Dirty Bird - Chapter Five

Jim Enjoyed the Debate Team

 For a guy that was so reticent and reserved, it seemed strange for Jim to major in linguistics and the associated fields.

He took other courses in English, history, and his favorite was debating. He was on more than one debating team and loved it.

I asked him where was all this going to take him and he looked wistfully and said probably to a class room teaching A B C s.

I strongly felt he was destined for something greater than that.  

One thing I appreciated about Jim was he wasn’t constantly correcting my English. Though I understand proper usage of the language I speak the teenage style of the language.

As I predicted after several dances and getting to know the regulars Jim zeroed in on a girl and they hung together all during our college days and were married after he secured a good position.

As for me I just went with a number of different ladies but my interest level remained low regarding any of them.

The people I worked for helped me get several scholarships and they greatly reduced my work load.

About once a year I would get a letter from my Ma.  She would bring me current on what was happening at home.

As I suspected Justin and Cindy moved in with the folks and now have another child. It seems to be working out just fine. The folks simply love the babies and Justin has become a good husband and father.

I believe Cindy’s folks might have something to do with that for they always brought their shotguns with them when they come to visit.

During my last year of studies … (I say last year but in reality I haven’t stopped taking courses to keep up with the world) Jim finally got me to join him in some two man debates where we debated other two man teams.

With my scholarships I had time to prepare with Jim.  As with all teams we would debate anything, I tried to hold my own but it was Jim who always bailed us out. We became the ones to beat and it was a lot of fun.

The one thing these debates did for me was to improve my English and public speaking. Having to think on my feet brought a new clarity to my ability to converse and respond quickly to remarks made by others.

As Jim always reminded me; First; know your subject and then know how to express it but always keep it interesting.

His help in those fields was to stay with me for the rest of my life.

Several companies had shown an interest in me and arranged for me an interview. The one company most interested had me in for a couple of call backs going over what seemed to me like the same territory.

Then it happened I had my degrees and it was as if a load was lifted from my mind and shoulders.

I made a short trip to see my folks and thank them once again then it was off to San Francisco.  The company had booked me into a luxury hotel and to be truthful I felt out of place.

When Jim and I were going around debating they always put us up in a two or three star inn, but this hotel was the top of the line.

As I checked in I saw a couple of pretty women I took for… er hostesses.  

They were dressed in fiery red outfits and really stood out.  I thought they must do a lot of business for they were something special.

One of the young vice-presidents spent time with me and gave me the tour of the huge office facility. I tried my best to look interested but was not overly impressed.

I noted the two girls I saw at the hotel splitting up and going into different offices.

“Well I’m not going to say what I thought when I saw them here, except to say they had changed their clothes and were dressed down a great deal. Their beauty still came through for you couldn’t hide that.”

The young VP took me into a large office and said this was to be my final interview which was to be held in Las Vegas over the weekend.  He gave me my instructions along with my plane tickets and some money for expenses which I appreciated for I was almost broke.

Then he said something that really threw me; “This is a family oriented corporation and we only hire people who are married or engaged to be married soon.  

We have found that happily married men are far less apt to chase the single women in the company and that single guys are always on the prowl.

We of course realize that being married isn’t a guarantee against infidelity but along with the understanding if caught you are fired, no exceptions.  It all but eliminates the problem.”

The thing I heard was the word “Married.”

They should have known I wasn’t married and wasn’t even engaged. It was too late to back out now so I had to figure out a way around this stipulation. Maybe they would make an exception in my case or I could promise to get married for I had nothing against being married.

The one thing I didn’t want to do was to blow this final test.

When I arrived back at the hotel I saw the two hostesses again and thought they sure do get around.

Then it occurred to me … I have a lot of expense money so maybe I could hire one of the women to go to Vegas with me and pretend to be my fiancée.

I knew it would be risky but it seemed to be my only shot.