the girl with long, flowing hair.
Victor replies, “You will?”
“Yes, I want to,” says the young beauty. It is her first time.
Victor, 17, knew years before this watershed moment he is straight. He harbors no doubt. Excitement at the prospect of his first lay flashes over him. Masturbation has become boring. Both he and the lass figure they’ll do what comes natural, but the entire act proves awkward. No one forgets their first time. They never engage in sex with each other again.
Like millions of teens, he does a stint at McDonald's, with employment lasting six months. It is not pragmatic to criticize the menu ingredients or preparation processes of your employer at work and on social media. This is when his anti-corporation beliefs formulate.
In the last year of its production, Victor purchases a Daewoo. It becomes the butt of jokes. A crafty one is thought of off the cuff by a co-worker. The first day Victor arrives to work in it, comments are made. As he clocks in for his shift, one of them asks, “New car, huh?”
“Yeah,” says Victor.
“What kind is it?”
“A Daewoo.”
“A Daewoo? What did you do, open an account at a bank?” comes the reply.
“Huh?” asks Victor.
“Yeah, they gave you a choice between a toaster and a Daewoo. You chose the Daewoo.”
Laughter erupts among the workers while Victor’s head droops.
“Can you even use that in a sentence?” asks one.
“It’s a great day. WOO!” comes a voice in the background.
“I’ll show them.” Little does he know he’ll be chauffeured in an armored Suburban one day and own a Lamborghini, a Maybach, and a 2020 P-51 Combat Fighter motorcycle. The bike is brutal and built to last. Fresh energy and power are breathed into it. With a top speed of over 160 miles per hour, this monster of demonic velocity is priced at $130,000.00.
He signs up the summer of his junior year to work at the high school. A sports field is in the process of development and he is part of a group of students whose task is digging out and picking every rock, stone, and pebble covering the area. Supervision is by a member of the athletic staff, a large man, laid back. Of Japanese descent, he’s well-liked by all, but has a nagging habit of, after giving directions, repeating the statement, “Yup, that’s what we’re gonna do.”
“Men, we’re going to work this section of field over here this morning. Understand?”
“Yes, Mr. Iwa.”
“Yup, that’s what we’re gonna do…” and on and on.
Victor likes this man and this job. It is outdoors, physical, and in the fresh air. The teen’s exertions provide great exercise to build his body and strength. The smallest of the bunch, he insists on tackling the largest rocks and rolling the biggest boulders. It gives him an aura of power. Him against these rocks and stones. His might and vigor versus heretofore immovable foes. Unlike his fellow student workers, he finds the labor of digging far from monotonous. It holds potential intrigue. His mind wanders. Will he find buried treasure? Shall his effort uncover important archeological findings? Is a body buried beneath the ground? Or, will he discover a door that leads to another place and time, a different dimension of another world?
Mr. Iwa is a decent person who shows care and genuine feeling for his charges. The routine enables Victor to get out of the house and away from his family. He has a sense of purpose. On a sad note, neither the job or his new found sensation of being worthwhile and contributing to an important cause will last long. He will return to the world of boredom, despondency, and letdowns.
Chapter Three
“Happy birthday,” says his friend.
“Thank you,” replies Victor.
“How does it feel to be 18, dude?”
“It feels good,” Victor answers, as he stands in a crowd of teens ready to celebrate his milestone. Conspicuous by their absence are family members. No, they couldn’t care less. In fact, neither can these so-called friends assembled to drink and get high. It’s the only reason they’re there.
Two hours into the party, a 17-year-old participant fires the Glock pistol he stole from his father in celebratory abandon. A bullet strikes another partygoer, which results in a severe wound. No one does anything except cower or run. It is all they can do. Not a sole person in the house knows first aid. A neighbor who sees kids run from the house, scattering in various directions, calls the police. They break up the festivity and make several arrests to include the overzealous juvenile. It’s a lesson Victor never forgets. He makes it a point to get certified in advanced emergency medical treatment before he turns 19. Thoughts of going to college crosses his mind, but he nixes them. Victor concludes he’s not ready for the demands he envisions are made of students.
Victor signs up for an Advanced Emergency Management certification course at a local college. The curriculum involves intensive studies to include:
Biological Science
Through a systematic study of the structure and function of the human body, its cells, tissues, organs, and systems, the student will identify and describe basic anatomical structures and fundamental physiological processes that occur in health and disease for the major body systems.
Human Anatomy and Physiology II
With Human Anatomy & Physiology I as a foundation, the student advances his or her study of the structure and function of the human body and will identify and describe more detailed anatomical structures and more comprehensive physiological processes that occur in health through a systematic survey of the major body systems.
Emergency Medical Technology
The student will be able to do the following by describing the role of the Emergency Medical Technician in an emergency medical services system: perform a patient assessment on patients with traumatic injuries and patients with medical emergencies, manage a multi-casualty incident including triage, correctly manage traumatic injuries to the body and its systems, as well as medical emergencies of varying types and causes, per-form lifting and moving techniques and light extrication. The student will summarize and interpret legal responsibilities of safe ambulance operations; evaluate psychological and physical factors affecting safe emergency vehicle operations, incident command, hazardous materials incidents, crime scene awareness, rescue awareness. The student will show techniques for gaining access to the patient, disentanglement, patient movement, and recognize and manage situations posing threats to patients, EMT's or bystanders.
On the third day of trauma class, the assignment deals with an abdominal stab wound. It is all Victor needs to see. The sight of fake blood overpowers him and he passes out.
“Teacher, we have a man down.”
“Oh, dear,”
