The Second American Revolution
The Building of an Empire
Kenneth R. Szulczyk
The Second American Revolution – The Building of an Empire
Copyright © 2009 by Kenneth R. Szulczyk
Published at Smashwords
All rights reserved
Cover design by Kenneth R. Szulczyk
Edition 7. 0, April 2012
Forward
This book contains shocking and extreme material. Why would I write such a book? The mess we call a legal system has reached a point of critical mass. The U.S. economy is on the brink of a collapse. The 2008 Financial Crisis served as a warning sign to our leaders and government officials. Roll back the legal system, so it is pro-business again, which means truly simplifying and reducing our tax systems and regulations for all levels of government.
If the politicians and elected officials do nothing to stop the growth in government, then someone like Jerrick Ray Davis may stand up and just take over. Then this dictator may clean up the legal system, or just create a much bigger mess that involves gas chambers and concentration camps.
***
The dictator in this book emulates Augustus I, the first Emperor of Rome. The Roman Republic was destroying itself with taxes, laws, and wars. History does repeat itself, doesn’t it? Augustus grew tired of the chaos and stood up for what he believed. He inherited ¾ of his adopted uncle’s wealth, Julius Caesar, and funded an army to take over Rome. His reforms allowed the Roman Empire to last for 500 years, despite being plagued by a string of bad emperors for several centuries.
Introduction
How did the greatest democracy on the earth collapse? Why did people lose faith in their democracy, their political leaders, and allowed one man to seize all the power?
It began in the final days of the democracy, after the 2008 Financial Crisis struck a death blow to the U.S. economy. Government at levels in the United States created a massive, complicated, and overly convoluted legal system. The entire U.S. government transformed into a giant lawnmower, mowing down any blade of grass that grew too high. Once a person appeared on the government’s radar screen, the government sent in its storm troopers, tax agents, regulators, inspectors, and attorneys. The government arrested many people for petty infractions of the law, and seized their property.
Businesses could not survive under such a punitive legal system, and they began fleeing to other countries, taking the jobs and wealth with them. Across this great land, factory buildings shut down and became dormant, gradually rusting away from exposure to the elements. The unemployed could not find jobs, and mobs began to form as people rioted for food and basic supplies.
In the final days of the Republic, some powerful members of government plotted to overthrow the U.S. federal government. One such person was Richard Woodland.
Richard was a tall, muscular man, built like a marine. He had blond hair and the coldest, bluish eyes. He sat on a chilly green bench that overlooked the pond with a great view of Jefferson’s Memorial. The Memorial was within two blocks of the Whitehouse in Washington, D.C.
The year was 2016, and the winter was brutally cold. The January coldness made Richard’s cheeks a bright rosy red, and his breath turned into an icy mist, as he exhaled.
Richard was an agent for the government, well maybe not exactly an agent. He was a person who fixed problems for the U.S. President, Charles Gibson. Richard was very good at hiding the bodies permanently, making sure the skeletons stayed buried inside the closet.
Richard watched a family of geese swim across the pond, scampering for some food. The mother goose swam in the front with the young ones following in tow. He thought about pulling his nine-millimeter out, and have a little target practice. However, his gun stayed hidden in his shoulder holster underneath his jacket. Gunshots in this neighborhood would attract attention.
Richard pulled out his touch screen cell phone, scanning for any messages. Then he played a video clip of Jerrick Ray Davis.
Jerrick Ray Davis was a revolutionary, who was turning into one big pain in the ass. He formed a new political party, the National Workers’ Party, and was outspoken about creating the American Empire. An empire was the only way to save the United States. The problem was Jerrick attracted a large following, and half the nation was hypnotized by his speeches.
Richard stretched his legs out, preventing them from going to sleep. As he stretched his legs, the tensed muscles created audible popping sounds from several joints in his legs. Then he relaxed, and listened to Jerrick’s speech.
Jerrick’s voice rang out from his cell phone.
Enough is enough.
Our government is ruining our economy.
Our founding fathers have given us one of the greatest gifts that one can give their children.
They gave us a system with great laws with a great government.
Now look at the people in government today.
They are pigs!
They fatten themselves at the public trough.
What have they accomplished?
They keep increasing taxes, regulations, and laws.
They fatten themselves with high salaries and benefits, as they feed off the hardworking and industrious.
Those fat pigs in government are taking over the economy, and nothing makes any sense anymore, except the pigs are getting fatter, literally, while the hardworking are becoming sick and dying off like an extinct species.
Unfortunately, our system of government is broken, and Congress and the bureaucrats have become an enemy of the people.
The only way to fix it is to purge ourselves of these charlatans, thieves, and misfits.
We must unite and fight this common enemy.
We must get rid of these people and create a new government!
A stronger government!
A more intelligent government!”
Then the audience began to chant his name in unison, Jerrick! Jerrick! Jerrick! Jerrick!
Richard abruptly turned the video off, and returned the phone to his inside coat pocket. He rubbed his hands together, and gently exhaled through them, keeping his hands warm.
Richard began to think. Maybe Jerrick Davis was right. The United States was suffering from the Second Great Depression, and our leaders were not fixing it. The politicians were in a state of denial, and the financial health of the great nation was at risk of collapse. All Americans were sailing on the Titanic and the mountainous iceberg, the sledge hammer of death, was just over the horizon. Something had to be done, or the United States would sink to the depths of a third-world country.
General Ninian Edwards appeared out of nowhere, and sat next to Richard. General Edwards towered at six feet one, and packed 200 pounds of lean muscle onto his large frame. His hair was cropped short, and was still a light brown for his age. On his left cheek was a ragged scar, a souvenir from the 1990 Gulf War, when shrapnel from a grenade injured him on the battlefront. At that time, he was a captain.
The general was quick and agile, and sat down on the bench before Richard knew it.
However, Richard did not flinch in surprise. He had nerves of steel.
Then general began the conversation earnestly, “I am glad you made it to our meeting, Richard.”
