Take off your hat, I want to stand up.

Chapter four: one of the Ross boys.

Chapter four: One of the Ross'

628 Empress Street

We moved to the brand new neighbourhood in the summer of 1957.

Just in time to start kindergarten, in German it represents a child's garden, perfect, 32 children in one room, led by my first love, outside of mom, Miss Kuskie. She moved as a floating cloud, with a pretty scent of lavender and thyme, a smile hid behind her twinkling eyes, she was a perfect teacher. I sat beside Harvey and my dear newest friend Keithy, we were fast pals. We did not really speak to each other in so many words but we fashioned a friendship out of deeds, how fast you could run, how well you kicked a ball, whether you could stand in there and catch a ball, especially if it hit you a couple of times first. Keith was the best, Harvey and myself tied. I could run faster he was a better catcher.

Our lockers were so big. They were so hard to open. The hooks and catches were so tall. We threw our junk on the closest ledge, the floor of the locker and slammed the door hard, bang, it resounded and caught the attention of Miss Kuskie, no boys; was the reply. Apparently, we did not do it properly, look at how the girls do it and then copy them. What? This did not seem probable. So we watched, learned and knew how to close up the locker in a beat, orderly and silent manner, lesson learned.

We were very good students, we sang, danced, drew, coloured, lined up and behaved like approval seeking soldiers. One morning there was an aberrant knock of insistence at the door, once opened a mother, the Principal and a young hidden child prevailed at the treadmark to the entrance. Following a brief hello, the mother swung away in a ballet move which revealed a lone figure left behind, class we have a new student. All eyes pierced the silence, all banging, pounding, shuffling strode to a halt, Miss Kuskie in her best and most friendly voice announced the name of the new boy, this is Ross Frazier, class say hello and welcome, the door closed, leaving Ross separate from the salvation of the hallway. He opened his mouth as wide as I had ever seen a mouth go wide before, he wailed a long, loud, persistent, wail of deep down fright, longing and fear. It made the hairs on the back of neck freeze to a salute, they rose up in a cat like manner, I reached behind as I bent my head forward, neat. Ross stood and cried until recess, he was being comforted by our teacher in her absolute best teacher trained consoling, nothing worked, Ross howled on, I think his sobs actually grew in intensity as we all piled out of the room for recess.