The Greatest What If?

 Mrs. Dunsmore was the principal and she seemed to be a real bitch. It seemed she was devoid of any emotion. "Drink your milk" was her big advice “it’s only a pint.”

In the afternoon, she came on the loudspeaker at Hillcrest Elementary in East Moline and her voice was cracking when she spoke. "School will be dismissed as soon as the buses get here." She couldn't get out the rest of it.

"The president has been killed."

No one spoke, we put our books away and left our rooms. I remember I just had to get home. Walking through the halls to get to the buses, no one said anything but I remember hearing teachers crying, some wailing. Man, I was scared, I thought the world was ending.

We had just been through the Cuban missile crisis, and that was the very first time I ever saw my parents be scared.

No one spoke on the bus, the bus driver never said a word. I got off the bus, ran home and saw my mother with her head buried in her hands.

"This country will never be the same" she said. How correct she was.

My father cried when he watched the funeral. He NEVER cried.

I knew it was bad.

I remember it so vividly.