World 0: The Schoolyard Menace (Prequel Chapter)
World 0-1: Our House
I attended preschool at the YMCA when I was three years old. I was accompanied by my maternal grandmother. She would often stay with me during the classes. I was already showing signs of an attention deficit. My preschool teacher, Mary Ray, seemed very concerned with my inability to remain still. She also raised concerns about my delayed motor skills. My grandmother also seemed worried. I would be entering elementary school at Orchard Dale soon enough. A possible recipe for disaster.
A month before my first day at Orchard Dale, my parents and I moved into our new house. They had recently reconciled after a trial separation. During their separation, my mother and I lived with my maternal grandmother. I rarely saw my dad during that time. I still vividly remember the day that my dad drove up in his gold colored Chevrolet Monte Carlo. With a smile planted firmly across my face, I quickly rushed out to greet him. He took me in his loving arms, and it was then that I learned we would soon be moving into our own house. It was time to go home. As my entry into Orchard Dale grew closer, I began to settle into our new home. It was certainly a bigger place than what we had previously on Ruoff. I would even invite my imaginary friend, Haugau, over to visit on a few occasions. He had been a close companion of mine during those tough times while my parents were separated, but as their relationship improved, Haugau and I would slowly drift apart. I eventually learned that he too was moving away. We parted forevermore on a corner near my grandmother's house. Farewell, my shorthaired transparent friend. We shall always have our memories. Our home would soon be joined by two tabby kittens named Tom and Jerry. They were named after the popular cartoon series. My dad would refer to Tom as a puppy as he would often do tricks for him. My morning routine at that time consisted of a juice pack, a package of Ritz Bits and episodes of Woody Woodpecker, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Sesame Street. Big Bird was like an idol to me. At long last, September was finally upon us, and with it, my very first day of Kindergarten. One could only hope that Mrs. Evans was prepared for my arrival.
Those early days and weeks in my new Kindergarten class were turbulent to say the least. I relished the idea of being left alone after becoming accustomed to my grandmother staying with me during preschool. I felt so afraid and bewildered. I found it quite difficult to follow Mrs. Evans instructions. I would sometimes even attempt to turn her lessons into games. When that resulted in a time out, I would then regress to more primitive tendencies. I found myself barking like a dog, hiding in corners and dumping the trash bins on the floor. In due time, I eventually made some progress in adapting to the classroom environment. I learned to sit still long enough to enjoy some of the stories that Mrs. Evans would read to the class. I would even occasionally engage with her questions. However, I still misbehaved from time to time. I even licked several other students in one particularly notorious incident. For everyone's sake, it would soon be time to return home and wash up. My dad would also be home soon enough, and I knew in my gut that he would not be pleased with some of the things happening in school. But if I remained on my very best behavior, he might just allow me to play the Atari 2600 on our big oak television set in the living room. My parents owned the original woodgrain Atari 2600 game console, but when I was two years old, I disassembled it piece by piece. I was curious to see how the thing worked. Electronics were like magic to me back then. It was replaced by a second generation Atari 2600 in the years that followed. The original Atari 2600 would have been the perfect match for our oak television set. I did not have a television set of my own at that time, and if my unusual actions in school continued, it may be a long while yet.
