What I Just Saw

Date: November 22nd 1963

Location: Dallas, Texas

“Is he here yet?” I ask my mother with impatience. “Not yet sweetie” she replies. “When, will he be here”, I ask. “Well he’s due to arrive soon so just hold in the excitement until it happens”.

My name is Paul. I am an eight year old boy and my family is here for a special event. Today me and all the whole in Dallas are gathered here because someone very special is going to be coming here. Probably the most famous person in the whole of America.

Who would that be you ask? Well from what my parents have told me, that man would be someone who runs this country. A man whom we all love. That would be none other then… The President! Mr. JFK!

I was so excited. I had so wanted to meet him. I had seen the man on TV many times beforehand and heard him on the radio to. But I had never met him in person.

He seems a nice man. From what I have been told, he has very high approval ratings and also stopped disaster from happening. I was told that Cuba was dealing in missiles and was going to launch and we nearly had a third world war, but thanks to Mr Kennedy it was prevented. The ironic thing is I have also heard he is a war hero himself having fought in the last war and did suffer injuries having a submarine crash into his boat which badly injured his back. Ouch! That must have hurt. Thank god I was not an adult during World War 2. I would have hate to have been in it as my uncle Will fought in the war and he told me the horrors of it all... losing some of his best friends, nearly getting blown up, etc. Certainly no easy job. No, I was wrong. JFK isn’t a nice man... He is a great man! I idolise him.

In fact, he is a big inspiration to me. Because of him and how good he does his job, he has made me want to become a politician and my dream is to become President just like him! At my age, I’m too young too understand all that political stuff, however I myself want to be president someday. If I do, I would make it so that kids get all the toys they want, and stay up all night and never be able to do what they are told. Being President of the United States is cool!

However I find this very boring. I can see the look on my mother and all other adults having excited looks on their faces. Big deal. I find this very boring. We have been waiting two hours for the president to arrive yet it feels like it has been twenty two hours. Though I am excited to meet him, for how long we have been waiting I would think right now I would rather be going home and playing with my friends in my tree house or listening to some music on my fathers record player.

Lately, I been listening to music from that new band I think they are called The Beatles? Oh boy are they something different. I’ve been hearing all sorts of songs from singers like Frank Sinatra, Buddy Holly, etc but this band is like no other. Their mother is totally versatile. I am going to be listening to their music forever! They are going to go very far into the music business I can see that happening! I would love to meet them to!

Suddenly, I hear a huge cheer from everyone in the audience. What could it be I wonder? “What’s going on mother?” I ask nervously.

“He’s here! He’s finally here.” She replies back. You finally get to see the man you so longed to meet son!”

I look out and see what she means. This is one hard thing about being a kid… I’m so short compared to the adults that I either have to stand up on tiptoes or be shoulder hoisted by my parents to see higher things. I can’t wait to grow up seriously so that these pains will end.

Driving by slowly, I can see a white limousine in the distance. Could it be him? I take a look out and see. Nope not him at all. I think my mother is bluffing. The president isn’t coming at all. She made me wait out here all for nothing! Is this a trick? Did she want me to be here just so she could play a prank on me? Maybe the president isn’t coming! Maybe the crowd are only here to see who they think is coming.

Suddenly, I see another limousine come. It’s no one special I think. Just out of curiosity I look out and see who the loser driving it is. It’s slowing down and then I see one person’s face. Theres a pretty beautiful lady in the car. “Wow! She’s pretty I say” thinking that OK I may be too young to be thinking about girl’s at my age but I can’t help but notice how good she looks.

“That’s the president’s wife” My mother says. His wife! I’ve only seen the man on TV but never his wife! How lucky he must be to have met a gorgeous lady like her.

The woman leans back and afterwards I can’t believe my eyes… I am staring at the person who I would never expect to see… could it be? I blink my eyes and look away for a second to see if I am not imagining things. I look back and that person is still there.

It’s him! It’s JFK! The president whom I been wanting to see the last couple of years! Live in person!

I couldn't believe my eyes! Okay, he looks smaller then he does in TV and his suit is a different colour to compared to the black and white I only see on television but my god it’s a miracle.

Everyone is screaming and cheering! They are all chanting his name! It’s probably just as good as meeting Elvis Presley!

“Mr President! Mr President!” I shout out hoping he will hear me. I doubt he will even though we are in the front line as thousands of other people are in the crowd doing the same.

