SUNGLASSES AND ROCKETS Part 1 : New Moon

THE ARENA

As you would expect, I woke up at eight in the morning. I tumbled out of my bed, stupefied, and quickly threw some lines together. The presentation would start in fifteen minutes! I took the documents I had doctored and quickly stuffed them in my backpack, next to my scribbling. I threw the backpack on my back and flew out of the room.

I got to school at 8:17 a.m. The halls were empty. Classes had started two minutes ago. I hurried up even more, until I ended up running. I made it down a huge corridor and then reached the door of my classroom. I stopped and took several deep breaths. Not a sound could be heard through the walls. Inside the room there was a death-like silence: a bad sign. For sure, scary Dr. Shostak had already arrived. I hope Shostak is in a good mood, I thought as I put my hand on the doorknob. I gently opened it and went in.

The whole class was there. My classmates were silent. Dr. Shostak was pacing impatiently in front of the blackboard, shaking his head as a sign of boredom. Suddenly, he saw me.

"Mr. Goddard," he said, visibly irritated, "you are three minutes late."

"I'm sorry, what happened is that..."

"Begin," he ordered, as he sat on one of the desks in the first row, "What are you waiting for?"

I walked gravely towards the front of the room. My breaths came quicker. I looked at the audience out of the corner of my eye: I saw expectant, worried faces. The showdown was about to begin. With trembling hands, I placed my scribbling on the doctor's desk. I took two sheets of paper and turned to the blackboard. I started by writing huge letters—enormous ones—for the title of my paper. It was a way of gaining time; my wiles had not deserted me.

"Mr. Goddard. We do not have the whole morning," grumbled the fearful professor, "It would be better if you used transparencies."

I swung around wearing my best smile.

"Thanks for the suggestion, but I prefer using the blackboard. I can write really quickly."

After thirty minutes...

Dr. Shostak shook his head and raised a hand to his forehead. He seemed irritated.

"Mr. Goddard, it seems to me that all you have done is to have repeated various memorized facts, and I have the impression that you do not have the slightest idea what you have said."

To my embarrassment, I confess that the stringent examiner was right.

"What is the difference between mass and matter?" he asked.

"Ahhh...!" I exclaimed, tapping myself on the head, "Yes, yes...the difference between mass and matter; the difference between mass and matter is...is..."

"If you do not know, finish the presentation," was his indifferent verdict. "Do not make me waste more time..."

"No, no, no," I begged. "Mass is a property of matter..."

"What type of property?"

"I think..."

"Do you think or do you know?"

"Mass is a measure of..."

Dr. Shostak looked out the window again.

"What-type-of-property-is-mass?" he insisted. "Do you understand English?"

"The...the..."

Someone knocked on the door. The doctor immediately got up and went to it. All right! I needed a reprieve.

"Mr. Goddard, Mr. Darwin, someone's here for you."

A light mutter ran through the crowd. Darwin smiled at me from his seat. I felt as if a great weight had been lifted off me. Before the dumbfounded look of the students, I ran straight away to my place, to pick up my things. Among the smiles of admiration of our classmates, we went to the door. Darwin knew just like I did that Sonny, whenever he visited the city, would sometimes make out as if he were our uncle and came to pick us up at school during class time. I had to give it to him, my older brother had a good side.

Before I got to the door, Dr. Shostak came up to me and stopped. He gave me a very serious look.

"Mr. Goddard," he said coldly, "don't bother taking the exams on August 11. They're only for those who can cut it..."

That was his final shot at me. He aimed right for my self-esteem. Before I could say something in my defense, he turned his back on me and went to his desk.

"Gordo," someone said, "Let's not keep your uncle waiting."

Darwin was calling me. He was waiting with his backpack on his shoulder just a few steps away from the door. I sighed, lost in thought, and followed him. I can cut it! I said to myself, indignant, besides, I have good ideas...my plan to win Vanessa...

My reflections were interrupted suddenly when I got to the door. Darwin was paralyzed, completely pale, standing there in the middle of the corridor. I hurried up. As I carefully closed the door, I asked:

"Hey Sonny! What do you have against Darwin?"

"Good morning, Gordo," answered a voice that was not Sonny's.

I got the fright of my life.