Richard still had his eyes on those geese. The world would not miss them. His finger itched for a couple of shots. Then he turned to face the general, and replied emotionlessly, “General; I would not miss this for the world. Besides, time is our enemy. Any delays and our plans are finished.”
The General asked ambivalently, “Do you really think Jerrick Davis can pull this off?"
“I am not sure, but what are our options? Can you lead this great country after a coup d'état and prevent a civil war from breaking out? Can you hold this nation together, as we transform our government?”
The General pondered for several seconds in deep reflection, and then uttered, “No, my job is to win battles. I do not think I could lead this great country, especially since I swore an oath to protect it.”
“That’s precisely my point! Unfortunately, we have no choice. I’m not a leader. I’m more the silent, deadly type, if you know what I mean. The only other person that could lead is the leader of the Communist Party, Frank Gitlow…”
“Like hell, I would shoot the bastard myself if he became President. I spent half my life fighting the Communists. Do you think I would hand power over to a Communist?”
“You see; we have no one else. Jerrick is critical to our plans. He has to be the new President, whether we want him or not. Jerrick is a natural leader, and has a grand vision. The people trust him and believe in him. Jerrick is the only one who could pull it off,” Richard added decisively.
“But in some ways, Jerrick scares me. Jerrick’s vision is about building an empire. An empire implies the conquering of other countries.”
“Well General, I thought you said your job was to win battles. It sounds like Jerrick will create job security for you. Besides, if Jerrick is half as smart as we think he is, he may be able to pull it off. We will be at his side. We will help guide him, and keep him in line.”
The general snickered at the prospect of job security. Job security was something that died out in the last century. In the new economy, workers were at the whim of their employers. An employee could be a superstar today, but the next day, the employee could be fired, and escorted off the employer’s property by large, overbearing guards.
The general replied, “Well; what kind of job will you do for the Empire?”
“Like I said, I will do what I do best. I am good at tracking down troublemakers and help them disappear. I think Jerrick will need a strong leader for the Department of Homeland Security, which is perfectly suited for me. You know me. I like to stay in the shadows and do my bidding.”
“You know this is a dangerous course. What happens, if we fail? What happens if the coup falls apart? We will all be traitors. We will face a firing squad.”
“General, does it really matter? Look around you. We’re doomed. If we sit back and wait, nothing will happen. Do you think those damn politicians in Congress will fix anything? Do you see anyone else, who could fix the United States?”
The general let out a long sigh, and then replied, “Damn; you are right. It is just that I swore my allegiance to this country. No one has ever done this before in our history.”
“I know general. I have faith. It can work. Besides, we have no choice. We need to move quickly.”
“Why? Is there something you are not telling me?”
“Jerrick is pissing off everyone in government. President Gibson has been losing sleep over Jerrick. I think the time is near, when the President will ask for a hit on Jerrick. As you can see, our time is very limited.”
“Do you think you will be that hit man?”
“I’m the specialist, and I’m sure I’m at the top of the list.”
“So you could prevent Jerrick’s assassination?”
“Ideally, but it is hard to say. Once the orders are issued, I should have enough time to warn Jerrick.”
“Good, we do not want anything to happen to our golden boy.”
“So general, how is the state of your troops? Will they follow orders?”
“To be honest, the state of our troops is abysmal. We’re still fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then Congress cut their paychecks. So, I know I can rattle our troops to attack Congress, but like I said, time is the essence. The troops’ morale is falling faster than a missile falling from the sky. If I’m lucky, then I may have a year or two left, when the troops will still follow my orders.”
“Then general, we must plan quickly. I will set up a meeting with you and Jerrick. Without those troops, our coup will not be successful.”
“Okay; set up the meeting.”
Then before Richard knew it, the general was gone. Richard was all alone with those geese. His plan was coming to fruition, and a revolution was imminent. The life of our democracy was coming to an end, and the greatest empire was ready to be born.
The American Empire will dominate the world for a few centuries.
Part 1 – The Final Days of the Democracy
In the Beginning
The powerful leader was born on January 7, 1979 in a tiny coastal town, Holland, Michigan.
Holland was a small typical town where nothing special happens. It is located in western Michigan next to the shores of Lake Michigan. Although Lake Michigan is tainted with toxic chemicals, the lake waters emanated a pristine bluish color. Its waves crashed softly on the light brown sandy shores. During the summer, people are drawn to its warm waters. Occasionally, a drunkard has a little too much to drink, falls off the end of the long pier, and drowns.
Why was Jerrick born in this small town? Great leaders are born somewhere. Remember, it is not where you start in life, but where you finish. Jerrick Ray Davis started from the modest environment, and grew into a powerful leader. All great leaders are born somewhere.
His mother, Dorothy Davis, chose the name Jerrick, despite protests from his father. Jerrick’s mother did not know the original or meaning of his name. Somewhere she heard the name, and the name stuck. Jerrick is American origin, and means “gifted ruler” or the “people’s ruler.”
Jerrick came from modest stock. His mother was a waitress. Dorothy Davis was a slim, petite woman with long curly brunette hair. Although she was still attractive, the exhaustive hours, as a waitress were having its toll on her. Spider-like varicose veins were creeping up her legs, and the constant exposure to cigarette smoke in the restaurant made her skin age with fine cracks and crevices around the eyes and mouth. Of course, a thin coating of makeup could help hide the lines and cracks for another five years.
Derrick’s father was John Davis. He was a truck driver, who was always on the road, earning a living for his family. He was the typical absentee father, who was never around. Jerrick’s father had only three passions: drinking beer, watching football, and meting out punishment to his son. If he thought for one second his son, Jerrick, was misbehaving, he would have his belt off in seconds, lashing out like a lunatic. Other than that, John did not want to be bothered with the role of fatherhood. Luckily, for Jerrick, he rarely saw the ferocious licking of his father’s belt.
Jerrick Ray Davis was an unusual child. Although Jerrick was a healthy baby who rarely cried, he laid quietly in his crib, observing the world around him. He had these strange hypnotic, hazel eyes that were always watching and observing everything. Although his hair was blond, his hair would darken to a light chestnut brown when he reached puberty.
