As for school, I liked it about as much as having a
bucket of horse manure dumped on my head. (btw,
some kid did that once- may I add he was from school).
I guess it wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for
guys like that suck-up and nosy, persickity, nerd-
ball teachers. As the smallest guy in my class I was
the picking target for every freak there. I didn't
intend on being a push-over..-and I'm not! It's
just that I was the wrong guy, in the wrong place,
at the wrong time. When I turned rebel I quit school
all together. That was probably around third grade.
I know right? Right down ridiculas is what I'd say
if it was me now back then. My mom was non-
plussed but once again she never ব্যক্ত a word,
she just stopped smiling. There were times I
thought she didn't like me, but then she'd turn
around and act like I was the most perfect kid
alive. She was a strange one. What I didn't realize
then, that I do now is that she loved each of us
unconditionally. That's why it hurts now to remember
that I left her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That's right. One night I just packed up a few stuff in
a duffel bag, threw it over my shoulder, and left. I
didn't plan a destination অথবা what I'd do if I got to any
stopping place. I don't remember exactly how long I
travelled, I just know it was a long time. It wasn't
a walk in the park either, it seemed for days it rained
in freezing sheets. To make matters worse, I had the
genius idea of taking the woods instead of the town.
After a few days of poison ivy, sleepless, cramped
nights on the wet ground, and ticks I started thinking,
Was I just out of my mind going this way? A few
days later I was thinking, Yes, yes আপনি were. I was
relieved when I broke through the underbrush. I
could see the backs of tents. They were a dark gray
and reasonably large. What's আরো they smelled
like gun powder. There were a few piles of trash
behind each one. I was too tired to care about who
অথবা what found me at that point. Just being near
civilization was enough for me. I spent the night
there in the heap of trash.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When I woke up something wasn't right. It felt as though
someone was standing over me. Sure enough, I was
right. From the ground with my face in the dirt he looked
like a walking tower- but then again nearly everyone did
to me. What I first noticed was the guy's expression. It
was kind of a mix of confusion and concern. The expression
your mother gives আপনি when আপনি trip over your shoe lace
somersault into an overtured lawn mower, and land in the
pool. Can't imagine it can you? The পরবর্তি thing I knew he
had me দ্বারা the flipper and pulled me to my feet. I still
remember the grip. Gentle, but firm and strong. Then
it hit me. He had the commander insignia on both shoulders.
I'd seen it before- if আপনি recall my dad was in the army.
I suddenly felt strange around this guy. After all I figured
if dad wasn't too hot neither was this guy. Then he said
what totally threw me off gaurd. "Hey kid, how'd did
আপনি get here?" I had expected him to shoo me away
like a filthy stray dog. This sounded almost like a
'welcome'. He must have noticed me shy away because
he went on to say, "It's okay, it's okay, I'm just curious."
"Who are you?" was all I could reply.
"I'm Commander Leeland, and who are you? I feel
like I know আপনি but.." he stopped, his voice trailing off.
"I'm Alex Fahlcon." I replied.
"Fahlcon?" Leeland asked me. The way he'd ব্যক্ত it
made me wonder if mom hadn't put out 'lost' signs and
this guy had seen one.
I was wrong. Leeland said, "You must be Frank's son!"
he snapped his flippers, (something that took me years
to master myself). "I should have known!" Leeland said,
"You look just like him!" See? Everybody says so.
I gathered up my courage and asked, "Just where
am I exactly?" Leeland scoffed with amusement, "Where
are you? আপনি mean to tell me your father never told
আপনি about our base?" I couldn't lie to this guy. I felt
like a could trust him. I shook my head, "No, he
never spoke to us." I replied.
Leeland clicked his tongue, putting his flippers on his
hips, "I don't understand that. Two strong boys and
a spirited young lady and he pays them no notice!"
Then something seemed to cast a shadow over him,
"Why are আপনি here anyway?" he asked, "Is everything
okay? Is Mrs.Fahlcon well? Did আপনি come alone?"
I had answered lined up already for every question.
No. Everything wasn't okay. No. I couldn't say mom
was well. And yes I did come alone. I could've
told him the truth, but instead I ignored it and replied,
"I asked to..uh..come here to..enlist?"
To my surprise Leeland convulsed a bout of laughter.
(Convuslse..I must've picked that word up from Kowalski
অথবা something).
"Enlist?" Leeland asked, "How old are আপনি kid?"
"Fifteen." I replied, holding my head high and trying to
look as tall as possible.
"Well kid, you've got one আরো বছর to go. 'Might as
well take আপনি home. Sorry to tear your hopes down,
but we need guys like you, willing to যোগদান without
persuasion. Your father was like that."
I cringed. The last পেংগুইন I wanted to be like was my
father.