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was jus playin along with them。
it was the strangest thing。 jenny was singin 〃blowin in the wind〃 an when i begun to play；
she stopped for a secont； an the banjo player； he stopped too； an they get this very suprised looks
on they faces； an then jenny give a big grin an she mence to pick up the song again； an the
banjo player； he stop an give me a chance to ride my harmonica for a wile； an everbody in the
crowd begun to clap an cheer when i was done。 jenny e down from the stage after that an the
band take a break an she say； 〃forrest； what in the world？ where you learn to play that thing？〃
anyhow； after that； jenny got me to play with their band。 it was ever friday； an when there wasn'；t
an out of town game； i made twenty…five bucks a night。 it were jus like heaven till i foun out
jenny curran been screwin the banjo player。
unfortunately； it was not goin so good in english class。 mister boone had called me in bout
a week or so after he read my autobiography to the class and he say； 〃mister gump； i believe it is
time for you to stop tryin to be amusin and start gettin serious。〃 he han me back an assignment i
had writ on the poet wordsworth。
〃the romantic period；〃 he say； 〃did not follow a bunch of '；classic bullshit。'； nor were the
poets pope and dryden a couple of '；turds。'； 〃
he tell me to do the thing over again； an i'；m beginnin to realize mister boone don'；t
understand i'；m a idiot； but he was bout to find out。
meantime； somebody must of said somethin to somebody； cause one day my guidance
counselor at the atheletic department call me in an tells me i'；m excused from other classes an to
report the next mornin to a doctor mills at the university medical center。 bright an early i go
over there an doctor mills got a big stack of papers in front of him； lookin through them； an he
tell me to sit down and start axin me questions。 when he finished； he tell me to take off my
clothes— all but my undershorts； which i breathed easier after hearin cause of what happen the
last time with the army doctors— an he menced to studyin me real hard； lookin in my eyes an
all； an bongin me on the kneecaps with a little rubber hammer。
afterward； doctor mills axed if i would mine in back that afternoon an axed if i would
bring my harmonica with me； cause he had heard bout it； an would i mine playin a tune for one of
his medical classes？ i said i would； although it seemed peculiar； even to somebody dumb as me。
they was about a hundrit people in the medical class all wearin green aprons an takin notes。
doctor mills put me up on the stage in a chair with a pitcher an a glass of water in front of me。
he'；s sayin a whole bunch of crap i don'；t follow； but after a wile i get the feelin he'；s talkin
bout me。
〃idiot savant；〃 he say loudly； an everbody be starin my way。
〃a person who cannot tie a necktie； who can barely lace up his shoes； who has the mental
capacity of perhaps a six…to ten…year…old； and— in this case— the body of； well； an adonis。〃
doctor mills be smilin at me in a way i don'；t like； but i'；m stuck； i guess。
〃but the mind；〃 he says； 〃the mind of the idiot savant has rare pockets of brilliance； so that
forrest here can solve advanced mathematical equations that would stump any of you； and he can
pick up plex musical themes with the ease of liszt or beethoven。 idiot savant；〃 he says again；
sweepin his han in my direction。
i ain'；t sure what i'；m sposed to do； but he had said for me to play somethin； so i pull out the
harmonica an start playin 〃puff； the magic dragon。〃 everbody settin there watchin me like i'；m a
bug or somethin； an when the song'；s over they still jus settin there lookin at me— don'；t even clap
or nothin。 i figgered they don'；t like it； so i stood up an said； 〃thanks；〃 an i lef。 shit on them
people。
they is only two more things the rest of that school term that was even halfway important。
the first was when we won the national college football championship an went to the orange
bowl； an the second was when i found out jenny curran was screwin the banjo player。
it was the night we was sposed to play at a fraternity house party at the university。 we had
had a terribily hard practice that afternoon； an i was so thirsty i coulda drank out of the toilet like
a dog。 but they was this little stow five or six blocks from the ape dorm an after practice i
walked on up there fixin to git me some limes and some sugar an fix me a limeade like my mama
used to make for me。 they is a ole cross…eyed woman behin the counter an she look at me like i'；m
a holdup man or somethin。 i'；m lookin for the limes an after a wile she says； 〃kin i hep you？〃 an i
says； 〃i want some limes；〃 an she tells me they ain'；t got no limes。 so i axed her if they got any
lemons； cause i'；s thinkin a lemonade would do； but they ain'；t got none of them either； or oranges
or nothin。 it ain'；t that kind of stow。 i musta look aroun maybe an hour or mo； an the woman be
gettin nervous； an finally she say； 〃ain'；t you gonna buy nothin？〃 so i get a can of peaches off the
shef； an some sugar； thinkin if i can'；t have anythin else i can maybe make me a peachade— or
somethin； i bout dyin of thirst。 when i git back to my basement i open the can with a knife an
squash the peaches up inside one of my socks an strain it into a jar。 then i put in some water an
sugar an get it stirred up； but i'；ll tell you what— it don'；t taste nothin like a limeade— matter of
fact； it taste more than anythin else like hot socks。
anyhow； i sposed to be at the fraternity house at seven o'；clock an when i get there some of
the fellers is settin up the stuff an all； but jenny and the banjo guy are nowhere to be found。 i
assed aroun for a wile； an then i went out to get mysef some fresh air in the parkin lot。 i saw
jenny'；s car； an thought maybe she just get here。
all the winders in the car is steamed up； so'；s