The Ritual

Twenty-Eight of us stood in line anxiously anticipating the start of the pinning ceremony. Standing with Lisa and Page, this day seemed like a dream that would never come true. The last semester put the difficulty of our second semester to shame and in the end left us with just over half of our class to graduate.

“Lisa did you bring them?” I asked.

“Yes. I have them in my trunk.”

“Excellent,” I giggled ecstatically.

“What are you guys talking about?” Page asked.

Lisa responded, “Don’t worry Page, you’ll find out later.”

“You guys aren’t going to do something stupid and play a prank at the ceremony, are you?”

“Are you crazy, Page? That would delay the ceremony. We would never do something that would keep us on this campus one moment longer than we have to be. Our only goal tonight is to get through this ceremony so we can get out of here as quickly as possible.” I said.

“But I want to know.” Page pressed.

The double doors leading to the auditorium opened, silencing our conversation. Noise and chatter from inside the auditorium spilled into the foyer where we stood. The noise became louder as our progression made its way down the center aisle. Shouts and yells from family members and friends finally made our accomplishment seem real. Passing my family the hoots and hollers became even louder. My sister whistled and my mom and aunt yelled and cheered.

“All right Hope!!”

“Go Hope!” As loud as the auditorium was my family’s shouts could still be heard above the rest. I felt my cheeks burn red in embarrassment.

We took our seats in the front row and the lights dimmed leaving only one bright light at the center stage illuminated for the speaker. Several of our instructors went up to the podium with welcoming remarks. Their speeches drowned in and out as my attention peaked and then was lost again. I started to get antsy in my seat until finally Mary Kay started to call our names. Our class had appointed her to do our pinning.

“Amy Anderson”

“Teresa Camm”

“Nancy Cunningham”

“Hope Firbeter”

My ears perked as I heard my name. Walking steady to the podium careful not to slip in my heels, I approached it with a false sense of confidence. Mary Kay shook my hand, pinned my nursing pin on my gown, and handed me a rose attached to my degree. I turned briefly to face the audience and smiled at my mom for a picture, finally letting the feeling of pride and accomplishment overcome me. Pretending to have walking in heels down to a science I continued across the stage, concentrating intently. I just started down the stairs when I heard Lisa’s name called. Giving her a loud, “Whoo Hoo!” I simultaneously lifted my hand in cheer and nearly tripped on my gown heading down the stairs. My dad, at the bottom with a bundle of Roses, caught me on the way down.

“Whew,” I said as he steadied me on my feet.

“Congratulations Hope. I’m so proud of you, baby.”

“Thanks Dad,” I said as I took the bundle from him.

I made my way back to my seat without falling and sat down with a sigh of relief. The last students name was called and as she took her seat Mary Kay started the candle lighting ceremony. She headed to the back of the stage with her lit candle and when she faced the audience the light illuminated her face orange. Our class rose from our seats and in a single file line we walked to the stage and one by one lit our candles from hers. Once our candles were lit we proceeded into two rows on the stage facing the audience. When the last student joined the front row the auditorium went dark and the audience grew silent in anticipation. Mary Kay started “The Nightengale Pledge,” she announced her voice echoing across the auditorium.

Together our class continued in unison:

“I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly:

To pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully;

I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug;

I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling;

With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.”

When the pledge was over we blew out our candles, leaving us in a brief moment of dark before the lights went back on. We walked single file back to our seats and waited for the closing remarks to end.

Outside I looked around for Sherry and Tracy. Congratulations were being given all around me. Flowers and balloons and smiles from everyone reminded me of the stress that I left behind. Everyone seemed to be a little invigorated.

“Hope! Hope!” I heard my name being called. Stepping out of the crowd I glanced around only to see car after car lined up to leave the parking lot.

“Hope, over here!” I looked to the right to see Lisa inching her little red car into the rest of the procession. I ran over to her.

“Everyone’s meeting at my house. My parents already left to get things ready.” I said as I hopped in. The car behind honked at us in frustration.

“Is he honking because you just cut him off or because you cut him off and then stopped to let me in?” I asked with a chuckle.

