Wade looked off in the direction of the boats, thinking about what Jenkins was saying.
“On the other hand, you may love the Navy and wish to serve out your remaining time with them and take your chance that you will not be called to active duty in Vietnam. And finish high school on your own. If that’s your desire, my proposal would be of little interest to you. I’m not looking for an answer now. I’m just giving you information to think about.”
Wade asked, “Explain again how I would get out of the Navy?”
“Basically, you would be given an honorable discharge from the Navy with a letter of meritorious service. Internally we would be doing an interagency transfer. We do this all the time for people transferring from one branch of the service to another. In this case you would be transferring from the Navy to a federal agency. Let me worry about those details. I can give you more information about that once we have agreed to a suitable arrangement. At this point, I would like you to just think about some of the things I’ve proposed. If you would like to discuss any of this further, please give me a call. Do you have any questions?”
Wade asked, “If I went for this deal, where would I be working after I finished school?”
Jenkins replied “Right here in New Orleans or anywhere else you might choose. We have operations all over the world, but there is one in particular in New Orleans. I think you would be perfect for one of our local agencies.”
Wade was still thinking about Jenkins’ proposal and wasn’t giving him any indication one way or the other as to whether he was interested.
Jenkins changed the subject and said “I didn’t realize the wind came up this much here in the afternoon.”
Wade replied, “Yeah, the lake can get pretty rough this time of year.”
“It has been a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Hanna. You have my card. Please think about our discussion and give me a call if you have interest in talking further.” They shook hands and started back to their cars.
Wade had more to think about.
31
Wade had a lot on his mind. He couldn’t dwell on all he had been through. He couldn’t even begin to process the emotional impact of recent events. Right now he had to focus on what was before him.
As his mother’s worsening health condition persisted, he spent more time with her. One evening she was well enough to be sitting up in her favorite blue chair in the TV room. His father was working late. Wade came over and asked politely, “Can I get you anything?”
His mother shook her head no, and he went over to sit on the sofa across the room. Her hands shook and she looked extremely tired. She waved her hand asking him to come closer and sit on the floor next to her. Wade came over and sat down where she was pointing. She put her hand through his hair and just looked at him. Wade was uncomfortable. He couldn’t remember her touching him or showing affection.
She said in her barely audible, gravel voice, “You know I’ve always been the way I’ve been with you so you would be tough and a survivor. You’ve got to be tougher than me and the rest of this family. I know what you’ve been through … its all for a reason. ”
In those few words, Wade realized that somehow on a spiritual or emotional level, his mother knew much of what he had been through. The feeling was mysterious to Wade. He didn’t rationally understand his new awareness, but he suddenly understood some things; they just clicked into place. Even her abuses toward him as a child seemed to have a purpose in his mother’s mind.
For the first time, Wade saw his mother’s eyes become red with tears of love, sympathy, and compassion. He had never seen her cry like this in his life. She said in a trembling voice, “I’m not going to be around much longer and I want you to know its okay. You will do just fine in life. I want you to take care of your father. He’s not as tough as we are.” Pointing to the sofa across from her chair, she said “Go watch your TV program.”
She was not watching TV, just looking out through the window, lost in thought, while she sat back in her chair. In the middle of the TV program she tried getting up by herself and fell back in her chair. She said, “I need to get to bed now.”
Wade helped her get to bed in the next room. That was the only time in Wade’s life he remembered having an intimate, loving moment with his mother. She was always much too tough for that. It would also be the last moment alone he had with her. She died a few weeks later.
His mother’s worsening condition over the last months had brought Wade and his father closer. After his mother’s funeral, Wade could see the impact her loss had on his father. They would have dinner together more often, and they talked more. At one of these dinners, his father asked, “Have you given consideration to college or what you are going to do after high school?”
Wade answered, “I’ve thought about it some, but not a lot. I know I have to start thinking about it. My senior year is going to be over before I know it.”
His father nodded and said, “Your senior year will go by in a flash.”
Wade mentioned, “I was contacted by a government services company trying to recruit me to come to work for them.”
His father said, “That’s fine. I just want you to know that if you are interested in going to college, your mother and I have put aside some funds to help you financially.” He continued, “We don’t want finances to be the reason you don’t go to college, if that’s what you want to do.”
Wade was surprised, and touched. He said, “Thanks Dad I will definitely consider it.”
Wade checked with the St. John’s administrator and found they had a career counseling center which was run by Brother Albert. Wade set a time to meet Brother Albert, who turned out to be a very friendly, a small built person with horned rimmed glasses. He reminded Wade a little of Mr. Pete.
Brother Albert seem to ask all the right questions. He told Wade that he needed to get some information from him and set up some testing that would give an indication of his areas of academic strength and preferences for college and the workforce. The results would allow Brother Albert to match up college entrance requirements, costs, and loan programs with his academic strengths and interests. They agreed to meet after Wade took the tests. Wade was familiar with this routine from his experience with Mr. Pete at his alternative school.
Wade took the tests but didn’t feel they were as comprehensive as the ones administered by Mr. Pete. The results came in, and Wade met with Brother Albert to hear the results.
Brother Albert said, “Wade, we have some interesting results here. I’ll start with saying that you meet most of the minimum entrance requirements academically, but are you sure you want to attend college?”
“Why do you ask that?”
“We have some test results indicating you might want to consider becoming a mechanic. Like repairing engines.”
Wade felt himself withdrawing a bit as he answered, “I’ve already done that.”
Brother Albert continued, “There is another result here which is also very unusual. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this result before?”
Wade asked, “What is it?” Brother Albert replied, “It says you may be well suited as an undertaker.”
“What? You mean like preparing dead people in a funeral home?”
Brother Albert raised his eyebrows, seemingly incredulous himself, and replied, “That’s what the results are showing.”
Wade thought to himself for a moment that maybe the test was picking up on all the dead bodies around him.