Day XXI

Nose

    One day Nose, a freshman who always had his finger up his nose, as if he were digging for gold, snuck out with some seniors, and tagged along to the deli. It was his first time, and Sal didn’t know him. He bought a pack of smokes, lit one up, and suddenly Sal started to sing.

     “Oooooo sola meee aaaaaaaaah!”

     Kids started to haul ass out of there. Nose didn’t have a clue, and dumb as he was, he wasn't listening to anybody, and guys were yelling.

     “Hey man git outa hea!”

     “Teach’s coming, git out!”

     He thought Sal was singing, and just before the teacher came in, Sal
says:

     “Ya dummy a teachers coming…run out the side door!”

     “Whaaap!”

     He felt the sharp slap up the side of his head, as he ran out the side door.

     “What the hell are you doing out here, uh!”

     Back then there were no rules against corporal punishment. A teacher could smack you a few times up the side of your head, then call your parents. When you got home, if they were any kind of decent folk, they would beat the crap out of you as well. We were supposed to respect our teachers, elders, and we weren't allowed to leave the building during lunch.

    “Gimme that, ya shouldn’t be smoking!”

     The teacher continued, “You’re too young! What are you’re parents going to say?”

     Nose was dragged back to the dean’s office, where he got detention. He was lucky, it was his first time. Punishment depended on how many times a guy got busted. After a while a kid got suspended. Looking back I wonder…were they really concerned we sneaked out of the building, broke the rules, or that we were smoking.