Schoolboy Files 4 (Stooge) Nov25

Hirsute, stout, a little tall. Good athlete, but luckily in the higher age-group because of a late-year birthday. For the first few years we formed the twin central pillars at the back row in the class photos. 
         Changing for Phys. Ed. the fuller maturity was a taunt. Steady, confident manner. Stooge would shave well in advance of any of the other boys, and no boasting. 
         School marks in the upper tier—we progressed to 2A & 3A with the other bright sparks. (Streaming and Prefects ended at the half-way mark with the new winds a blowin'.) Earnest capable student—we all compared grades and measured ourselves against one another. 
         At half-year in 1D the disregard over the Music fail, the blot on the copy-book, surprised. Wouldn't Stooge's migrant parents rant and rave at any kind of fail? An E made a black mark surely under any circumstances. Parents working hard like that and the son frittering away his opportunity.
         Miss Tierney and her music program were not worth the bother, according to Stooge in the corridor lining up against the lockers for the old witch's class. 

         The responsible and ordinarily respectful thirteen year old could stand there and make an independent, considered judgment just like that. Where did that leave us impostors who somehow wriggled by the silly old bag?
         A wog and little pretence otherwise. There were in fact a sizable number of Greeks in our year, boys & girls both. (Sub-groups again of Levantines.) Later some of these even used snatches of their home language among themselves. Stooge was the only "Bill" of any kind in school. (Vasily, by some stretch William.) The others such as Emmanuel and Theo were irredeemable dagoes. Oily and dark Despina and Mina on the other side of the ledger. Grease-balls, but with some strength in numbers. 
         In the last years of school Stooge took to Credence Clearwater well in advance of anyone else; when everyone else was still on The Beetles and branching tentatively toward the Stones, The Who & Led Zeppelin. 

         Soon the mane was grown out like John Fogarty—there was indeed a certain resemblance. Guitar gifted by dad for grades at Leaving Certificate and duty in the recently acquired milk-bar. By Form 5 the music clusters required a response of some kind: Stooge's bold declaration for the retro Folk not any kind of stab in the dark.
         There was no football for Stooge at HSC. In his farewell game at the club the year before he had starred in the Back Pocket, named Best Player and winning a monetary award from one of our spectators. 

         Ordinarily Stooge was never given a turn in the Ruck. After killing them in the Pocket that day he was surprised to get the call for the change. On the ball too that day there was no stopping Stooge, fella on fire. And a goal or two gotten through in his absence in defence.
         Who made the suggestion Bill was a poof in HSC? One of the leaders of the pack. Credence, no Levis, didn't drink, pansy guitar playing soft music. The dark shadow of suspicion was understandable. 

         When the question was put outright one lunchtime, the firmness in reply could not hide a disappointed blush at the former ally.
         — Yep, that's right. (Who could be bothered answering the likes of you?)
         Destined for a desk at the DPP later, putting people like us from the wrong side of town behind bars without too many qualms.