by now.”

“Thank you so much, Aunt Louise,” Brian added giving her a hug.  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

With that the two were off hand in hand toward the bulletin board in the dining hall.  As they neared the hall a girl spotted Grace and Brian.

“Congratulations you two!” she called.

“Thank you,” Grace hollered back.  It was a good sign.

The list had indeed been posted and a few students were still having a look at the day’s scores. The surnames had been alphabetically listed so Kjellgos and Robinson appeared halfway through the list.

“C’est un cinq, Brian!  C’est un cinq! Grace said as she wrapped her arms around him for all she was worth.  She also revealed what language she had studied.

“Jah, es ist eine fünf,” he acknowledged.  He had lost the bet.

“Come on, Brian we have unfinished business at the fountain to take care of.”

“I’m not getting into that fountain again, Grace.  Are you crazy?”

“We don’t have to get into the fountain.  Come on,” she said as began pulling him in that direction. “Come on, follow me.”

“What unfinished business?”

“Come and see.”

Brian shook his head and did as he was told.  She was walking fast. If she weren’t wearing those low heels, she probably would have been running.  When they arrived at the fountain Grace looked around.

“Good, there is no one here.”

“I’m not getting into that fountain.”

“You don’t have to get into the fountain, Brian.  Just listen to it for a while.  Listen to the water talking to us.  It’s the same water that was here yesterday.  Close your eyes and listen.”

“I only hear splashing.  What’s it saying?”

“It’s saying you left in mid-sentence.  Where did you leave off?”

“We were in the fountain.”

“Yes, and what were you doing when security arrived?”

“I was hugging you and the officer accused us of smooching.”

“Okay, let’s go back in time one day.”

Grace held her arms out and Brian hugged her.  She put her head on his chest.  It was a reenactment.  They were back in time to yesterday.  The water wanted to know what would have happened if the security officer hadn’t chased them out of the fountain?  What had he been telling Grace?  Oh, yes, he remembered.

“I-I’m going to miss you too, Grace.  This has been an incredible week, and you are an incredible girl.  I don’t want this to end.  This has been the happiest week of my life.”

He gently lifted her head from his chest, and she looked him in the eye.  Remember that Brian is a bit slow at perceiving things, but he got it right this time.  He kissed her. He looked into her eyes and kissed her again. 

“I’m in a dream, Brian.  I don’t want to wake up.  I don’t want it to end.  We have less than 24 hours.”

“It won’t end, Grace.  I’ll write to you, and you’ll be calling on Sunday, won’t you?  It’s not going to end.”

“Yes, but I won’t see you.”

“We can see each other again.  Any time you are in Winchester I will want to see you.  Any time I’m in Midway I will want to see you.  I can’t wait to take you to your fall formal.”

“You don’t have to take me to the dance.  That’s a whole lot to ask of you.”

“But I want to, Grace.  I want to see you at every opportunity that comes our way.  Besides, I lost the bet.”

“I would love to have you take me to the formal, but it will be hard.  We live 70 miles or so apart from each other.  It’s not going to be easy.”

“We can make it work if we stay in touch.”

“I hope so, Brian.  I hope so.”  She kissed him again.

Why relate anything more about that evening? You could hear about the game of ping pong or the impromptu sing along in the foyer of the girls’ dormitory, but they aren’t of any importance.  The visit to the fountain was what counted and neither one would forget that for years to come.

The Last Day of the Forum

Brian was dreading this day, but so was a young lady over in the girls’ dormitory.  He bumped into Roy Bingham in the hallway on his way to the shower room.

“Are you ready for the last day, Ghost?” he asked.

“I guess so.”

“I mean are you ready?  Did you get her phone number and address?”

“Yeah, we’re going to call and write each other.”

“Good work, man.  That girl is something special.”

“Yeah, she is.”

“See you in the dining hall.”

“Yeah, see you there, man.”

Grace was waiting for him in the dining hall.  They grabbed trays and selected things for breakfast. After they were seated Grace reached into her purse and pulled something out.

“Here Brian, take these,” she said reaching her hand out across the dining table.

Brian held out his hand and she plunked a pair of earrings into it.

“What am I going to do with a pair of earrings?”

“You’re going to put them in a special place so you will always have something of mine to remember me by.  This is the best I could do with what I brought here.”

Brian clipped them together and put them into his pocket.  He thought about what he could give her in exchange.  It was there on his wrist.  He unstrapped his watch.

“Are you sure, Brian?  It must be worth a lot.”

“I have two more at home.  I can go one day without a watch.”

It was a very appropriate gift that signified the time they had spent together.  She smiled, patted his hand, held the watch to her lips for a moment before placing it in her purse.  It looked like she was holding back a tear.

“Are you okay Grace?”

“Yes, I’m okay… No, I’m not.  Today is going to be hard for me.”

“Me too.”  He placed a hand on hers to comfort her, but a tear trickled down her cheek anyway as she reached for her napkin.

The students headed over to Fletcher Hall where the marathon of presentations resumed.  Everything had to be done by three that afternoon.  Listening to twenty presentations after one has heard thirty the day before is not the least bit interesting and there is little of interest to tell.  When all the presentations had been given, the students were given an hour to just relax and enjoy the campus.

“Let’s go check out the student union building, Brian.”

He understood his consent wasn’t needed because she was already pulling him by the hand.  The inside of the union building was like a huge living room with hallways leading off left and right.  There was a cafeteria and a soda shop downstairs.

“I would sure like to have an ice cream cone,” Grace said, “but I didn’t bring any money.”  She usually didn’t carry money.  There was never a need.

“I’ve got it,” Brian said as he pulled out his wallet.

When they had cones in hand they went back outside and sat on a park bench to enjoy them.  When the last bit of cone had been consumed Grace reached out for her purse to get out a handkerchief.  As she brushed her hand on the bench, she picked up a sliver.

“Ouch!”

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I have a sliver in my finger.”

“Let me see.”

Brian inspected the finger.

“Oh, yes.  Here it is.”

He peered intently at the little sliver then put his fingernails together to try to extract it.

“Ouch!” Grace exclaimed again as Brian pulled the sliver out.

He examined the sliver for a minute then brushed it off onto the ground.  Then he kissed her finger.

“That’s what my mom used to do,” he explained.

“I should get a sliver in my lips.”

The two laughed.  He wanted to kiss her right now but there were so many people about.  It wouldn’t be proper in public.  Perhaps a goodbye kiss could be obtained sometime during the day before they had to depart.

The two checked out the library along with its vaulted ceiling in the main study area.  Then they ascended the stairs up the bell tower along with a couple other students for a bird’s eye view of the campus.  When it was time, according to the watch in Grace’s purse, they headed back to Fletcher Hall for the closing.  They had a look at the day’s results which had been posted.  They were one of 12 pairs who received a five for their presentations.

“… and so, students, we hope you return for your senior year from this leadership forum to serve as outstanding leaders. We also hope you will continue to use the principles we have discussed throughout your lives.  Have a safe journey home and hopefully some will return next year as a member of our student body.  Thank you all for attending.”

The students rose to applaud the work all the staff had done.  With that the students began to head to the dormitories to gather their belongings and prepare to meet those who would come to take them home.

“Before I head off to my aunt and uncles, Grace, I’d like to escort you to where your parents are going to pick you up.”

“My folks won’t be picking me up, so it doesn’t matter.  You don’t need to stay.”

“Who is going to pick you up?”

“It doesn’t matter.  My folks won’t be here.”

“Is it a relative?”

“Brian, please.  It doesn’t matter.  Let’s just say our goodbyes now and you can be on your way, “she said as she gave him a hug.”

“Are you crying?”

“Yes, don’t make this any harder for me.  What did I say?  What did I do?”

“You didn’t do anything.  Just go.  Please go.”

With that Grace turned and began running to the girls’ dormitory as she continued to cry”

“Grace!” he shouted after her to no avail.  There was no goodbye kiss. She was running away from him.

Reluctantly, Brian picked up his suitcase and wardrobe bag and began trudging toward the house on Oak Street.  He dropped his luggage by his mom’s De Soto, walked up the steps and knocked on the door.  His mother opened the door.

“What’s wrong, Brian?”

“Oh, it was hard to say goodbye.”

“Do you mean saying goodbye to your partner, Grace?”

“Yes, how do you know about Grace?”

“Louise told me all about her.”

“It was like she was pushing me away.  We worked so well together all week. I can’t think of a thing I said or did that might have changed things.”

Just about the same time over on campus.  A state trooper had pulled up.  The trooper placed Grace’s luggage in the trunk, opened a rear door for her, got back behind the wheel and drove away toward Midway.  He wondered why his young passenger was so sad.  The forum should have been an enjoyable experience.

“Having to say goodbye to a good friend can be difficult,” Brian’s mother said.  “I hope you two made plans to keep in touch with each other.”

“We did.”

“We had better get started.  We have a long drive ahead of us.  Let’s say our goodbyes to George and Louise.”

His mother had Brian do the driving home.  She wasn’t used to seeing him so sad.

“I wish there was something I could say to cheer you up.  Do you want to tell me about it?”

“I’ll probably be okay, Mom.  Besides Grace said she would call me on Sunday.”

“Really?”

“Yes.  She is going to call me every Sunday.”

“Didn’t you get her phone number?”

“No, her phone number is unlisted.  Her folks don’t allow her to give it out.”

“Huh?  I wonder why?  From what Louise told me, Grace is a very accomplished young lady.  Are her parents strict?”

“Not according to what Grace said.  Man, I can’t figure out what I’m going to do to correct anything I have said or done to her.  She is the most remarkable girl I have ever met.”

“Do you have her address?”

“Yes.”

“I think you should send her flowers.  It would be a thoughtful gesture and might patch things over.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

“I can help pay for it, Brian.”

“I think I have enough money, Mom.  The only thing I purchased all week was a pair of ice cream cones.  I didn’t even play pinball.”

The two were silent for a while.

“Man, I don’t know how I’m going to explain all this to Christy.”

“Are you going to break up with her?”  If the truth be known, Mrs. Kjellgos was always cordial toward Christy Belden but wasn’t that enamored with her.  She came across as a bit superficial and arrogant.

“I don’t know.”

“When you are this young, Brian, you have lots of time to meet other girls.  It’s too early to think about lifetime relationships.  Maybe you and Christy can be good friends.  Grace lives so far away and all.”

“Grace is amazing, no pun intended, Mom.  She is very smart. She’s mysterious in a way.  She’s spontaneous.  She’s very aware of sounds around her…birds, running water, bells ringing in a bell tower.  I’ve never met anyone like her.”

“Yep.  You need to send her flowers.  You just confirmed everything George and Louise told me about her.  They also said she has all the social graces, no pun intended.”

The two laughed about the play on the girl’s name.

“Aunt Louise says she lives up to her name.”

Just the banter seemed to lift Brian’s spirits.  Perhaps things weren’t as bad as he feared.  The rest of the journey home was quiet.  Brian thought about turning the car radio on to the rock and roll station in the Twin Cities, but then his mother didn’t care for that kind of music.  They arrived home safely and had dinner along with Brian’s father. 

Little by little the last day of the forum played out like water running beneath a bridge.  As he was preparing to go to bed, Brian took the earrings out of his pocket, looked at them closely, then placed them in the leather box that held his tie clips and cuff links.  Brian had difficulty falling asleep just thinking about everything but then a young lady in Midway was having the same problem.

Christy

Brian didn’t really want to call Christy Friday evening, and he really didn’t want to call her Saturday morning either.  He dreaded telling Christy about his week at the leadership forum and how he had the most wonderful partner any of the other students could have wished for.  As it turned out, Christy called him around 11 o’clock in the morning.

“It’s for you Brian,” his father said.  “It’s Christy Belden.”

“Hi Christy,” he answered.

