Robert’s
senior year demanded effective use of time. His responsibilities included
editing the newspaper, editing the yearbook, serving as class president,
competing in the regional and state piano competitions, and auditioning on
piano at Indiana University.
One of his
lighter duties was giving a short talk at the Prom. He handled that obligation
well enough, but he and his classmate Susie also had to dance the first dance—a
burden less assured of adequate attainment. By the time the dance rolled
around, Susie and he were having so much fun joking with their friends that
worries vanished, and they gave a lighthearted and carefree demonstration of
their dancing prowess (or, in Robert’s case, lack thereof).
The
newspaper staff had made money. Toward the end of the academic year, the
members and their advisor, Mrs. Nealon, discussed what to do with the profits.
The staff decided to attend Sammy Davis, Jr.’s concert celebrating the Gala
Grand Opening of the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis on the 18th of
May.
After
driving to the capital city and walking from a nearby parking garage, the group
slowly made its way down a packed hallway beyond the foyer of the Convention
Center. The scents of new construction and floral perfume mingled in a heady
atmosphere. The concertgoers were dressed to the proverbial nines. Eventually,
the students and their advisor found their seats in the vast exposition hall
with its stage at one end. The huge space was just as redolent of fragrance as
the hallway had been. Robert thought the predominant tones in the bouquet were
peach mingled with jasmine.
At 8:00
p.m., the lights dimmed so much that, to all intents and purposes, they went
out. Simultaneously, the stage was lit with brilliant spotlights. When Sammy
Davis, Jr., walked out, the applause was pure thunder. Having starred in eleven
movies, having released over thirty albums, and having had two hits on
Broadway, the entertainer was poised to become one of Los Vegas’ most enduring
performers.
Davis
performed “Gonna Build a Mountain,” “What Kind of Fool Am I?,” “Black Magic,”
“I Gotta Be Me,” and “Hey There.” The star whose “Here Come de Judge” skits on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and whose
other TV appearances had made him a household name, entertained the audience
with ceaseless energy and boundless warmth.
It was one
of the rare times in Robert’s life when he thought he might have to pinch
himself to see if he were awake or only dreaming. For the rest of the summer
before Robert left for college, he thought of the trip to the Convention Center
whenever he heard Sammy Davis, Jr’s “The Candy Man” on the radio.
Graduation
offered another of those times when Robert thought he might have to pinch
himself.
When Robert
stood at the podium on the stage in the gymnasium in Pine Village and gave the
valedictory address, he heard his voice almost as if he were someone sitting in
the rows of folding chairs on the tarps that had been spread to cover the
basketball floor. He could hardly believe that he was the
Valedictorian—especially after his cousin Pam had come so close to earning the
title herself. She was a gracious Salutatorian.
While he
spoke, Robert thought about the fact that his father and his brother had been
Valedictorians at the same school. Had he failed to achieve the same goal,
Robert would have felt humiliated.
A few days
after Commencement, Robert and his mother were drinking iced tea on the front
porch.
It struck
Robert as strange that everything was ending. The school that he had longed to
attend when he was but four years of age was now a place he could only visit.
He had graduated. Within only three months, he would have no more piano lessons
with Miss Jamieson. Even his room in the house on the farm east of Pine Village
would no longer be occupied by him throughout the year but only in the summer.
Robert would begin attending summer sessions at Indiana University after his
sophomore year in college and would never be home again, except for holidays.
Why should such tremendous changes be happening to him?
Ida seemed
to understand her son’s jumbled emotions.
“You’ll be
in college soon,” Ida began. “I want you to call and write as often as you can.
Tell me about what you’re reading.”
She paused
to sip her tea.
“College
won’t be the same as high school,” she continued. “Through your classes, you’ll
have experiences that, right now, you can’t even dream of having.”
Again she
paused.
“You’ve
been very successful in high school,” she went on. “College will be much more
difficult. You may not succeed—”
“Oh, I’ll
make sure I succeed,” Robert interrupted.
Ida smiled.
“I wonder if I was as confident when I was your age,” she said. “You always
prepare thoroughly, and you anticipate what lies ahead. Maybe there will be no
limit to what you can accomplish. All I can tell you is to study hard and to
listen closely to what your professors say. You can always turn to your brother
for help and advice.”
She paused
once more.
“You should
slow down once in a while to look at where you’re headed because you don’t want
to look back at the end of your life and realize you missed it. You tend to
drive yourself, and I wouldn’t want you to forget the enjoyment along the way.”
Robert
appreciated his mother’s insights. He looked above the young corn plants in the
field across the road. The rows stretched toward a cobalt blue line of distant
trees. He knew he would soon be leaving the farm, and he wanted to take vivid
mental pictures to serve as clear memories later on. Yes, if he had to leave
the farm, he was surely going to take the farm with him.
No comments:
Post a Comment