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%u00a9Jack Fritscher, Ph.D., All Rights ReservedHOW TO LEGALLY QUOTE FROM THIS BOOKWhat They Did to the Kid 35and athletic as a blond German Jesus, an apostolate to the whole world. By entering the seminary, the priesthood, I could become perfect like my Uncle Les.Finally, I knew I must somehow bring the word to even these chosen ones, these profane seminarians, as John the Baptist had brought the word to the Chosen People of Christ who was Himself the Word. If I could hold my breath for twelve years, I could be ordained a priest. November 19, 1953Porky Puhl swiped down the chalk rail one last time and gave the wet rag a two-handed jump shot into the wastepaper basket. He looked content with himself, even from the distance of my fifth-row desk. We were alone in the classroom, recess time, except for Lock Roehm studying Latin second conjugation moneo, I admonish, in the back corner.%u201cLock, lock, who%u2019s got the lock, Lock?%u201d Porky said.Lock and I ignored him. We were studying conjugations of verbs for Father Polistina%u2019s daily Latin quiz next period.Porky turned to his newly cleaned blackboard and began drawing an arty frame, something that was occasionally acceptable, to surround the Latin teacher%u2019s chalk talk. On the far left panel he sketched a turkey, this Wednesday class before Thanksgiving, and in a cartoon balloon coming out of the turkey%u2019s mouth, he printed: %u201cFor Daily Latin Saying%u2013Write Right Here!%u201d In the upper corner on the far right panel, where the day before he had written %u201c24,%u201d he wrote in huge blocks, %u201c23.%u201dPorky stood back. His fat face grinned like a full moon in a German almanac. He lobbed the chalk accurately onto the rail and said, %u201cThat%u2019s the time.%u201d%u201cWhat?%u201d Lock Roehm asked, not looking up, his finger tracing the page of Englman%u2019s Latin Grammar.%u201cThat%u2019s the countdown. Only twenty-three days left till we go home for Christmas.%u201d%u201cAmazing,%u201d Lock said. He looked up. %u201cYou can count backwards.%u201d%u201cThat excites you, eh, Lochinvar?%u201d Porky clapped his hands together.%u201cYes.%u201d Lock pulled off his glasses. %u201cAs a matter of fact, it does excite me.%u201dBack in September, our first day, Hank had swiped at Lock. %u201cLochinvar%u2019s not a saint%u2019s name. You have to be baptized with a saint%u2019s name. You can%u2019t make up names. What kind of name is Lochinvar anyway?%u201d