The french mechanic: p3 Christmas party by thadeusz

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Three months after I joined the ASST, I turned 16 and I thus joined the "club" of the 2 other older boys. We had learned a lot about military behavior and our heads had been shorn to the woods every Saturday. On that day, the Corporal took the three of us on the side and shouted to us:
"You three, report immediately to the Colonel. Vandervelde takes the command of this mini unit."

We went to the Colonel’s office, I knocked respectfully at the door as we had been told and waited. As soon as a signal "Enter" was lit, we entered, under my direction. We were all in the correct position. I gave a signal and we saluted the colonel, took our respective beret off and put it in our left pocket. We then adopted the position of attention at three feet of the Colonel’s desk. Personally, I did this nearly automatically as we had been told. I assume the two others did it in the same fashion. The Colonel started to speak:
"Congratulations Young Soldiers. You are all more than 16 now. You can thus sign your first Army contract and start getting a better pay."
The Colonel pushed towards each of us a piece of paper and a pen. I was curious, so I rapidly glanced through the three contracts from a distance and said:
"Colonel, my friends have a 9 year contract, but mine is a contract for 15 years. Why so long ?"
"Private, you will study here, if all goes well, for 3 years and then become Sergeant. Each year must be reimbursed to the Army by a period of 3 years. Moreover, Vandervelde, you spend one year as a repeater in the Military Academy: this must be repaid, and repaid double. This makes 6 year on top of the initial 9 years your comrades have to commit themselves to."
"Colonel, respectfully, and if I don’t want to sign for 15 years ?"
"You are too smart to do that, but it would not be wise. It would then become an automatic and compulsory 5 years contract, plus the 6 you gained by your special failing process in the Academy, which automatically makes 11 years. Of course you would be immediately expelled from this school and sent to a regiment chosen by the Army. And you would have to remain a simple Private without any diploma justifying a possible promotion. Be wise, and sign this 15 year contract."
I felt trapped, but I signed immediately, took my beret and started saluting the Colonel, but he interrupted me.
"I did not tell you to leave my office."
I placed my beret back in my pocket, as taught by the Corporal, and took again the position of attention. The Colonel told all of us:
"Now that you are real Privates and for good, you will have slightly more free time and the possibility to have a slightly longer haircut. Private Bernard and Private Marvin, leave this office AT ONCE."
They both obeyed but I remained in the position of attention while the Colonel resumed his speech:
"Don’t move, Private Vandervelde. I have examined ALL your previous school results. You were good until the middle of grade 9. Then you started purposely being a failing boy. The Commandant of the Military Academy explained to me why you did it. Now you are being trained to become a specialized mechanic, which is what you wanted. But the Army requires more of you, and it is a lot. Are you ready, Private ?"
I must confess that I liked hearing the Colonel calling me "Private", it gave me the impression that I was a grown up, which was not the case yet. So I replied, nearly automatically:
"At your command, Colonel."
"GOOD, Private Vandervelde", shouted the Colonel and he continued:
"FIRST you are going to behave according to ALL the rules applying to the real PRIVATE you are as of this instant. SECOND you are going to study perfectly all the courses organized in this ASST for your section, we know you can do that. You will do this with two other new Privates, Bernard and Marvin. THIRD you are going to help the young cadet who arrived with you, Adrian, since he obviously has problems with the military discipline and his courses. FOURTH, I want you to be able to get not only a professional BAC but also a scientific BAC, so you are going to study all by yourself the courses which will lead you to this BAC. I warn you, if you don’t do all that, you will immediately be sent to an Infantry regiment which does not need any mechanic and you will serve THERE during 15 years without any promotion. UNDERSTOOD Private Vandervelde ?"
I knew that there was only one possible answer and I shouted it as expected:
"AT YOUR COMMAND, COLONEL."
I now realize that, without knowing it, I was already on the right path to become a real good soldier.

Bernard and Marvin had now the possibility to go out of our barrack every Saturday afternoon, but my father, the General, had given specific orders: I had to stay inside and keep studying. I was rather pleased when the two others decided to stay and study with me. They also decided to try to get a scientific BAC. Our days were rather full with the military program imposed by Corporal Mareuil, the hours we spent learning about the theory of engines and gears and the time we devoted to our scientific studies. Moreover, I was supposed to help the poor Adrian.

Adrian had not volunteered for the ASST: he had been sent here by his parents because he was really failing in all the other types of studies. His father was a Sergeant and wanted at least the same position for his only son.

A new small group was formed: Bernard, Marvin and me. In the morning we first joined the rest of the group for a sports session under the leadership of Corporal Mareuil. We then performed our daily chores and got our breakfast (MESS 1 for the future soldiers). After that we went to classes till noon: we learned the basics of the theory of gears and engines. We only learned the basics: the rest was assumed too difficult for the future army technicians we were doomed to become. It was then time for lunch (MESS 2 in our military structure). The whole group was then supposed to have a short playful time, after all they were only young boys.

Our group of three retreated to a classroom where we studied 10th grade courses. Since I already had credits for some of them, I was told to try to explain what I already knew to Bernard and Marvin. This is how I ended up explaining math, physics and science problems to my friends. Bernard was in charge of French and French literature while Marvin was in charge of life sciences. We worked well and fast. On top of this, I had to help Adrian who was really a very slow learner, but a future decent soldier.

After their break, the main group had again some sports which we left on the side. We rejoined them when it was time to perform again (and again and again !) military exercises. Sometimes, one of our small group was in charge of commanding the whole group. When it was my turn, I was mighty proud despite my fading negative opinion of the military.