“Why haven’t you called me yet.  I want to know all about the leadership forum.  How did it go?”

“It was fantastic.  I should take you for a milk shake so you can hear all about it.  Let me see if I can borrow Mom’s car and I’ll come pick you up.”

“You’d better make it snappy.  My mother and I are going shopping this afternoon.”

“Okay, hold on a bit so I can find out if I can have wheels.”

He asked his mother if he could borrow the De Soto, and she agreed.  Soon Brian was over at Christy’s house.  She was waiting for him and got into the front seat sliding over next to Brian, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“Are you okay, Brian.  You look a little concerned.”

“I’m okay.  I’ll tell you all about it when we’re at the soda fountain.”

“Oh, oh.  This sounds serious.  Was it something that happened at the forum?”

“Well, yes in a way.  Anyway, let’s wait until we’re at the drug store.”

The two didn’t talk about it until the milk shakes had been served.

“Okay, I want to hear about the forum,” Christy asked.  “Was it the partner you were paired with?”

“Well, yes, sort of.”

“What was his name? she asked.”

“My partner was a girl.”

“Oh, tell me about her.”  Red lights were already flashing in Christy’s head.

“Well, her name is Grace Robinson, and she lives in Midway.”

“And…”

“And she has a 4.0 GPA, she’s going to be the student body president, she plays both clarinet and violin.”

“Is she cute?”

“Yes.”

“Then it’s a good thing she lives in Midway, and I live here.”

“We agreed to stay in touch.”

“Brian, why would you want to do that?”

“Because Grace is a very fascinating young lady, and I want to stay in touch with her.”

“But, what about me?”

“You’re still my girlfriend, Christy.”

“If I’m your girlfriend then you shouldn’t be keeping in touch with that other girl.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.  Grace and I agreed to stay in touch,” Brian protested.

“Brian, do you like that girl?”

“Of course, I do.  We worked hard on our presentation and scored a perfect five.”

“So, you’re telling me you want to have another girlfriend on the side while you string me along?”

“I’m telling you I’m going to continue to stay in contact with Grace.”

“Oh, no.  You like that girl.  Did you kiss her?”

Brian hesitated to figure out how to respond.

“I can’t believe that.  I’m your girlfriend and you go around kissing another girl behind my back.  You’re nothing but a two timer.”

“It’s not like that, Christy.  I like you too.  You’re smart and beautiful.”

“Oh, God!  Here, you can have your stupid promise ring back.  Your words don’t mean anything.  It’s just as worthless as this cheap ring.”

With that Christy practically threw the ring at him, got up, and started walking away.

“Come on, wait a minute, Christy.  I’m sure we can talk this out.”

“I don’t think so.  I’m not interested in being with a two timer.”

“Hold on, I’ll give you a lift home.”

“I’d rather walk!  I don’t ever want to see you again,” she cried.

Things certainly could have gone better.  Brian now had no girlfriend here in Winchester and the girl he cared about lived seventy miles away.  Christy didn’t even leave on friendly terms.  If Brian had a girlfriend now, she lived so far away, and he didn’t know if she was his girlfriend or not.  Brian drove the car back home feeling like a heel.  His mother took him to the florist shop that afternoon where she helped Brian pick out a lovely bouquet from the tele-florist catalog to be sent to Grace’s home in Midway.  When they returned home Brian grabbed a basketball, went out to the driveway and shot baskets.  Any time he was shooting baskets alone he had ample time to do lots of thinking.

On Sunday morning Brian went to church with his parents.  It was a normal Sunday worship until the choir sang their anthem.  It was titled, “Wade in the Water.”  Brian did all he could to stifle the laugh just thinking about the fountain on the U for P campus.  He halfway expected the pastor or someone to say, “Hey, Wade! Get out of that water!” 

Later, after they were home from church, the Kjellgos family had finished eating lunch and Brian was pacing around the kitchen waiting for the phone to ring.  The clock struck one, then it moved on to five after, then ten after.  As he started to walk away, the phone finally began to ring.  He ran back and picked up the receiver.

“Hello!” Brian answered franticly.

“Is that you, Brian.”

“Yes, is It you, Grace.”

“Yes.”

“Man, I was worried when the phone didn’t ring at one.”

“I hope you will settle for about one o’clock.  I might not always be available to get on the phone at the stroke of one.”

“I’d be happy to hear your voice any time.”

“Brian, I think I owe you an apology.  I was kind of impatient with you when we were saying goodbye Friday, but I had a lot on my mind.”

“Did I say something wrong or do something wrong?”

“No, no.  It was me.  I did something wrong.  I owe you an apology.  I should not have run away from you.”

“You’re forgiven.  Other than that, how have you been?” he asked.

“Well, if you would like to know, I feel kind of lonely.  It’s been two days since I have seen you.”

“I should tell you my girlfriend broke up with me yesterday.”

“Really?” she asked. This was good news for Grace, and it lifted her spirits.

“Yeah, she threw the promise ring I gave her at me.”

“Oh, that sounds brutal, Brian.”

“I guess she thought I was her exclusive property, but I want to be free to socialize with anyone I want.”

“I’m sorry for you.  She shouldn’t have treated you like that.”

“No, it didn’t fit in with what we kept hearing at the forum,” he agreed

“Say, Brian.  I was looking at our school calendar.  We begin on September fifth.”

“So do we.  I even have a copy of the football schedule.  We play Midway on September twenty-first at your place.  I’d like to meet you there if you are going to the game.”

“I must be at the game.  I’m in the band.”

 “Then maybe we should meet somewhere in neutral territory.”

“I can’t.  I must stay with the band.  We usually have the third quarter off, but we can’t leave our grandstands.”

“Then I’ll come over to your side.  I think I can find the band and I know what a clarinet looks like.”

“Then it’s a date.  Well, ah, I don’t mean a real date.  You can find me in our stands.”

“I wouldn’t mind taking you on a real date.  Maybe we could go out for an Ice cream cone before or after the game.”

“Hmm, that might be difficult.  There is stuff going on in the band room both before and after the game and I am required to be there.  Besides it will take you a long time to get here and a long time to go home.  We should just plan to meet in the stands.”

“Okay.  So does your debate team have any plans to be in Winchester?”

“I won’t know that for some time, but I will let you know if and when I find out.”

This was going well, Grace thought.  These chances to see each other would be somewhere else besides her residence.  The Fall Formal would be another thing.  How would that work?  All the scenarios she thought out had him picking her up where she lived.  He would find out for sure if that happened and then it might be over.  He’d be finished with her, just like the others who had no idea what they were getting into.

“Like you said, it may be only two days, but I miss you so much already.”

“I miss you too, Brian.  I think about you all the time.  I’ve never met anyone else like you.  Guess what I’m holding in my hand?”

“The receiver.”

“I mean beside the receiver.  In my other hand.”

“I don’t know, a saltshaker?”

“No, silly, it’s your watch.  It reminds me of the time we spent together at the forum.  It’s the perfect gift.”

“Oh, oh, I’m in trouble.  I put your earrings with my clips and links.”

“As long as you have them, it makes me happy.  Every time you look at them, you’ll think of me.”

“I don’t have to look at your earrings.  I think about you all the time.  I hope we aren’t running up your phone bill talking away here.”

“It’s not a problem.  My dad and mom don’t mind.” 

Why should they?  All long-distance phone calls were allowed under the plan they had with the phone company, and it didn’t make any difference how long they talked.

“When you go to bed tonight, Brian, take out my earrings and give them a kiss.  It will be like you’re kissing me.”

“Are you kissing my watch, Grace?”

“A girl doesn’t kiss and tell.”

The two laughed.

“I wish I could see you more often, Grace.  Last week was so special.  I, I really like you, you know, and I really miss you.”

“Same here.  I hope it works out being so far away from you and all.”

“I don’t see why it shouldn’t.  We’ll see each other when we can.”

“I should get going, Brian.  Just remember I can’t get you out of my mind.”

“I think about you all the time too, Grace.  Have a nice week.”

“It won’t come close compared to last week.  You have a good week too.”

“Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

Brian went out into the living room.

“How did that go, honey?” his mother asked.

“It was so nice to hear her voice again.  Man, I wish she lived here in Winchester.”

Meanwhile, in Midway Grace walked back into the living room.

“How did it go, Gracie?” her mother asked.

“It was so nice to hear his voice.  I wish he lived here in Midway and knew everything.”

“If you want to keep seeing him,” her mother said, “you’ll need to tell him at some point.”

“If I do, he might not want to ever see me again.  Just like the others.”

“If you want to go out with him, you know we’ll have to do a background check,” her father reminded her.

“Do you have to, Daddy?”

“I’m afraid it’s required.  I have no choice.”

The telephone rang at the Kjellgos house on Monday morning just after ten o’clock.  Brian’s mother answered.

“Hello.”

“Oh, hello, this is Grace Robinson.  Is Brian there?”

“No, he isn’t.  He is at work, Grace.”

“I was calling to thank him for this beautiful bouquet of flowers.  Do you know when I can catch him at home?”

“He’ll be here this evening.  Shall I tell him you called?”

“Yes, please. Perhaps I can give him a call again tonight.”

“I’m sure he would appreciate that.”

“Could you please tell him I will call about seven o’clock?”

“Yes, I can do that.  He will likely be anticipating your call.  He was thrilled to talk to you yesterday.  I should tell you I am Brian’s mother.”

“I thought that might be the case.”

“Perhaps you can come visit Brian here.  You’re certainly welcome to our home.”

“Thank you for the invitation, Mrs. Kjellgos.  I would certainly enjoy coming to your house.  It would be a complicated process for that to happen though, we’re so far away and everything.”

“I should say that Brian thinks quite highly of you and talks about you often.”

“I talk about him to my parents as well.  I’m sure they would want to meet him should the opportunity arise.”

“I’ll tell Brian you will call this evening at seven, honey.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Kjellgos.  It has been nice to talk to you.”

“It has been nice to talk with you as well.  Please take care, Grace.”

“I will and you as well.  Goodbye Mrs. Kjellgos.”

“Goodbye, Grace.”

Brian’s mother was impressed.  Her brother and sister-in-law were right. This teenage girl was full of grace for someone her age.  Her parents had certainly taught her to act like a lady and she certainly lived up to her name.

The phone rang at 6:57 while Brian was hovering over the phone.

“Hello.”

“Hello Brian, this is Grace.  I was so thrilled to receive this bouquet of flowers.  They are so beautiful.  I love them.  It was so thoughtful of you to send them.”

“You are welcome.  I certainly appreciate you.”

“No one has ever sent me flowers before.  I cried when they arrived and I’m starting to cry now.”

“I’m glad they made you happy.  And if I did anything wrong, they come with an apology.”

“You haven’t done anything wrong.  It’s just the opposite.  You’ve done everything right.  I can’t wait to see you again at the football game.”

“I’ll be there for sure.”

“I need to go now; my father is expecting an important call this evening.  I don’t want him to miss it.”

“Okay, it’s nice to hear your voice.  Thanks for calling.”

“I’ll call you again this Sunday.”

“I’ll be waiting.  Goodbye Grace.”

“Goodbye Brian.”

If Grace was his girlfriend, these phone calls and the letters they would be sharing would be an important connection because they certainly were not going to be seeing each other in person with any frequency.

The School Year Begins

At this point the reader needs to go forward in time two and a half weeks. Brian has put in his last full week working at the appliance warehouse.  During that time, word has gone out to all the popular girls at Winchester High that one Brian Kjellgos is a two timer and a heel.  He’s dumped Christy Belden for some floozy who lives in Midway.  He’s not worth your time so you might as well avoid him.

It’s September fifth, the first day of school for the coming year. Brian was in the hallway heading to his new home room.  He’s already had time to greet some of his male companions.  They are all glad to see each other.  There comes Mary Harding down the hallway with Linda Turner.