Everybody in the family loved Jerrick. He was a cute and a well-behaved baby. He rarely cried, and if he did, then there was a problem. However, his family knew something was strange about this boy. First, he always played alone. He seemed to show no interest in the other kids. He was either taking things apart or building things. Second, he had trouble speaking and pronouncing words, and continuously babbled syllables that made no sense, as if he were speaking a foreign language that only he knew.
***
Jerrick started kindergarten at five years old. The school was the Old Bell Elementary School. The building was nearly 60 years old, but well maintained. The school’s halls and classrooms saw thousands of screaming kids pass through. Furthermore, this school saw several generations of tired, overworked teachers.
After four weeks of school, Jerrick's mom was washing the dishes, and occasionally glanced at a small TV set sitting on the counter, which blared a never-ending soap opera.
The telephone began to ring.
Dorothy tossed the dish that she was washing back into the sink, and grabbed the telephone receiver. Then she frowned, when the caller announced he was the principal.
The principal wanted to speak with Dorothy and John, as soon as possible.
After she dropped the phone receiver onto its cradle, her elbow knocked a coffee cup to the floor, which exploded into several large shards.
The next day, Dorothy arrived at school. Her husband was on the road again, driving a long haul to Nevada.
Jerrick’s mother meandered to the reception’s desk, and politely announced, “I am here to speak with the principal.”
A perpetual frown was carved on the receptionist’s face. All joy and life left her generations ago. The receptionist knew from experience that it was never good for parents to meet the principal, especially within the first month of school.
The receptionist replied formally and emotionlessly, “Yes; we were expecting you. Please have a seat Ms. Davis.”
Then she pressed a button on the phone system, and let the principal know Jerrick’s parent arrived. Next, she called Jerrick’s teacher on the school’s intercom to request her presence in the principal’s office.
After ten minutes, the principal poked his head out the door.
The principal was close to sixty years old. He was losing the battle with his hair, as his hairline rapidly receded. He wore glasses with a thin silver frame. He gave the impression that the principal was very smart, and knew what he was doing.
The principal said politely, “Oh; Mrs. Davis, please come in.”
The principal opened his door all the way, and used his left hand to gesture at Jerrick’s mother to sit in a chair by his desk.
After a few seconds, Jerrick’s teacher appeared, and sat in the seat next to Mrs. Davis. She was panting from the slight jog from her classroom to the principal’s office.
The teacher was Ms. Bauer, and she was a young, attractive woman who recently graduated from college. She was filled with youth and vitality, and was eager to teach her children.
The principal closed the door, and sat behind his desk. He leaned forward and placed both hands on his desk.
The principal started in a kind, serious tone, “Ms. Bauer, Jerrick’s teacher, has noticed some strange behavior from Jerrick. He never plays with the other children, and has trouble talking. Further, he always appears to be daydreaming when Ms. Bauer is teaching the kids.”
Mrs. Davis did not know what to say. Her worst nightmare had just come true. Something is wrong with Jerrick. She wanted to cradle her face into her hands, and cry. However, Jerrick’s mom fought back those tears. She did not want to cry in front of strangers.
Ms. Bauer sat there quietly with a serious expression upon her face. She did not want to be the harbinger of bad news. Furthermore, she did not want to add or elucidate any finer points. She just wanted to be a passive observer in case the parent becomes over emotional.
“Mrs. Davis; could you grant permission for our psychologist to test Jerrick? Once we have more information, then we can take a course of action,” the principal said, adding cheer to a gloomy surrounding.
The principal slid a consent form across the desk, so it rested directly in front of Mrs. Davis.
With no conscious thought, she grabbed the nearest pen, and scribbled her signature on the bottom of the form.
“Mrs. Davis, where is your husband?” the principal inquired solemnly.
As Mrs. Davis looked up to see the principal’s face, she could see the principal’s degrees on the wall behind him. A Bachelor’s degree hung to the left, while a Master’s degree hung to the right.
“He is a truck driver. He had to make a long haul to Nevada,” Dorothy said timidly.
The emotional impact from today’s bad news made her voice crackle and rough. She wished her husband, John, was here, so she could hold his hand, and tap into his strength. As usual, he was gone, just when she needed him the most.
“Thank you for coming in, Mrs. Davis,” the principal said.
Jerrick’s mom shot up from the chair and bolted for the exit.
The teacher remained in the principal's office a little longer.
Once Jerrick’s mom made it to her car, the tears began to flow. Small rivulets of tears flowed down her face, smearing her makeup.
Dorothy sat in her car for 15 minutes, until she could compose herself and drive home.
***
The psychologist tested Jerrick’s IQ, which was 80. That score placed him in the below average intelligence category.
As Jerrick's mother was watching a talk show on TV, the principal called and informed her of the bad news. He said, “We think the best course for Jerrick is to place him in special education. There, he will get the attention he deserves. Don’t worry! Once he starts making progress, we can switch him back to the regular classes. We also have a licensed speech therapist, who will meet with Jerrick three times a week, and work with his speech impediment.”
After hanging up, Jerrick’s mother sat on the couch and cried again.
Dorothy’s emotional turmoil drowned out the constant arguing emanating from a TV talk show host and his rowdy guests. She drowned in her own thoughts. What could Dorothy do? These were educated people, who knew what they were doing. Her son’s future was placed into their hands. Maybe the principal was right; perhaps they could help him and make him normal. Maybe, Jerrick will have a regular life ahead of him, and make a decent living.
The principal immediately placed Jerrick in special education.
The teacher was Kathy Brewster, but she hated the title Ms. Brewster, because it made her sound old. She always wanted everyone to call her Kathy. Besides, Kathy was more personable, more approachable, more friendly. Kathy’s classroom was located at the end of the building on the far side of an L-shaped school. It was as if the school administration isolated the special kids from everyone else.
Kathy was a middle-aged woman. Her whole life was her job, taking care of her cat, and occasionally reading a hot, steamy romance novel. Sometimes, she tried dating a young man, but her dates tended to be immature and afraid of a strong, educated woman. Kathy remained unwed and focused on her job.
