As for school, I liked it about as much as having a
bucket of horse manure dumped on my head. (btw,
some kid did that once- may I add he was from school).
I guess it wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for
guys like that suck-up and nosy, persickity, nerd-
ball teachers. As the smallest guy in my class I was
the picking target for every freak there. I didn't
intend on being a push-over..-and I'm not! It's
just that I was the wrong guy, in the wrong place,
at the wrong time. When I turned rebel I quit school
all together. That was probably around third grade.
I know right? Right down ridiculas is what I'd say
if it was me now back then. My mom was non-
plussed but once again she never said a word,
she just stopped smiling. There were times I
thought she didn't like me, but then she'd turn
around and act like I was the most perfect kid
alive. She was a strange one. What I didn't realize
then, that I do now is that she loved each of us
unconditionally. That's why it hurts now to remember
that I left her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
That's right. One night I just packed up a few stuff in
a duffel bag, threw it over my shoulder, and left. I
didn't plan a destination or what I'd do if I got to any
stopping place. I don't remember exactly how long I
travelled, I just know it was a long time. It wasn't
a walk in the park either, it seemed for days it rained
in freezing sheets. To make matters worse, I had the
genius idea of taking the woods instead of the town.
After a few days of poison ivy, sleepless, cramped
nights on the wet ground, and ticks I started thinking,
Was I just out of my mind going this way? A few
days later I was thinking, Yes, yes you were. I was
relieved when I broke through the underbrush. I
could see the backs of tents. They were a dark gray
and reasonably large. What's more they smelled
like gun powder. There were a few piles of trash
behind each one. I was too tired to care about who
or what found me at that point. Just being near
civilization was enough for me. I spent the night
there in the heap of trash.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When I woke up something wasn't right. It felt as though
someone was standing over me. Sure enough, I was
right. From the ground with my face in the dirt he looked
like a walking tower- but then again nearly everyone did
to me. What I first noticed was the guy's expression. It
was kind of a mix of confusion and concern. The expression
your mother gives you when you trip over your shoe lace
somersault into an overtured lawn mower, and land in the
pool. Can't imagine it can you? The next thing I knew he
had me by the flipper and pulled me to my feet. I still
remember the grip. Gentle, but firm and strong. Then
it hit me. He had the commander insignia on both shoulders.
I'd seen it before- if you recall my dad was in the army.
I suddenly felt strange around this guy. After all I figured
if dad wasn't too hot neither was this guy. Then he said
what totally threw me off gaurd. "Hey kid, how'd did
you get here?" I had expected him to shoo me away
like a filthy stray dog. This sounded almost like a
'welcome'. He must have noticed me shy away because
he went on to say, "It's okay, it's okay, I'm just curious."
"Who are you?" was all I could reply.
"I'm Commander Leeland, and who are you? I feel
like I know you but.." he stopped, his voice trailing off.
"I'm Alex Fahlcon." I replied.
"Fahlcon?" Leeland asked me. The way he'd said it
made me wonder if mom hadn't put out 'lost' signs and
this guy had seen one.
I was wrong. Leeland said, "You must be Frank's son!"
he snapped his flippers, (something that took me years
to master myself). "I should have known!" Leeland said,
"You look just like him!" See? Everybody says so.
I gathered up my courage and asked, "Just where
am I exactly?" Leeland scoffed with amusement, "Where
are you? You mean to tell me your father never told
you about our base?" I couldn't lie to this guy. I felt
like a could trust him. I shook my head, "No, he
never spoke to us." I replied.
Leeland clicked his tongue, putting his flippers on his
hips, "I don't understand that. Two strong boys and
a spirited young lady and he pays them no notice!"
Then something seemed to cast a shadow over him,
"Why are you here anyway?" he asked, "Is everything
okay? Is Mrs.Fahlcon well? Did you come alone?"
I had answered lined up already for every question.