“How was your summer, Mary?” Brian asks.

“Humph!” was her curt reply as she and Linda passed him by with a cold glare.

Brian wondered what that was all about.  Now he was nearing Susie Champion.

“Hey, Susie.  How’s it going.”

She didn’t even give a reply as she too glared at him.  Brian soon learned that no female was going to interact with him.  It was the girl with the alliterative name Wilma Warden who changed the narrative.  And yes, her middle initial is W.  Wilma doesn’t have a middle name, just an initial.  Brian has known her most of his life both from school and Sunday school.  Her father is branch manager of the downtown Tremont First National Bank, or TreFirst, if you will. You should know Wilma is in honor society but not known to be among the most popular girls at school.  Since Brian’s mother and Wilma’s are best of friends the two kids often played together when they were little.  Wilma had a crush on Brian back then, but she is very shy and wouldn’t say so.  Now it was like Brian was the brother Wilma never had.  She was always at ease talking to Brian.  Just don’t ask her to talk to a boy she doesn’t know that well.

“Hi, Brian.”

“Oh, hi Wilma,” Brian replied though he was amazed a young lady was willing to speak to him.  “How was your summer?”

“It was nice,” she replied as she removed her glasses.  “I worked at the library most of the summer.”

“Yeah, I spent a lot of time working at the appliance warehouse.  Not all that exciting, but the bank account looks nice.”

Wilma chuckled and agreed.  They were both saving up for college and a summer job never hurt.

“How was that leadership forum?” She asked.

“It was fantastic.  I learned a whole lot.”

“Did you know anyone there?”

“I knew Roy Bingham who plays basketball at Lawton High in Huson, but we made friends with others quickly.  I’m staying in touch with my project partner as well.”

“Who was your partner?”

“Grace Robinson from Midway.  We really worked well together.”

“That’s nice to meet friends who aren’t part of your own circle.”  Wilma wondered about a girl named Robinson from Midway.  It may not be what Wilma was wondering so she decided not to ask.  It might just be a coincidence, so she left it at that.  “The forum provided you a great opportunity to do just that.”

Brian now had one female who was willing to talk to him. He also appreciated Wilma’s comment about meeting friends who weren’t part of your own circle.  It was one of the lecture topics dealing with making others feel included at the forum.  Reaching out to others is an important part of leadership and if the most popular girls didn’t want to talk to him, then he would go out of his way to include others.  Don’t forget about Wilma.  There will be more on her later.

In Brian’s chemistry class, the teacher had the students choose lab partners for the coming semester.  While the others were choosing from among their best friends, Brian was thinking about which of his classmates was being left out.  Two others asked if Brian wanted to be their partner, but a quiet student named Charles Graham had his hand up indicating he would need a partner.  Charles was not in the circle of athletes and was more of a quiet academic who avoided social situations.

“Hey, Charles,” Brian said. “Want to be lab partners.”

The young man removed his glasses, as a smile graced his face.

“Sure, I don’t think anyone else wants to pair up with me.”

“I’ve known you for a couple years.  You’re smart and I’m sure you’ll carry on your part of the work.  I don’t see anyone else who would make any better partner.”

Later, at lunchtime, Brian was sitting with two other boys on the basketball team when Charles Graham walked by with his tray.

“Hey, Charles, do you want to sit with us?’

“What the heck.  Sure,” he replied.

“Guys, Charles is my lab partner for chemistry this semester.  We’ll likely spend time studying together.”

“That’s cool,” one of his friends said.  From that time on the group of athletes always included that one wiry kid in glasses who didn’t play any sport.  Being taken in by these popular boys did wonders for Charles’s self-esteem.

While the popular girls would whisper about Brian and point, he was busy making friends among the more unlikely students.  At the sock hop after the football game on Friday Brian asked every wallflower girl for a dance… the gangly, the overweight, the girl in the wheelchair, the black girl all got a chance to dance with Brian.  While the tongue wagging and laughing grew worse among a clique of popular girls, Brian’s circle of admirers expanded to include students who appreciated his ability to reach out to everyone.

Grace called Brian that Sunday.  The two enjoyed a lovely conversation and Brian learned that the Midway debate team would tentatively be at Winchester High on Wednesday, Oct. 10.  Charles marked the day on his calendar even though it was subject to change.

On Monday morning, as President of the student council, Brian introduced a plan to mix things up at lunchtime once a week.

“It’s important that every student in school feels a sense of belonging.  I would like to see us set aside one day a week to mix things up.  When a student picks up a tray in the lunchroom there should be a bucket to reach into and pick a table number.  People will be sitting with kids they may or may not know.  The goal would be to get to learn four things about every student at the table.”

“I’d rather we allow students to choose where they want to sit,” Linda Turner objected.  “This is America, don’t we have our freedom?”

“Perhaps we could set aside four or five tables for those who don’t want to take part,” another girl suggested.  “I like the idea of getting to know our other classmates.”

By the time the council hashed it out, it was agreed that there would be Mix Up Mondays where students could choose whether to join in the activity or not.  The student body would be asked to vote in their homeroom whether they would participate or not.  The council advisor agreed with the compromise and said he would run it by the principal. 

In chemistry class, the students were given their first lab assignment.  While they were working Brian and Charles Graham chatted about other things.

“I didn’t see you at the sock hop Friday, Charles. You should have been there.  It was lots of fun.”

“Oh, I don’t think any girl would want to dance with me.  Besides, I didn’t even go to the football games.”

“There were lots of girls to dance with.  I think I danced with at least twenty-five girls.  None of them said no, when I asked them to dance.  Next dance, Charles, I’m personally going to drag you there if you want to or not.  You should come to the next game too.”

“I’m not interested in football.”

“Going to the game isn’t about watching the game unless you want to, it’s about socializing with others.  I’m dragging you along next time for sure.”

By the end of the day, Brian learned that Mix Up Monday was a go.  The first run-through would be on Monday the seventeenth.  The rest of the week went well.  Brian found he was being greeted in the hallways by lots of folks though not by a certain clique of girls.  Several students remarked how they were looking forward to next Monday’s Mix Up.

The Midway Football Game

Brian was sitting by the telephone on Sunday at one o’clock.  It rang almost to the second.

“Hello, Grace?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“How did your week go?” he asked.

“It was good.  My two friends Laura and Maria are looking forward to seeing you on the twenty-first.  They’re in the band with me, so we’ll all likely be sitting together.”

“Maybe I should bring a kazoo.”

“Ha, that would be a scream.”

“I can’t wait to see you again, Grace.  It’s been almost a month.  I’m beginning to forget what you look like.”

“I’ll give you a picture of me on Friday if you promise to do the same.”

“It’s a done deal.”

“So, do you know when your fall formal is going to be?”

“Well, yes.  The dance is going to be held on Saturday October 27th.  Look, Brian, you don’t have to take me to the dance.”

“What are you talking about Grace?  I want to take you to the dance.  Besides I lost the bet.  What time on the 27^th?”

“It starts at 6:30 PM and goes until 9:30.”

“Okay that’s doable.  I’ll have plenty of time to get to your house and can be back home before midnight.  It’s on my calendar now.  I’m taking you to that dance, Grace.”

Brian seemed determined to take her to the dance.  Grace knew that day would come and now it was on the calendar.  October 27^th might very well be the end of this relationship, but she didn’t want it to end.

“Oh, I found out a bit more about our debate in Winchester.  It is going to be on the tenth for sure.  We must be at your place and get started at three thirty.”

“Hold it, let me add the time to my calendar.  Do you know where it will be?

 “No, perhaps you can ask around.  Someone should know what room it will be in.  We’re usually in an English lit classroom.  How did your week go, Brian.”

“Oh, I suggested a plan at student council for a lunchroom mix up once a week and it passed.  We’re going to have our first mix up tomorrow.”

“How does it work, Brian?”

“When students pick up their lunch trays, they also pick a table number at random.  The goal is to learn four things about everyone at their table.”

“That sounds like a great idea.  What if I stole it?”

“Be my guest, Grace.  I don’t have a patent on it.”

 “We have council on Wednesday morning.  I’m going to suggest the same idea.  It’s such a great way for students to learn about their classmates.”

The rest of their Sunday call was just chit chat.  Brian shared about dragging Charles to a dance and Grace shared that her brother and a friend of his were signing up to play Youth Basketball in November.  She figured a standout high school basketball player would be interested in that sort of thing.

“I’ll see you Friday at the stadium, Brian.  Don’t forget to bring a picture.”

“Yes, see you in Midway on Friday.  I can’t wait.  Take care this week.”

“You, too.  Goodbye Brian.”

“Goodbye Grace.”

The first Monday Mix Up took place on the seventeenth to the delight of those who took part.  There were lots of smiles and plenty of laughter if those can be a measure of success.  To top that, even more students signed up for the following Monday.  Word was getting out that Monday Mix Up was lots of fun.

That same afternoon Brian was walking in the hallway headed to his English class during a break.  He noticed one boy had another in a headlock.

“Hey, hey, what’s going on?” he asked.

“This jerk bumped into me,” the applicant of the headlock said.

“So, you want to get kicked out of school over someone bumping into you?” Brian asked.

“I told him I was sorry,” the victim pleaded from beneath the grasp.

“It’s not worth it, man.  Just let the kid go, okay?”

“Maybe you’re right.  Just don’t let it happen again,” the boy agreed as he released the victim from the headlock.

“He’s one of your classmates.  We’re on the same team.  Save the headlocks for the wrestling mat, Brian advised.”

On Tuesday, Brian was summoned to the boys’ counselor’s office.

“Oh, hi Brian,” the counselor said.  “Have a seat for a minute.”

Brian sat down and the counselor continued.

“Have you been in any kind of trouble lately, Brian?”

“Trouble, no, sir.  Not that I can think of.”  Brian’s first thought was perhaps it had something to do with a headlock incident the day before.

“I didn’t think so.  As a courtesy I should let you know that an investigator from the state stopped by this morning.  He was doing a background check on you.”

“What’s a background check, sir?”

“Well, someone wants to know if you are a person of good character.  I told him you are a straight A student from a prominent family who is a natural born leader in both student activities and on the basketball court.”

“Holy smoke, why would someone be investigating me?”

“He didn’t say.  He just wanted to know about you.”

“Oh, I bet I know,” Brian told the counselor.  “I talked to a scout from Blasco State University this summer.  Maybe they are going to offer me a scholarship to play basketball.”

“That would be nice.  That might explain why the investigator was here.  I just thought I should let you know.  You can head back to class now.”

That encounter made Brian’s day to think he might be in line for a scholarship.  It also was a reminder that it was time to start submitting college applications.  He had the choices down to three schools, but a scholarship might change things.

That same day Brian was chatting with Wilma Warden outside the library.

“Oh, hey Wilma, do you know anything about our debate team?”

“Yes, I’m on it.”

“Oh good.  I need to know what room the debate with Midway will take place on October 10.”

“All of the debates are in Mrs. McArdle’s classroom.  Do you know someone on the Midway team?”

“Yeah, Grace Robinson, my forum partner.  I will want to say hi to her while she is in town.”

“Do you two have anything special going on or anything?” Wilma asked with a sneaky grin on her face.

“Oh, I don’t know.  She is a neat person and we’re staying in touch with each other.  We talk on the phone every Sunday.”

“Huh?  Sounds serious to me.  I can hardly wait to meet this girl.”

“I’m sure you’ll like her as well.  She made friends easily at the forum.”

The rest of the week went well but Brian kept thinking about seeing Grace on Friday.  In fact, he had difficulty keeping his mind off her.  Brian signed up for the rooter bus.  He also talked Charles Graham into going to the game as well. 

The charter bus was ready as Brian and the other Winchester students boarded at six o’clock on Friday evening.  Brian, Charles, and a couple of the other basketball players got on board.  They took seats across the aisle from Wilma Warden and two of her friends.  It was a fun ride filled with chatter, laughter and singing of the Winchester fight song.  When the bus pulled up at the Midway stadium the students began filing out.

