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A young man's story of struggle and desire to remain in the 17 state of mind. The reader is taken back to Halloween 1971, a turning point — adulthood — a place some would rather not go. Lia Lambrecht/Writer Longing for fun and love, David England's young experience takes him to confrontations and truth. He learns what matters to him. Jan King Garverick/Author Excellent young adult tale. For once, not a bad boy, just a good student seeking his own successful path. Jason Stewart/Librarian If Cather In The Rye were set in 1971, it would have been 17! A coming of age novel, for those who miss the 70's.
Andy Whelchel, President The National Writers Association Literary Agency

Sujets

Vie de famille

Relations familiales

Thrillers

Relationships

Humor

Suspenso

Relationship

Family

Suspense

Fiction

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Publié par	AuthorHouse
Date de parution	21 août 2006
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781425966744
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0150€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

17!
Halloween 1971!
by
Ron N. Wallace

AuthorHouse™
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.authorhouse.com
Phone: 833-262-8899

© 2006 Ron N. Wallace. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

This book is a work of fiction. People, places, events, and situations
are the product of the authors imagination. Any resemblance to actual
persons, living or dead, or historical events, is purely coincidental.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/19/2021

ISBN: 978-1-4208-1142-1 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4259-6674-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2004098771

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
Table of Contents
WRITER’S NOTE
1. THE DECISION
2. BACKGROUND
3. DINNER WITH THE FOLKS
4. THE PLAY
5. THE GOLF GAME
6. NANCY
7. BALBY AND CLAUS
8. JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT
9. THE COFFEE SHOP
10. CHURCH
11. TALK WITH DAD
12. TAKING A WALK
13. HALLOWEEN NIGHT
14. LOBSTER PUMPKIN
15. THE DANCE
16. THE LAKEQUEEN
17. THE STONED THOUGHT TRIP
18. BOBBY TRENDALL’S PARTY
19. THE BUST
20. THE STATION
21. YOUR FATHER
22. THE TALK
23. GETTING UP FOR SCHOOL
24. GOING TO SCHOOL
25. ENGLISH CLASS
26. SECOND HOUR
27. THIRD HOUR
28. FOURTH HOUR
29. LUNCH TIME
30. SIXTH AND SEVENTH HOURS
31. NANCY AGAIN
32. THE SWIM MEET
33. MRS. LOVE
34. THE CONVENT
35. LAURA’S DOCK
36. J.A.
37. DANNY
38. DAD
39. DEAR CHRISTY
40. 17

For M & D, “Ann and Bob” – thanks! When it’s fun, it’s really fun!
WRITER’S NOTE
T his novel work of fiction was created from interest in high school days back in 1971! Therefore, the characters and scenes herein, are the result of imagination.
1. THE DECISION
A X!…. “Geez… I missed the neck, and got the damn wing!” you yell with one foot holding the bird to the ground. “ It’s so hard to keep this darn chicken still!”
The cool October evening air feels good as the pink sunset edges down through the trees. You think, I have to succeed . I have to succeed ! I can’t pluck a live chicken for my demonstration video in Broadcasting class .
Then you get the idea to hold the head and hatchet the neck with the ax. You wonder if this is what it was like for God to crucify his son. You mean you have to intend to do it, and if you are truly intending, you have to do whatever it takes for success – for success! You hate being hung up on the idea, but lately, to be successful is all you want to feel.
The chicken looks between your left-gloved fingers as if saying, “Let’s make a deal. I know you are bigger than me, but let go! I’ll find the way home myself. If you give up your project and drive me back where I used to live, I promise I’ll sit still and not fly around inside your back window and windshield like on the way down. I’ll be cool. I’ll be cool ….”
For a second you think of not going through with this. You hold the head tightly in hand while the chicken’s body flaps, even with your knee on top. But you are sure you’ll get an “A” for originality on “How To Pluck A Chicken.” You want that “A.” You really want to achieve the “A!” Anything less might mean a “B,” and it’s too late to think of another idea now.
“I’m sorry I have to kill you,” you softly say to the bird. “But you wouldn’t have lasted long on the farm. Your master was delighted to give you away after I knocked on her door and explained I needed a chicken for a school project. She knew which one to pick from the crowd. Now, say your prayers. You’re going to meet your maker. I have to be careful not to hit my hand with this ax. An ‘A’ wouldn’t be worth that. So stop flapping!”
Suddenly the chicken is still, and giving in to its fate. You have to make a decision. If I am going to do it, now is the time …. You pull back the ax. Decide to go for it! Chop at its neck with a clean cut. The bird goes running across the front yard until it drops. Dead.
Casually, you step to throw away the chicken head in a lined garbage can in the garage. You find a new sack, and walk back to the carcass.
By the legs, you pick up what’s left of the chicken.
Then you place the bag of chicken and gloves in the trunk of your small 1963 convertible as you’ve committed a murder, and are hiding the evidence in the big silver bucket.
You realize you actually have.
This is the only thing you’ve ever killed besides an ant, a bug, or a fish. All business, to get an “A.”
Why is your goal to have the best experience possible?
Do you feel the drive from Dad, a big executive at the company?
The desire for good grades has been foremost with you since day one making a clay hand print in kindergarten, when always hoping to please the teacher! – Even to kill a chicken?
Are you bored and good grades quest gives you momentum?
Do you just have to give it your all, and see what happens?
Are you going for high grades to be in the top 17% Honor Society, to get accepted into the best college you can?
You think, Why do I want success so much ?
So Dad thinks I’m a cool kid ?
Oh I know what the bottom line is, I have to have success ….
F ailure is so devastating !

