Page 121 - Demo

%u00a9Jack Fritscher, Ph.D., All Rights ReservedHOW TO LEGALLY QUOTE FROM THIS BOOKWhat They Did to the Kid 109traditional way with his back to the congregation, or the new way, facing the people. The most senior seminarians, about to be ordained, wondered would facing %u2018front%u2019 or %u2018back%u2019 affect the design of their new gold-and-white Mass vestments.Father Gunn, traipsing around in his full Marine Corps uniform, was preoccupied with a Misericordia reunion of military chaplains who had served in World War II, minus my Uncle Les who sent his regrets. %u201cWho,%u201d Father Gunn asked me, as if I knew, %u201cdoes that uncle of yours think he is?%u201d He focused on me. %u201cAnd what does that make you?%u201dI ran from Father Gunn. I loved my Uncle Les. The following Saturday afternoon a Roman holiday spirit swept the softball fields as one or two boys, then whole teams of seminarians, appeared in Bermuda shorts cut with scissors from black khaki wash pants.Rector Karg made no comment. He paced the faculty walking path chain-smoking cigarettes and knuckling his black rosary through his fingers. He was nervous, in a personal retreat, isolated away in his dark front quarters, waiting for the latest alarming gossip from the planners of the Vatican Council in Rome.Sunday the temperature reached ninety-six. Monday was hotter. By Tuesday, our black wool cassocks, wet from three suffocating days in chapel and classrooms, began to break unnaturally in their drape, about knee-high. Wednesday, shortly before noon, the fad escalated to barely disguised sniggering when a seminarian crossing his legs in Father Polistina%u2019s philosophy class hitched up his cassock and revealed an expanse of bare leg.Still the priests said nothing. Thursday and Friday the movement spread, a week old. Boys began to take sides. In the overheated chapel, audible gasps, pro and con, interrupted the Gregorian chant as here and there, entering in procession, boy after boy genuflected, one knee forward, up, revealing through the slit in the cassocks the bare white flesh of hairy naked knees.Saturday morning Gunn canceled our last study hall before noon and scheduled an unexpected assembly in the auditorium. He stood at attention in his dress blues.%u201cThe ship%u2019s hit the sand.%u201d Mike sat next to Lock.%u201cAs Cleopatra said to Antony,%u201d Lock whispered, %u201cI%u2019m not prone to argue.%u201dGunn called for silence, and exploded. %u201cThree weeks you%u2019ve been back here at Misericordia,%u201d he said. %u201cThree weeks and already you stand in open rebellion. Another mutiny! I can somewhat understand you breaking rules