The President's Errant Brother (Cont.)
Screen 2 of 3Soon he asked us which bunk was to be his. I responded by offering to let him use my lower bunk. My offer was prompted not so much by courtesy as it was by my fear that an "old man" like that would probably not be able to climb the metal ladder up to the top bunk. (I remember thinking with some concern that this man must be at least forty, an age that I, only seventeen, considered very old.) But he gratefully declined my offer and after visiting the bathroom (we called it the latrine) down the hall, he mounted the ladder with no trouble, slid under the blanket in the top bunk, and was soon fast asleep. A nice man we all thought, as we returned to our study.
For the next few weeks, "Bunny" came and went at odd times, never discussing with us any of his personal or family affairs. Not being subject to the strict schedule we were required to follow, he could and did sleep late in the morning, leave the campus about noon, and would frequently come back to the room very late at night. Occasionally, he would not use his bunk at all for several nights, and when he returned he never commented on where he had been.
All the cadets that had any direct contact with "Bunny" treated him politely, but none of us developed a close friendship with him. We jus took the whole matter in stride, saying quietly to each other tat the president's brother was there to stay awhile and that was that. A young cadet from Guatemala-I remember his surname was Coffee--summed up our attitude very well when he said in his native Spanish, "Que será será." I soon learned in my beginning Spanish class that meant "what will be will be"--an appropriate phrase, we agreed, to describe what happens at almost any military school.
We made no special efforts to get information about "Bunny" Richmond, but still kept our ears and eyes open out of curiosity. First some rumors and later some supporting facts began gradually to tell us much about him. He was married ("and how!" someone who knew about his marriage reported), was separated from his wife but not divorced, had three children, one of them living with his wife, the other two grown and on their own; and to cap his unfortunate situation, he had not held a steady job for the previous four or five years. Some said he was a "sot" (a term used in the 1920's for a person who today would be called an alcoholic), but I could find no justification for such a description of him. Even though he would sometimes violate a very strict school rule by bringing to our room and drinking some from a bottle of Kentucky bourbon, marked "Bottled in bond; For medical purposes only," and available only by a physician's prescription, I never saw "Bunny" drunk or not in control of himself.
Another fact that became more and more evident as the weeks wore on was that Colonel Richmond was quite embarrassed by "Bunny's" presence but at the same time apparently felt responsible for providing him food and shelter at the Institute. Everyone predicted, however, that this strange arrangement could not last for very long. And it didn't.
In early November, "Bunny's" schedule changed from one of late rising and retiring to a rather common practice of rising early, giving greater attention to his clothes and general appearance, having breakfast with the cadet corps, being away from the school all day, returning for supper, and going to bed when we did--about ten or ten-thirty. And his new schedule was accompanied by a noticeable change in his attitude and behavior toward us. Whereas, earlier he had rarely volunteered any information about himself or his private affairs, he now began to talk freely about where he had been and what he had seen and done while away from the Institute. His stories were refreshing and quite often very amusing, some of them shocking and hard to believe.
Early one Monday evening after we had returned from our free day in Louisville, eaten supper, and had begun quiet study in our room, "Bunny" came in and began talking for the first time about his exploits with women. More particularly he wanted to tell us about an affair he was having with a "sizzling redhead," using his words.
"I met her again this morning in the lobby of the Henry Clay Hotel," he announced to us boastfully. "While you boys were sitting through a lousy movie at Loew's Theatre," he continued, "I was spending the day in bed with this gorgeous redhead." His opening remarks were met with dead silence. We didn't know what to say.
[CONTENTS OF VOL. 6]
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