Kathy noticed strange things about Jerrick. On one fall day when the green leaves were turning into shades of yellow, red, and brown, the teacher, Kathy, was reading to the children.
The children were sitting on the carpet surrounding the teacher, giggling and laughing at the funny story.
Kathy noticed Jerrick was off by himself in the corner. She usually allowed him to play alone, avoiding a conflict with him. He could be quite a stubborn little guy, and he had a little temper.
Kathy noticed Jerrick had a Rubric’s Cube in his hands, and she could see the cube was unsolved. Each side had a mixture of different colors.
After Kathy finished the book, she glanced around at the happy kids who immensely enjoyed the story. Then she glanced at Jerrick.
Jerrick tossed the Rubric’s Cube onto the floor near his feet. It was solved! Each side had a solid color.
The teacher looked at the Rubric’s Cube in disbelief. Perhaps she had been working too hard, and lately she was not sleeping well. Maybe she imagined that it was not solved! Even though she loved these children and loved her job, these kids were special, or in the old days, they would have called them slow. They were light bulbs that did not shine as brightly as the other children in the normal classes.
It was impossible for Jerrick to solve that Rubric’s Cube in 15 minutes. Children who can solve Rubric's Cubes were never placed into her class. The school always gave her the special children, who needed a little more help in their education.
Kathy Brewster noticed another incident with Jerrick in January 1985 in the middle of a mild Michigan winter. Michigan winters usually have lots of snow, because the state is surrounded by the Great Lakes.
The children eagerly returned to their classrooms after three weeks for Christmas vacation, spending their free time making snowmen and throwing snowballs. The children sat at their desk and painted pictures with watercolors.
Jerrick was on the other side of the room. He collected all the wooden blocks from the toy chest.
After 40 minutes, Kathy did not hear a peep from Jerrick. He was playing on the side of the room with a partition blocking her view.
Kathy quickly stood up out of her chair, and briskly walked to the other side of the room, and lo and behold, she almost tripped over an elaborate city made of the small wooden blocks. The city spanned half the floor.
“What is that?” Kathy asked in a kind sweet voice.
“That ff-food ff-for people,” Jerrick replied, stuttering a little and pointing to a large building on one side of the city. The building was sizable and square, as if the building could actually feed thousands.
Then he pointed to the largest building in the center, and added, “That’s KK-King lives.” The building was not quite a pyramid, because the blocks made it boxy. It was more like an Aztec ziggurat.
The city also had a library, a car repair shop, and a school.
The teacher was in shock, because Jerrick put a lot of thought into the layout of the city. He wanted to make sure all the city’s residents had all the amenities that were easily accessible.
Towards the end of the year, Kathy experienced the biggest shock in her life.
Kathy was reading a children’s book about the Founding Fathers of the United States. She held the book up high, so the children could see the pictures. She read the sentences on each page slowly, precisely enunciating her words.
Kathy glanced to her left, and was surprised to see Jerrick sitting with the group, listening intently.
Once Kathy finished, a commotion broke out.
Jerrick stood on one of the chairs above the other children. In perfect English, he said, “Give me liberty or give me death. Tell the King no more taxes!”
Kathy was both amazed and shocked.
Jerrick always played alone and never showed interest in the other children. Now, he was a politician on his soapbox, giving a political speech. He could be a good politician. Heaven forbid, he had a low IQ, which was perfect for the job.
Once the day was over, Kathy put all her students on the bus, and then spoke with the psychologist.
The psychologist was bewildered too, and decided to re-test Jerrick’s IQ again unofficially.
The following week, Jerrick left Kathy’s room and was busy in the psychologist’s office for half the day.
At the end of the day, Kathy’s curiosity tugged impatiently at the back of her mind.
Kathy hurried to the psychologist’s office and lightly tapped on the psychologist’s office door.
“The door is open, come on in!”
Kathy opened the door and walked in, and muttered, “I hate to bother you, but I am curious about the IQ results for one of my students.”
The psychologist was sitting behind his desk. He folded his hands behind his head, and leaned dangerously back on his chair.
The psychologist had a thick dark beard that was gradually turning grey from age. He absently scratched at his beard, when he talked to other people, as if the act of scratching helped boost his intelligence level. Unfortunately, the years behind the desk and little physical exercise were having a tow on him. His belly started to protrude from his abdomen.
Kathy noticed the psychologist's desk was littered with stacks of random papers, student files, and test results. On one stack of papers, a coffee cup was resting in the center with a light mist emanating from the cup.
“I have your student’s results right here. That was why I just poured myself another cup of coffee. I wanted to relax and think about it,” the psychologist stated in a mysterious tone.
Kathy’s curiosity was escalating, and asked, “What do you mean? What do you need to think about?”
“Jerrick tested higher. His IQ increased to 120.”
“What? What do you mean?”
Kathy’s mouth hung wide open in surprise, and she grabbed the back of a chair to hold her balance. She was completely incredulous.
“That is why I am here thinking. IQs tend to be stable and change very little over the course of a person’s life.”
“So, Jerrick may not only be smart, but may be gifted?”
“It does appear that way.”
“Should he remain in special ed?”
“I talked to the principal half an hour ago. We believe Jerrick should stay in special ed. We believe he has not developed the maturity and social skills to be in a normal class. If he does improve socially, then we will place him in a regular class. Furthermore, do not let his parents know about the new IQ results.”
“Why?” Kathy asked perplexed. Then she added, “That would put Jerrick’s parents at ease, because their son may be smart.”
“The principal and I concur that the best course of action is to keep Jerrick in special ed. If his parents knew, they could sue the school. Besides, if Jerrick’s parents think their son is slow, they will be more motivated to help him succeed,” the psychologist said in a mechanical, calculated tone.
Kathy left the psychologist’s office completely bewildered. Special ed is for the special students. Now we have this anomaly who may not actually belong there.
