Adaptation by Jin Yong Kim

This is a writing written in the voice of Holden in the Catcher in the Rye. It is the Independence Day, and people from the Blue House came to school to give a speech.



     It was the Independence Day and all. These people from the Blue House were supposed to come to our school to give us a lecture about the goddam national defense. National defense…what a phony word, I thought. Our school was supposed to be this place where future leaders are raised by special programs. And so as a part of the program, the school often invited renowned people to come over and give a speech. Visits by those people were supposed to be secret and all, but this news about people from the Blue House coming spread way before they came. The Blue House… It killed me.
     Normally today is a legal holiday, but since our school never cares a damn about the law, or practically anything that the government demands, we had to go to school. We huddled up in the auditorium to listen to what the dude at the Blue House had to say. When I went to the auditorium, this dull-looking guy was staring at us all. He reminded me of ‘Scream’ by Edvard Munch. No kidding. He had this damn depressing look on his face. The sheer look on his face seemed to drain all the happiness out from me. I know it sounds mean, but I don’t mean it mean. I mean if you were sitting there in the auditorium with this damn depressing guy right in front of your face, you would say the same thing.
      “Hello Fellows,” He started off with usual greetings. “It’s honor to speak in front of you all. The reason I’m here is to give you a basic idea about our country’s national defense.”
      Now I won’t go jabbering about what he said after that-‘cause it was already damn harsh for me to sit there simply listening to that phony bastard. He was talking about how leaders like us should get more interested in national defense, and that man should fully accomplish their duties in the military.
     Just at the moment, the girl who sat right in front of me farted damn loud. We couldn’t laugh hard because the principal was glaring at us-but anyway that really cut his speech. The Blue House bastard was giving this phony smile to the girl-but I knew he was making that face just to look nice. I kept my goddam fingers crossed for another fart, but no one was brave enough to get extra interest from the principal.