Chapter 11
Crawfordton
"Hey zombie!" Zach, a kid who was about Angela's age in the neighborhood yelled at Angela in a hateful tone. Zach had made taunting and calling Angela names a daily habit. "You eat anybody today?"
"No," Angela said. "Man. I am really hungry right now though."
"What?"
"Nothing. It's just dinner time. I haven't had a nice piece of meat in awhile."
"So? Why you tellin' me, zombie?!"
"You asked, didn't you?"
"You're stupid!"
"Can you do me a favor?" Angela moved closer.
"No! I hate you!"
She moved closer.
"Get away!"
Angela said, are you too chicken to show me your big arm muscle?"
"No stupid, why would I be?"
"I guess you must be chicken, or just don't want to show off."
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, you just seem a little wimpy for a boy."
"Shut up! I'll show you, zombie! I ain't afraid of nothin'!" Zach took off his coat and rolled up his sleeve. He raised his arm and flexed his bicep.
Angela pulled her hand out her coat pocket and produced a salt shaker. She started shaking the salt on Zach's bicep.
"Hey! What's that supposed to do, stupid?"
Then with her other hand she pulled out an opened pocket knife.
"Hey! No!" Zach jerked his arm away and went running without his coat. "Help! Zombie! Help!"
"Hey!" Angela yelled. "You forgot your. . . brain. 'The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting'." She stood there awhile, feeling quite supreme, and was thinking about what creative thing to do with Zach's coat.
The children in Crawfordton all had free schooling available to them. Attendance was not compulsory, and many did not attend. Beyond the free schooling, Crawfordton now had the Military Academy. The goal of the Academy was to train children discipline, and make sure they got a top-notch education and leadership skills. Military Strategy and Tactics was also to be taught. Phil had a personal collection of US Army and Marine Corps manuals that served as lesson plans.
Admission to the Academy was by application only. The first cadet was a no-brainer; Angela. The next one was Hunter Thomas. Phil had always thought a lot of Hunter and believed he had great potential, while others only saw an overly exuberant continually distracted little kid.
Phil promised Sophia Thomas that he would help train her boys, but he was not so sure if he would be able to do anything with Liam. Liam seemed like he was kind of "out there", and a little too young. Nevertheless, Phil still made him a Cadet in the Military Academy.
The only other cadet was Mike. Cadet Mike was a quiet kid, from Christian parents who worked nonstop. His parents were proud that Mike would study under Phil at the Academy and considered it an honor and privilege.
One of the first things the cadets were taught was to be in uniform. The "uniform" was just a do-rag in the fashion of Lieutenant Angel Howard, the best soldier that Phil had ever personally known. The rule was that at all Academy functions, the do-rag was to be worn, unless the cadet was on a spy mission.
Rule number two was that the cadet had to salute any officers while in uniform, whether they be Crawfordton Guard, Ohio Confederation, or Academy Officers, which meant Phil. Phil also wore a do-rag while at the Academy. Phil didn't salute anyone.
One of the first things the Cadets got to do was shoot. But they started out with a kid-sized BB (Ball Bearing) rifle. All the firearm safety rules were safely taught to children using this barely lethal weapon.
Liam became impatient and started whining and pouting that he had to wait his turn to shoot. Phil told him to wait his turn and he whined some more, so Phil sent him home.
Hunter said, "Mom is going to be so mad."
Phil said, "You saw what he was doing, we won't have that here."
"No Phil. . .Commandant, Mom said we better listen, or she would make us regret it."
Sure enough, Liam came back about ten minutes later, whimpering.
Phil said, "Is there a problem, Cadet?"
"No, Commandant."
"Get down there and start doing some pushups! Then you can shoot the gun! Let's go Cadet! Next time you better listen or I'll make you clean toilets!"
Liam got a smile on his face and the other Cadets started giggling.
"Keep going Cadet! I feel a big stinky one coming on and I need someone who doesn't listen to clean the toilet! Is that you, Cadet?"
"No Commandant."
"Louder! Don't stop!"
"No Commandant!"
Hey! These other Cadets had some stinky food while you were gone kissing your Mom! Now they have to crap really bad!"
The other Cadets were doubling over with laughter.
"Are-you-the-toi-let-clean-er?!"
"NO COMMANDANT!" Liam was struggling hard with the pushups, and was cheating badly to keep going.
"Now get up, you sorry excuse for a Cadet! Mike! Help this Cadet out! Get over there and shoot before I change my mind!"
"YES COMMANDANT!"