No. Everything wasn't okay. No. I couldn't say mom
was well. And yes I did come alone. I could've
told him the truth, but instead I ignored it and replied,
"I asked to..uh..come here to..enlist?"
To my surprise Leeland convulsed a bout of laughter.
(Convuslse..I must've picked that word up from Kowalski
or something).
"Enlist?" Leeland asked, "How old are you kid?"
"Fifteen." I replied, holding my head high and trying to
look as tall as possible.
"Well kid, you've got one more year to go. 'Might as
well take you home. Sorry to tear your hopes down,
but we need guys like you, willing to join without
persuasion. Your father was like that."
I cringed. The last penguin I wanted to be like was my
father.
bucket of horse manure dumped on my head. (btw,
some kid did that once- may I add he was from school).
I guess it wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for
guys like that suck-up and nosy, persickity, nerd-
ball teachers. As the smallest guy in my class I was
the picking target for every freak there. I didn't
intend on being a push-over..-and I'm not! It's
just that I was the wrong guy, in the wrong place,
at the wrong time. When I turned rebel I quit school
all together. That was probably around third grade.
I know right? Right down ridiculas is what I'd say
if it was me now back then. My mom was non-
plussed but once again she never said a word,
she just stopped smiling. There were times I
thought she didn't like me, but then she'd turn
around and act like I was the most perfect kid
alive. She was a strange one. What I didn't realize
then, that I do now is that she loved each of us
unconditionally. That's why it hurts now to remember
that I left her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
That's right. One night I just packed up a few stuff in
a duffel bag, threw it over my shoulder, and left. I
didn't plan a destination or what I'd do if I got to any
stopping place. I don't remember exactly how long I
travelled, I just know it was a long time. It wasn't
a walk in the park either, it seemed for days it rained
in freezing sheets. To make matters worse, I had the
genius idea of taking the woods instead of the town.
After a few days of poison ivy, sleepless, cramped
nights on the wet ground, and ticks I started thinking,
Was I just out of my mind going this way? A few
days later I was thinking, Yes, yes you were. I was
relieved when I broke through the underbrush. I
could see the backs of tents. They were a dark gray
and reasonably large. What's more they smelled
like gun powder. There were a few piles of trash
behind each one. I was too tired to care about who
or what found me at that point. Just being near
civilization was enough for me. I spent the night
there in the heap of trash.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When I woke up something wasn't right. It felt as though
someone was standing over me. Sure enough, I was
right. From the ground with my face in the dirt he looked
like a walking tower- but then again nearly everyone did
to me. What I first noticed was the guy's expression. It
was kind of a mix of confusion and concern. The expression
your mother gives you when you trip over your shoe lace
somersault into an overtured lawn mower, and land in the
pool. Can't imagine it can you? The next thing I knew he
had me by the flipper and pulled me to my feet. I still
remember the grip. Gentle, but firm and strong. Then
it hit me. He had the commander insignia on both shoulders.
I'd seen it before- if you recall my dad was in the army.
I suddenly felt strange around this guy. After all I figured
if dad wasn't too hot neither was this guy. Then he said
what totally threw me off gaurd. "Hey kid, how'd did
you get here?" I had expected him to shoo me away
like a filthy stray dog. This sounded almost like a
'welcome'. He must have noticed me shy away because
he went on to say, "It's okay, it's okay, I'm just curious."
"Who are you?" was all I could reply.
"I'm Commander Leeland, and who are you? I feel
like I know you but.." he stopped, his voice trailing off.
"I'm Alex Fahlcon." I replied.
"Fahlcon?" Leeland asked me. The way he'd said it
made me wonder if mom hadn't put out 'lost' signs and
this guy had seen one.
I was wrong. Leeland said, "You must be Frank's son!"
he snapped his flippers, (something that took me years
to master myself). "I should have known!" Leeland said,
"You look just like him!" See? Everybody says so.
