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%u00a9Jack Fritscher, Ph.D., All Rights ReservedHOW TO LEGALLY QUOTE FROM THIS BOOKWhat They Did to the Kid 251the earth mother, with her special chair at a special table. Everyone in graduate school seemed to know her, nod to her, suck up to her. I kept my distance at first.We were like one of those old big-band songs of the 1940%u2019s where the whole tune, like %u201cSentimental Journey,%u201d is played through as an instrumental and finally some featured singer like Doris Day tags in at the end with the lyrics. Jocelyn and I only became vocal like that after a long period of, not flirting, but watching, studying, eye-balling each other. I missed the barracks of the seminary. I missed the Misery gossip. Jocelyn was the eye and center of everything. I missed knowing someone like that. She was the Ruler of the Union, the editor of the paper, and a favorite of the faculty.I gave her a manuscript on J. D. Salinger. %u201cIt%u2019s okay,%u201d she said. We were dancing together on Rush Street to a jukebox full of 45%u2019s, Ray Charles singing, %u201cGeorgia, Georgia.%u201d She led me. %u201cWe have to discuss your writing. J%u2019accuse! You were in the seminary.%u201d We stopped dancing. %u201cDon%u2019t lie.%u201dI was a seven-year-old caught with my underwear dripping. %u201cIt shows?%u201d%u201cShows?%u201d She shot the word back from the side of her mouth. %u201cThe %u2018theology of this%u2019 and %u2018the theology of that.%u2019 Crap. Must you see a %u2018theology%u2019 in everything? There must be a thousand ex-seminarians on this campus. You%u2019re new, but you%u2019re not fresh.%u201d%u201cI can get fresh.%u201d%u201cI mean you%u2019re not original.%u201d%u201cYou want me to get fresh?%u201dShe slapped my face. Not hard. Everybody stared. I felt like one of those chickens they crucify in Mexico and watch die, taking bets, while the stage fills up with its blood. %u201cGeorgia, Georgia.%u201d She took my hands, lifted my arms, and pulled me into her. %u201cDance,%u201d she said. I hated her. I loved her. I pushed into her. She pushed back. We danced until Ray Charles stopped singing. %u201cWhat do you think of Negroes?%u201d she said.%u201cThey need their rights.%u201d%u201cWhat%u2019s your %u2018theology-of%u2019 that?%u201dI told her about living as a worker-priest for three months at Holy Cross parish and marching on Mayor Daley%u2019s office with The Woodlawn Organization.%u201cFrom 63rd and Cottage Grove?%u201d%u201cWith Saul Alinsky.%u201dThat was when she said, %u201cPhone me.%u201d That was the night she gave me her number. %u201cSaul Alinsky, huh? Still waters run deep. We%u2019ll discuss it.%u201d%u201cIt?%u201d