Lester Chingee was a boy from McLeod Lake in Intermediate dorm with us in the late 1960s. Maybe in about 1969 all us boys in the Band were in Senior Dorm one day and they were handing out our uniforms to us. Before a ‘road trip’.
Road trips were the most awesome! A lot of preparation went on there. Us practicing for hours and hours. And days and days. And then weeks and weeks. It wasn’t just our music but there were our formations. And our beautiful red and white uniforms. And of course us and our look.
There was our red Cadet Jacket. With the yellow tassle strung through the shoulder and our pressed white slacks. They added a red stripe down the leg that year really sharpening our look! And our black leather marching shoes spit-polished to perfection. Brother James showed us that. And then they got to our socks. There was a lot of hustling and bustling as all us 35 boys in the Band took turns going up to Sir to get our red socks.
At Residential School all the boys called their male Supervisors ‘Sir’.
We were completely excited now. Because we spent so many weeks preparing then one day they called us all together to hand out the uniform which is the last step before a road trip. And to our 15 minutes of fame.
I don’t think anyone else noticed it. Everyone was so busy getting ready in dorm. But Lester just got his socks from Sir and I was next in line when I heard him cheer just as I turned back around to see him throw his bundle of socks up in the air. And at residential school the ceilings in all the dorms were at least some 20 feet high from the floor. And our dorm lights were all covered with these huge glass fixtures. Glass fixtures the size of a football and held in place by screws.
And Les’ socks hit one of the light fixtures. Directly above us. And of course you know exactly what happened next. Sir had his back to us! And I watched as his socks suddenly knocked this huge opaque glass fixture straight off the light 20 feet above us. And straight down toward us. And the floor. And......and…..Les…..for the life of me suddenly realized his error. His blunder as this light fixture came hurtling downwards toward us, and the floor, and Sir, and the whole wide world and braced himself much like a quarterback at the end zone bracing to catch an in-coming football.
AND JESUS....HE CAUGHT IT! I couldn’t believe how he managed to place himself just right, both arms out, knees bent perfectly and to make such a perfect catch. That was the best best BEST catch I ever seen at Residential School!!
Sir finished handing out the socks. And everyone tried on all their uniforms. And we all looked so smart in Dorm when we were all done. And no one in Dorm ever saw that game-winning catch down in our end-zone Les made! Except me.
LES. BEST BEST CATCH! BEST BEST CATCH EVER! At residential school.
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