“I’ll see you guys back here at the bus when the game is over,” Brian told his friends.

“Okay, traitor,” one of the girls laughed.  They all thought it was funny that Brian was planning on spending the entire game over in the Midway grandstands.

The Midway band was already playing as Brian made his way to the opposite side of the field.  Many people gave him odd glances as he walked up into the stands and headed toward the band in his Winchester letterman’s jacket.  She spotted him before he spotted her.  It was a good thing because everyone in the band was wearing the same blue and white uniform.

“Brian!” Grace called out waving her hand.

As he neared, she handed her clarinet to the girl next to her and rushed into his arms for a big hug.  The two hugged for almost a half-minute.

“Oh, Grace, it’s so good to see you again.”

“Yeah, it’s good to see you too.  I couldn’t wait for you to get here,” she said as the other girls made room for the two to sit beside each other.  “Maria and Laura, this is my friend, Brian Kjellgos.  Brian these are my good friends Maria Rivas Sandoval and Laura Hammerstrom.”

Brian shook hands with her friends.

“Grace talks about you all the time, Brian,” Laura told him.  “I bet your ears are on fire most of the time.

“Oh, yeah?” He replied.  “I hope it wasn’t all bad.”

“Are you kidding?” Maria laughed.  “She thinks you walk on water.”

“Yeah, I tried that at the forum.  It didn’t work out so well.”

All three girls laughed because they all had heard the story.  Brian was holding Graces hand, but it was soon needed to play another song.  Maria and Laura knew something else about Grace, but she had asked them not to say anything.

“Do you ever get a break from playing that clarinet?” Brian asked.

“Yes, we have the third quarter off.”

“Good, I can take you over to the other side of the field and introduce you to some of my friends.”

“Nope,” Laura said shaking her head.

“I can’t go over there, Brian,” Grace explained. “We aren’t allowed to leave our stands.  We can only go as far as the restrooms and the snack bar.”

This was hardly a date, Brian thought to himself as the two exchanged photos.  Grace was going to be preoccupied with performing in the band and could not leave the premises.  There was little hope of stealing a kiss somehow.  There were so many others around not to mention teachers and a couple policemen.  He was going to have to be happy just sitting beside her along with her friends.

“I wish I had your watch with me,” Grace said as she nudged him.

Brian knew what she meant.  She would kiss him if she could.

“Yeah, I wish I had brought your earrings along as well.”

Grace responded by giving his hand a squeeze.  Maria and Laura had no idea what they were talking about.  The game began and things didn’t look too good for Winchester.  Brian was listening to the Midway fight song too many times.  Laura and Maria took turns ribbing him about his team’s performance.  As halftime neared the band filed out of the stands and down onto the track that surrounded the field for a performance.  Brian sat there all alone in enemy territory with a smile on his face.  With the score Midway 28 and Winchester 7 the two teams headed for the locker room and the band took over the field.  Brian applauded the performance including the all too familiar Midway fight song.  Soon the band was heading back into the stands.

“Okay, Brian, we have the third quarter free,” Grace said as she put down her clarinet and grabbed him by the hand.  “But the girls and I need to stop by the ladies’ room on the way to the snack bar.”

“Sounds good,” Brian replied.  “I’ll need to make a pit stop as well.”

Brian waited some time outside the ladies’ room for Grace and her friends.  The girls had to wait in line and take turns inside.  The four proceeded to the snack bar where they purchased popcorn.  Maria and Laura wandered off leaving Brian and Grace alone.

“Laura and Maria think you’re adorable, Brian.”

“Does that mean I pass the test.”

“With flying colors.”

“I think I’m going to be getting a scholarship to play basketball at some university,” Brian said as he munched another kernel.

“Wow, how do you know?”

“The counselor called me into his office this week and told me someone had done a background check on me.  The only reason I can think of is that some university is checking me out.”

Grace winced at the mention of a background check.  She knew who had done it.  In fact, her father had already gone over it and shared as much with her.  She was happy the result was that Brian was an outstanding young man and that her father approved of him.

“That will be nice to have your room, board, and tuition paid for.  You deserve it though.  You’re smart and hard working.”

“I wish I knew which school was doing the check.  I hope it’s Blasco State.”

“I’m sure you’ll find out who did the check someday, Brian,” Grace said though she dreaded the advent of that day.

“Oh, I also found out which room they are having the debate with your team.  A friend of mine is on our debate team.”

”What’s his name?”

“Her name is Wilma Warden.”

“Then I guess I’ll see Wilma Warden next month.”

“You’ll like her.  Everyone likes her. I’ve known her since we were two or three years old.”

“Even you, Brian?” Grace said as she cocked her head to the side.

“Well, yeah, but not the way you’re thinking.  I’ve known her forever.  Our moms are good friends.”

“Open your mouth, Brian.”

“What?”

“Open your mouth.”

Brian opened his mouth wide, and Grace tossed a popcorn kernel for him to catch.  It missed so Grace tried again.  After five attempts Brian caught one.

“I thought you were a hot shot basketball player.  Shouldn’t you have caught all of them?”

“I guess I’m better at shooting than receiving.”

“Okay, show me what you have,” Grace said as she opened her mouth.

When Brian tossed a kernel of popcorn Grace closed her mouth.

“Hey, not fair.”

“I guess you’ll have to place it in my mouth.”

As Brian placed the kernel in her mouth, and she closed her lips around his fingers.  When he removed his fingers, she smiled at him as if something more had happened.

“Man, I’d sure like to kiss you, Grace.”

“Not here Brian.  There are too many people around.  See that man standing over there?”

“Yes.”

“He is our principal.  He’d be right on us.  My earrings will have to do for now.  Listen, Brian, I need to tell you something.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“Well, I…ah…”

At that moment, the principal began telling all the band students it was time to return to the grandstands.  Grace thought about it.  Maybe this wasn’t a good time to tell him.

“What do you need to tell me?” Brian asked again.

“I ah, want to tell you how much I appreciate the fact that you made the effort to come see me tonight.  It means a lot to me.”

The two wandered back hand in hand to where the band was seated in the stands.  When the game was back underway, Winchester managed to score another touchdown.  Brian reached into his pocket, took out the kazoo and started playing the Winchester fight song.  His efforts were rewarded with kernels of popcorn being tossed on him and a great deal of laughter.  Brian even tried to catch a few kernels in his mouth.  Grace leaned her head on his shoulder as she laughed.

“That’s about the most spontaneous thing I’ve ever seen you do, Brian.  I love it.”

Of course, Grace and her friends had to take a turn on the kazoo as they passed it around.  By the end of the third quarter Midway was ahead 45 to 13.  When Midway began sending second and third string players onto the field everyone knew who would win.  As the fourth quarter got underway, the Midway band began to play again.  When Grace wasn’t playing her clarinet, she managed to make small talk with Brian and would hug his arm. The game ended and the band members began putting their instruments away.

“It was so nice to be with you, Grace.  Even if it was a short time.”

“I enjoyed every minute of it, Brian,” she said as she gave him a big hug.

“Get your things together, Grace,” the band teacher said.  “It’s time to move along.”

“Goodbye, Brian.  I can’t wait to see you again.”

“Same here, Grace.  I’ll be waiting for your call on Sunday.”

“I won’t disappoint.”

With that Brian began making his way around the field to the Winchester bus.

“Holy smoke, Ghost,” one of the boys said.  “I hope you had fun over on the winning side of the field.  You cost us the game.”

“It was fun, but I wish we would have won.”

“We were outclassed,” the boy continued.  “There was no way we could have won.”

“Did you have fun with your girlfriend, Brian?” Wilma Warden asked.

“It was great to see her again, but I’m not sure if I’d call her my girlfriend.”

“So, what did you guys do?” Wilma asked.

“We Just talked a lot and tossed popcorn at each other.”

Wilma and her friends laughed at the thought of flying popcorn.

September Ends

When Grace phoned Brian on Sunday the two had very little to say since they had seen each other on Friday.  Of course, they missed seeing each other already and they talked about kazoos, earrings, and watches.  On the 24^th another Monday Mix Up was to be held.  More students were involved, and more tables were set aside.  Brian and Charles Graham hastily added slips of paper with the new table numbers.

“Are you going to the football game Friday, Charles?”

“Yes.”

“Good, then I won’t have to drag you there.  And what about the dance after the game?  Do you have a date.”

“No, I don’t think any girl would want to dance with me.”

“You’ll never know until you ask, Charles.

“They might have another boyfriend or want to go with their friends.”

“Why don’t you ask Wilma to go with you to the dance?”

Charles was a bit taken aback.  He thought Wilma was a nice girl and secretly admired her but was too shy to do anything about it.  What if she didn’t have any interest in him?

“W-Wilma?  I don’t know.  I’ve never asked a girl to a dance before.”

“It’s easy, man.  All you say is hey Wilma, do you want to go to the dance with me after the game.  It’s not like you’re asking for a lifelong commitment or anything.  It’s just a dance.”

“Wilma?”

“Yes Wilma.  Now run it by me.  Pretend I’m Wilma.”

“Hey Wilma. Would you like to go to the dance with me after the game?”

“Oh, yes, Charles,” Brian answered in a falsetto voice. “I’d be thrilled to go with you to the dance.”

Charles laughed.

“That wasn’t hard at all, was it, Charles?”

“I guess not.”

“Okay, you’re going to ask Wilma to the dance and I’m checking back with you to make sure you go through with it.”

“But I…”

“No buts about it.  If Wilma tells you no, I’ll give you a dollar, but I bet I don’t lose anything.”

The Monday Mix Up was a big success again.  The upside was that many students were making new friends they might not otherwise had made.  In fact, Suzie Champion, one of Christy’s closest friends, told Brian she thought the Mix Up was the best thing that had ever happened at school in a long time.  Brian was a bit shocked as Suzie had not been talking to him since Christy broke up with him.

Going to school every day combined with homework each evening is not at all interesting.  It’s just what students do to prepare for the future.  That sums up the last week of September.  Only one other interesting thing went down that week.  It was Wednesday, in the library.  Brian wasn’t there.  Charles Graham walked into the library because he knew Wilma Warden would be there.  Poor Charles was a bit nervous.  His knees were likely knocking together as he worked up the courage.

“Hi, Wilma.”

“Hi, Charles,” she answered. “How’s your day going?”

“It’s g-going okay,” Charles stammered.  “Say, ah, would you like to g-go with me to the d-dance after the game Friday night?”

A somewhat stunned Wilma removed her glasses, fumbled with them, and dropped them on the floor.

“I, I would love to go to the dance with you,” she replied as she retrieved her glasses. This was the first time any boy had asked her on a… shall we call it a date?

“Gee, that’s swell, Wilma,” Charles said.  “Maybe we c-could sit together at the game too.”

“Yes, sure.”  Wilma hoped he didn’t see her hand trembling as she replaced her glasses.  “I’d like that.”

It was just an everyday occurrence that happens at high schools everywhere, except this was an event that Charles and Wilma would remember for the next sixty years or so.  It wasn’t like Charles was asking for a lifetime commitment but in this case it was.  It was also how they would answer the question one of their grandchildren might ask.  How did you two meet each other?  Winchester lost the football game, but Charles and Wilma gained everything.

The last day of September was on Sunday.  Brian was by the phone when it rang at three minutes after one.

“Hello?”

“Hi Brian, how did your week go?”

“It was fine.  Nothing special.  School, homework, you know.  Oh, and basketball practice is set to start on November 5^th.”

“Sounds like my week.  We learned what our debate topic is going to be when we are at Winchester.”

“Oh, yeah?  What is it going to be?”

“Resolved that the voting age should be lowered from 21 to 18.”

