Falling Down (Ch. 9) - Randy Halprin
Randy Halprin
"We tend to see a person in the moment, not as the journey they travelled to get here." Kat Lehmann
Memoirs
FALLING DOWN : PART ONE (1995)
Chapter 9
(by Randy E. Halprin)
A Memoir
The week before school began for the 2nd quarter, went by quickly. I had to tell the manager at SUBWAY that I would be returning to school and had to quit. She asked me if I was sure, and said that she still thought she could get me into a school in Lexington, but I told her my mind was made up. She gave me my last pay cheque, and that was that. My days of being a sandwich artist were over!
I called Jason up and he said his dad would come and pick me up at my place early on Sunday morning. Jason lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the drive wasn't out of the way for them, so it was no problem for his dad. I still had to inform the manager at my apartment complex that I was leaving, and against the advice of my dad, I terminated the six month lease. She asked me where to send the remaining money, and I gave her the address of the school. She asked me to put my keys in an envelope and slide it under the office door when I left, and I told her I would.
When Sunday arrived, I had everything packed up and ready to go. The small studio apartment that I had been living in for a few months, looked the same as the day I first entered it. I almost half expected the Mormons to come and see me off! I had woken bright and early, unplugged the phone, and stored it away in my blue trunk. Jason and his dad arrived right on schedule, and we loaded up the mini van and headed out. I remember us stopping off at a pizza shop about midway through the journey, and eating a huge pizza and drinking Pepsi. We arrived in Oneida a little after one in the afternoon. Jason was no longer living in room 202, but I was determined to get us back in there. For the time being, I had to wait on being assigned a new room and still had to meet with Dr Underwood...something I dreaded!
I said goodbye to Jason's dad, thanked him, and headed across the campus to the administrative office, on the first floor of the Chapel building. I entered and walked in where Mrs Underwood and her daughter, Missy, were busy at work. Mrs Underwood greeted me kindly, while Missy scrunched up her nose as if she smelt something foul. I rolled my eyes at her thinking, “get over yourself” and asked if Dr Underwood was in. I was told to go ahead and enter his office. So, I took a deep breath and walked in...
Mr Underwood told me to sit down and I did. He reached into a file and pulled out some paper work. “This is your contract. It says that the school is allowing you to return, and that you will be expected to follow the rules and to be a model student. There will be no suspensions. If you get into trouble, you will be immediately expelled. You are expected to make up for the 1st quarter you lost, so you need to go to the high school counsellor's office when you finish here and work out your itinerary.” He shuffled through some more papers. As I signed all of them, he pulled out one about payment of the school fees etc, and said, “Here's your scholarship. When the year is over, you are expected to work for the summer in our work program. Your year will be fulfilled then.”
As I signed the paper work, he continued, “Randy, we're allowing you an opportunity that we don't afford to other students who have been expelled. But because you have worked so hard at our school in the past, and you have been for the most part, a role model student, we're giving you a second chance. You need to focus on getting your school work done as well as getting your life back on track with God.”
“Yes, sir.” I replied. “Is it possible that I might get my hall monitor job back?”
“No,” Dr Underwood replied. “You'll have to start from the bottom up. Earn my trust and I'll see about getting you back in a supervision job, but until then go figure out your school schedule and then go to my son's office and he'll assign you a job.” I thanked him and left the office. Whilst walking out, Missy couldn't help herself, and muttered, “One mess up. Just one.” I ignored her and headed to the high school building.
I found the school counsellor...It seemed that the Underwoods had firmly lay conquest to the entire OBI operation, but she had been my freshman year English teacher before she had married into the Underwood family, and she was a genuinely nice and sincere person. As we talked she was very accommodating, and we figured out exactly what I needed to take in terms of elective classes and required studies, so I could graduate on time. Because I was already ahead in credits, the only thing I really needed was to make up for the lost quarter of English, and she offered to tutor me in that after school, a few times per week. I felt that was incredibly kind of her.
I headed over to the high school dorms and as more and more kids began to arrive back to school, I went to Mr Harold's office. We talked, and I even apologized for the bench incident last summer. “Where do you want to work?” He asked. I admitted that I would've preferred to have my old job back but his father had already said that wasn't an option right now. “Let's see how you're doing after Thanksgiving. If you're doing good I'll give you your job back. Cool? Until then, how about something like, say, substitute hall monitor? I can pull you off the bench if I need you.” I told him I was happy with that, and asked if I could get my old room back. He told me I would have to talk to Mr Garret about that.
I headed back to the dorms, and the Dorm office, which was on the 1st floor of Carnahan Hall. Mr Garret was sitting behind his desk, and he said, “Welcome back.” I asked him about room 202, and he said it was filled, but I could live with Jason if I wanted to. I told him that was fine, then I left and headed out to get my stuff that was piled up outside of the dorm. Jason joined me and helped me move in.
Some kids were surprised to see me, and others greeted me with great big “hellos.” There were many faces that I didn't recognize and I was excited about reuniting with Dan, my friend and guitarist, and Joe, our drummer. Whilst I didn't have my keyboard any longer, I knew Joe's parents had one I could use, or I could borrow one from the school. Maybe we could get the band thing started again.
That evening, we all had to attend mandatory church and an orientation. Jason, Dan, Joe and I, picked out a section of pews and laid claims to them as we always had. Kids poured in and I waited for the girls to arrive...As they came in through the back of the chapel, I noticed quite a few new and cute faces. Dan was telling me who all the new people were and then, there she was! Tracy! She saw me and bolted towards the pew, slid in and grabbed my hand. She introduced me to the new faces, and I felt that I had been properly welcomed and approved of.
It felt so good to be back!