CHAPTER 10
Date: 2015-10-07; view: 557.
Mr. William F. Thompson, Associate Dean of the Harvard Law School,could not believe his ears. "Did I hear you right, Mr. Barrett?" "Yes, sir, Dean Thompson." It had not been easy to say the first time. It was no easier repeatingit . "I'll need a scholarship for next year, sir." "Really?" "That's why I'm here, sir. You are in charge of Financial Aid, aren'tyou, Dean Thompson?" "Yes, but it's rather curious. Your father" "He's no longer involved, sir." "I beg your pardon?" Dean Thompson took off his glasses and began topolish them with his tie. "He and I have had a sort of disagreement." The Dean put his glasses back on, and looked at me with that kind ofexpressionless expression you have to be a dean to master. "This is very unfortunate, Mr. Barrett," he said. For whom? I wanted tosay. This guy was beginning to piss me off. "Yes, sir," I said. "Very unfortunate. But that's why I've come to you,sir. I'm getting married next month. We'll both be working over the summer.Then Jenny -that's my wife-will be teaching in a private school. That's a living,but it's still not tuition. Your tuition is pretty steep, Dean Thompson." "Uh-yes," he replied. But that's all. Didn't this guy get the drift ofmy conversation? Why in hell did he think I was there, anyway? "Dean Thompson, I would like a scholarship." I said it straight out. Athird time. "I have absolutely zilch in the bank, and I'm already accepted." "Ah, yes," said Mr. Thompson, hitting upon the technicality. "The finaldate for financial-aid applications is long overdue." What would satisfy this bastard? The gory details, maybe? Was itscandal he wanted? What? "Dean Thompson, when I applied I didn't know this would come up. "That's quite right, Mr. Barrett, and I must tell you that I reallydon't think this office should enter into a family quarrel. A ratherdistressing one, at that." "Okay, Dean," I said, standing up. "I can see what you're driving at.But I'm still not gonna kiss my father's ass so you can get a Barrett Hallfor the Law School." As I turned to leave, I heard Dean Thompson mutter, "That's unfair." I couldn't have agreed more.
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