Love at First Sight

The child's mother was almost dragging her son up the front steps of Saint John's. As they burst through the door onto the landing between the floors, the lower staircase led to the gym and locker rooms. The upper flight led to the first floor offices and classrooms. As the nervous mother and her son hurried up the stairs, you could hear the anxiety in her voice as she said, "Hurry up, Freddy, we're going to be late."

After they burst through the door and were running down the long corridor past Monsieur O'Shea's office, the little boy's mother was giving her son instructions in her sternest voice. "I want you to behave yourself and mind your manners. You do exactly what your teacher tells you or else you'll answer to me for it when you get home. Do you understand me? "

Freddy had always been terrified of his mother. She was the boss and Freddy and his father both knew it. His father liked to say with a playful snicker in his voice, "She's large and in charge. But she keeps me warm in the winter and the shade in the summer. So I think I'm going to keep her."

Freddy's father was right of course. His wife was a large heavy set woman that didn't take any crap from the longshoremen that patronized the bar and grill they owned and operated on the waterfront. His parents jokingly referred to their place of business as the bucket of blood.

Freddy didn't want to go to this old school. He wanted to go to the new school with the big playground and indoor swimming pool but his mother wouldn't hear of it. She went to Saint John's and so did his father and their parents and their grandparents before them. So going to Saint John's was a family tradition and that was that. Like it or lump it, Freddy was going to Saint John's.

As Freddy's mother led him into the classroom, he saw this mean looking old lady standing by a big wooden desk. She was pointing a stick at something written on the blackboard. As Freddy and his mother entered the room. The old woman turned her head and her face shriveled up like she just sucked a lemon when she saw them standing here. Then she cleared her throat with a loud, "Ah hum," and sort of hissed, "Ah, yes, Margret. I see you haven't changed much and of course you're tardy. I hope this isn't going to become a habit with your son..." Then she cleared her throat again and added, "Like it was with you."

Freddy's mother cowered and forced a smile as she tried to apologize and explain, "I'm so sorry Sister Crackle, it, it won't happen again, I promise. I, I had... work that I had to finished, before I could leave to take my son to school." Then she seemed to regain her composure and said sarcastically, "I can see that you haven't changed much either, Sister Crackle.

When Freddy's mother said that. The old nun frowned and said with a tone of nasty indifference in her screechy voice, "No need to worry, Margret. I'll take good care of your little boy. You may take your leave now and be on your way. I just don't have the time to stand here reminiscing with you about your school days." Then Margret respectfully curtsied and left without saying another word. The sound of Sister Crackle's creepy voice made Freddy cringe and shiver with fright. As Freddy watched his mother bow and leave, his insides began to churn and his hands got clammy and began to shake.

Sister Crackle was indeed a frightening looking old hag. She had stringy gray hair that hung down to her shoulders, a long face with a high wrinkled forehead, thick gray eyebrows, close set beady black eyes and a huge crooked hook nose with a wart on it. She had thin lips that curled down at the corners with a wide square jaw with a dimple in it. She was hunchbacked wearing a long black dress that hung loosely off her boney frame. Sister Crackle had a rope tied around her narrow waist with a pair of black pointed toed ankle high shoes on her feet. To finish off her ensemble, she had a silver chain around her neck with a large silver cross dangling from it.

Sister Crackle stretched out her frail liver spotted arm and pointed her knobby finger towards the back of the room and said, "Go sit next to that girl, young man." When Freddy saw her his heart fluttered and skipped a beat. Then it began pounding in his chest so hard he could hear it beating in his ears going boom, boom, as his blood rushed feverishly through his veins.

As Freddy slowly made his way across the front of the classroom he could still hear his heart thumping in his ears and he couldn't take his eyes off the little girl. She looked like an angel to him in her white dress with pink ribbons in her blonde hair. Then she looked up at him and their eyes met. It was only for a second, but as they made eye contact, Freddy felt a warmth rushing through him that he never felt before. Then his ears started to burn as they turned pink. It was like they were speaking to each other with their eyes although he didn't know what they were saying. Freddy was so mesmerized by her that he stopped and just stood there frozen in place with his mouth hanging open staring at her.