“Which side do you have?”

“We don’t know yet.  We are preparing to debate either pro or con.”

“I am so looking forward to seeing you again on the tenth.”

“I can’t wait to see you too, Brian.  Oh, I should tell you we’re going to start doing Monday Mix-Up tomorrow.”

“That sounds great.  Let me know how things go.  We sure enjoy it here.”

“Brian, are you sure you want to take me to our Fall Formal?”

“Oh, yes, absolutely.  I wouldn’t miss it for anything.  Don’t you want to go?”

“Well, yes, I would.  I’m just saying you don’t really have to go to all that expense and trouble.  That’s a long drive for you and everything.”

“Are you okay, Grace?”

“Yes, I’m fine.  I just don’t want to be an imposition on you.”

“Grace, it’s not an imposition.  I treasure the time when we get to spend with each other.  I so enjoy being with you.  To tell you the truth, I think about you every day.”

Grace thought about telling him, however, it would be out of place to do so over the phone rather than in person.  Perhaps she could let him know on the tenth while she was in Winchester.

“I think about you all the time too, Brian.  I’ve never met anyone like you.”

“My mom wants to know if it would be okay if she came to watch the debate.  Is it okay with you?”

“It would be okay.  I just hope I can shake off the nerves.”

“If you think it will be too stressful, I can ask her not to come.  She’ll have to have someone cover her class to attend.”

“Oh, no, Brian.  I would love to meet your mother.  I won’t have much time outside of the debate, but I would enjoy meeting her.”

“All right, I’ll let her know she’s invited.”

Having Brian’s mother at the debate complicated things.  She couldn’t explain things to Brian while his mother was standing there.

“I’ve moved your earrings to my nightstand next to your picture where I can see them all the time.”

“I have your watch handy too.  I’m keeping it wound, and it always reminds me of the time we spend together.”

Brian imagined Grace picking up the watch, winding it, and kissing it before replacing it on her nightstand.

“You have a great week, Brian.”

“You too Grace.  I’ll talk too you next week.”

“Goodbye, Mister Ghost.”

“Until next week Grace.”

Debate

October first was another Mix Up Monday at Winchester and the first one over at Midway. Both went well.  At Winchester they were at maximum participation while at Midway they were learning how much fun it was.  That first week was when Brian talked Charles Graham into signing up to serve as a manager during the upcoming basketball season.

“I saw you with Wilma at the dance Friday.  How did it go?”

“It was lots of fun,” Charles admitted.  “We also had a milkshake at the Tasty Freeze on Saturday.”

“Wow, it sounds serious already.”

“Gosh, I don’t know.  We were just hanging out.  Do you know that Wilma has been to Europe?”

“Oh, yeah, I remember when they went over there.”

“She was telling me all about France and Germany.”

“Wilma is a peach.  She’s like a sister to me.”

Brian was happy for Charles.  It was like he was coming out of a shell.  He seemed to be more self-confident. 

The students at school were busy with homecoming activities all week.  Brian spent most of the after-school time working on the Senior class float.  He also wondered why he hadn’t invited Grace to their homecoming dance, but two dances within two weeks sounded a bit too much.  He would be satisfied just taking Grace to the Fall Formal in Midway.  On Tuesday Brian learned that he was a candidate for Senior class prince and was elected Thursday morning.  Unfortunately, the Senior class princess was Christy Belden. Homecoming court was going to be interesting.

As the court was being assembled for rehearsal, Christy and Brian were instructed to stand beside each other and Christy was to place her hand on Brian’s elbow.

“I’ve been worried about you Brian,” Christy said.

“You are?  How so?”

“It’s like you are withdrawing socially.”

“Really?  I’ve been making new friends left and right.”

“Well, yes, but the friends you are running around with are in the wrong circle.  They are goofy people like Wanda Warden and Judy Lowe.”

“Wanda and Judy are not goofy people.  They are both smart and fun to be around.”

“Fun?  I wouldn’t call them fun people.  They’re kind of stuffy if you ask me.  There is still a chance you and I could get together again, but you’d have to make some changes.”

“What kind of changes?”

“I hear you are still carrying on that long distance relationship with that girl in Midway.  Why would you want to do that when all your other friends are here in Winchester?  You should drop her.”

“As a matter of fact, I am still communicating with that girl from Midway.  I’ll be seeing her next week and then I’m taking her to the Midway Fall Formal dance later this month.  I am interested in her because she is a smart, well-rounded person with manners you’ll never understand.  I’ve never met anyone else like her.”

“Oh, man, Brian.  You’re still hopeless.”

“You’re a smart young lady, Christy, but you have no clue what you’re talking about.  You can’t go through life surrounded by a bunch of stuck-up friends.  You need to learn how to get along with everyone.  I have no intention of ever getting back with you again.  That’s all water under the bridge.  I wish you well.”

The two were instructed to smile and wave as they proceeded to center stage both at the assembly and at halftime during the game.  And so, they did. Two people walking arm and arm pretending to like each other.

Winchester lost the homecoming game to Fort Miller.  The dance was held after the game.  Brian went alone.  He danced with several girls while Charles and Wanda danced every dance together.

Brian was there waiting by the phone when it rang on Sunday.

“Hello?”

“Hi Brian, how was your week.”

“It was tolerable, I guess.  My ex-girlfriend and I were Senior class prince and princess,” he began.  At the other end of the line Grace began laughing.

“It wasn’t funny.  She was at my elbow, and we had to pretend we were having fun.  Stop laughing, Grace.”

“I’m just imagining you squirming in your shoes.”

“Yeah, I guess it was funny from that angle.”

“I have some information about the Fall Formal dance,” Grace continued.

“Oh, what is it?”

“When you arrive here, you can park your car by the house.  My dad has arranged for transportation from here to the dance.”

“Oh, is it a limousine?”

“Well, not exactly but sort of like that.  Anyway, our house has a gate at the driveway, but it should be open.  Just drive through the gate and park by the house.”

“A gated driveway?  You must have a big house.”

“Yeah, it’s big, two stories and a basement.”

“Oh, hey, Brian.  I’ve been accepted at both Purviance and Blasco State.”

“That’s fantastic, Grace.  Good for you.  I haven’t heard anything yet.  If there is a scholarship involved, I may not know for a while, but I have my application in at both.  I could see us both going to the same university.”

“I would like that.”

“I can’t wait to take you to the dance, Grace, and I can’t wait to see you on Wednesday at the debate.”

“I can’t wait to see you either and I am looking forward to meeting your mother.”

“Can you put a couple of colored pencils in your nose, so she knows which one is you?”

The two laughed and continued with small talk until they said their good-byes.

The white Midway School District station wagon pulled up at Winchester High School at three o’clock on Wednesday.  Grace and her debate team mates along with their advisor proceeded to the office and were escorted to the classroom where the debate would take place.  The Winchester team was already there. There were also a handful of adults, likely teachers or judges.  A teacher was there for certain, a Mrs. Helen Kjellgos.  Grace wondered if any of the adults was Brian’s mother.  Helen wondered which student was Grace and figured she was the pretty blonde who appeared to be the lead for the Midway team.  Wanda greeted the blonde girl.

“Excuse me, are you Grace Robinson?” Wanda asked.

“Yes, I am,” she answered.

“I’m Wanda Warden, a good friend of Brian Kjellgos. He’s told us all about you.”

“Oh, oh,” Grace responded, “I hope I’m not in trouble.”

“Not at all.  He always speaks highly of you.”

“I’m pleased to meet you, Wanda.  Brian has told me about you also and I hope you do well in the debate.”

“Same here Grace.  If you will excuse me, I need to get things organized.”

Wanda wondered if Grace was perhaps…?  She could very well be.  Wanda also wondered if she should share her suspicions with Brian but then decided it wasn’t her place.  If Grace was who Wanda thought she was, then Grace should be the one to tell Brian.  That’s when Brian entered the classroom along with Charles Graham.

“Brian!” Grace said as she leaped to her feet and ran over to him giving him a big hug.

“It’s so good to see you again, Grace.” He said as his mother approached the two.

“Mom, this is my good friend, Grace Robinson.  Grace, this is my mother, Hellen Kjellgos.”

“How do you do, Mrs. Kjelgos?  I’m so happy to meet you.”

“And I am happy to finally meet you too.  Brian always has such nice things to say about you.”

“Now if everyone will please have a seat,” one of the judges said, “we will begin our debate.  Winchester will be the affirmative team.”

Everyone was seated.  Charles and Brian sat with his mother.  Wanda rose to her feet to give arguments in support of the resolution that the voting age should be lowered from 21 to 18.  Wanda appeared to be a bit nervous, but then Charles was seated there in the room.  When Wanda was seated, Grace arose to present arguments in opposition to the resolution.  She appeared to be a bit nervous as well, but then Brian and his mother were seated in the audience.

One by one the other team members presented their arguments as the judges looked on with clip boards in hand. After opening arguments and rebuttals were given the judges asked a few questions.  With that the debate was concluded.

During the debate Brian was impressed with Grace’s leadership on the debate team.  Her performance was outstanding.  His mother was quite astounded by the young lady’s intelligence and leadership.  Her son had connected with someone who had a whole lot going for her unlike Brian’s last girlfriend.

The members of the two teams rose to shake hands with their opponents and exchanged pleasantries.

Brian and his mother both arose, she had her arm on her son’s elbow.

“Wow, Brian.  I am totally blown away.  Grace is so smart, so polite, so well dressed.  You certainly picked one of the best.”

“We didn’t pick each other Mom.  We were assigned together,” he reminded her.

“Well, however it went, she is an outstanding young lady.”

“I agree with you.  Do you mind if I walk Grace out to their vehicle afterward?”

“I don’t mind at all.”

Charles was already headed up to talk to Wilma and Grace was heading back to where Brian and his mother were waiting.

“You did a great job, Grace,” Helen told the young lady.  “I’m so happy I could come see you debate.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Kjellgos.”

“Perhaps we could arrange for you to come to dinner at our house.  I’m sure Brian’s father would like to meet you.”

“That would be very nice.  I would appreciate it.”

“Maybe some time after the dance,” Brian suggested, “and before the basketball season gets into full swing.”

“Let me have a look at my calendar,” Helen said. “I can choose a date and run it by you.  What’s your phone number?”

“It’s unlisted, Mrs. Kjellgos, I’m not allowed to give it out.  I call Brian every Sunday.  He can serve as go between.”

“It’s time for us to leave, Grace,” the Midway advisor said. “Let’s head out to the car.”

“May I walk with you, Grace?” Brian asked.

“Of course, you can,” she answered as she placed her hand on his elbow.

Brian walked with the Midway team out to the parking lot as they all chatted.  As the team began to get into the van, Grace gave Brian a big hug.

“It was so nice to meet your mother.  She seems so sweet.”

“She is.”

“I’ll talk to you again on Sunday.  You take care of yourself.”

“You too Grace.  Goodbye.”

Grace closed the door behind her, and the advisor started the motor running.

“Oh, Grace,” one of the girls on the Midway team said, “your boyfriend is so cute.  How did you two meet each other?”

The van pulled out of the parking lot as Grace began telling the story.

Brian waved but Grace was preoccupied talking to another girl and didn’t return it.  He had visions of kissing her while she had been here in Winchester, but that did not happen.  There were too many people around, particularly teachers and of course his mother.  The two had not kissed since that time at the fountain in August.  His next opportunity wouldn’t be for another two weeks at the dance.  A lot of water had splashed in that fountain since August.

The Crisis

      Friday the 12^th was a day off for Columbus Day.  Brian and his mother went to the tux shop to try on a tuxedo.  They both agreed he looked very smart in the suit.  They arranged to pick it up on October twenty-sixth.  Brian was so looking forward to taking Grace to the Midway Fall Formal and it was now only two weeks away.