Kathy, the principal, and the psychologist knew little about Jerrick. You see; Jerrick was a creative genius. Creative geniuses are a different breed. Half of them showed their brilliance at a young age, while the other half appeared to be slow, and even slightly retarded as young children. Their brilliant minds took a little longer to develop. However, once their minds blossomed; then stand back. There was no stopping their brilliance and creativity.
If the psychologist could test Jerrick, when he was a young man, he would discover Jerrick’s IQ rose to 150. Jerrick was quite gifted, as the whole world would find out.
***
Jerrick’s mom began to suspect something was different about her son. On one Saturday morning, she popped into his room unannounced.
Jerrick usually kept his room well-organized with all the toys stacked neatly on its shelves. However, on this day, all his toys were sprawled across the bedroom floor.
On one side of the room, Jerrick constructed a large city made from dominoes. The layout was elaborate and resembled Aztec style buildings.
On the other side of the room, Jerrick constructed a more modern city made from children’s blocks. Some of the blocks stood tall like skyscrapers and other blocks were short and long.
Between the cities, Jerrick lined up all his little green, plastic army men and tanks. The soldiers and tanks were facing the domino city. On one side of the block city, Jerrick placed a couple of small toy airplanes.
“Jerrick, sweetie, what are you doing?”
“Mom, army goes there,” and he pointed at the domino city.
“Why?”
“Build, mom. Bigger cities.”
“Which city is that,” his mom asked, while pointing at the domino city.
“Mexico, mom.”
“How do you know about Mexico?”
“A map mom,” Jerrick said, as he pointed to his bed.
On his bed, a small map of the world was sprawled over the top of the bedspread. On the map, Jerrick circled Mexico with a crayon and an arrow pointing at Mexico City.
Jerrick’s mom just shook her head in disbelief. He had one active imagination.
“I made you a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch and cherry punch.”
“Oh boy,” Jerrick screamed, as he ran out of the room to the kitchen.
The battle was put on hold, because the little Emperor was hungry. The conquest of Mexico will have to wait for another day.
***
By the third grade, the principal and psychologist decided to place Jerrick in the normal classes.
Jerrick floated through school and never did any homework. He slid by with B’s and C’s in his classes. Sometimes, Jerrick was defiant and did not listen to his teachers. Consequently, he spent part of his early education in the detention room, counting the number of bricks in the wall.
***
By the fifth grade, the school administration combated Jerrick’s classroom disruptions with Ritalin. They believed Jerrick had attention-deficit disorder. In the old days, they would have just called it hyperactivity. Unfortunately, many people view hyperactivity as a disease that needs to be cured. However, as hyperactive children reached adulthood, the energy from hyperactivity could be channeled into a source of motivation and drive.
Around 10 o’clock each morning, Jerrick had to walk to the office to take his medication.
Jerrick’s parents went along, because they thought, the school officials knew what was best. Besides, Jerrick’s parents did not really have a choice. If they refused the medication, then the school could turn the parents into the Child Protective Services. The State of Michigan during that time was very aggressive towards families that refused to drug their hyperactive kids.
Ritalin definitely reduced Jerrick’s disruptions. Once the drug kicked in, Jerrick became drowsy, lethargic, and imaginative. He did not mind, because daydreams would flow easily through his mind.
Jerrick Ray Davis was a creative genius, a dreamer, who could kick back, relax, and enjoy his daydreams in vivid details. His favorite dream was he was a pilot, flying around the world and visiting exotic cities. The other daydream he stood in front of crowds of people, and delivered speeches. He could hear the people chant his name after he made a poignant statement, and the crowd’s roar would rise to a crescendo, ‘Jerrick! Jerrick! Jerrick!. . .’
If Jerrick was not daydreaming, he was looking out the classroom windows at the clouds and trees. He could conjure a multitude of faces and images in the trees and clouds.
For example, one day in 5th grade science class, Jerrick was looking out the classroom window at a group of oak trees that bordered the school playground. He looked at one of the oak trees and distinctly saw the face of a witch.
The witch had sunken, beady eyes, and a long, crooked nose. The green oak leaves cast the face in a greenish hue. Jagged shards of teeth jutted out of a large, grinning mouth.
As Jerrick looked at the witch’s face, he could swear that the eyes started to turn a bloody red. His heart started to beat a little faster.
Then a wind rustled through the leaves.
The witch grimaced and opened her mouth wide to blow a curse in Jerrick’s direction.
Jerrick convulsed out of his daydream.
The image of the witch casting a curse on him startled Jerrick so badly, his arms and legs twitched. His right arm collided with his books, knocking them onto the floor with a crash, disrupting the whole class.
All the students stopped writing notes, and his teacher stopped his lecture in mid-sentence. Then they turned to face Jerrick.
The teacher asked, “Jerrick, is there a problem?”
“No!” Jerrick replied firmly with a little cockiness in his voice, daring the teacher to challenge him. He hissed like a cobra ready to strike.
The teacher turned to the blackboard, and continued with his lecture.
Jerrick picked up his books, and returned them to their spot on the desk. He glanced out the window at that oak tree. The witch was gone. Jerrick was looking at an ordinary, oak tree.
Unfortunately, this was not the first-time Jerrick’s imagination got the best of him. On some nights, he still checked under the bed for monsters. He did not like having any extra guests in his room at night, especially guests with beady red eyes, claws and ragged teeth, waiting patiently for Jerrick to fall asleep.
The Teenage Years
Jerrick hated high school and all his teachers. Who could blame him? Jerrick’s high school was located at the end of a long paved road on the edge of town. A fence followed the property on the backside of the school, isolating the school from the four-lane highway, and its roaring traffic speeding down the asphalt jungle. On some days, if students were silent, they could hear the incessant howl of the traffic.
On the left side of the school was a dark, dense forest, while on the right side was the football field and baseball field. Then thick, dense woods bordered the sports fields. Many students believed this property was better suited for a prison than a school.
During high school, Jerrick’s brilliant mind blossomed. He picked up a book in the 8th grade, and could not put it down. He devoured all 800 pages of the Stephen King’s The Stand in one weekend. This one book led to stacks of other books. He branched into books on electronics, computers, psychology, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Unfortunately, Jerrick’s restless mind had trouble focusing on history and classical literature.
