Page 82

By Jack Joseph Smith

82 winper soons.Two football teams this year, The Blue will win then ell, I wonder - how many the gray will lose; Blue and Guay. Sky and almost skys No matters This year everyone plays§ He had walked into the reotory and up the old wooden stairs, and was-now seated at his desk, He stared at his hands for ante and then wrote his first notation of the days Monday, Ask Michael Frost if he thinks he is the toughest kid in the school; Or nots She was a black and white nuni You saw nothing but her cloth and face, when her A Goterity was really the thing that made sure your eyes went no furthers “he leaned a bit over her epogeals and told me to come to her deske ! Father Pace ‘woula like to see you in the rectorys oneys You have been causing a lot of trouble in this class, You know ‘that, don't yous Yess Well I'll be talking to him later, so make sure you tell him the truths She said 4:. i the truth as if she was yellingy,no lies, no lies, no lies Should I go non Yess,you may go nowy and make sure you get right back here as soon as he dismisses yous Iwalked out of the still room and down the echo hall, past the hater © eritend office and through the large front doorss A strange excitement came over me as-I ren up the hill against the crisp winds Seer. - Father Lawnegan wants to see me, I said at the rectory doors The house lady directed me into the dining room, and I sat down in a large streight chgir-and waited with my arms resting on the long leather table; I heard his footsteps on the stairway and I sat up strong with shoulders back and eyes ahead and set

Original Scan

Page 82

AI Interpretation

GPT

A black-and-white nun sends Michael to the rectory for causing trouble, and the summons fills him with excitement rather than fear as he runs up into Papa Joe's dining room and waits in posture like a soldier before inspection.

The nun's insistence on truth only heightens the thrill, because being called by Papa Joe feels like elevation rather than punishment. Authority becomes magnetic here, and Michael meets it by stiffening himself into readiness.


Claude

Papa Joe's first direct summons — Ask Michael Frost if he thinks he is the toughest kid in the school, or not — delivered through a black-and-white nun whose authority was really the thing that made sure your eyes went no further.