Throwback Thursday - The Notebook

To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:

Science was one of the subjects I had besides reading, math, writing, etc. At that time, I was into astronomy and other sciences. I would go to the library up the street from the Samuel Adams School. We were allowed to take out 2 books. And I could not go to the real library in the other section of our district until 14 years old.

The library was a house that became a library. It was owned by the Kennedys [ed: Pres. John F. Kennedy's parents] who gave it to the city. I enjoyed it and I would get my two books and take them, return them in the same eek. At one time when I was checking my books , the then librarian asked me if I knew what I was reading this was an astronomy book and I answered that I did and rattled off what it was all about. She was surprised and another night as  was leaving with my checked out books, her friend came in and she said you should see the books he reads.

Other than that my 7th and 8 th grades were uneventful. Things got somewhat exciting in the 9th grade. There we had two homeroom teachers. Miss Sullivan who was a veteran teacher and assistant principal. And a very young teacher Miss Lavonia who taught French. She looked more like a student than a teacher.

In fact, when it was changing classes, many a time the older teachers looking down the hall when she was directing would shout to her to get in line. And walk down and be mollified as they approached her and apologize.

As students we gave her a hard time. I did not complete a full period in her room. At some point, I would act up and disturb the class and spend my time in the hallways roaming the corridors. And go back when the bell rang. Once I ran into my homeroom teacher, Miss Sullivan and she asked what I was doing out of class.

So she beckoned me to follow her and at that time the class was over as we went in our homeroom and she questioned our young teacher and she [ed: Miss Sullivan] went for her rattan. Punishment was to be administered . She had Miss Lavonia witness this episode. and i was told to put out my left hand and she began swinging away. Aiming for the finger tips or hitting the palms. It didn't bother me. It was baseball time and my hands were toughened from playing catch [ed: without a baseball glove]. It hurt Miss Lavonia more than me. I stayed there without changing my facial look. Or moving my hand. This upset Miss Sullivan she got angry she was bent on having me cry or she a tear etc. Nothing. I gave her a workout.

And Miss Lavonia one day said that it was time that students were to take the annual tests. And I would make her look bad because I had spent too much time out of her that that I would flunk the test.

I told her not to worry. I said I would pass. She said I would not. So I said I will promise you a C+. I f I get that you will give me an A for the year. She said she would.

Well we took the tests and they were sent to the school headquarters in Boston for correction. In due course the marks were returned and she came to see me and said, "you evidently stayed in my class long enough to learn something. You got your C+" I said, "I told you so. I get an A." She backed out saying that if she did she would get in trouble. Because she would need to change the records.