Bo-Bo Goes To College

 

Bo-Bo Goes To College

By Paul McCann

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7AUAt3Krkg

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Bo-Bo was always as busy as a bee with running the show at Boscos . There was never enough hours in the day as the resident Jack-Of-All-Trades at the Boxing Club. As busy as he was he seems to manage ok get by with organising the fights , hosting quiz nights , selling raffle tickets , mixing in with the right crowd and getting all of the things done that needed fixing .

The only real problem Bo-Bo couldn’t fix was the accounts.

Most of the payments and cash he received was put in a tin while all the bills and outgoing payments were put in a bin, one on top of the other to be paid whenever the time was right. Deals and other transactions were made verbally, by word of mouth with a huge  amount of trust attached . There was no official daily record kept with a ledger book mainly due to the face that Bo-Bo was illiterate. For all of the years Bo-Bo ran the club he had always managed to get by without any evidence of the running costs and nothing or no one had ever questioned that, until now. It had to happen sooner or later , the income revenue called and they asked for all the receipts during that time as well as the account books and banking records because as they were going to conduct a ten year audit of the business. Bo-Bo explained that most of the figures were all in his head if they were willing to sit with him and write it all down.

Needless to say his request fell to the floor like a boxer to the canvas after a knockout punch . It was never risen again and the tax department allocated 6 months to get all the paperwork together for the audit . This demand came as a shock for Bo-Bo and so he had no choice. In order to save the boxing club incurring fines as well as the threat of closing the doors of the club he decided he would have to go to school and learn how to read and write . Being born an orphan was difficult enough for Bo-Bo in his early years . The challenges he met early on in his life were not easy and yet he contended well and grew up without getting to know about arithmetic of the alphabet . Those academic skills were not that important for him .back then .  Reading and writing was another skill that Bo-Bo never had the joy in learning how to do but now was the hour and somehow he had to find a school where he could learn how it was done  . There was no way that Bo-Bo was going to go it alone . At his age now he didn’t want to look silly being the only one sitting in a classroom and so he thought about taking another person along for the ride . The only  person he could think of who might need a similar education was his good old friend Charlie but he had to present his proposal as if Charlie needed to go to school and not Bo-Bo so off he went walking around the village checking out some of usual hangout spots Charlie frequented like the handball Alley , the football pitch , the playground in the park , the old tin hut where card schools were held and the search went on until Bo-Bo found Charlie inside the Catholic church , up in the choir loft rehearsing hymns for Sunday mass   .

Bo-Bo stood at the front door and waited until choir practice was finished.  As he stood there he watched the bunny rabbits hop and run around the green grove garden . He thought briefly about  trapping the rabbits and making dog food for extra cash .

Finally the choir practice was over and Charlie came out front . He was surprised to see Bo-Bo there and said ,

“Hi Bo-Bo , what’s going on . I’ve never seen you here at the church before ?”

Bo-Bo smiled and replied .

“ Well let me tell you Charlie . I was just chasing rabbits over there in the grove when I heard the voice of angels singing . So I came over here to have a listen . The music seemed to be coming from the roof of the church .“

Charlie stuck out his chest and said .

“That was me and the choir you heard singing Bo-Bo . We practice in the loft every Thursday with Fr Mark who plays the organ “

“Well it still sounded like angels to me Charlie .“

Said Bo-Bo to Charlie who was beaming with pride as he said .

“Father Mark is teaching us to sing in Latin and he wants to enter us in a competition .”

“You must be kidding are you telling me you’ll be singing in Latin Charlie ?
“ Me and the other boys in the choir ?”

Said Charlie and Bo-Bo asked .

“I think you should write a letter to the TV station and also the radio to tell them about the choir . I’m sure they would put you all on yfor everyone to see and hear Charlie .”
Charlie replied

“Wee I would if I could but I can’t so I won’t Bo-Bo because as you must already know I can’t read or write .“

Bo-Bo looked sympathetically at Charlie and said 

“Now that’s so sad . If only you could learn to write I’m you’re your singing career would benefit from that Charlie .“

Charlie seemed interested now and said .

“Do you really think it would help Bo-Bo/”

Bo-Bo replied . 

“ I don’t think it , I know it . You would be an academic and maybe you could do opera . You never know Charlie . The world would be your oyster .“

Charlie looked very excited and said .

“Lets go Bo-Bo , I want to have that oyster, do you think you can help me find a school where can I learn to write Bo-Bo.”

“Leave it to me Charlie, I’ll even go with you to give you some support . “

“Bo-Bo you’re brilliant “

 

They both walked through the grove towards the village .

