Читать книгу Act of One - Victoria Inc. Barna - Страница 7

With the Montclair High School game behind him Bruce experienced another important turning point in his life. It occurred during a high school Civics Class field trip to the United Nations in New York City. The mood was festive during the bus ride into the City. Spirits were high. Many of the kids had never been into New York City and thought this trip was a big deal. All around Bruce he could hear comments like, “New York’s cool! Look at that! Where’s the Statue of Liberty and Central Park?”

He wasn’t as awed by the trip as his friends and fellow classmates were. He had been into the City a few times with his parents and enjoyed the museums. Right at that time he felt isolated and he was totally in his head. His mind was racing with so many thoughts going on all at once he wouldn’t have been surprised to see a hamster racing around on its wheel. All of the comments and chatter were just white noise to him.

As they entered the City he saw big, overpowering canyons of concrete and steel. The buildings were so tall that you had to look straight up to see the sky. Everyone moved incredibly fast, hustling and bustling from one place to the next. It was a cacophony of humanity, all sizes, shapes, colors and ethnicities. Street vendors sold pretzels and chestnuts and loudly hawked their goods. Smoke exhaust from all of the buses on the street hung in the air. All of his senses were engaged and the whole scene made a huge emotional impact. “This is a city that never sleeps,” he thought to himself.

As the bus pulled up to the curb everyone was excited about disembarking. They were anxious to get going on this exciting new adventure. There it was, right in front of them, their destination: the United Nations! Everyone immediately headed toward the entrance and as they passed through the beautiful plaza they noticed the well-kept grounds. Bruce heard comments like, “I can’t believe we’re going into the United Nations building. It’s so impressive with all of the different flags flying high from each country.”

The day was beautiful and clear, a great day to be out of class and in New York City. While his friends were having fun, teasing and joking with one another, Bruce’s mood was serious and somber. His thoughts continued to race and he thought, “I know that in a matter of hours there’s a possibility that I’m going to see face to face—well, not exactly face to face, more like from the UN visitors’ gallery, the highest ranking Communist: Premier Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union. It had been rumored that he would be addressing the United Nations General Assembly today.”

In spite of the beautiful day and the high energy and excitement of his friends, Bruce felt as though he would be going to an execution. He had never met or seen a Russian Communist before. His friends and classmates were oblivious and acted as if they were on some kind of picnic! “What’s wrong with this picture? Don’t these guys get what’s going on?” he wondered.

He remembered his grandfather’s warnings about the evils of Communism. He was very aware that the Soviets had achieved several major milestones in technology. He had done some research before the field trip and knew that their significant achievements included the launch of Sputnik One three years earlier, the first man-made satellite to orbit the earth, the launch of the space dog, Laika, in November of 1957 followed by other accomplishments in science and technology.

Khrushchev boasted that the Soviets would put the first man into space. Bruce was alarmed and thought, “Every American should understand this threat!”

He felt that national patriotism was at an all-time low and Khrushchev took every opportunity to ridicule the United States while he praised the greatness of Communism. He believed Khrushchev would take advantage of his time before the General Assembly to further his own plans and that he would also ridicule the United States.

Bruce was so keyed up anticipating what was going to happen that he was a little frightened. He thought, “I can’t believe I might actually get a chance to see Khrushchev in person. He’s a monster as far as I’m concerned. Why will this man be allowed to ridicule and insult my country on our own soil?”

Anxious and tense he felt as though he had become a tightly wound clock ready to burst! He braced himself as he anticipated a confrontation. He thought to himself, “I feel as if I’m about to enter the boxing ring facing one of the toughest opponents of my life. I wonder who’s going to throw the first punch.”

Bruce took this personally and thought, “This is the man that represents all things evil as far as I’m concerned. I’ve heard this all of my life.”

He anxiously but quietly took his seat in the visitors’ gallery. As he turned to the front of the room Bruce was surprised and thought to himself, “I can’t believe it! There he is, the Soviet Premier. He’s no more than one hundred feet in front of me.”

Bruce froze and could only stare at the man. As he watched him Khrushchev did the unthinkable. He took his shoe off and banged it on the podium as he continued to insult the United States.

He couldn’t believe the man’s arrogance. He listened to the Premier’s translation carefully through the headphones that were provided to the visitors. “America’s youth are weak and stupid and the Soviet’s youth are strong and intelligent.”

