Well, It all started out fine.. I was in class in Miss Carters art class and we were in the process of learning water color. It was raining really bad out side and water was everywhere. Outside of the windows of the art class room you could see the open area that faced the library. Right under the windows was a flower bed, made of concrete and mortar, new about forty feet long and empty..

Well, the flowerbed were full of water and it was beginning to soak into the concrete block wall. They sent for some maintenance help. This little guy, about 4'6"" shows up and says he will need to make a hole to let out the water. Being the ever valiant Knight, I told him to get a sledge hammer and I'd make the hole for him...he DIDN'T say which wall, so when he came back dragging this hammer I took it inside the art class room, which by now was empty and with a few mighty bangs busted the wall to let the water pressure out of the flower box..

I didn't understand the little guys look of pure terror until I suddenly got a message as if from above, " Flower bed wall , you Idiot! "..and there was Mr. Dickerson. I , by then had enlarged the hole and water was pouring into the class room.

He and I and the little Saudi all fell and pulled over paint pots, easels and all kinds of stuff, making a rather handsome suit for Mr. Dickerson and water was now gushing from a forty foot long flower bed, that was full into the classroom and into the hall.

It didn't really matter what Mr. Dickerson had to say, I was long gone when I realized they wanted a small hole in the end of the flower bed wall, not the classroom.

BUT, that was only the beginning of a day that has lived in infamy, and as late as last night I was reminded of it by a Brat.

Seems as if it was the Tri-D Music Festival night. I, along with all other press ganged students had to take band from Mr. Danielson in the portable. If I ever hear " OHHHHHH Dannnnny Boy" again it will be too soon. He sang it,hummed it, whistled it and I think Far--d it in class. He had decided that I was to use the slide trombone, which was great in marching and good for lifting dresses, all by accident of course, but was a real pain to use. Slide out, pull back, and actually make the proper noise.

Well, here comes the big night..All the stands are in place and instruments are there and I and another brat decide that we need to have some brown on hand to get thru all this, so we wrap a bottle in a towel and put it in the tuba. Now Harry Ellis was the tuba player and I always wanted to smash the cymbals together so I arranged to sneak back there and trade places for this one part where I would follow the tuba and bang the cymbals. Suddenly there is "Ole Danny Boy" again, I'm getting that familiar homicidal urge and decide I need a shot, but no such luck. Danielson wants a quick practice and everybody takes their places. Parents are filling the gym and so we start.

SO into the Sousa March and I hear Harry back there really giving it hell, but no sound, He is turning blue and red as hell and I was afraid he was going to explode. Danielson is looking at him, the music is playing and all of a sudden Harry goes ballistic. Seems as if the lid had come off the Brown, soaked thru the towel and when he sucked in a great breath to try to blow out he took on about a gallon...well, that dammed near killed him. I jumped up and grabbed the cymbals and smashed them together, trying to draw attention away from Harry, managed to smash the hell out of my finger and let out a string of non-musical vocabulary. Danielson by now has entered the area known as insane rage and is climbing over people and after me. I run towards the back of the stage and he did get in one really good whap with the Baton, which I always thought of as his personal riding crop.

I made it to the boy's locker room and hid in the shower. Bedlam was going on upstairs and my only thought was "escape"...but how...so I decide to get into gym clothes and pretend that I'm not involved at all and just out jogging around the black top. Half into a jockstrap and the door blows of the hinges...Blood pouring from their eyes, it is Mr. Dickerson, and Mr. Danielson. They start for me and I jump in the shower and turn on the hot water, which burned the shi- out of me, here I was really thinking " no way they'll get wet", but I guess it had been too much for them. I was dragged, jockstrap and all into the gym and they are yelling for my parents..

I was no longer in Band, and Harry did live, although never thought really right after that. My parents wanted to leave the country and I appreciated the many comments on the outstanding jock at school. Took a long time for that one to die down.

I never did get along well with Mr. Dickerson..I think it started when I got on the school announcing system, behind the main desk and paged " Would the Bald guy come to the office where he is supposed to be"......but that's for another time I think.