A few weeks later after many enquires Bo-Bo enrolled himself and Charlie in bridging the gap course that included a basic introduction to elementary English as well as an introduction to reading and writing skills . The 6 month course was at an evening college in the city .

Both the lads were very eagre to get started and how easier Bo-Bo now felt , knowing that he wouldn’t be on his own in an empty classroom in front of a teacher asking him questions . Eventually  orientation day came around and what a surprise it was when they saw that the class had almost thirty students enrolled to do the course .  After they all sat down behind their desks everyone was  talking among themselves  . Bo-Bo whispered ,

“Its better than chasing rabbits Charlie  .“

“It sure is Bo-Bo . I’m chasing a dream now Bo-Bo and I have my eyes on an oyster . “ 

The teacher called for quiet in the classroom and then he asked all of the students to introduce themselves to the class and explain why they were there . 

When it was Charlies turn to talk he explained that he was going to  become an opera singer and that by learning how to write might help him with career  . Most of the class were driven into silence with Charlies story . Bo-Bo spoke next about how he was involved with running a boxing club . This interested everyone and immediately the teacher reacted by asking questions about the club  .

When the orientation was over and it was time to go home the  teacher called Bo-Bo to one side .

He quietly leaned over and said  ,

 

“Could I have a word with you Bo-Bo , if you have time to spare . “

“Sure thing , no problem”

All the students left apart from Charlie and Bo-Bo .
The teacher closed the door and looked at Bo-Bo and said

“You’ll never learn how to do accounting and writing up ledgers in six months Bo-Bo .“

“So in that case the boxing club is finished . I have the tax man doing an audit on the business and see I have all the figures in my head but not on paper . “

The teacher took a deep breath and said ,

“Watch me Bo-Bo and give me your honest opinion .

The teacher put up his two fists and threw some wild punches and kind of ducked and weaved . Then he stopped and said  

“I wanted to be a boxer but my Dad wanted me to be a teacher, I had no choice . Do you think I have what it takes  Bo-Bo  ? ”

Bo-Bo thought for a moment and replied  

“You know what , personally I think that you’re footwork is ok but your punches need some snapping strength and structure . I can show you a few killer combinations that will help you and to tell you the truth it’s never too late to chase a dream . I say go for it . “

“That’s what I really needed to hear , so I would like to offer for free my professional services to help you and Boscos Boxing Club . The thing is as well as me being an educator I am also an accountant by trade and with your information I can put together the paperwork and proof that the taxman would require .”

Bo-Bo could hardly believe his luck and said .

“ I forgot all about miracles years ago but now with your help I am a believer again . If you do that for me I will make a professional boxer out of you .“ 

The teacher reached out this hand and said

“When is my first training session then ?”

Bo-Bo replied .

“Tomorrow morning and every other morning at dawn . “

Charlie said ,

“What about my opera singing lessons ?”

Bo-Bo replied ,

“One thing at a time Charlie . “

The teacher seemed interested and asked Charlie questions about opera singing . Charlie informed the teacher that Bo-Bo suggested writing some letters to the Television and radio stations introducing the church choir who could sing in Latin .   The teacher also thought that was a great idea and offered to write those letters for Charlie in the hope that the choir could be slotted in somewhere and exposed to a bigger audience .  

 

When Charlie heard what the teacher said he was off up in the clouds, chasing his dream of becoming an opera singer .

“Well Charlie what are you doing still here . Its way past your bedtime lets get you home .“

Said Bo-Bo .

They said goodbye to the teacher and made their way to the bus stop . The evening sunset was now trapped by the night as the stars began to pick their place in the distant sky .

Bo-Bo pointed somewhere up there and said  

“Charlie catch one of those there if they should fall and put it in your pocket for miracles do happen. “

Charlie put his hand in his pocket and said ,

“Do you really think that he could make it as a professional boxer Bo-Bo?”

“Well Charlie as a wise man once said , dreams are all we have and if we place them before other people they better tread very careful “

“Like me being an opera singer Bo-Bo?”

“Exactly Charlie. And maybe we could make more money chasing rabbits but let’s hold on to our dreams and fight hard to make them come true  .“

“You’re brilliant Bo-Bo . I’m going to fight all right “

Said Charlie and Bo-Bo replied .

“I’m in your corner and right by your side Charlie  ‘“

 

Later on that year , the auditors came and checked the books and business records at Boscos and gave it the all clear.

Before the end of the year the teacher turned professional boxer won his first fight by a knockout .

He was snapped up by a man who offered to train and manage his boxing career and tagged him with the name Killer Kid Gloves .

Charlie and the boys choir had appeared on national radio and won the final of the Country and City Provisional Singing competition ’that went to air all over the country on one of the largest television networks .

 

 

 

By Paul McCann