“Oh I don’t care.” Lisa replied.

“Where are Sherry and Tracy?” I asked.

“They are already on their way to your house.”

“Awesome. How do you think Page is going to like what you made her?”

“Oh I think she is going to love it. Especially after almost not making it through this last semester.”

“This is going to be great!” Throughout the ride home I could barely contain my excitement.

We pulled into the driveway and I could see my family and friends were already outside enjoying themselves. When Lisa and I got out of the car everyone turned to us and clapped.

“Way to go graduates.”

“Get out and come get a drink!”

Everyone was yelling and cheering. I went to find my dad. It wasn’t hard; he was in the garage celebrating with my uncles.

“Hey Dad. Could you start up the fire pit?”

“Anything for my nursey.”

“Oh God Dad. Don’t embarrass me.”

“What? What? Can’t I be proud of you?”

“Yes but don’t call me nursey. OK.”

“Alright,” he said putting his beer down and exhaling his cigarette. “I’ll light the fire for you.”

“I’m just going to run inside and get changed. I’ll be right out,” I said.

I met Lisa, Tracy , Sherry, and Page at the fire pit. Lisa had a bag slung across her shoulder. With the fire ablare she began to empty the bag. Inside was each of our worst nightmares. She pulled mine out first. A stick about four feet long had a round cardboard face glued to the end with yellow yarn for hair. It had a white nursing dress and a name pin that said Miss Annsack. She pulled out the second one. This one was for Page. The round cardboard face had long dark hair but was much shorter and wider than mine. She wore short cardboard pants and her name tag said Miss Morner. The last stick Lisa pulled out was for her. It was her pediatric instructor. We new for sure she hated Lisa when she handed in the same exact assignment as someone else but only got an 80% on it while the other person got a 98%. Hers sported brown yarn hair but her body looked a bit padded.

“Hey. What’s with your instructor’s outfit?” I asked.

“I put extra stuffing in there.”

“Extra stuffing? Mrs. Bard was thin.” I reminded her.

“I know.” Lisa said. “I just want to see her burn more.”

“Ha.” I let out a laugh I couldn’t suppress.

We gathered around the fire and held each other’s hands. Closing our eyes, Lisa began our ritual.

“Friends around the fire, we are gathered here to celebrate the ending of our long journey. Today we will forget those who tortured us, and hounded us, and rode our asses to the ended. We will celebrate that our asses have remained intact and the only one’s who will be burned are those who have tried to burn us.”

“Amen!” I yelled as I waved Miss. Annsack above the flame. The yarn cringed and shriveled glowing bright orange as it burst into flame. Mrs. Bard went in next. Her stuffing must have worked because within moments the yard was lit bright as day from the flame. Page put Miss. Morner in last. Her long yarn hair lit up in seconds then spread around her face and down her short stocky body. When all were burned I continued our ritual.

“Now for the second part of our ritual. Please present your nursing smocks.”

Page not realizing why we wanted her to bring it, now began to understand. My sister came over with glasses of champagne. We each held a glass in one hand and our smock in the other.

“First is first.” I started. “We must toast to never having to wear these ugly green, filthy, nasty nursing smocks ever again.”

Simultaneously, the three of us threw our smocks into the fire. The fire ablaze and aglow warmed my face and lit up the five of us. Our glasses clanked as we toasted to never wearing a nursing smock again. I watched mine burn through the yellow glow of my champagne glass. The bubbles reflecting off of the flames produced. Smoke wafted around me without my notice. The exhilarating feeling the only thing I took notice of. I was mesmerized by the flames as if every ember that drifted above and disappeared represented every minute not slept, every careplan ever written, and every moment that we never wanted to remember about nursing school.

Lisa interrupted my trance. “I would like to propose a toast too.”

We all faced each other in a circle of our own. “Id like to propose a toast, not only to finishing school, but to the friendships that we’ve made. This circle of friends is the best thing that I got out of nursing school. And without you guys, I never would have made it.”

Our five glasses lifted and clanked as one. “To friendship,” we repeated together.