Meeting Holden

Meeting Holden

Justin Rogers

1/31/07

As I headed home from work one day, I saw a young man who looked you and out of place. I sat down next to him and we had a long talk on the subway. "Aren't you out a little too late?" I asked him. He was very tall and was carrying a suitcase with a Pency logo.

He responded, "Well, I'm trying to find somewhere to sleep and I've got nowhere else to go. You see, I use to go to this school, Pencey - ".

"You went to Pencey?" I said. "My son Ernest is a student there and he loves it. What's your name?".

"John Heinz" he said with a stutter. "I believe I know your son. He is in a few classes with me and he is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet".

" I know, he is always telling me about all of his friends, and his desire to be a great leader" I said.

John's eyes quickly opened wide and he got very excited. "Ma'am Ernest has always told me about wanting to be class president".

"Class President! He never told me about running for president. I wish I had known. Ernest was never very popular in middle school. He used to bite and wasn't very nice to me". John Heinz was a very interesting character; he carried on a very good conversation and was quite intellectual.

John responded, "Well, you see, Ernest was a little shy and we wanted him to run but he turned down the office and we gave him hell about it"!

I never had even given any thought to him being so popular. This young man, Mr. Heinz must have been a good friend of Ernest's'. As we got off the subway, I waved goodbye and ran to the phone booth. I dialed Ernest's phone number and it seemed like I waited for an hour. He finally answered and said "Hello! What are you doing waking me up so early?"

"Who do you think you are talking to young man"? "This is your mother!"