      Grace and her mother went shopping for a gown on Friday the twelfth.  They both agreed she looked beautiful in it.  The clerk boxed the gown and the two took it home.  Grace was both anticipating and dreading the dance.  It would be a make-or-break moment.  She so loved to be with Brian but feared how he might react once he found out.

     On Sunday the two chatted about their respective attire.

     “It has a bow tie which strings around the neck.  You don’t have to tie it.  It has a cummerbund also.”

     “I can’t wait to see you in that tux.  Either you’ll look like a penguin or very handsome.”

     “Mom is going to let me drive her DeSoto.  It will be the longest drive I’ve ever taken alone.  You mentioned there was a gate on your driveway.  Is there a fence as well?”

     “Yes.”

     “A wooden fence?”

    “No, it’s a metal fence.”

     Brian imagined a cyclone fence and a gate to match.

    “I hope I can find your house easily.”

    “You shouldn’t have a problem.  It’s big.”

    The number of students participating on Monday Mix Up declined a bit.  The student council decided to continue the event through November fifth, then take a break until the new year.  They also began sharing ideas about decorating the lunchroom for Halloween.  Fearing an athletic scholarship might not be offered, Brian filled out applications to both Purviance University and Blasco State. Better to be safe than sorry.  He would attend either one depending on which one Grace chose.  That whole week at school Brian kept thinking about the dance at Midway and how much fun it was going to be.  It would be the first time the two would have an actual date with each other.  All the other times they had seen each other, they were a part of an organized activity with a crowd.  He was looking forward to meeting Grace’s family as well and having a look at her “big” house.

    On Sunday Grace called Brian as was now her custom.

    “So, what do your folks think about the long-distance fees for all these Sunday phone calls?” Brian asked.

    “They don’t mind.” Grace replied.  They didn’t need to care about long-distance fees.  “They’re just happy we get to talk with each other once a week.”

    “I’ve applied to Purviance and Blasco State.  If I don’t end up with an athletic scholarship I don’t want to be out in the cold.”

    “It’s a good idea, Brian.  No one knows what the future might bring.”

    Grace wondered what future she would see come Saturday.

   “Our Monday Mix Up grew by about 50% this week,” Grace added.

   “Ours is down a bit.  We’ve decided to give it rest for a couple of weeks and resume in the new year.”

    “It’s such a great way to get to know who your fellow students are.”

    The small talk went on for a bit before it was time to hang up.

    “I am so looking forward to seeing you on Saturday,” Brian told her.

    “Same here,” she replied.  “Remember to just park your car close to the house and ring the doorbell. Everyone is expecting you.”

   “Have a great week, Grace.”

    “You too, Brian.  Goodbye.”

The year 1962 was many years ago and many may not remember what happened on Monday, October 22.  The President announced that the Soviet Union was placing ballistic missiles in Cuba.  The United States was demanding that they be removed and was placing a naval blockade around Cuba.  The whole nation was troubled.  This crisis could lead to a nuclear war.  Everyone understood that if a nuclear war began there would be no winner.  Security measures were set in place everywhere and the military was on high alert.  Even at school things were not normal.  Students understood that the world as they knew it could collapse if the worst happened.

    That evening while Brian and his father were discussing the ramifications of the crisis the phone rang.  Brian’s mother picked up the receiver.

    “Hello?” she answered. “Yes, he’s here Grace.  Would you like to speak to him?”

    After a bit she turned to Brian.

   “It’s Grace, Brian.  She needs to talk to you.”

    It was odd that she would call on a Monday evening.  They had just spoken the day before.  Maybe her dress got ruined or something.

    “Hello, Grace.  Is everything all right?”

    “Well, yes and no.  We are all safe here, but we’re all worried about the crisis.”

    “Yes, it’s a very serious matter,” Brian agreed.

    “Remember when I told you our gate would be open on Saturday?  It’s changed.  The gate is going to be closed until further notice.  Now when you pull up to the gate, someone will be there waiting for you.  Just tell him who you are, and he will open the gate for you.  We will be expecting you.”

    “Really?  Why is the gate going to be closed?”

    “It’s just a precaution.  It’s complicated.  My dad can explain it to you when you get here.”

    Grace’s father had some kind of job in the governor’s office.  Perhaps it had something to do with the military.  It made sense to secure gates in such a crisis.

    “Okay.  I’ll look for someone at the gate.  I can’t wait to see you again.”

    “Great.  I didn’t want you to be taken by surprise.  I had visions of you turning around and driving back home.”

    “I’m not about to drive that far just to turn around and go back home.  What with this crisis, who knows?  It might be our last chance to see each other.”

    “Let’s hope and pray it doesn’t come to that.”

    “Don’t worry, Grace.  I’m not going to let a closed gate stop me.  I’ll open it myself if I must just to see you again.”

    It would be unlikely that Brian could open the gate by himself, but Grace didn’t elaborate.

    “We are expecting you.  They will open the gate for you to drive in.  I can’t wait to see you, Brian.  I need to get off the line.  I’ll talk to you later.  Goodbye.”

    “Goodbye, Grace.  Take care.”

    “What was all that about?” Brian’s dad asked.

    “There’s a gate at Grace’s house.  It’s going to be closed on Saturday, but they will be expecting me and someone will make sure I can get into the driveway.”

    “Grace’s father must have something to do with security,” Mr. Kjellgos speculated.  “It makes sense with this crisis.  I hope everything works out and we can avoid another war.”

    The whole week was like that.  Everyone was on edge hoping we would not get into a war with the Soviet Union.  Students quietly went about their schoolwork hoping their future would not be snuffed out.  At least the two superpowers seemed to be communicating with each other.  Perhaps a solution could be reached.

The Fall Formal

     Saturday was a flurry of activity at the Kjellgos household.  The television and radio were both on so the family could catch any news on the missile crisis.  Brian asked his dad if he could drive the Packard to Grace’s house instead so he could arrive in style.  His father told him no.  The Packard was too new. Brian wolfed down a quick meal before his mother dismissed him to go get ready.  He changed into his tuxedo and spent a bit of time in front of the mirror.

    “I’m ready to head out, Mom and Dad.”

    “Wow, you really look handsome, Brian,” his mother cooed.  “Let me get the boutonniere and corsage out of the refrigerator.  Just leave them in their boxes and you can put them on when you get to Grace’s house.”

    “We hope you have lots of fun, Son,” his dad told him.  “The dance is a great chance to get away from all this depressing news.”

    “Thanks Dad and Mom.”

    “Drive safely,” his mother added, “and don’t bother to wake us up when you get home.”

    With that Brian was out the door and into the DeSoto.  As predicted, the trip took an hour and a half.  Brian tuned into his favorite rock and roll station based in the Twin Cities, Rock On 1090 AM, that came in clearer the closer he got to Rossburg.  This was a great opportunity for him to listen to his favorite music.  He heard the unmistakable voice of the disk jockey Billy Four Eyes McCoy knowing he’d hear all his favorite tunes. The station played music most of the time including songs by the Beach Boys, Sam Cooke, Gene Pitney, Mary Wells, The Everly Brothers, The Ventures, Little Eva, and a new band from England called the Beatles.  McCoy also played the new Halloween song by Bobby Boris Pickett called the Monster Mash.  Otherwise, it was advertisements and short snippets of depressing news. It was in Rossburg that Brian got onto the new freeway.  The rest of the trip south to Midway was a breeze as Brian sang along to the music on the radio.  When he entered Midway Brian took the Capitol Boulevard Exit. 

    At the intersection at the end of the offramp, Brian took a left turn onto Capitol Blvd. and headed south.  The street was wide with a tree lined median.  He drove to the intersection with Midway Avenue where North Capitol Boulevard gives way to South Capitol Blvd.  Brian hardly noticed the change as he admired the Capitol Building all lit up for the evening.  This would be the 100 block.  He began looking for 300 South Capitol Boulevard.  It was beginning to get dark, but the streetlights helped.  He drove past the governor’s mansion with its huge iron fence and kept looking for house numbers.  Soon he found himself on the 500 block.  He had driven by Grace’s house.  How could he have missed it?  She said he shouldn’t have trouble finding it.  Brian turned back around and headed north again.  He spotted the address of 321.  He was in the right block but couldn’t find her house on the opposite side of the street.  Only the governor’s mansion was there.  Brian went back to the Capitol building and turned around once again.  Why couldn’t he find her house?  He decided to stop at the governor’s mansion before it got any darker and ask for directions.  After all Grace had told him her father worked for the governor.  They would likely know where her house was.

    Brian turned into the entryway for the mansion and drove up to a guard house.  There was a state trooper with a flat brimmed hat on duty.

    “Excuse me sir, I’m looking for 300 South Capitol Blvd.  Can you give me directions?”

    “I don’t need to, son.  You’re at the right place.”

    Brian was a bit confused.  This was 300 South Capitol Boulevard?  This was the governor’s mansion, not Grace’s house.  Was this some kind of prank?  This “house” did have a gate though just like Grace had told him.  It was right in front of him and there certainly was a fence around the yard albeit an Iron fence.  There was indeed a person at the gate to let him in.  Then it hit him like a ton of bricks.  It was common knowledge that the governor of the state was Chester W. Robinson.  Why hadn’t he put two and two together?  Grace Robinson had to be the governor’s daughter.  Brian turned white as a ghost as a flood of emotion cascaded through his mind.  Grace was sure going to have a lot of explaining to do.

    “Are you sure this is the right address?  I’m looking for a Miss Grace Robinson.”

    “Yes, and you must be Brian Kjellgos?” the trooper said pronouncing the surname correctly as he checked a clipboard.

    “Yes, sir.”

It was odd this trooper knew how to pronounce his last name.  Most folks butchered it on the first try.

    “May I see your driver’s license, son?”

    “Y-Yes, sir,” Brian stammered as he fumbled in his vest pocket to bring out his wallet.

    The trooper inspected the license, looked at Brian with his flashlight, and back at the license.

    “We’ve been expecting you.  I will let them know you have arrived.”  He said this as he pushed a button, and the iron gate began opening.

    Brian had been in nervous situations before and he was nervous enough to be meeting Grace’s parents for the first time, but this was something else.  He began to sweat, and his hands began trembling.  Had Grace tricked him?  Brian thought about turning around and heading back home.  This was a bit much.

    “Just drive up to the entryway and park in any of the spots in front of the mansion.  Just don’t park under the portico.”

   “Yes, sir.” Brian replied.  This was a state trooper telling him to pull up into a parking spot.  He had better do as he was told.  Still, he wondered how many people had a portico in front of their house.

    Brian drove the DeSoto up past a black Cadillac with the brief license plate number, 1.  He parked two spaces away from the Cadillac.  Brian nervously picked up the corsage and boutonniere in his trembling hands and proceeded to the huge front door.  He nervously pressed the doorbell.  When the door opened, he was greeted by a butler rather than Grace.

    “Mr. Kjellgos?” he asked.

    “Yes, sir.”

    “Come in please.”

    The mansion was like no other “house” he had ever seen before.  He was standing in a foyer with a huge marble stairway in front of him.  To the left was an entryway that had a sign reading Ballroom.  To his right was an identical entryway that had a sign reading Dining Hall.  There was also a marble statue of George Conrad Lawton, the first governor of the state, staring down at him as if he was questioning his right to be here.

    “Follow me, Mr. Kjellgos,” the butler directed as he began ascending the stairway and past a sign that read restricted area. 

    At the top of the stairs were two more entryways.  The one on the left had a sign reading Executive Offices while the other had a sign reading Governor’s Residence.  There was a huge crest on the wall in front of him with the state seal on it.  It was surreal to say the least.

    “Wait here, please,” the butler said as he opened the door to the residence. 

    “Mr. Kjellgos is here, sir,” the butler announced.

    “Please show him in, Albert,” came a voice from inside.

