ESTHER, ERNIE AND I WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER --WELL, NOT REALLY TOGETHER, WE HARDLY EVER RECOGNIZED ONE ANOTHER ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS. HOWEVER, ERNIE DID MAKE SOME WAVES SOMETIMES AND I'D HEAR AND I'D HEAR ABOUT THEM SOMEHOW. ONE DAY ERNIE CHALLENGED HIS MATH TEACHER, THE PRINCIPAL, WHO WAS AT THE BOARD EXPLAINING SOME MATH PROBLEM. ERNIE INTERRUPTED HIM AND SAID "NO, THAT'S NOT IT!" HE WOULD NOT LET THE PRINCIPAL SPEAK ANY FURTHER BUT INSTEAD STARTED TO ARGUE, AND RUSHED UP TO THE BLACKBOARD TO CHALK HIS IDEA ON THE BOARD. THE PRINCIPAL WAS VERY ANGRY AND MADE ERNIE LEAVE THE ROOM. LATER THE HE MET ERNIE IN THE HALL, PUT HIS HAND ON HIS BRIGHT STUDENT'S SHOULDER AND APOLOGIZED SAID -- "YOU WERE RIGHT, YOU KNOW. AFTER THAT, HE AND ERNIE WERE GREAT FRIENDS. THIS WAS TOLD TO ME BY BILLY, ERNIE'S BEST FRIEND, AND MINE.
ERNIE WAS GOOD IN ENGLISH TOO. HE WOULD CARRY SHAKESPEARE IN HIS BACK POCKET. I NEVER SAW HIM STUDY BUT HE ALWAYS KNEW THE ANSWERS. HE STUDIED IN THE STUDY PERIODS OR AT LUNCH. HE WASN'T A GREAT MIXER, STANDING AROUND CUTTING UP OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
HE AND I WERE GREAT FRIENDS AT HOME -- I THOUGHT HE WAS THE GREATEST. HE COULD ORDER ME AROUND: GET ME THIS, GET ME THAT, FIND THIS FOR ME. AND HE'D GO ON PLAYING HIS TRUMPET. I LOVED THAT TRUMPET AND SOMETIMES HE WOULD PLAY THINGS WHEN I ASKED HIM TO, BUT ONLY AFTER PLAYING A SONG OR TWO THAT I DIDN'T ASK FOR, JUST TO SEE IF I'D GET MAD BUT I DIDN'T.
ERNIE ALWAYS WAS READY FOR AN ARGUMENT. HE ALWAYS SEEMED TO WIN OR MAKE SOMEONE REALLY MAD. THIS WAS A DISQUIETING MOMENT IN THE HOUSE.
ERNIE WAS DISSATISFIED WITH HIS LIFE, AND DISAPPOINTED. BUT HIS TRUMPET BROUGHT OUT HIS SMILE ALWAYS. WHEN HE WAS ACCEPTED AT MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND LEARNED THAT THE MONEY WASN'T AVAILABLE FOR HIM TO GO THERE, HE JOINED THE ARMY, PLAYED IN THE ARMY BAND AT FT. DEVENS, MA. HE'D HAVE SOME SOLDIER BRING HIM HOME ON OCCASION, BUT GOT UPSET WHEN THEY PAID ANY ATTENTION TO HIS LITTLE SISTER -- I DIDN'T CARE, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. I JUST LOVED TO HEAR HIM PLAY THE TRUMPET, ORDER ME AROUND, AND SMILE. BEAUTIFUL!
