Chương 4: Book 1 - Chapter 3

Principal Lewiston and I walked down to the end of the building, exiting the double doors. To reach the cafeteria, we had to step outside the classroom block. It was only a few feet, under a covered awning for rainy days, to a large building that was technically multi use. Except for the occasional assembly or school event, it was just called the cafeteria by students like me.

He led me back into the kitchen where the cooks served us directly onto our trays, and then I followed him back to a room behind the kitchen I had never seen before. It was a small eating area for the faculty. We talked while we ate.

"So, John, what are your favorite things to do when you're not busy demonstrating amazing feats of memory?" the Principal asked, taking a bite of his fish sticks.

"I like reading, of course," I said.

"I also play with Legos. I got the space shuttle last month."

"Very nice. What kind of books do you like best?"

"I like science books mostly. Right now, I'm reading about chemistry, specifically how atoms fit together," I replied, pointing my fork at the air.

"It's amazing how we can build molecules from specific atoms, just like lego blocks. Did you know a single tiny change—just replacing one atom—can make the whole thing completely different?" He nodded slowly.

"I remember learning about that. Are you talking about things like isomers—molecules with the same number of atoms but arranged differently?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, sitting up straighter.

"Or like how the difference between table sugar and milk sugar is just a flip of one bond! And how replacing a hydrogen atom with a fluorine atom in a common compound can change it from something safe into a poison! That's so cool." The Principal smiled.

"It is cool, John. It sounds like you'll be teaching the high school chemistry teacher a thing or two soon."

"Maybe," I said, dipping my fish stick in ketchup.

"Principal Lewiston, what made you want to become a principal?" He looked surprised by the shift in topic.

"Well, I started out as a math teacher, but I realized I could help a lot more students and teachers by working on the big picture. What about you? Do you think you'd want to be a teacher or principal someday?"

"I don't know," I hedged. I knew exactly what I was going to do in the future.

"Maybe a college professor. Where did you go to school?"

"Northwestern University," he replied with a hint of pride.

"Wonderful place." Eventually, as we talked and ate, the lunch bell rang, and the cafeteria quickly filled with bubbling voices. Their excited chatter was audible even from the distant adult lunch room. Teachers began entering with their trays, though some brought bagged lunches. They seemed caught off guard to find a student at the table with the Principal. I nudged him.

"They don't approve of you consorting with the enemy, sir." He laughed, as did the teachers around us who heard me. One teacher spoke up.

"You're Johnny Cook, right?" she asked.

"Your sister Mattie is in my class. She's been talking about you a lot, saying you're a very good piano player and incredibly smart."

"Yes, my Mom is a gifted player and teaches us, and a few other students too. I put on a show for the family Wednesday night to celebrate the removal of my cast. This morning I passed the test to graduate the Third Grade. After lunch I plan to do the same for Fourth Grade!" That caught their attention. The Principal nodded in agreement.

"He did, and in half the required time." Another teacher mentioned, "I heard about your library demonstration at GT. Most of the Third Grade is talking about it today." A few teachers looked at each other as they confirmed the same was happening in their classrooms. One of the Fourth Grade teachers asked, "Would you show us what you did in GT?"

"No books here to check me against, but I have read the collected works of William Shakespeare at the downtown library. If you'd like to give me a play, and an act and scene number, I'd be happy to recite for you," I replied confidently. She backpedaled immediately.

"I'm sure that's not necessary." The Principal spoke up to defend me.

"I believe this young man will be very famous someday. Why not let him demonstrate his amazing brain? You'll regret not having a story to tell when people learn he went to school here." A teacher on the far side of the room had a suggestion.

"I don't know the act or scene, but there is a monologue in Antony and Cleopatra that begins with 'All is lost!' that I've always liked."

"Not suitable for a seven year old, I think," I replied to his suggestion.

"Do you but not object, I shall the piece recite," I said with my best English accent and a roguish grin. The Principal held up a hand.

"Hold on, John!" he objected.

"I don't think we need to hear that one right now." He quickly added, "But I am going to look that piece up tonight and see exactly why it's not suitable." The challenging teacher laughed.

"I think you've already demonstrated enough, young man. I am perfectly convinced you know it well enough to not recite it."

"What about 'All the world's a stage?'" another teacher asked. There was general agreement, so I began.

