Joe Von
My best friend lived two houses up Bessie Street. In kindergarten Joe was a little slow in learning all the letters of his last name in correct order for it had sixteen letters. I did not have that trouble for Bill Irby was easy. Joe passed as I did, but Mrs. Smyth told him to practice on his last name over the summer. Practice was one of the things that Joe was weak on. Besides his parents believed in self-determination and Joe would have to make of himself what he would. Their task was to provide food, shelter, clean clothes, and school supplies.
On the first day of First Grade it sprinkled. Joe and I stood under the McIntyre pin oak on the corner of Bessie Street and North Sunset Boulevard trying to keep dry waiting for the bus. Bossy Mrs. Opal McIntyre came outside, safe and dry under her dark red umbrella, and chased us out into the sprinkles.
"Don't you boys know that it's dangerous to stand under a tree in the rain?"
By the time the bus arrived our shirts were wet and Joe had a blue ink stain under his tan shirt pocket. In class we were told by Mrs. Rowe to write our first and last names on a piece of paper and fill it with large and small A's. Secretively Joe pulled out his wet and smeared piece of paper to copy his. He had asked his mother to print his long last name and she had used blue ink. Unable to read the ink smear Joe was in trouble and could not remember all the letters after playing all summer. As far as he could get was Joe Von.
Mrs. Rowe looked at his name on his paper full of A's large and small and smiled a knowing smile. After that, because she thought he and his parents wanted it that way, Mrs. Rowe called him Joe Von. Even his grade card had that easy to spell and remember name. His parents did not complain to the school and it continued. All of his new friends called him Joe Von as did all of the other teachers during his years in school.
On the last day of Central High School all students and guests were surprised at the Honors Assembly when the name of main student speaker was called. Heads turned and looked around. None of them had heard that name before. Superintendent Dr. Eldridge Ferry did not get a response. During a brief pause Superintendent Ferry pushed his half-glasses up higher on his nose before loudly asking again, "Will Joseph Marcellus Von Eschenbrenner come forward."
Again heads turned and looked around-searching. Faces filled with expressions of surprise when the student they knew as Joe Von stood, walked up on the stage, and calmly began his Valedictorian speech.
Part six
Personal narrative
Odd ends Page 15