This program lasted till the winter holidays. All the Junior Soldiers had two weeks leave and enough money to go home and celebrate Christmas and New Year in their respective families. The Colonel called me in his office to tell me:
"Private Vandervelde, you are not going to have a winter leave. You must stay inside the regimental barracks while your comrades are going home."
I was flabbergasted: only the Junior Soldiers with a very bad behavior were deprived of winter holidays! I looked at the Colonel, not knowing what I should do or say and I remained in the position of attention. The Colonel saw this and continued:
"Your father has decided that you should be deprived of all leaves for the time being."
I shouted the only thing that came to my now nearly really military mind:
"AT YOUR COMMAND, Colonel."
The Colonel added then something which he had not foreseen:
"Private Vandervelde, I will be with my family inside the barracks for Christmas. If you want, you can come and celebrate the feast with us."
"Thank you Colonel. With your permission, I will join you on that occasion."
"DISMISS NOW."
I saluted my Colonel, made an as good about-turn as I could and left the Colonel’s office.

Once I was out of this office, my friends, and they were now real friends, Bernard and Marvin, asked me what had happened. I told them the truth and they replied:
"Your father is an asshole."
"But he is my father and he is a General."
"Don’t bother, we are going to find something better."

They could not do anything special. I remained in the barracks where I chose to study further for my scientific BAC. I progressed in my 10th grade courses and also in some of my 11th grade courses but I really missed the help and the intellectual incentive usually provided by Bernard and Marvyn. I also helped Adrian who really needed it because somedays I had the impression that he was really more stupid than stupid ! Finally, I got ready for the Christmas party at the Colonel’s. I went to the Corporal barber and asked him for a special butch cut, explaining why it had to be special and very short. The Corporal barber, a very kind man, asked me why I wanted that type of haircut. I replied:
"Because I am a soldier and I am invited to the Colonel’s Christmas party."
"Why don’t you accept a short High and Tight ?"
"Do you think it would be acceptable for a young Private like me ?"
"That would be the best for you."

So I let the Corporal barber do as he wanted. He first cleaned the sides of my head, turning the head to the left or to the right in order to clean it from all the hair below a certain level. He left the sides of my head completely white as if there had never been any hair there. He then used his clippers to reduce my hair size above the line he had just defined, leaving the top of my head as it was. He then started to reduce the top using another set of clippers with a long guard and his scissors in order to give me some kind of flattop. It was difficult for him since until that day I had always asked him for a plain buzz cut, but he did it and he reached his aim after a certain time. Finally, he used an old fashioned razor to clean the side and the back of my head below the first horizontal line he had produced. At the end he produced some liquid which he poured on my head and which helped the hair on the top of my head to stand straight. I was quite pleased until I heard the Corporal barber say:
"It will cost you 10 Euros, the double of a plain buzz cut. This amount will be deducted from your next paycheck."
I looked at him with what was probably a very sad look and he added:
"That’s for next time. This time, it is my Christmas present."

I left the Corporal barber happy and feeling very well with my new haircut.
Adrien, who had also to spend Christmas in the barracks because his parents were far away (and because he had very bad grades), admired me when I started to help him with his mathematics. I felt even better.


On Christmas eve, I put on my best uniform after cleaning it and ironing it as well as possible. I went to Corporal Mareuil and asked him:
"Permission to leave the room ?"
"Why private Vandervelde ?"
"Because I am invited to the Colonel’s party, Corporal."
"That’s fine, but what are you going to give to the lady of the house ?"
"Corporal, I am not allowed to go out of the barracks, so I have nothing to give except my smile."
"That’s good, Private. But you should bring flowers to the lady."
"I don’t have access to flowers, Corporal."
"That’s why I got this bunch of flowers for you."
And the Corporal gave me a small bunch of flowers. I smiled, slightly embarrassed not to have prepared something myself. I then smiled to the Corporal saying:
"With your permission, I will give these flowers saying they are yours. I will only offer my smile, my new haircut and my way to wear this uniform, hoping it is OK with you, Corporal."
"Go, Vandervelde and have a great party."

It was a wonderful party. When I arrived at the Colonel’s quarters, I rang the bell and a little boy came and opened the door. Automatically, I saluted this young civilian who shouted:
"Daddy, there is a soldier at the door."
The Colonel approached, I renewed my salute, slightly embarrassed by the flowers given by the Corporal. The Colonel simply told his son:
"It is not an ordinary soldier, Marcel, it is Private Louis Vandervelde, our guest for this Christmas and one of my best students."
The lady of the house approached and I could give her my flowers after saluting once more. She insisted saying:
"This is our small Christmas party. You should be in civilian clothes."
"Madam, I don’t have any now."
"Then I order you to take off your beret, your vest and your tie: be a real boy of your age and simply enjoy the feast."
The Colonel added:
"Private, do as my wife says or keep your full uniform if you feel more comfortable with it."

I did exactly what the Colonel’s wife had told me to do: this was in fact the clothes we wore when our small group was studying, except that we often chose to wear our military exercises uniform because it was more comfortable.
The Colonel looked at my head and asked:
"Is this the haircut you adopted now that I gave you full freedom for it ?"
"Colonel, I went especially to the Corporal barber today and I convinced him to give me this haircut because it seemed to me that it was more military."
"Excellent choice, Vandervelde."

After that we started the dinner and it was a great moment, especially when the Colonel told me:
"You are a full Private now, so despite your tender age I decide that you deserve one glass of wine."
I had drunk wine when I was with my parents, but this was my first glass of wine as an "adult soldier" and I really enjoyed it.

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