Sister Crackle finally cleared her throat with an impatience, "Ah-hum," and tapped her desk top with the tip of her pointed stick. Then she said loud enough for everybody to hear in her creepy voice, "Hurry up, young man. We haven't got all day to wait for you." Freddy was so startled by her words that he stumbled as he began walking across the front of the classroom causing the other kids to snigger.

When he tried to rush around the corner between the last two rows of desks, Freddy tripped over his feet and almost fell. When he did that other kids began giggling at his expense.

Freddy was so self-conscious that his body was shaking and his legs were wobbling as he headed down that long seemingly endless aisle towards his desk. When he finally got to his seat and sat down, the little blonde girl turned her head towards him and said, "Hi Freddy, my name is Angela. "As she said that the corners of her lips curled up and her bright blue eyes began to sparkle. When Freddy heard the sound of her soft sweet angelic voice, his heart began to thump in his chest again and his face flushed bright red as he mumbled, "Hi."

Freddy quickly learned that Saint Johns' didn't put up with any nonsense. First of all the students sat boy girl, boy girl. Because they didn't want any foolishness from boys acting out trying to impress each other. Secondly they didn't want to hear a bunch of silly giggling girls. There was an unwritten code that the older children looked out for the younger children. And last but not least and most importantly of all boys did not hit girls.

He also discovered there were several different groups of children in school. First there were the cool kids that everybody wanted to be like and be friends with. The boys were all handsome and good at sports. The girls were all perfect and pretty. Then there were the nerdy kids, they were the real smart kids that put their hands up whenever the teacher asked a question. Then there were the average ordinary kids. There was nothing special about those kids and that was the group Freddy fit in with. Freddy was the biggest kid in his class. But sadly he was also the clumsy kid in the whole school. However there was this other kid in Saint John's. His name was Porky Patterson and he was a trouble maker and a bit of a bully. But due to the unwritten code the older kids kept him in line most of the time.

Fast forward to the nith grade.

As the years passed the older kids all eventually graduated from Saint John's and went off to high school. All but Porky that is, because he kept staying back. Porky was now in his glory because he was the oldest toughest kid in Saint John's. Everybody was afraid of him including most of the teachers. He loved bullying the younger smaller kids and taking their lunch money. If any of them dared to complain or report him. He'd beat them up. He especially liked picking on the nerdy kids.

Now Angela and Freddy were still the apple of each other's eye and they had been ever since the first day they laid eyes on each other. They followed each other around like a couple of love struck puppy dogs. But they rarely spoke to each other because they were to shy. So all they ever did was steal glances at each other when the other one wasn't looking.

Unfortunately for Angela, she had become one of those real smart nerdy girls. She dressed casually in plain loose fitting clothing and kept her long blonde hair either braided or in a ponytail. She wore horn rimmed reading glasses and had braces on her teeth. Her appearance and brains had turned her into a prime target for Porky's abusive pleasures. To make matters worse, Angela ate her lunch alone under the big old oak tree in the back of schoolyard so she could be near Freddy who also ate his lunch near that tree. However that was an open invitation for Porky to hassle her.

On this particular gray fall day, Angela had just sat down when Porky spotted her. He strolled over to her and yanked her lunch box out of her hands as he said in his nastiest voice, "Give me that you geeky bitch." Angela sprung to her feet with tears in her eyes and yelled in her trembling voice, "Give me back my lunch and leave me alone." With that being said loud enough for every kid in the school yard to hear. Porky raised his huge meat hook of a hand over his shoulder as if to backhand her and said nastily, "Oh, yeah, what are you going to do about it, nerdy girly? Cry? Come on you geeky bitch cry for me."

