'And let that be a lesson,' the judge said briskly, and began shuffling some papers on his desk he had brought in with him. 'I see they want you in Los Angeles for carrying a concealed weapon,' he remarked, then looked up at me. 'Suppose I give you a break, boy. If I let you join the armed forces-any branch you want-will you give me your word you'll stay away from white women and keep out of trouble?'
I wanted to just break out and laugh like the Marine in my dream, laugh and keep on laughing. 'Cause all I ever wanted was just a little thing-just to be a man. But I kept a straight face, got the words through my oversized lips. 'Yes sir, I promise.'
'Good,' he mumbled, standing up. 'Don't worry about that charge in Los Angeles.' He shook his finger at me, said, 'Make a good record, get an honourable discharge. It will do you a lot of good after this war.' Then he spoke to the jailer. 'Have somebody go along with this boy to the recruiting station.'
'Yes, Your Honour,' the jailer said, taking me by the arm again.
We went out, back through the corridors, kept through to the desk this time. 'Judge Morgan wants to send somebody with this boy to the recruiting station,' the jailer said to the sergeant on duty.
The sergeant didn't even look at me; he called over to a cop by the door in a bored, indifferent voice, 'Here's another soldier.'
'Come on, boy,' the cop said.
The two Mexican youths he had with him grinned a welcome.
'Let's go, man, the war's waiting,' one of them cracked.
'Don't rush the man,' the other one said. 'The man's not doing so well,' and when I came closer he said, 'Not doing well at all. Looks like this man has had a war. How you doing, man?'
They were both brown-skinned, about my colour, slender and slightly stooped, with Indian features and thick curly hair. Both wore bagged drapes that looked about to fall down from their waists, and greyish dirty T shirts. They talked in the melodious Mexican lilt.
'I'm still here,' I lisped painfully.
They fell in beside me and we went out and started up the hill toward the induction centre, the three of us abreast and the cop in the rear.
Two hours later I was in the Army.
