A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip: A Memoir of Seventh Grade by Kevin Brockmeier

Author:Kevin Brockmeier
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Arts & Literature, Biographies & Memoirs, Memoirs, Authors
ISBN: 0307908984
Publisher: Pantheon
Published: 2014-04-01T07:00:00+00:00

The school is asleep in the drizzling rain. From Mr. Weatherly’s room comes a burst of laughter like a balloon popping: pierce a crowd with a needle, and bang!—that’s the noise it will make. It vanishes in an instant, the seconds sliding closed around it, so quickly that Kevin might almost believe it had never happened, except that the quiet in the hallway seems fuller, deeper, just the tap-tap-tap of dress shoes and the softer sound of Reeboks.

He is following Mr. McCallum to his office. Once or twice, glancing up, he sees the principal make a little sideways movement of his chin, as if to discourage a bug from touching down, but it is December and too cold for bugs. Kevin guesses he must be rehearsing his questions. Now tell me, who started all this exactly? When did they begin, would you say, these difficulties of yours? I’m sorry to hear that, but whose fault do you think it was? Is that so? Is it? Then why did you wait so long to speak up? Can you look me in the eyes, right now, Mr. Brockmeier, and contend that you’re one hundred percent certain you didn’t get exactly what you deserve?

Nothing in the world is one hundred percent certain.

Really? You and I are both here talking to each other—isn’t that one hundred percent certain?

Maybe ninety-nine-dot-nine-nine-nine percent. Everything could all be a dream.

So what you’re saying is that the trouble you’ve been having might in fact have been your fault? It’s possible, you’re saying?

Not at all. You’re distorting my words.

And just like that Kevin is lost in a reverie of debate.

That’s not what I meant, he says, and you know it.

Yes, technically, sure, anything is possible, he says, but so what? Possible isn’t the same as true.

Well, sir, he says, if you’re looking for absolute proof, I can’t give it to you. No one can. Prove one thing absolutely. Go ahead. I’m waiting.

But as soon as Mr. McCallum guides him to one of the padded chairs by his desk and lowers his gaze to listen more carefully, encouraging him to “Take your time now, son. Go ahead. Talk to me,” the argument in Kevin’s head ceases, and a surge of confession billows through him. He can’t help it. A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to obey the Scout law, to help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. Adults make Kevin uneasy. They always have, and they always will. With teachers he knows how to be a good student, with parents a good kid, but beyond those borders is a no-man’s-land of bullets and broken earth. The sight of it stretching in at him from the distance, so gigantic and impenetrable, frightens the living hell out of him. He has never been able to have a

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.