    As the butler held the door open for Brian, he sheepishly entered the governor’s sumptuously carpeted residence.  In the well-appointed living room stood the governor, his wife and son on their feet waiting for his arrival.  There was no sign of Grace.  He was about to meet the governor.  Thank goodness he was dressed for the occasion.

    “Good evening, Mr. Kjellgos,” Governor Robinson said to him extending his hand.  “I’m Chester Robinson, this is my wife, Monica, and our son David.”

    “I-I’m pleased to meet you Mr. Rob…er Mr. Governor sir or I m-mean your Honor,” Brian stammered.  He held out his trembling hand and Governor Robinson took it in a firm handshake.”

    “Just call me Mr. Robinson,” he chuckled.  “Please have a seat, Brian.  Grace is busy getting ready.  She’s told us quite a bit about you.  Welcome to our home.”

    Brian nervously set down the boxes with the corsage and boutonniere on an end table then took a seat on an overstuffed leather chair.

    “You look very handsome, Mr. Kjellgos,” Mrs. Robinson told him.  “Grace has been looking forward to this dance for quite some time.”

    “Thank you, M-Mrs. Robinson, I have been as well.”

    All three seemed to be staring at him as he sat there nervously looking about the room unsure of himself.

    “If you will excuse me,” she continued, “I’ll go see how Grace is coming along.”

    As Grace’s mother rose to her feet, so did Brian.

   “No need to stand son,” the Governor told him.  “You never know how long these ladies are going to take.”

    “Gracie says you play basketball,” young David said.

    “That’s right.  I play forward for Winchester High,” Brian responded.

    “I play basketball too,” David continued.  “I play on a junior team.”

    “Good for you, David,” Brian told the lad.  “It’s good to be involved in sports.  It builds character.”  It was much easier to talk to the kid rather than the governor.

    “What can I do to get better at basketball?” the youngster asked.

    “There are three things you can do.  Practice every chance you get.  Listen to your coaches, and hustle on defense,” Brian advised.

    “I couldn’t agree more,” the governor responded.  “Grace tells me your father is a lawyer.”

    “Yes, sir, he-he is,” Brian told him.  “He is a deputy prosecuting attorney for Marenna County.”

    “I don’t know that I have ever met him,” said Grace’s father.  “I’ve met lots of lawyers around the state, though.  Perhaps I’ve bumped into him in the past.”

    Brian picked up the flower boxes, fidgeted with them, then put them back down again.  A door opened and Grace’s mother appeared.

    “Grace is ready now,” she announced as she stepped aside.

    All three gentlemen arose.  Grace made her entrance and Brian was stunned.  She looked so beautiful.  Perhaps more attractive than he had ever seen before.

    “Oh, wow,” Brian stammered, “You look very nice, Grace.”

    “I agree,” her father said.

    “Thank you,” Grace replied as she walked over to Brian giving him a big hug.

    Brian felt somewhat nervous hugging the governor’s daughter right in front of her parents and brother although they didn’t seem to mind.

    “I h-have this corsage for you,” Brian said sheepishly.

    “Would you like to pin it on me?” Grace asked.

    “I ah, well…” he stammered.

    “Perhaps I should pin it on her,” Mrs. Robinson suggested.

    “That would be n-nice,” Brian nervously responded. “Thank you, ma’am.”

    Grace’s mother pinned the corsage on Grace’s dress as the gentlemen looked on.

    “Would you like me to help you with your boutonniere?” Grace’s father asked.

    “I would appreciate that, s-sir,” Brian responded as the governor pinned the flower to Brian’s lapel.

   “Sargeant McDougall will be ready when you kids are,” Grace’s father said.

    “May I use the restroom before we go?” Brian asked nervously.

    “Yes,” the governor replied. “Down the hall and second right.”

    As Brian was using the lavish facilities, he thought about how he was going to confront Grace about all this deception.  Of course, that was going to be difficult because she looked so beautiful.  How do you confront someone you were head over heels for?

    Back out in the living room all five were standing and ready to process to the stairway.  They all descended and headed out the front door.  A trooper was waiting for them beneath the portico.  The motor of the Cadillac with the single digit license plate was running and the trooper was holding the back door open for them.

    “You kids have a great time, and we will see you in a couple of hours,” Governor Robinson said.

    “Thanks, Daddy,” Grace replied, “We will.”

    Grace and Brian took a seat on the plush leather upholstery.  There was a glass privacy partition between the front and back seats.  Fortunately, Sargeant McDougall wouldn’t be listening in as Brian and Grace sorted things out.

    “Well, what do you think?” Grace asked poor Brian.

    “What do I think?  I think I’ve been deceived.”

    “How so?” she asked.

    “You could have told me that your father was the governor of the whole dang state.  Why didn’t you tell me?”

    “You never asked, Brian.  Would it have made any difference?”

    “Gosh, I don’t know but it’s kind of a big deal.  I wish you would have said something.”

    “It’s always been a big deal for other boys who have dated me.  It’s also been a deal breaker.  I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to lose you.”

    “What do you mean a deal breaker?”

    “When a boy finds out my dad is the governor, he calls it quits.  No one wants to bother with all the security and background checks.  Nobody wants to date the governor’s daughter.”

    “Did you have that background check done on me, Grace?”

    “I didn’t ask to have the background check done.  It was required.  The troopers wouldn’t let you escort me to the dance without it.  I had nothing to do with it.”

    “Man, I feel like I’ve been hood winked.”

    “I’ve never deceived you, Brian.  You mean the world to me.  I’d never do anything like that to you.”

    “But you told me your dad worked in the Governor’s office.”

    “Is that a lie?”

    “Well, no, I guess not.  I just didn’t know what chair he sat in.  It’s like you live in a different world.”

    “I’ll agree it is a different world, but I wouldn’t call it a better world.  Listen to me, Brian.  In some ways I’ve felt like a prisoner for the last five years I’ve been a part of the security net around my dad.  There is always an adult who knows where I am and what I am doing.  It’s for my own safety but it’s like I’ve been constantly under surveillance.  I’m not just another high school student.”

    “But you were never surrounded by security at the forum, the debate, or at the football game.”

    “No, you’re correct but there was always an adult responsible for me all that time. The forum was different.  It was like a breath of fresh air for me.  Since most everyone would likely not know who I was, I had a modicum of freedom.  It was so much fun to be around all the others and get to act like just another student.  The proctors were aware of who I was and when it came to visiting your aunt and uncle, I had to get approval before I could go off campus.  I absolutely loved being at your aunt and uncle’s home.  It was so, what shall I say, normal?  I got to help in a kitchen without a staff of cooks on hand.  I got to spend quality time with normal people who didn’t know who I was.  If they did, they likely would have treated me differently.  I hadn’t had that opportunity in five years.  I loved that week at the forum, but the best part was meeting you.”

   “Wow, this is all starting to make sense for me now.  I’m just wondering what you see in a normal high school kid from Winchester.  Somehow, I feel a bit inferior.”

    “That’s exactly what scares the other boys away.  Now that you know who I really am I really hope you don’t decide to give up on me like the others.”

    “Give up on you?  I can’t give up on you, Grace.  I think the world of you.”

    “And I think the world of you too, Brian,” she said as she looked into his eyes, a tear trailing down her cheek. “I tried to tell you, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.  You’re like no other boy I’ve ever met.  I was afraid to tell you.  I didn’t want to lose you.  I didn’t want this to end.” 

    Brian said nothing for a while.  He looked at the floor, then at Grace.

    “I don’t want it to end either,” he said.

    Brian took out his handkerchief and brushed aside her tears.  Grace put a hand on his cheek and the two kissed each other for the first time in two months.  Brian looked up to see if Sargeant McDougall was peering into the rear-view mirror.  If he did notice, he didn’t care.  Brian kissed her again.  The Cadillac pulled up in front of the gymnasium door and McDougall opened the door for the young couple.  Having these two kids pull up in a vehicle driven by a state trooper didn’t seem to draw much attention.  The other students were likely used to seeing Grace come and go in a similar fashion.

   What is there to say about the Fall Formal?  Everyone there was enjoying a wonderful evening including Brian and Grace.  It was a great time to socialize and have a cup of punch.  Like the other couples the two had their picture taken at the photography station.  Brian danced with Grace’s friends Laura and Maria while Grace danced with a couple of other boys she knew from school, but the two were together for most of the time.  During one dance Grace waltzed them into a darker corner of the gym and stole a kiss before one of the staff members advised them to save the smooching for later.

    On the ride back to the governor’s mansion following the dance, there was a bit more smooching in the back seat.  Sargeant McDougall could care less.  The kids reminded him of when he and his wife had begun dating.  Brian and Grace said their goodbyes as McDougall saw her back into the mansion.

    Brian got back into the DeSoto and made his way back home in the dark as his mind kept racing with what had just happened.  His parents were not going to believe this nor were his aunt and uncle.  All his friends at school would likely be blown away as well.  He slowly analyzed the reasons why Grace had not wanted to tell him who she was. He realized why her phone number was unlisted, and her parents didn’t have to worry about long distance calls.  It all made sense now. It was a little after midnight when Brian pulled the DeSoto into the driveway at home.  The house was dark, his parents were asleep, and Brian was exhausted.

The Revelation

    “Wake up, Brian.  It’s time to get ready for church.”

    It was his mother.  He had overslept.  Brian rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom.  He took a quick shower and got dressed for church before heading to the kitchen.

    “How was the dance, Brian?” his mother asked him.

    “Maybe you should sit down first, before I tell you about it.”

    “Oh, did things go wrong?”

    Brian’s father was curious as well.  He put down the newspaper to listen.

    “I wouldn’t say things went wrong but they were quite different from what I expected.”

    “How, so?” his mother asked.

    “You know Grace’s last name, don’t you?”

    “Yes, it’s Robinson, isn’t it?”

    “Have you heard of anyone else from Midway named Robinson who works for the state?”

    “You don’t mean the governor, do you?” Brian’s dad asked.

    “As a matter of fact, I do,” Brian answered.

    “Are you telling us that Grace is Governor Robinson’s daughter, Brian?” his amazed mother asked.

    Brian just smiled at his mother’s question.

    “Oh, my goodness!  Why didn’t that occur to me?  My son is dating the governor’s daughter?”

    “You’re kidding me!  How do you rate, son?” his dad asked.

    “It’s all been a matter of circumstances.  We were just paired with one another at the forum, and things clicked.  I guess I’m just lucky.”

    “It sure explains why she is so well mannered,” his mother said.  “The girl certainly has been raised in a very formal environment.  It also explains the unlisted phone number.”

    “Man, I can’t believe this,” his father said. “Governor Robinson’s daughter.  I met him several years ago while he was the attorney general.”

    Brian couldn’t wait to tell Wanda at church but for some reason she was not in attendance.  Brian thought he should ask her mother.

    “Mrs. Warden, Is Wanda sick?”

    “Oh, she’s fine, Brian.  She is attending church with her boyfriend, Charles.”

    “I guess I’ll see her at school tomorrow.  I have something I need to tell her.”

    As it turned out, Brian’s Uncle George and Aunt Louise were going to be visiting and having dinner that afternoon.  Brian couldn’t wait to see their reaction.  Grace made her usual and accustomed phone call at one o’clock.  Of course, Brian’s mother asked to have a chance to speak to Grace too.  The young lady was happy to see that Brian’s family was delighted to learn who she was.  It had not always been like this before.  Grace had feared what might transpire following the dance.  It could have been a postmortem.  This was going much better than she could have hoped for.  They all accepted her for who she was.  It wasn’t going to be like before.

    Uncle George and Aunt Louise arrived just after two in the afternoon.  There were greetings and hugs as usual.  Coats were gathered and hung in the closet, and all were gathered in the kitchen.

    “How is your friend, Grace, doing, Brian,” Aunt Louise asked. “Are you two still keeping in touch?”