I gathered up my courage and asked, "Just where
am I exactly?" Leeland scoffed with amusement, "Where
are you? You mean to tell me your father never told
you about our base?" I couldn't lie to this guy. I felt
like a could trust him. I shook my head, "No, he
never spoke to us." I replied.
Leeland clicked his tongue, putting his flippers on his
hips, "I don't understand that. Two strong boys and
a spirited young lady and he pays them no notice!"
Then something seemed to cast a shadow over him,
"Why are you here anyway?" he asked, "Is everything
okay? Is Mrs.Fahlcon well? Did you come alone?"
I had answered lined up already for every question.
No. Everything wasn't okay. No. I couldn't say mom
was well. And yes I did come alone. I could've
told him the truth, but instead I ignored it and replied,
"I asked to..uh..come here to..enlist?"
To my surprise Leeland convulsed a bout of laughter.
(Convuslse..I must've picked that word up from Kowalski
or something).
"Enlist?" Leeland asked, "How old are you kid?"
"Fifteen." I replied, holding my head high and trying to
look as tall as possible.
"Well kid, you've got one more year to go. 'Might as
well take you home. Sorry to tear your hopes down,
but we need guys like you, willing to join without
persuasion. Your father was like that."
I cringed. The last penguin I wanted to be like was my
father.
Interview Starting in
3...
2...
1...
Me: "So, Skipper, how long have you been in the military?"
Skipper: "Classified."
Me: "O...K. Um, what are some problems you have to deal with on daily basis?"
Skipper: "Classified."
Me: T_T "OK, um, how do your men view you as a leader?"
Skipper: "Classified."
Me: ',: l *sigh* "Who's your next in command?"
Skipper: "Classified."
Me: "Where did you go on your first mission?!"
Skipper: "Classified."
Me: >:( "What do you eat for breakfast?!"
Skipper: "Classified."
Me: "IS THERE ANY QUESTION YOU WILL ANSWER?!"
Skipper: "Classified."
Me: T_T
Tip: If you want to interview a military operative...don't waste your breath.
3...
2...
1...
Me: "So, Skipper, how long have you been in the military?"
Skipper: "Classified."
Me: "O...K. Um, what are some problems you have to deal with on daily basis?"
Skipper: "Classified."
Me: T_T "OK, um, how do your men view you as a leader?"
Skipper: "Classified."
Me: ',: l *sigh* "Who's your next in command?"
Skipper: "Classified."
Me: "Where did you go on your first mission?!"
Skipper: "Classified."
Me: >:( "What do you eat for breakfast?!"
Skipper: "Classified."
Me: "IS THERE ANY QUESTION YOU WILL ANSWER?!"
Skipper: "Classified."
Me: T_T
Tip: If you want to interview a military operative...don't waste your breath.
SIDE EFFECTS OF WATCHING THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR MAY INCLUDE:
--Your eyes may explode from too much awesomeness
--You may become so obsessed with the show you will dedicate your whole life to it
--You may become a sofa spud because you will watch the show nonstop for literally 24/7
--You may form your own commando team & put yourself & others in mortifying danger
--You may cause yourself to never speak again because you will try to be like Rico
--Your house may explode because you will try to make inventions like Kowalski
--Strained eyes because you will be watching the show with tape holding up your eyelids so you don't miss a thing
Hospitals worldwide & Insurance agencies worldwide are not responsible for any of these occurances.
--Your eyes may explode from too much awesomeness
--You may become so obsessed with the show you will dedicate your whole life to it
--You may become a sofa spud because you will watch the show nonstop for literally 24/7
--You may form your own commando team & put yourself & others in mortifying danger
--You may cause yourself to never speak again because you will try to be like Rico
--Your house may explode because you will try to make inventions like Kowalski
--Strained eyes because you will be watching the show with tape holding up your eyelids so you don't miss a thing
Hospitals worldwide & Insurance agencies worldwide are not responsible for any of these occurances.