Jerrick’s peers took notice. Although his grades were not the highest in class, he could brilliantly answer the teacher’s questions, even swimming circles around the teacher’s head.
Jerrick loved mathematics, and his brilliant mind absorbed basic calculus by the 10th grade.
Jerrick stealthily approached and cornered the school principal one day, while the principal was walking in the hallway.
The principal was surprised, and then tried to walk around Jerrick.
Subsequently, Jerrick quickly announced in a loud, boisterous voice, “Mr. Bastien; could I take calculus in the 11th grade?”
The principal stopped, and then glanced down at Jerrick. He was startled, as if he stepped on some dog shit during a walk in the park, and he was looking for a discrete way to get the shit off his shoe without touching it.
The principal retorted in a strong, authoritative manner, “I am sorry Jerrick, but it would be better to take calculus your senior year.”
The entire school administration knew about Jerrick, and he could be quite a pain in the ass. The principal did not want to torture the calculus teacher too much, granting the teacher another year of peace before Jerrick showed up.
Of course, Jerrick still showed his brilliance to the calculus teacher, defying authority.
One day in the 10th grade, Jerrick stayed late in the electronics lab. He was playing with an electric motor. The motor was an educational one with multiple settings that could be adjusted. Jerrick tried various adjustments until he squeezed as much power as he could from that motor. The whine of the motor filled the classroom.
The bell rung; it was time to go to his next class.
Jerrick ignored the hustle and bustle around him, as students shuffled in and out of the classroom. He dissembled the motor and wires, and placed them back in the box, oblivious to his surroundings.
As Jerrick looked up, the students in the calculus class were sitting down.
Then the tardy bell rang, and the calculus teacher started the lesson, the Chain Rule.
Jerrick stayed a little longer; his curiosity caught the best of him.
The calculus teacher explained, “When a function has multiple pieces like a function within a parenthesis raised to a power, then you have to use the chain rule to calculate the derivative.”
The teacher then wrote the function on the black board, y = 3(x2+1)3.
The problem was easy for Jerrick.
Jerrick rose from his chair, and started to leave the classroom.
The teacher was explaining the steps to calculate the derivative.
Once Jerrick opened the classroom door, he turned to face the teacher and the class. Then he blurted out loudly, “the derivative is 18x(x2+1)2”
Subsequently, he closed the door silently behind him.
Unfortunately, Jerrick missed the calculus teacher’s frown, when he solved the problem and indeed, it equaled 18x(x2+1)2.
The students let out a gasp, because a smart-ass sophomore just outsmarted the seniors in the calculus class.
***
Jerrick expanded his social life during high school. He made new friends and started to hang out with a group of misfits; you might even call them losers. They rebelled against authority, and all of its representations. They were lazy, did poorly in school, and consumed copious amounts of alcohol and marijuana.
Jerrick was not a big beer drinker. The bitterness of the hops was too much for him. However, pot was different. Jerrick was not sure why he started smoking marijuana. Maybe it was all that Ritalin he was forced to take as a child. Nevertheless, he suspected marijuana represented the outcasts and misfits, and Jerrick wanted to belong to that group. At the heart of Jerrick’s core, he was a rebel. A revolutionary leader never follows a crowd.
Of course hanging out with this band of misfits was interesting too. They did some of the craziest shit together. The usual suspects were Larry, Jerrick, and Tommy. If the three left town, the crime rate would drop in half.
***
One night in the 10th grade, Jerrick, Tommy, and Larry snuck out of their parent’s homes at 10 PM at night.
Jerrick, Tommy, and Larry met down at the Black River under the Bell Road Bridge. The river’s official name was the Macatawa River. However, all the locals called it the Black River, because the river’s waters were dark, turbulent, and appeared to be shiny like black obsidian stone under the moonlight. If a person accidentally dropped something into it, it would disappear into the drab, murky waters forever.
Bell Road Bridge was on the edge of the city’s limits, which had little traffic. However, the boys were not worried about the traffic. They kept an outlook for the Holland’s finest, the Holland City Police.
Small cities like Holland have low crime rates, so the police harass the drunks and teenagers. If the police caught the teenagers violating curfew, then the state would go after their parents, assessing large fines and enriching the city’s coffers.
Under the bridge, Jerrick, Tommy, and Larry were isolated.
It was a cool October night, and the chilly air turned the young men’s breathe into small clouds of mist.
The full moon reflected off the river’s waves, which broke the moon’s image into shimmering shards of light.
They laid on their backs on the concrete foundation. Larry was in the center. Jerrick was to his left, and Tommy was on the right. The coldness from the concrete penetrated through their jackets.
Larry was the oldest and the leader. Although Larry was not an athlete, he had a muscular build. He was letting his dark-brown hair, and scraggly beard grow long. His rugged, good looks attracted women here and there.
On the other hand, Tommy was skinny and appeared to be underfed as a child. He was letting his black hair grow long. He tried to grow a beard, but his beard poked out in patches on his boyish face.
Jerrick's appearance was somewhere in between. He was not skinny, but not as muscular as Larry. However, he was an average looking guy. Maybe in a room of 100 women, ten women would be attracted to Jerrick, especially capturing the hearts of the heavier ones.
Jerrick would get a scribble here and there in a lonely teenage girl’s diary, while Larry would get several pages. Of course, once Jerrick opened his mouth, and said something too intelligent, those women would flee, as if he was a mental patient who just escaped from the insane asylum. Unfortunately, women in Michigan are attracted to the dumb, athletic types.
Larry pulled a joint out of his pocket, and lit it up, inhaling deeply. The air around them became diffuse with an acrid, pine-tree smell of marijuana.
Then he passed the joint to Jerrick, and Larry began to cough out the smoke. “This is some good shit,” Larry replied in a muffled and harsh voice.
Jerrick eagerly grabbed that joint, and asked, “What kind of shit is this?”