"As you like it, by William Shakespeare, Act 2 Scene 7: Jaques to Duke Senior All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms. Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school.

And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lined, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And so he plays his part.

The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slippered pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side; His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything."

There was a sober moment of reflection followed by polite clapping for the power of Shakespeare and the effort I put into reciting clearly. Principal Lewiston, seeing the two of us had finished our lunches, stood.

"Shall we get back to the testing?"

"Yes!" I agreed standing with my tray. We dumped our trash and returned the trays to the correct slot. As we passed the piano he asked, "Can you play a song?"

"I could, but we should wait till after the cafeteria is clear and my final test is over."

"You're probably right," he agreed, looking at the noisy mass of students eating and running outside. I walked with him as we headed back, but I paused at the bathrooms. He waved me in as he strode past, "Go ahead, I'll meet you at the main office after the lunch recess is over, go run around a bit and have fun. We have all afternoon, we don't need to rush." I followed his directions, enjoying the spring air, and a short wait for the swing sets to be free. When the bell rang, I didn't hurry.

I knew I'd have a wait when I arrived at the office. I paused at a large clump of clover covering the playground grass. A few hundred other me's went searching for a four leaf clover over the entire school grounds. Two discovered, I walked to the nearest, and plucked it. I came to the main office, and waited to get the attention of the office lady. She eventually gave me her attention, only to tell me, "Just sit and wait, the Principal is on the phone."

"Thank you. Here, this is for you. A bit of luck for you," I told her as I handed her the clover. I sat down in the chairs against the wall, and waited. She looked at the clover thoughtfully for a bit.

"Thank you, young man. I could use a bit of luck," she finally said, then went back to the ringing phone. Eventually Principal Lewiston came to retrieve me. Once in his office he gave me the test, and then stepped out after a few words of instruction. This test took 30 minutes. The Principal came in, took the test, sat down and graded it.

"Perfect score!" he announced.

"I expected it, of course. I've been on the phone with the Superintendent since I got back from lunch. He's bringing over Fifth Grade textbooks for you this afternoon. He wants to meet you as well. Apparently he heard about you from our very own librarian, who is his sister in law."

"Yay! I'm a Fifth Grader!" I announced with some measured joy. The Principal asked eagerly, "How long will it take you to be ready for that test?" I explained, "I only had a day to read the Fourth Grade books, so I started at the halfway point, as so much of it is repetition of Third Grade. It's hard to believe that summer vacation makes kids forget that much." Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"It's a combination of summer brain drain and the fact that sometimes kids just didn't learn it the first time. I'll have the Superintendent bring all the books for Middle School, grades 5 to 8."

"Great! I can take the Fifth Grade books home with me to read over the weekend."

"The superintendent will also have your IQ test score on Monday. He's called in a favor at his Alma Mater. They have quite the psychology department and agreed to score the test over the weekend."

"What school?" I asked.

"University of Tulsa. That might be a good choice for you when you finish your school work. It's only a bit over an hour away, and he knows all the people to talk to there. Something to keep in mind. Of course I'd love to see you go Northwestern University like I did, but I imagine you'll end up at MIT, Harvard, or maybe Stanford if you pursue the sciences, business, medicine or law."

"That's a lot to think about. I really like math. I read 'A concise history of mathematics' by Dirk Jan Struik. The downtown library has a copy. I find it fascinating that math is the language we use to describe the universe." A spark ignited in his eyes.

"I majored in mathematics at Northwestern! Here you have to read this," he said, spinning and pulling a book from a full shelf behind his office desk.

"It's called 'Mathematical Models' by Martyn Cundy. It's fun with math."

"Thanks I'm sure I'll enjoy it," I told him.

"If you like that I've got the 4 volume set of 'The world of mathematics' at home. I'll dig it out and bring it Monday."

"That's great, has anybody called my Mom to tell her that I'm a Fifth Grader now?" His eyes got big for a moment.

"No, I haven't called her yet, but how about I do that right now? Can you dial the number for me?" He said pushing the phone around so I could reach the buttons from the front of his desk. I dialed home.

"Hello Mrs Cook," Principal Lewiston began, "Principal Lewiston here at the grade school... Everything is fine, in fact I'm calling to give you good news. Your son John has passed the exams for both Third and Fourth Grade... He had a perfect score on both tests... Yes we are quite proud of him. Superintendent Clayton will be bringing the Fifth Grade course work for John to take home...