After “How To Cook Spaghetti,” and “How To Make Bean Soup,” the teacher, Miss Strump, directs, “All right, David. You’re up next. What will you show us today?”
“How To Pluck A Chicken.”
“What? You have some rubber doll?”
“No, the real thing!” you show, pulling up the dripping chicken out of the bucket of hot water.

You’re under the hot lights in the corner of the studio in front of the two TV cameras. After coaching the cameramen you’re given the cue to start. Immediately you upbeat inform – “Hi! I’m David England. Today we’re going to learn ‘ How to pluck a chicken !’
“In these five minutes you have to know it takes a live chicken to get real feathers to pluck. See? There’s no head. You have to decide about that sort of thing.
“Then you soak the feathers in hot water in order to pluck them…. This bird has been soaking all morning.
“And you have to know where you’re going to start plucking. Holding the legs, I’ve chosen to pluck from the chicken’s body down to the neck in this picture. They peel right off. So there aren’t too many steps involved, simply plucking the chicken. But how many of you have ever seen a real chicken plucked? The poultry industry is an interesting thing, as this has been done for thousands of years….”

“Do you know about the grade?”
“A ‘B+,’” says Strump.
“A ‘B+?’ What the heck did I do wrong?”
“Oh, you got an ‘A’ – an ‘A’ for originality. Relax, England.”

Success . Success , you think now, before lunch. The whole attempt worked . The big plan came off . I wish it were this way with everything !
Coolly, you throw away the plastic bag of plucked chicken and surgical gloves in the dumpster out by the side of the building, and spread the watery feathers on the lawn. Then you walk out to the parking lot and put the bucket back into your car trunk. You take off the demonstration video show shirt and put on the fresh school dress shirt. Inside to the restroom you go to wash your hands. When finished, you smile into the mirror….
Booking down the hall to the cafeteria, you’re savoring the happy feeling of – success !
2. BACKGROUND
D ad works in the city. You don’t know if you’ll work there some day though you did a little training time there this summer. It was at the Advertising Agency for your father’s division of the big corporation he works for. All you had to do was observe, and take it all in.
You don’t know how or why you’re born into what you’re born into. So you need to say, “Please don’t hold it against me.” Mainly, you go to this good high school and just want to tell what everything is like.
Your name is David England – David F. – David Fun England, actually. You may have been heard of in other novels, but this is before all that.
And you don’t know why your parents had the gumption to give you the middle name, “Fun.” All they said was, “We want you to remember to have a sense of humor! To come back to having fun from time to time, thereby helping us to not take life so hard and too seriously!”
Dad’s President of a soap pad company. He gives a heck of a motivating talk down in the plant to the employees. He lives in the city during the week at the nice apartment building, River Top View, and comes home on weekends, but you overheard the IRS won’t let him charge the rent off his taxes.
Mom does her thing. She’s into needlepoint, crossword puzzles, and big thick paperback historical romance novels. She irons a mean big handkerchief and plays Women’s Golf on Tuesdays, if good weather.
Dad, on the other hand, loves to play golf when it’s raining, wearing his rain suit, and he enjoys nighttime winter walks around the block.
You live on a lake. The summers are very nice, especially with the country club. Yet right now it’s reaching Halloween 1971.
You’re in your Senior-year of high school at August High. Yes,