Oh!

     I didn't try very hard in grade one. As a result, when the names of the kids who were promoted to grade two were called out at the end of the term, my name was not among them. That's when I learned that I would have to do grade one all over again! I had visions of spending the rest of my life in grade one, and decided that I didn't like that state of affairs at all. That second year in grade one, I rolled up the same sleeves I wiped my nose on and got to work. Once I started to learn, I discovered that I liked it after all. I never was the best of students, but I wasn't the worst, either. I don't think I did too badly for a kindergarten drop-out and a grade one flunk-out.

     Bertie was still in Lord Tennyson during the time I was there, but Peggy had gone on to Kitsilano High the same year I started at Tennyson and Ted was, I think, already through the school system. I felt pretty frustrated about that. I kind of wished that I had both of my brothers and my sister in school with me.

     In grade two, my teacher was Miss Roy. Miss Roy was a beautiful - homely woman. She looked something like the witch in the Wizard of Oz, but as my mother once told me, looks aren't everything. She was a wonderful, understanding teacher. She seemed to have the uncanny knack of knowing exactly when to lay down the law with a vengeance, and when to rein-in on her authority when a trembling, terrified student was being called to task.

     She wanted me to join The Larks.

     Every year, Miss Roy had a singing contest for her pupils. the best singers were chosen to become Larks. I sang in that contest, but - being a tough kid - I thought it was for sissies so I didn't really try. I didn't sing the song she gave me, I talked it. At the end of the school day, she named those who had been chosen to become Larks. I wasn't among them. I was kinda disappointed.

     After school, I played around for a couple of hours before going home. when I entered the house, I was astonished to see Miss Roy talking to my mother in our living room. During the long, frozen moment I stared at them, I flipped through my mental files of all the things I had done that day, to see if I could find anything nasty enough to warrant a visit from my teacher. There were a couple, but I was sure Miss Roy didn't know about them! Mother broke the suspense when she said, "Paul dear, Miss Roy was just telling me that you had failed to make the Larks today."

     So that was it! I heaved a sigh of relief and shrugged, " I guess I wasn't good enough.!", I replied.

     At the moment, Bertie entered the living room. He'd obviously been listening to our conversation in the hall. He stormed up to me and grabbed me by the shirt labels, "What!", he growled, "You didn't make the larks?"

     "Now Bertie..", mother began, but I saw Miss Roy reach out to touch her and caution her to silence. Still holding on to my shirt front, Bertie pulled me across the room in front of the fireplace, away from mom and Miss Roy. "I thought you were a tough kid!", he sneered in a whisper.

     I bristled. "I am a tough kid!", I sneered back.

     "Then how come you didn't make the Larks?", he growled. And before I could replay, he gave a small shove. "Aha!", he smirked, "You're afraid the other kids will tease you about it, that right?"

     Damn him! He'd hit the nail bang on the head!

     "Look", he growled, drawing me so close that our noses almost toughed, "You are going to try out for the Larks again, and if those other kids tease you about it," he balled his fist and took a chop at the air, "POW!"

     He had something there.

     Mom and Miss Roy broke into smiles when I timidly approached them and asked if I could have another chance at making the Larks. Miss Roy stood up. "I'll let you try again after morning recess tomorrow.", she said, and then she left.

     The next day, just before morning recess, Miss Roy announced to the kids that I was going to try out for the Larks when we came back to class. I saw a couple of the boys smirking. At recess, I got the boys in my class together and told them, "Look you guys, I'm gonna try out for the larks again after recess!: I saw a couple of them grinning. I continued, "And if any of you guys are thinking of teasing me about it, " I Balled my fist and took a chop at the air, 'POW!", I growled.

     The smiles quickly faded. I tried out after recess, singing as if my life depended on it, and I made the Larks.