Yes, he has the complete freedom to engage with as little or as much as he likes, and we will be ready when he says he's ready to take the next test... I must warn you that, at this rate, finishing Fifth through Twelfth Grade in six weeks is not an impossible task... Yes, I will certainly remind him... Thank you Mrs Cook, have a good day." He looked at me with a thoughtful expression as he hung up the phone.

"I'm to remind you to turn your school books in, and clean out your personal items from your school desk so they aren't forgotten." I smiled at him.

"Yes sir. I'll tell her you reminded me as well."

"Thank you," he said with amusement.

"Why don't we go over to the cafeteria now? I'd love to hear you play something." I agreed, and on the way out he paused to let the office ladies know where we were going.

"John and I are heading to the cafeteria. I'm expecting the Superintendent with some books for John. Have him leave the books here, but let him know to come to where we are when he arrives." At the cafeteria, I poured my concentration into the old school piano, my fingers dancing through an ever growing repertoire that filled the space with familiar melodies—a few Beatles songs, numbers from Cats, Hello Dolly, Grease, and Fiddler on the Roof, each note resonating with the joy of music.

I chose not to sing, just letting the melody fill the large space.

"You put on an excellent show, John," Principal Lewiston enthused. The newly arrived Superintendent Clayton added, "Very well done. I recognized that last song."

"Fiddler's a favorite," I agreed.

"Well I'm excited to meet you, John," he said, extending a hand for a firm shake.

"I heard all about you at dinner last night, so was very happy to hear from Principal Lewiston about your testing this morning."

"I'm very glad to meet you, sir. It's very exciting to take so many tests, and pass two grades in a single day."

"Yes, we will have to see how things go. The school district will be quite happy to support you to your limits. Now I enjoyed this break from routine, but I really must get back to the district office to finish up for the week." With another handshake, I said, "Thank you for coming to support me. I'll do my best, I promise." Principal Lewiston seemed unsure what to do with me, after the Superintendent left, so I made a suggestion.

"How about a pass to the library. I've read everything there, but you gave me a new book, and if I finish it I'll come get a Fifth Grade book."

"That's fine, but let's have you retrieve your stuff from your classroom first," he suggested, remembering my mothers instructions. He escorted me to my school room, where the Principal's arrival caused immediate silence. He announced, "Don't mind us, John is here to get his stuff."

"He's been expelled!" someone loudly whispered, and the teacher turned scowling in that direction.

"Actually, John has been moved to the Fifth Grade," he said, enjoying the shock on my teacher's face. There were varied expressions of surprise, envy, and a smattering of applause. Ignoring it, I turned my school books over to my teacher.

"Thank you for being a great teacher, I learned a lot," were my parting words to her. The Principal escorted me back to the school office.

"Here is the library pass, go ahead and hang out there, the school day's almost over." I picked up the Fifth Grade text books and put them in my school bag. I dropped my bag off at the library, told the librarian, "I need the bathroom," and walked back out to the hall. Afterwards I walked back out to the playground instead of going back to the library immediately. There I found and picked the second four leaf clover. After returning to the library, I thanked the Librarian.

"Thank you for telling your brother in law about me. I picked this four leaf clover for you. I hope it brings you luck."

"Thank you, John. It's very kind of you. What are your plans for the rest of the school day?"

"I've got a new book from Principal Lewiston to read. I'll be quiet," I assured her. I settled down to read what would be a captivating book on mathematics, until the school bell rang. When the bell rang, I collected my book, my school bag, and walked to the First Grade classroom of Mattie. I wanted to walk with her to the bus. She greeted me with an excited hug, turning to her friends, "This is my brother Johnny!" They gave me a shy wave, but Mattie began to tell me about her day.

"John! You missed the best part!" she declared, pulling on my hand to hurry me along to the bus.

"Oh yeah? What was the best part, Mattie?" I asked, slowing her down a bit.

"Mrs Kennedy let me be the line leader after lunch, and I got to choose the song we sang while we walked! We sang 'The Wheels on the Bus,' and I was extra loud!" She paused, then added with a conspiratorial whisper, "And my tooth is really wiggly now, see? It's going to come out tonight, I just know it."

"Tell us about your day, Johnny," Mom requested as Mattie finished another rendition of her day at the dinner table.

