THE FIRST TIME I SAW JESSICA RENTON WAS DURING THE Air Raid Drill. It was near the end of last semester, in Spring. It was warm outside when we went to the main part of school from the portable. The portable is a little house like, behind school, where the second grade is. I was in the second grade then.
(The portable smells an odor, I don’t enjoy it as an aroma. The portable is very little for a building. There are only two rooms in it. I was in one. Jessica was in the other one. I never noticed her until the Air Raid Drill.)
Air Raid Drill is ten short bells. It is very scary for children. There are rules. You have to line up in two lines. You have to pull down the shades so the Russians won’t know we’re there and kill us. Then you have to pass quietly to the main part of school. Then you have to line up next to the lockers in the hall and sit down on the floor and turn off all the lights and sing “God Bless America.” It is very frightening.
Both the second-grade classes were in line outside the portable waiting to go in the main part. There wasn’t any talking. (That is another rule.) Everyone was scared because maybe there was going to be bombs. I was scared only nobody knew. I am a good actor, I feel.
Then somebody talked.
“I’m going home now, Miss Young.”
It was a girl. She had brown hair, no braids (barrettes, though). She stood just, with her hands behind her back like she was ice skating.
“I just thought I’d tell you,” she said. “Because I’m going home now.”
Miss Young said, “Jessica, please get back in line now, there’s no talking during an Air Raid Drill.”
“No,” said Jessica. “I’m going home,” and she started to walk away. Miss Young was very cross. She yelled, “Jessica, come back here this instant!” Jessica stopped and turned around. She came back and walked up to Miss Young and said something very quiet. “Miss Young, if there are going to be bombs I want to be home with my family. That’s where I’m going.”
Miss Young stood just. She didn’t say any words. Jessica looked up at her. She had a red dress on which was soft, you could tell by looking at it. (I am good at looking. I feel Jessica’s dress was quite soft.)
Miss Young looked at Jessica.
“This isn’t an Air Raid,” she said. “This is only a drill, a practice. There aren’t going to be any bombs. It will be over in a few minutes, so there’s no need to go home. Please get back in line.”
Jessica didn’t move even at all. I thought she was going to cry or something but she didn’t. She talked without moving.
“Miss Young, you know I was very frightened because I thought it was dangerous. My dad is going to build a shelter in our cellar. He saw it in a magazine. I thought this was a real Air Raid. I don’t think it’s fair to scare children.”
Miss Young didn’t say a reply, but Jessica stood in front of her for a long time, and when the bells rang for the end of Air Raid Drill she was still standing there. I watched her. She stood until everyone was gone. She was all by herself. Then real slow she picked up the end of her dress, held it in her hands and twirled around and bowed.
This was the first time I ever saw Jessica Renton.