When Freddy heard and saw what was happening to the object of his affections, he jumped to his feet and rushed between them yelling, "Leave her alone you fat asshole and give her back her lunch. "

Porky didn't see him coming. But he didn't take to kindly to being told what to do by this big clumsy kid and that nerdy girl. He also knew that if he let them get away this the other kids would start standing up to him and reporting him. So Porky shoved Freddy as hard as he could and said, "Oh, yeah you gonna make me, Punk? "

Freddy was so scared his insides were churning, his knees were knocking and his hands were shaking. He didn't know where he got the courage but he doubled up his fists as Porky pushed him again. Then everything turned red and all Freddy could see was Porky's fat ugly face. Then Freddy brought up his fist as hard and fast as he could, smashing Porky in the mouth, mashing his lips against his teeth splitting them open.

Porky was so shocked and stunned by the sudden unexpected impact of the punch that he stumbled backwards, as the inside of his mouth filled up with blood. Then the punk punched him in the face again. This time when the puch landed Porky winched in pain as his nose broke and he closed his eyes so tight he saw streaks of red yellow and orange flashing under his eye lids. Then everything turned black and Porky's knees buckled and he fell over backwards.

Freddy immediately pounced on Porky chest pinning his arms out to the sides with his knees. He was so blinded with rage that he kept plummeting Porky bloody face with his fists, left, right, left, right yelling, "Leave her alone, leave her alone, you fucking fat bastard."

As soon as the ruckus started, every kid in the schoolyard flocked around them cheering hurray, hurray and screaming, "Hit him again. Hit him again. "

The next thing Freddy knew the gym teacher was yanking him off Porky screaming, "Stop it. Stop it before you kill him."

Sister Crackle had rushed over yelling in her authoritative screechy voice, "Somebody...somebody call 911... right now." Then she began shaking her long bony finger at the gym teacher yelling, "Take him to the Monsieur's office." Then she pointed her boney finger at Angela and said, "And bring her with him."

The gym teacher dragged the frighten kids into the school by their arms and plumked them down on the hard cold oak bench outside the Monsieur's office and told them to stay there. Then he went inside.

Angela slid over until she was by Freddy's side and put her hand over his as she said, "Thank you. I don't know why you stuck up for me. But I'm glad you did." Freddy turned his hand over took her hand in his and squeezed it gently as he said, "I hope you're not in trouble, too." Then they sat there side by side holding hands while they waited nervously for what would happen to them next.

While they sat there an ambulance quickly came and went. Then a cop came in and went into the office. When he came out he asked their names. As he wrote them down he smiled and said reassuringly, "Don't worry about it, you're going to be alright." Then he left.

Angela and Freddy were still sitting there holding hands for what seemed like forever. Then the front door banged open and a tall blonde woman came rushing up the stairs followed by Freddy's mother. By the looks on their faces it was obvious that they weren't happy.

When the blonde woman reached them. Angela said in her trembling voice, "Mommy," then she burst out in tears as she said, "Honest Mommy, it's not our fault. Porky was picking on me again and he took my lunch and, and that's when Freddy..."

Before Angela could finish Freddy's mother was yelling, "What the hell happened, Freddy? I told you not to get into trouble."

Before anybody could say anything else. Monsieur O'Shea came out and led the four of them into his office and explained to their mothers what had happened. Then he told them that Porky was going to be expelled.

Then the Monsieur drew in his breathe and as he exhaled he said he was sorry but because Porky had a broken nose and needed stitches, and had to be taken to the hospital. A police report had to be filed. Then he said he didn't want to do it, but Angela and Freddy were both going to be suspended for a week and a report was going to be put in their school files.

As the four of them walked out of the Monsieur's office, the terrified kids were still holding each other's hand for dear life.

Angela's mother glanced at the kids and smiled as she said, "Margret, it looks like your son's my daughter's hero and I think we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other from now on doesn't it?"

Freddy's mother glanced at their kids and the corners of her lips curled up as she nodded knowingly and said, "It sure looks that way doesn't it, Marylou?"

Then Angela's mother asked if anyone wanted to go to Friendly's for lunch.

Well that was just the beginning of Freddy's and Angela's life long story.