As far as Bruce was concerned the first punch was thrown. It felt like getting hit below the belt or in the head with a two-by-four. All that went through his mind was, “I am not weak or stupid. You don’t know who you are messing with!”

With his head and thoughts reeling Bruce thought to himself, “Game on! You took your punch and now it’s my turn!”

An uncontrollable fury burned in Bruce. He couldn’t listen anymore. He was so upset and angry that he ripped the headset off of his head and threw it down on the floor. “I can’t take listening to his garbage anymore,” he thought. “Khrushchev’s challenge is personal as far as I’m concerned. He’s gone too far!”

In that moment Bruce made a silent and personal vow to himself and his grandfather: “I will make Khrushchev EAT HIS WORDS! I don’t know how, but I will make it happen.”

As he continued to sit in the visitors’ gallery he was in his own private world. He tuned out everything and everyone. Before he knew it his friends, trying to get his attention, poked him and said, “Hey, man, come on. Let’s hit the streets and have some fun.”

That was the last thing Bruce wanted to hear. He was still fuming. He wasn’t interested in having fun. All he thought about was Khrushchev and his threats. “This is very personal and I know that I’ve just encountered a very strong and formidable adversary.”

“Come on, man, it’s time to go. We have to leave the gallery now. The speakers are taking a break,” explained his friend Charlie.

Bruce finally tuned back in to what was going on around him and noticed his friends getting up to leave. He realized it was time to go. He was slow, still thinking about what he had just witnessed. He lagged behind his friends.

As he walked out of the gallery he wondered, “What am I going to do? I have to do something. I’m still so angry my head feels as though it’s going to explode!”

He continued to tune his friends out as they made their way to the bus. Bruce kept to himself, wrapped up in his own thoughts. The bus ride was noisy and everyone around him laughed and joked. Loud music played in the background. The guy behind him wanted to get Bruce’s attention so he held the radio up to Bruce’s ear. Bruce was still angry about the encounter with the Soviet Premier and he thought, “Enough! I’ve had enough!”

He turned around and punched the radio out of the kid’s hands so hard it went flying down the aisle and as he did he yelled, “Turn that radio down!”

His friends were stunned and didn’t understand what was going on with him so they began to tease him more. They became very sarcastic and taunted Bruce with their comments: “What’s the matter, Bruce? What’s up with you? What’s wrong with some music? Are you some kind of prima donna? Oooh, aren’t we touchy? Look at the big baby.”

These tough Jersey kids cut him no slack. Bruce was furious and wanted nothing to do with them. He couldn’t explain what he felt or what was going on so he did the only thing he knew how to do. He attacked and yelled back: “How can you guys laugh and joke around? Didn’t you hear what I heard today? Khrushchev said, ‘Soviet kids are better and smarter than we are.’”

That didn’t make an impression on anyone. Everyone continued to laugh as though nothing had happened. He heard one of the kids say, “So what? Who cares? Lighten up, Bruce.”

“Who cares? That’s the problem. I care,” replied an angry Bruce.

He felt sick and was disgusted by his friends’ reactions. “Don’t they get it? Didn’t they even listen to what was said today? They should be getting ready for battle instead of laughing and joking. What’s wrong with them?”

He was still angry with Khrushchev and didn’t understand why no one else was. After his outburst and confrontation everyone on the bus decided to leave him alone and it grew quiet. No one wanted to make him any angrier than he already was. The ride home was very subdued.

Feeling desperate, alone and isolated, surrounded by silence and in a state of mind he couldn’t explain he thought, “Maybe Khrushchev was right. I can see the problem clearly and I don’t understand why others can’t. It’s a chilling thought and I don’t want to believe it. I don’t know what I’m going to do or how I’m going to do it, but I will do something.”

The seeds of his mission sprouted and began to grow. He was ready to take action even though his ideas still weren’t clear. “I’m on my own and there isn’t any help coming from anyone. I don’t care if I have to do it by myself. There’s no going back even if my friends won’t listen. I won’t give up!” he promised himself.

In spite of the resistance and opposition that Bruce perceived he decided to go forward even though it seemed like an impossible task. He put the panic attacks and fear behind him and with his head down he took the next step. Bruce felt alone in his quest yet he felt strong and determined to do something. His mission began to take shape. An act of one is all it would take and he was willing and driven to move forward even though the details of his mission weren’t totally clear yet.