"Well, I started with the IQ test. I finished it in twenty minutes, and Mr Lewiston didn't believe I did it right, so he quizzed me on the answers." I paused for dramatic effect.

"I got a perfect score." Mom gasped.

"A perfect score? Good Job!"

"Then I took the Third Grade final exam and got a perfect score on that one, too. After that, Mr Lewiston and I got to have lunch early in the teachers' private lunchroom behind the school kitchen." Dad leaned forward.

"What did you have?"

"Fish sticks and mashed potatoes!" I announced, pleased with the detail.

"And we talked about chemistry and Legos. Then I took the Fourth Grade final exam, and I got a perfect score on that one, too. Mr Lewiston was already talking to the Superintendent about letting me skip grades." I looked from Mom to Dad, putting my fork down.

"I think it might be possible to finish all of my schooling before summer starts."

"Just be sure that you end up with a high school diploma. I won't accept anything else. No GED for you. You're going to be the first Cook to have a high school diploma!" Dad declared emphatically. Mom simply nodded in quiet agreement.

"He means it, Johnny," she said softly.

"That diploma means more to him than anything. It's the reason he took a job with the power company."

"Stigler Elementary is part of one of the best school districts in the State. We considered moving to California when you were going to start Kindergarten, but the schools here are much better funded and have better class sizes," Dad explained. I knew that we had moved after Grandma Bessie and Grandpa James had died. I hadn't understood the choices they had made just for my education. I would get that piece of paper and let Dad add it to his trophy wall.

That weekend we spent doing yard work around the house as a family, and my free time was spent reading my school books. I enjoyed the closeness and tranquility. I knew on Monday things would start to accelerate. Monday morning dawned with a persistent, soaking rain. I arrived at the school with both the Principal and the Superintendent there to greet me. They ushered me into the Principal's office. The Principal beamed, "Congratulations, John.

You were right, you scored a perfect score, and the fastest completion time ever recorded." The Superintendent shook my hand first, then the Principal did the same.

"So what did I score?" I asked. Superintendent Clayton answered.

"John, we don't usually tell children their score. In this case, we can't."

"Why not, sir?" I asked.

"Because the test stops at 170. They've never had a perfect score, so your IQ is somewhere over 170, but we don't know how much more.

"The psychologists at the University of Tulsa are already debating your case. Some are convinced that it is a good enough score for now, but a more accurate test is needed when you're older. Still others think that you should do nothing but take tests till they are satisfied.

"Fortunately the Dean is in the first group, and as a friend of mine, he has assured me that any further testing must come at your parents request."

"That's a relief. I'd hate to be someone's lab experiment," I told him.

"With this score, the district will continue to support the Principal's current education plan for you. I've also registered you for the June ACT. It's a test that assists in college placement, and is required by most colleges and universities. The date is Saturday June 9th in Oklahoma City. I'll contact your parents about the details."

"Thank you, sir. I do want to let you know that my parents will not accept anything less than a high school diploma from me. My father is quite insistent on that."

"Hmm. I'll have to ponder that. With a sufficiently high ACT score, a high school diploma isn't required for college. You're too young for a GED, anyway."

"A GED is out of the question for my father's sake, sir. You must understand that I'd never be allowed to go to college without that piece of paper," I again emphasized. It was important that he understood my commitment.

"As I said, that is not an option, you must be sixteen to take the GED," he said, not understanding it wasn't taking the GED that was the issue.

"Again, thank you both. I'm ready for my Fifth Grade test Principal Lewiston, can I go ahead and take it?" I asked.

"Sure, go ahead and have a seat. I'll go get it," said the Principal. I shook the Superintendent's hand goodbye. I sat at what I now considered my desk in the Principal's office for a few minutes. He returned with the test. Thirty minutes to take, ten minutes to grade. Another perfect score. I returned the Fifth Grade books, and started reading the Sixth Grade books. These included something new, assignments of a sort. Mini tests I had to take partway through each subject.

I collected my finished tests in a big pile as I worked my way through the material. After lunch I continued. At the end of the school day, I informed the Principal, "I'll be ready for the Sixth Grade end of year test tomorrow. Also, the school work is getting more complicated, so it'll probably take two days to do the work for the Seventh Grade." He smiled with humor at my prediction.

"I'll be grading your assignments tonight, and if everything is good, I'll have the test ready in the morning."