Serial: "Hawkins County" Chapter 2 - 1970's Americana
"Hawkins County" has a dual story line until well into the second act. You have already met Pat O'Connor, the delinquent teenage boy on the run from the law. The premise of his story line: Can Pat O'Connor continue to elude capture by law enforcement for probation violation? Now in chapter 2, you will meet Jack Johnson, a nerdy college student whose life becomes enmeshed with Pat O'Connor's in way the two can not yet imagine. This is the second story line, with Jack Johnson being the antagonist to the protagonist Pat O'Connor.
Jack and Adam stood to take their turns in line with Adam first, followed by Jack. Adam quickly ducked out to the restroom, returning to the line moments before his name was called.
"Jack Johnson, Bachelor of Arts in Sociology."
Jack ascended the steps. He approached Professor Davidson, smiled, and shook his hand as he looked out into the audience, beaming. Rather than walk the rest of the way across the stage, he skipped, touching the brim of his cap and waving at the other deans as he did so. The audience caught this and laughed along with Jack's glee. Jack flashed his pearly whites at them also.
"Henry Block, Bachelor of Arts in Accounting."
After the ceremony concluded, the graduates left the fieldhouse in procession to the tune of yet another march. Jack spotted his girlfriend Marianne and his mom and dad, Esther and Jack Senior, whom everyone referred to as Senior to distinguish him from Jack, standing on the fieldhouse lawn. Esther was a homemaker who did not work "outside the home" as was the phrase then, but rather, devoted her life to making a home for her two Jacks. She and Senior had two other kids, James and Julie, both older than Jack by several years, who were married and living out of state. As was also the custom with some families, all the Johnson kids' first names began with the same letter. Jack was the afterthought, totally unplanned, but loved and doted on like a lot of the youngest were. Nothing was too good for Jackie boy.
Senior was an executive with a popular sporting goods company in Mankato that made fishing rods and reels. He got his start working for a canning company in Hawkins County several years prior and then transferred into a supervisory slot at the present firm fifteen years back when Jack was but eight years old. From there he worked his way into management.
Marianne was Jack's sweetheart in the truest sense of the word, and even he knew he knew that she was much better than she deserved. A drop-dead gorgeous, slender brunette with long, black hair and dancing green eyes, she reminded Jack of Vivian Leigh in Gone With The Wind, which also happened to be his favorite movie. Actually, he favorite movie was Behind the Green Door, but since it was a porno flick, he questioned whether he could count that one.
A finance officer now, Marianne earned her college degree a few years back and worked a full time job at the First national bank in Dovetail Falls. Two years older than Jack, she met him at a bar when he was a junior. They were more or less going steady since then - she was more and he was less, and one quarter she even went so far as to as to help finance his education. He was so in debt that unbeknownst to his folks, he cashed their check for his tuition and used it to pay bills. Good old Marianne came to the rescue and paid his tuition, knowing full well she would never see the money back. (to be continued)
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posted by Lance @ 8:10 PM
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