Tom Kull-Personal Narrative

On a snowy Saturday morning in January, Tom lingered over his second cup of coffee as his mom leafed through the Staten Island Advocate. As the snow accu- mulated in the backyard and alley of the white stucco house, Tom became more sullen. He despised winter – its long nights, bitter temperatures, biting winds, as well as its heavy, drifting snows which made driving a perilous undertaking. His thoughts turned to his ex-girlfriend, Martha, and her predilection for cuddling during such frightful weather. However, she was a strong-willed woman – much like his mother – refusing to accept the skinny teacher’s procrastination with re- gard to marriage.

He mused about Rosie Murray, whose arithmetic and economic classes he had covered before the

Now that was true socialism – sharing material assets and female asses for the com- on good.

“I see your friend, Amon, has done something heroic again. It says here he saved a little boy from drowning when he fell off a tugboat in the Kill Van Kull.”

“He pulled me out of the water when I fell off a wharf last year.” Tom replied.

“That’s no surprise. You’re not only a klutz – you’re a klutz who can’t swim.”

“Thanks mom. You’re always so cheery and encouraging on Saturdays.”

“It goes on to say that he’s been given notice by the city to vacate the water- front area because of an impending construction project. However, he’s earned a lot of good will because of his work with the homeless. This is funny. Do you know what they call him?”

“Tom Haley’s best friend?”

“No. He’s referred to as the Mariners Harbor Messiah,” his mom read loudly.

“Which makes me an apostle – a heavenly being. Since I’m his best friend.”

“And if you don’t start shoveling that snow, you’ll be heading for the hereafter sooner than you expect,” she

Oddly, once he got into it, the skinny teacher actually enjoyed the snow shovel-

Ing. He had recently begun an exercise routine that he had undertaken in high school. It involved calisthenics such as pushups, sit-ups, and knee-bends from a

Joe Welder body building course. He spent extra time on sit-ups trying to whit- tling down a growing beer belly – from too many hours of elbow bending at

Kaffman’s and K. C.’s on Morningstar Road. Teaching itself required a degree of physical fitness because it entailed standing, writing on the board, and walking around the classroom to check on the student’s work. Tom vividly remembered how exhausted he was after his first week of teaching at the St. George school.

Later on in the afternoon, Tom paid a visit to Amon, who was shoveling snow in front of this Victorian rooming house on Simonson Avenue. The skinny teacher grabbed a shovel and joined Amon in removing the snow, which become heavy and wet with the rising afternoon temperatures. He was helped in this endeavor by a few elderly men – reformed alcoholics who lived at the Simonson Avenue house. Tom asked his friend about the rescue incident reported in the in the

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