    “Yes, we’re still in touch.  She just called about an hour ago.  I took her to the Fall Formal in Midway yesterday.”

   “Oh, nice.  Did you have a good time?” his aunt asked.

   “It was interesting to say the least.  I learned something about Grace I didn’t know.”

   “What was that?”

   “Grace’s father is Governor Robinson.”

   “What?” Uncle George responded in astonishment.  “You’re kidding me.  I thought you said her last name was Robertson.”

   “No, it’s Robinson.”

   “I can’t believe it Brian,” his aunt said.

   “Neither could we,” his mother added.

    “I was really surprised when I pulled up at her house and it turned out to be the Governor’s Mansion.  Grace said their house was big, but I certainly didn’t picture a mansion.”

   “I wonder why she never told us?” Uncle George chuckled.

   “Grace was afraid I might be scared off if I knew who she was.  She’s had that happen before.  She wanted to be just like any other student at the forum and didn’t want to be treated any differently.”

   “I suppose that makes sense,” Aunt Louise said. “I probably would have treated her differently had I known.  My word, I had the governor’s daughter washing dishes and setting tables.”

   “Grace loved that.” Brian told her, “She felt like she was fitting in.  What I didn’t know was that she had to get permission to even go off campus to your house.”

   “I suppose there were security concerns,” Uncle George speculated.

   “Yes, there always are.  The nice thing was that while she was at the forum everyone just thought she was another student.  Grace enjoyed that week.”

   “Oh, man,” Aunt Louise continued.  “I hope we get to see her again.  She is full of surprises.”

   “I suppose that could be arranged,” Brian responded.

   “Perhaps we could all get together at our house for Thanksgiving,” his aunt suggested.

   “Should I invite her?” Brian asked.

   “Why don’t you?  Like you say, it could probably be arranged.”

    The family gathering in Winchester went well that afternoon, though Uncle George still couldn’t get over the fact that Grace was Chester Robinson’s daughter.  He couldn’t wait to share the news with his colleagues.  Aunt Louise was pleased that her nephew was dating the governor’s daughter and couldn’t wait to see if a dinner at her home in Purviance could be arranged.

    Brian was anticipating spreading the news with his friends at school on Monday.  He figured they wouldn’t believe him.  He spotted Wanda Warden first thing as he was approaching the entrance to the high school. 

    “Good morning, Wanda,” he greeted.

    “Oh, hi Brian,” she answered.  “Mom said you wanted to talk to me.  How did the dance at Midway go?”

    “It was great.  Grace and I had a good time.”

    “I’m happy to hear that.”

    “You’re not going to believe this though.”

    “What?”

    “Grace is Governor Robinson’s daughter.”

    “I was wondering if perhaps she might be considering her last name and the fact that she lives in Midway.  I think I remember reading somewhere the governor had a son and daughter about our age.”

    “Really?  Why didn’t you say something?  I was sure surprised.”

    “I didn’t know for sure, and it wasn’t my place, Brian.  If she really was the governor’s daughter, then Grace should have been the one to tell you not me.  How did she tell you?”

    “I found out by driving up to the Governor’s Mansion.”

    Wanda laughed out loud and the girl beside her joined her in laughter.

    “I had to show my driver’s license to get into the compound.  Man, I was completely surprised.”

    Wanda laughed even harder.  “Did you get to meet the governor?”

    “Yes, and I was so nervous.  At least I was wearing a tuxedo so was dressed for the occasion.”

    Wanda was laughing hard now and so was her friend.

    “When I rang the doorbell, a butler answered the door.”

    By now others began to gather round to see what was so funny.  Brian was telling a doozy of a story.

    “The butler led me past the ballroom and the dining hall upstairs past this sign that read restricted area.”

    Now six or seven students were laughing.  Brian decided to keep playing this for all that it was worth.

    “When I walked in the door and there was the governor and his family waiting to see me.”

   Brian felt as if he were a comedian delivering a one liner.

   “The governor even pinned the boutonniere on my lapel.”

   That had them all in stitches.

    “Then this state trooper took us to the dance in the governor’s Cadillac.”

    There was more laughter.

    “I’ve never seen a car before with such a short license number…one.”

    The single digit license number had many in the growing audience doubled over in laughter.

    “I was surprised everyone at the mansion knew how to pronounce Kjellgos.  That was a first.”

    “Sorry for laughing, Brian, but this is hysterical,” Wanda apologized on behalf of the gaggle that was enjoying the entertainment.

   “It’s no problem.  I can see how hilarious the whole thing is now.”

    “Well, I’m happy for you, Brian.  Your girlfriend is such a wonderful person from what I saw.  You two will make a nice couple.”

    “I don’t know if I would call her my girlfriend.”

    “Is Grace a girl?

    “Yes.”

    “Is she your friend?”

    “Yes.”

    “Did you kiss her?”

    “Ah…”

    “You did.  I’m correct to call her your girlfriend.”

    Brian laughed along with the others this time.  Wanda was right. 

    During first period Brian had a chance to spread the news to Charles Graham.

    “So, how did that dance at Midway go?” Charles asked.

    “It was very interesting to say the least.” Brian replied.  “You won’t believe who Grace is related to.”

    “Is she the governor’s daughter?”

    “How did you know?”

    “Wanda told me a while back she thought Grace might be the governor’s daughter.”

   “Why didn’t you say something, man?”

    “Because I didn’t know for sure, and Wanda told me not to say anything.”

    “Man, it’s like everyone else knew before I did.”

    “You’re dating the governor’s daughter?” another student nearby asked curiously.

    “Yeah, you should have seen me when I pulled up to her house and it turned out to be the governor’s mansion,” Brian said as he started up his comedy routine once more as a crowd again formed to see what was so funny.

    Later that morning he told a few other friends.  By the end of the day, it was hard to find anyone at Winchester High, including many staff members who didn’t know that Brian Kjellgos was dating the governor’s daughter and there were some funny stories about the whole situation.

    When Christy Belden learned the news from others, she had an epiphany.  Brian was dating someone who was from a whole new level.  Christy also realized she had been acting immaturely about the whole situation.  Brian had so many more friends than just about everyone else at school because he treated everyone with dignity and respect.  That’s why everyone liked him including the governor’s daughter.  Christy decided to change how she acted toward others.  It clearly was working for Brian. She began by apologizing to him for being so selfish and asked for his forgiveness, which he was all too willing to give.

Water Under the Bridge

    Before we step back into the present one might wonder whatever happened to these young people.  Like all of us they got older a year at a time.  There were many stories to be told between 1962 and the present but that can be left for another time.  There was the gathering of the Kjellgos and Kurbitz families the Saturday after Thanksgiving which also included the state governor, his wife and their two children.  A few days after Christmas there was another gathering of these same three families at the Governor’s Mansion in Midway.  It was becoming more apparent that these two kids would allow this friendship to continue despite the physical distance between them.

    The Winchester basketball team had a fabulous season.  When Grace attended their game at Midway, she was amazed at his leadership on the court.  He was barking out signals to the other players.  If he was open, he took shots that almost always went in the basket.  If Brian wasn’t open, he was passing the ball to the tall kid under the basket who laid the ball into the net.  He was clearly more talented than many of the other players.  Winchester outplayed Midway for a 62 -41 victory.

   Winchester made it to the state tournament finishing seventh.  Brian was offered scholarships to three different colleges.

    Grace and Brian graduated from high school the following June.  They both attended college at Purviance University where Brian played basketball on his scholarship.  Both graduated from Purviance with honors.  Later, Brian attended the prestigious Chandler Law School while Grace went on to receive her doctorate in Philosophy at Purviance.  Brian served in the military in the JAG Corp for two years during the Vietnam War then returned home to join a law firm in Purviance.

    The two were married in 1972 and settled into life in Purviance where they had first met.  They had two sons, Anders and Chester, and a daughter Fiona.  Brian and Grace would become grandparents who doted on their grandchildren just like the rest of us.  Both went on to serve in their communities.  Brian was elected to serve as the state attorney general in 1994 and served two terms before running unsuccessfully for governor in 2002.  Grace became President of Purviance University in 1998 and served in that capacity for fourteen years before retiring.

    And so, life goes on.  The rain falls from the sky.  Some water finds its way to the river while other water is diverted to sustain life and fill fountains. Though water, like time, is constantly in motion there are a few things in life that are constant, like the love between two people named Grace and Brian.

The Present

    The reader may now reacquire all the accustomed accoutrements of today.  We are back in a digital world we all know today.  We are in the city of Purviance.  It’s a pleasant morning in August.

    See there.  An elderly couple is walking down the sidewalk on Oak Street toward us.  They are taking a walk to the college campus.  The lady is holding her husband’s hand.  She has already given him his morning bath and meds, clothed him, and provided breakfast for him.  He is not capable of doing these simple tasks himself because he has dementia.  They are out getting some exercise.  From the opposite direction a young couple is also out for a walk.  The two approaching them are also holding hands.

    “Oh, look, Brian.  That was us in a mirror sixty years ago,” the lady says as she squeezes his hand.  He continues to look down at the sidewalk in front of him.  The two couples pass each other and exchange a smile and a greeting.

    “I bet those two are in love, Brian,” the lady says as she squeezes his hand.

    “I love you too,” the old man responds.

    The couple strolls by a two-story house in the next block.

    “Here is the house where Aunt Louise used to live,” the lady says.  “We used to sit in that swing, and we have a lot of memories of the place.”

    The old man looks at the house trying to understand why it is so familiar.

    “Sadie lives here,” the old fellow responds as he begins to turn toward the big porch.

    “Sadie no longer lives here, Grandpa.  We don’t know who lives here now,” she says as she leads him by the hand back to the sidewalk.

    The couple walks onto the campus of Purviance University.

    “Anders texted me this morning.  He’s going to stop by this evening.”

    “Anders?”  the man repeats.

    “Yes, Anders, our son.”

    “Anders and Heidi,” he says.

    “Yes, Anders and his wife Heidi.”

    “Anders is my dad.”

    “Yes, your father’s name was Anders too.”

    “I called dad yesterday,” the old man says.  “He’s coming.”

    “It will be nice to see him again,” she responds although the man’s father passed away many years ago.  The lady knows if she challenges him on the subject she won’t win.  She allows him to believe what he wants.

    A young lady walks by them and says, “Good morning, Dr. Kjellgos.”

   “And a good morning to you as well,” the lady responds.  She does not know who this person is, perhaps one of the professors.  Many on campus know who she is though she has been retired for some time.

    The couple walk past Fletcher Hall to the fountain where it all began so many years ago.   It was the same place where he proposed to her back then also.  They have a seat on a nearby bench.

    “Do you hear the birds singing?” she asks.

    He cocks his head to listen and smiles at her.  His wife has always been attuned to nature.

    “We have to do a thing for our group,” he tells her.

    “Our presentation is ready.  We can relax by the fountain here.  We’ll do fine.”

    The man starts taking his shoes off.

    “Are you going wading in the fountain, Grandpa?” she asks.  “I don’t think they want us in there.”

    “Kids get out of the fountain!” he yells.

    “That’s what the security officer said,” she tells him as she smiles in the fact that he has remembered something that happened years ago.

    “No smooching!” the old man adds with a smile.

    “You’re right, Grandpa.  We didn’t kiss until later when everyone was gone.”

    “I’m gone?” he asks her.

    “You’re never gone,” the lady says as she kissed him on the cheek.  “I will always be with you for as long as the river flows under the bridge and the water continues to circulate through this fountain.”

    The water in the fountain splashes into the pool, is gathered in by the pump and is sent back up out the spouts again like it has done for more than seventy years.  The lady smiles as she listens to the water play, lays her head on his shoulder, and is thankful she married her best friend so many years ago.  She has been blessed with a happy life in so many ways.