“Sensimilla! Supposedly, this grower used genetically modified seeds from Amsterdam,” Larry replied.
“That shit is supposed to be the best,” Tommy chimed in, trying to belong to the group.
They smoked that joint until it was almost gone.
Then Larry pulled out some tweezers, and smoked the rest until it disintegrated into nothing.
Larry, Tommy, and Jerrick were very high. Although that concrete foundation had an angle of 40 degrees, the boys thought they were hovering several feet off the ground.
Tommy replied completely stoned, “Wow; look at the water, the moon in the water. Ohhhh! Wow!”
After an hour, the boys were not quite so high any more.
Larry stood up, stretching his legs.
Jerrick also rose slowly to his feet, and asked, “What do you want to do?”
“I’m hungry and thirsty,” Larry replied. He coughed a couple of times, and added, “Let’s go look for something to eat.”
“Are you crazy? The nearest store is two miles away,” Jerrick argued, as if this tidbit of knowledge would stop Larry.
Larry pointed at a row of piers with boats, and said, “What about over there?”
Although the piers were hidden under a cloak of darkness, some of the boats were white, and stood out of the blackness.
“I’m hungry too,” and Tommy got up.
The boys glanced at the pier where the river bended, and changed direction. They could make the outline of several boats bobbing up and down from the small waves of the river.
Then, the boys began to walk in single file. Larry was first; Jerrick was second, and Tommy was last.
The path along the river was bumpy and treacherous. Consequently, Larry tripped on a branch, but quickly regained his balance.
One misstep, then a person would be getting a cold, muddy river bath. Of course, Larry knew this path well. Indeed, two years ago, he did trip and fall into the dirty water, face first. Then he had a long, cold humiliating walk home.
The boys, however, made it to the first short pier, bone dry; nobody took a dirty bath that evening in the river.
The boys walked on the pier and hopped into the speedboat that was tied to the end of the pier. The boat gently swayed as each boy climbed aboard.
Then they saw several fishing rods and tackle boxes. Of course, the boat had no munchies.
In a fit of rage, Larry threw the fishing rods into the river. Then he glanced to the front of the boat, studying the various controls.
Larry whispered, “You guys are not going to believe this. The keys are still in the ignition!”
Tommy and Jerrick both turned to look at the front of the boat. Under the moon light, they could see the silver glint of a key.
Before Tommy and Jerrick could say anything, Larry was untying the boat.
Jerrick asked apprehensively, “What are you doing?”
“Let’s go for a spin!”
Larry sat behind the steering wheel, while Tommy climbed into the front passenger seat, and Jerrick sat in the second seat behind Larry.
The boys let the boat drift a little down the river.
Then Larry turned the key in the ignition.
The engine made loud clicks, but refused to start.
Then Larry paused a minute, and tried again.
The boat’s motor roared into life.
As Larry increased the throttle, the boat lurched forward, taking off across the water.
For a few seconds, Jerrick worried about their misdeeds. The boat’s motor was loud, and someone near the river could call the police. In these parts, it was common for men to go fishing under a moon lit sky with a 12-pack of beer chilling in a cooler.
If the police caught them, they would have at least three criminal charges: theft of a vehicle, marijuana possession, and minors violating of curfew.
Jerrick looked around, and did not see any lights or commotions or any other human activity.
Occasionally, Jerrick heard a dog barking in the distance over the roar of the engine.
Then Jerrick calmed down, and stopped worrying. Adrenaline was pumping through their veins. Then you add the high from the genetically modified marijuana from Amsterdam; they felt light gods, hopping across the water.
They took turns driving the boat.
When Jerrick was driving the boat, the cool wind blew Jerrick’s hair back, as that powerful motor propelled the boat forward.
Then Jerrick took a sharp turn, and started making loopy figure eights, bobbing up and down from the river’s waves.
After an hour, the boys drove the boat to the Bell Road Bridge.
The bottom of the boat scraped the river bank’s edges, as the boat drifted onto the shore.
Both Tommy and Jerrick jumped off the boat, and scampered home like scared rats.
Larry took it cool. He turned off the boat’s motor, and let the boat come to a complete stop. Subsequently, he sauntered home.
Larry acted like nothing was wrong. He would be absolutely shocked, if someone accused him of any crime that night. How could one accuse Larry of a crime? He didn't do anything tonight except hang out with a couple of good friends.
***
Jerrick and his friends were starting the 11th grade.
It was the night before the first day of school. In Michigan, the schools start at the end of August, when Michigan’s summers are hot and humid with temperatures often climbing into the upper 90s.
Their big plan was to teepee the high school.
Larry was the ring leader. He called everyone. Larry called Jerrick, Tommy, Brian, Richard, Tim, Ed, and so on, telling them to meet at nine o’clock in the woods next to the baseball field near the high school. His message was, “Bring as much toilet paper, bleach, and eggs that you can.”
The turnout was high. Everyone was there.
Jerrick was a few minutes late, but he saw Bruce brought a large army duffel bag of toilet paper.
They sat down in a large circle on the edge of the baseball field, giving communion to their God, Mary Jane. All the malfeasants were wearing shorts, and the tall, prickly grass made their bare legs itch.
The malfeasants wanted to start the ceremony in good spirits. Several people pulled out joints, smoking them and passing them around.
Around 11 o’clock, it was time.
They stood up, brushing the debris and grass from their legs. Then they formed a line like soldiers, picking up their arsenal in unison, and marching single file into the battlefield at the front of the high school.
Then pandemonium broke out.
Jerrick grabbed a couple of rolls of toilet paper, flinging them high into the large oak trees.
Rolls of toilet paper were flying everywhere.
Some members wove toilet paper into the bushes, as if they were decorating a Christmas tree.
Someone grabbed bleach and poured it across the lawn.
Larry used charcoal to scribble on the doors, “Seniors Rule!”
They had to admit. It was very clever for a bunch of druggies. They were all juniors, so maybe the school administration would blame the seniors for this act of vandalism.