His head turns towards me and he notices me. The limo has slowed down a bit. Is he going to speak to me? I shout out to him “When I grow up I wanna be just like you!”

I didn’t expect him to say anything as I didn’t think he would have enough time with the car constantly moving along but suddenly he says “Good luck kid and keep pushing yourself to achieve it!”

Are my ears deceiving me or did I really hear him just say that? The most powerful man on earth actually spoke to me! Out of all the thousands of people in this place gathered to see him and I’m the only pone he has spoken to! I am shocked!

“Mum!” Mum! I shout to my mother. “Did you hear that?” “He just spoke to me!”

“I know hun, I heard. That is amazing. I cant recall the time a president ever spoke to a child when travelling in a car. I didn’t even think he would have the time to respond”

All my friends at school will be so jealous when they find out me Paul Pechman an eight year old boy got to spoken to by the most powerful man on the planet! That is something I will never forget ever!

I can see the president talking to his wife. Now although they are a little distance away I think I can hear her saying something to him it sounds like “Mr. President, you can’t say Dallas doesn't love you”. I can hear him speaking back to her it sounds something like “No you certainly can’t.” It’s so true JFK. The whole of Dallas loves you! Long may you reign!

Afterwards he began waving but no sooner had he stopped when I heard a loud bang. The loud noise frightened me and I jumped. Everyone in the audience stopped cheering for a moment. What was that noise? It sounded like a car backfiring or something. Suddenly, two more noises came out sounding the same. I looked at my mother and asked her what the noise was. Soon afterwards, everyone began screaming. I saw a man in a suit running towards car and climbing aboard. The president’s wife began climbing out and screaming out loudly. She had blood on her. It was all over her pretty clothes. She was screaming “They’ve killed my husband!”.

I am thinking is she kidding? At that same time I look to see where the president is. Where is he? His wife is being seen but I can’t see him no where. Suddenly, I look at the passenger seat and see someone who looks slumped in the seat. Blood is pouring out of his head and it looks like half of it is gone. What is that sticking out of his head?

Ok, now I am terrified! “Mum,” I turn to her shaking, “What’s going on? What’s happened to him?”

She doesn't answer. Her face is wide with shook. White as a sheet she looks as does everyone in the audience. Her mouth is wide open hanging. Everyone is silent. It looks like the president is dead. Oh my god! Someone has just killed the president! I’m only a kid and I have to see this?! Is this what my mother wanted me to see?

Tears start rolling down my eyes and I cling to my mother wanting the nightmare to end “Mummy!” I shout out screaming.

My mother seems to have snapped out of her trance grabs me and says “OK we are leaving, right now! We gotta go, now!” We walk through the crowd pushing and barging through everyone who seems reluctant to not leave because when was the last time a president got murdered?

As we are moving through I look at a building and I notice a man in that building which what looks like a gun in his hand. The man has a worried look on his face. It looks like a rifle or something. Suddenly he drops it and runs away. Was he the person? Did he just kill JFK?

My mother drove us all the way back home. All the while I couldn't stop shaking or crying. I couldn't control my emotions. I had just witnessed the most powerful man in America been murdered in front of my own eyes. How could a kid go through all this?

After we got home I went straight to my room and hid my face in my pillow. I kept crying to myself and my mother was unable to stop me. She realised how distraught I was and left me for a bit. I stayed there for hours struggling to control myself.

It was about 6pm when I finally got a hold of myself and came downstairs feeling a little better. I assured my mother that I was OK and we had dinner. To try and feel better we watched some TV.

The news was all about the president being assassinated. I knew that this was going to be on TV and it did make me feel uneasy considering I had to bear witness to it all but kept my cool.

It then revealed that his killer had been arrested. The assassins name had been revealed to be a Lee Harvey Oswald and they revealed him on TV. As I saw his face my face froze. I couldn't believe it. It was the same man that I had seen in the building when my mother was escorting me back home through the crowd. It was him that did it? Why would he do that? Why would he want to kill such a nice man who helped our great country?

Whatever the reason I know he wont get away with it. Rest in peace JFK. You may know longer be with us but I know you are in heaven watching over everyone and I will never forget the words you spoke to me. Despite being gone, I will still try my best to become president just like you and make the world a better place.

Your biggest fan

Paul Lechman.