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Huck was nineteen and thought he wanted to be a recording engineer so his grandmother plopped down a bucket load of money for his training. She also gave him a weekly allowance for his living expenses—as much as she could afford. Tuck was twenty-two and bailed out of the Coast Guard with a mental discharge because he didn’t like the uniforms and structure. At least that’s what he told me. What was the truth anyway? He was a military brat and wanted to please his father but it didn’t happen because he joined the coast guard and his father was a marine. He got a student loan to become a sound engineer. He also paid me by the week.
Since I had prepaid the apartment for the summer and the deposits, I got the master bedroom with its own bathroom. This also worked out for Toots the Cat and her litter box. Toots had been with me for 13 years except for the two years as Mom’s lap cat. Like most cats Toots was fiercely independent but knew where her loyalty and safety ultimately centered. And she knew her name and my voice. She was also a pretty good judge of character from my point of view—watching my back so to speak. Having traveled with me thousands of miles in a variety of vehicles over the years and seemingly enjoying the adventures gave her an insight into the blend of blind trust and cautious paranoia.
Huck was a short dark haired pot smoker with a scraggily goatee in an attempt to make him look older since he was one of the younger students, most being in their early twenties. The recording engineer students mostly seemed like hard core rockers with musical backgrounds—hence the Rolling Stone Magazine connection. This connection was talked up quite a bit, though how far up the ladder it went was vague. There were also the usual rumors of drug money financing and usage which could have explained the heavy handed “Jesus Loves You” message that they were presenting—the reason Huck’s grandmother sent him there. On the other hand, the coast guard drop-out Tuck was a tall blonde Arian kid addicted to pornography. I had finally sprung for a TV with a VHS player/recorder built in, that we kept in the Central Living/Dining area. After the days seminars if Tuck was indoors he planted himself on the couch and watched Debbie doing Dallas or whatever he could get his hands on. My computer was only a glorified word processor and I kept it in my room where every day I retyped my notes hoping that it would help me remember. The school thing was important and I really didn’t know if I could handle retaining the technical stuff that I expected to learn. Toots didn’t leave our wing unless Tuck was out. She liked Huck who seemed to be a loner and spent a lot of time in his room if Tuck was around.
“I’m not sure why I’m here,” Huck said.
“To become a sound recording engineer, right?”
“Ganma sent me here because of Jesus.”
“I didn’t know Jesus was a sound engineer.”
“I think she thought he would help pay my bills.”
“No rent money again this week, huh?”
Huck was outa there before the month ended and I never did see any money. Housing was sending me a kid that would be in the film and video class beginning in July. “His father is in oil,” they told me, “money shouldn’t be a problem.”

WICKSWIRED TO CHRIST