Although the misfits brought a large quantity of supplies, the mayhem lasted for 15 minutes. However, the rush and marijuana made it seem like it lasted for hours.
Once the supplies ran out, the group began leaving.
Jerrick turned back to glance at the school. The giant oak trees in the front looked like weeping willows with white vines swaying in the wind.
They used so much toilet paper; it looked like it snowed on the school property in late August.
The next day, Jerrick woke up groggy. The rattle of his alarm clock felt like needles were pricking in his head.
Jerrick slid out of bed, and walked to the kitchen.
His mom was busy slaving over a stove.
“Mom; I do not feel good. Can I stay home from school?”
“You will miss the first day.”
His mom scrutinized him from head to toe, as her hand moved the spatula in the frying pan, preventing the scrambled eggs from burning. Jerrick was a little pale and unkempt. He must really be sick.
Then his mom added, “Okay, but no computer games. Also no novels. Read something better.”
“Okay mom,” Jerrick replied, while almost halfway to his room.
Although his mom’s cooking filled the house up with scents of eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast, Jerrick needed more sleep than nourishment.
He awakened several hours later, and ate a healthy breakfast that his mom left on a plate on the counter.
His mom also left a note on the kitchen table, ‘Jerrick. I am going to the store. I love you, MOM.'
After breakfast, he headed into his room to read a book on social psychology, which he bought last week at a garage sale. Jerrick scoured the garage sales for cheap college textbooks.
He read up to Chapter 4, when Larry called him.
Larry stated in his usual cheery voice, “Hey dude; what’s up?”
“Not much, I was just lying around.”
“I know; I did not see you in school. You skipped again.”
Jerrick asked, “What happened?” He knew the school principal was furious.
“The principal and teachers were mad. In first period, the principal said over the intercom that all the students had to go outside and pick up that mess. If it is not cleaned up within an hour, you will lose your open lunch and other privileges. So, all the students went outside and pick up all the toilet paper. You missed it. It was great!”
“Ah man, maybe I shouldn’t have skipped!”
“What are you doing tonight? Let’s go get high!”
“Larry, I can’t. My mom does not work tonight. I have to stay home, because I told her I was sick.”
“Al’ right. Later man!”
“Later!”
Then they both hung up.
Jerrick’s mother quickly burst through the door, “Jerrick, who was that?”
Jerrick almost jumped. He was so immersed into this book; he did not hear his mom return from the store. She probably was in her bedroom, when Larry called.
“That was Larry. He was telling me about the first day of school.”
“Larry? You know I do not like you hanging out with him. Can’t you find better friends?”
“Mom; Larry is okay once you get to know him.”
“Me and your dad think there is something wrong with Larry. That boy ain’t right!”
“Mom; Larry is my best friend.”
“Okay! Okay!” Jerrick’s mom did not want to start an argument, and she asked, “Would you like something to drink?”
“A Pepsi with plenty of ice.”
“You didn’t say the magic word!”
“Pleeease mom; may I have a Pepsi?”
Jerrick’s mom smiled, and closed his bedroom door. She went to the kitchen, and retrieved a soda for her only son.
The next day in school, as Jerrick walked to his locker, a passing face here and there frowned at him angrily. Apparently, some students were not pleased to see Jerrick.
Then one student, Jimmy, walked by Jerrick, and uttered, “Thanks asshole for the mess yesterday!”
Jerrick kept walking, as if he did not hear that student’s comment. What could he say?
Here was the strange part. Everybody in the school knew who tee-peed the school, except the administration. It was no mystery. Somehow and in some way, when something happened, Larry, Jerrick, and Tommy were at the center of it. A person did not need a degree in rocket science to figure out who the suspects were! However, the school administration never questioned them!
***
Although Jerrick really liked hanging out with Larry, sometimes Jerrick avoided him.
Larry was personable, friendly, and charismatic, and was the center of a party. Unfortunately, he could be a nut. If Larry had one too many beers at a party, he would turn around and punch the face of the biggest guy in the room. Although Larry was not a small man, he always picked fights with much bigger men, usually men the size of a refrigerator with legs. Then of course, Larry would get his ass kicked. He had a growing collection of torn t-shirts with splatters of his blood on them. Then the best part was when a fight ended. Some beautiful woman was always there to help Larry off the floor, and nurse Larry's wounds with kisses and hot passion.
Some nights Jerrick stayed home and curled up to a good suspense novel, spending the whole night reading it.
Of course, Jerrick was still a dreamer. He kept having this one reoccurring daydream. He was on a stage, and millions of people were in the crowd, savoring his every word. Jerrick spoke with great words, and gestured with his hands to emphasize key points.
Then, the crowd erupted into a loud, synchronous chant, “Jerrick! Jerrick! Jerrick! …” Afterwards, the crowd’s cheers would die down, and Jerrick continued his speech.
At this point, Jerrick could not hear all the words in his daydream. Later, the words would naturally flow out. He will rise up, and one day become a powerful leader.
Jerrick knew Larry and Tommy were not going to college. Jerrick was surprised, because Larry was smart. He would make a great businessman.
Of course, Larry and Tommy had other plans. They were going to stay in their hometown and keep partying, as if they were still in high school. Although they were a little older, the high school girls were always the same age. Those two planned to plant themselves in Holland with IVs in their arms that filled their veins with copious amounts of beer and marijuana.
Jerrick debated about whether to go to college. He knew from history that all U.S. Presidents in the 20th century went to college, except for one. That president was Harry Truman. Some considered President Truman to be a great leader. Out of all presidents, Truman had both the highest and lowest approval ratings in history, at least until the presidents after 2000. After 2000, U.S. presidents competed for the lowest approval ratings, as the U.S. economy sank, and chaos and riots erupted across the great land.
Jerrick really had no choice about college. He knew something was wrong with the Michigan economy. He remembered the stories his grandmother told him.
His grandmother grew up poor in rural Arkansas during the Great Depression, and she worked hard in the rice fields to feed her and her family. His grandfather, long deceased, married her, and took her on a journey. It was a gamble, but they started a new life in Michigan.
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