Jim woke up to the sound of birds tweeting outside in the trees. It was around 7:00, and the light from the rising sun was seeping through the windows. Today was the day of the interviews, and on the thought of it, Jim sprung to his feet, his face full of joy. Whilst all the others were still sleeping, he was getting himself ready for another big day, making himself look presentable. By the time the others got up, Jim was all set to go for the day.
The dining hall was always quiet in the mornings due to the lack of people staying overnight in Newbury. Jim was the first one in, so he got first picks on what he could eat! He had a full English breakfast; sausages, eggs and bacon, one of his favourite meals. He had a glass of apple juice, which had a very strong taste to it which he liked very much.
The moment he finished his lucious breakfast, he proceeded back to the billets to do his final preparations for the day. From there, once all the lads had been mustered outside, they were all led to a very old cottage that stood adjacent to the Manor House. Inside was a maze of hundreds of rooms, each room contained a DS. Jim was ushered into a room with an officer with the rank slide of Captain. 'Hello there, Jim, my name is Captain Lambert, and I'll be conducting your interview today'. Jim quickly replied with 'glad to meet you, sir', and they both sat down.
Captain Lambert was a very abrupt but nice man with a good sense of humour. He asked Jim some questions about himself and why he would like to be chosen to join the British army as an officer. Jim answered these questions to the best of his ability, and with a big smile on his face. Unlike all the other lads in the building, Jim felt more confident about expressing himself than before, and unlike most people, Jim didn't get nervous when around soldiers and officers as he grew up in an environment where socialising with army officers was one of the only things to do.
After quite a few questions were fired at Jim like high-calibre bullets, he deflected them and answered with that big old smile on his face. Once the interview was concluded, Captain Lambert had even told Jim how 'blown away' he was! That was it, he had completed his interview, and way before everyone else. Because he had finished so early, Lambert let him go to lunch early, so he could get the first pick of what was on the menu today.
It was roast gammon with mashed potato and gravy, another one of Jim's favourite foods, the texture was chewy to the extent that the juices ran down onto his taste buds, releasing a luscious sensation that lasted before he swallowed it. He could've kept that piece of gammon in his mouth all day is he wanted to. And the mashed potato was creamy and soft, a pleasure to eat.
After that undeniably delicious meal, he had the whole afternoon to chill, so he went back to the billets and began preparation for the next and final day of the Army Officers Selection Board. Throughout the past few days, Jim had undertaken the difficult side of the course, which was all the theory and interviews. Now, all that was standing between him and the finishing line was Command tasks, the following morning.
