A Brutal Injury Tests My Relationship with My Fiace and My High School Rivalries

CHAPTER 7
I learned very early why the doctor wanted me to stay home for a week before returning to school. Getting around on one leg could be exhausting. I had a lot of adjusting to do; I practiced walking up and down stairs several times every day. Port Jefferson High School was three stories high with no elevator. It was a very old building.

Rose continued to bring my assignments home every day. I wanted to spend my afternoons and evenings with her, but I also knew how important it was for her to do her work. I always joined her at the dining room table to do homework even though I could just as easily do it during the day.

Rose and I were seated on the couch Saturday morning when the doorbell rang. It was Mr. Gentile and Mr. Cosgrove, the club president. Suddenly, I saw my full scholarship disappearing down the drain. However, that was not the case. They had come just to see how I was doing. We sat and spoke for more than an hour. I introduced Rose as my fiancé which pleased both her and my mother. I decided we needed to go out one afternoon next week.

I never did know why Uncle Carl allowed Rose to stay with me while I recovered, but I was glad he did. Despite all our kidding about my “pooping” I found the very first time that my stiff leg made it impossible for me to reach the toilet tissue. I was so frustrated when I called for Rose. Not surprisingly she was waiting for me right outside the door. She helped me to stand then wiped my butt until I was clean. Then she helped me pull my briefs and shorts up my legs, fastening them around my waist. She kissed me and helped me out the door as though what she had done was an everyday occurrence. Actually, it would become an everyday occurrence until I’d get rid of this damned cast.

Monday morning we were up early. I took a long time to dress, even longer than Rose who had to do her hair and minimal make-up in addition to helping me. We were off to pick up Eric before driving to school. Arrangements had been made for me to enter through the gym so I wouldn’t have to struggle up the seventeen steps that led to the front entrance. I waited for Rose to park the truck and we walked to the main office where I turned in my illness excuse note. I was offered a library aide to carry my books, but I turned around to show my knapsack on my back. I kissed Rose good-bye and walked to my locker. I hadn’t gone even fifty feet when I ran into trouble in the person of Ryan. “Ha ha. Look at you now. I’m going to find Rose and I’m going to squeeze those nice titties of hers until she cries and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

I hobbled right up to him and dropped my crutches to the floor. Ryan hit the floor only a second later, the result of my fist colliding with his nose. “Get up, you bastard. If you think I need two legs to beat a piece of crap like you….” I felt two hands on my shoulders. Turning I saw my buddies Elmer Morris and Eli Strand. I became an athlete through hard work and hustle. Elmer and Eli worked hard, but they also had real athletic ability. They lived here in Port Jefferson in what would best be described as the Negro section of town. Elmer was a six feet, two inch 185 pound speedster who starred in basketball and baseball, as well. Eli was six feet, three inches and 245 pounds—a tackle in football as well as a star in basketball and baseball, too. We had been great friends ever since ninth grade. I’d been to each of their homes and they’d been to mine. My crutches were returned to me and Eli spoke quietly, “Listen, asshole, if you touch Rose or any other girl like that you’re going to wish you were dead.” He was never able to say another word. We were interrupted by the principal, Mr. Vanderhoff.

He took Ryan and me to the office with Elmer and Eli coming along as “witnesses.” Ryan denied saying anything, but it was three against one with Eli and Elmer backing my story. “I’d probably suspend you, Paul except that I doubt I’d accept that kind of talk about my girlfriend.”

“It’s actually worse than that, Mr. V; Rose is my fiancé. We’ll be married at

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THE END