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PARTISAN REVIEW
"one trip, and then, if you wish, maybe a year later, another one." He nod–
ded, with regret. "Otherwise, you get... I don't know the word in English,"
and he motioned with
his
hand.
Later that day, Lewis said, "You seem quite chipper today. And yes–
terday."
"A
good weekend,
I
guess."
"Oh yes," he said, stopping me for a moment, about to strike my heart
with his revelation, "You've been doing a fine job, so I've raised you twenty
cents an hour beginning next month. Congratulations."
Surprised, even shocked, I stumbled out "Thank you," not daring to tell
him
ofmy plan.
Sallow-faced in his gray windbreaker, he continued, "Everyone agrees
you've been the best fiction boy we've had down there in years. Keep up
the good work!" and he flashed his best nicotine smile at me, before moving
on, a cadaver-in-good-cheer.
That week, after making application for my passport, I wrote a letter
to the literary gentleman, in case I missed him. I wrote the letter on my
Royal, of course, my first real workout on it.
''Thanks Mr. Barrett for your course in reading, sorry it was so brief.
(I'm enjoying
OfHuman Bondage
very much, though I think Mr. Maugham
is quite a pessimist. Is this a 'fault' in the book, sir?) On my journey, which is
approaching, I'm certainly going to continue the reading. I'm off, you see, in a
month or six weeks, as soon as I can get my passport, for some distant des–
tination-though I don't know yet where, or for how long.
As
for college, well,
if I'm going to write someday, I don't really need college, we both agree. I
mean, I have to get educated in the school of hard knocks first, right? I've
also got a start there, as you may remember, and it really does make an
impression,
for sure. Thanks a lot for your counsel that day, about your own
experience; it proved helpful, more than you may know. I bounced back
after being rather down.
If I may, I'll look you up when I get back, maybe through George?-if I
get back before ten years, as I believe I will. And I'll certainly let you know
about my adventures, which may be.... "
I couldn't think ofwhat to put in there, so I just left in the four dots, like
they did in the books. I signed it, "Aaron Scholssberg, from Brooklyn not
Charleville." The typing gave me as much pleasure as the contents.
Nearly a month went by, spring began in earnest with the Dodgers
opening in Ebbets Field, while I waited for my magical object, like myoid
Captain Midnight badge, to arrive: my passport. (I also checked in at the
nurse's office in school, and, from fishy-eyed Mrs. Wallace, got the proper
forms for a medical leave of absence.) One Friday evening I returned to
