Thursday, August 11, 2022

Teacher Mrs. Nesmith.

Today we were going to my sister’s house, driving on Burnt Hickory Road, she lives off the road about a block. On Burnt Hickory, off hiding partially behind a pine thicket, is a pretty two-story stark white house, which looks like it is making a statement, sort of. I heard the house belonged to Mr. & Mrs. Nesmith. Mrs. Nesmith was a science teacher I had in high school. I remember her class was on the ground floor of the Winn Street Building. Mr. Nesmith was a teacher at Marietta High School too. He was tall and lanky and always the first out of a school assembly meeting so he could grab a quick smoke. Sometimes we were walking down the wide driveway-walk behind the buildings at the same time puffing away. That was our little secret. Mrs. Nesmith was very nice and always seem to have a smile on her face…. Except one time, which I will get to in a moment. Mr. & Mrs. Nesmith lived in Pine Forest Apartments when they were teachers. They lived on Dodd Street across from the Board of Education office. How do I know this? I honestly do not remember. Lately I have been seeing a lot of people, young and old, male and female with so many tattoos on their forearms their forearms looked they had blue or purple-like skin color. Which reminded me of me in Mrs. Nesmith’s class: One time while Mrs. Nesmith was lecturing on scientific stuff, I got bored and started doodling on my note pad. The more I doodled the more involved and elaborate I got. Before long I had doodling all over my left forearm. I illustrated Mickey Mouse, Popye, numbers, rocket ships, dogs, eyes, and so on. I mean all over, with very little bare skin bare skin space left. I think somebody looked over and saw my arm and broke out giggling. Then somebody else did, then somebody else. The class was an uproar. Mrs. Nesmith stomped down the aisle to see for herself. Her face became very red and she sent me out of class to clean my arm. “Get off that stuff off!” It was the only time I remember she wasn’t smiling. I doubt if she is still alive, if so, I think she would be well in her hundred plus.

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