Fred made the obvious choice. Others might have stood up against the state and shouted, “torture me, kill me but you’ll never silence me.” He was not made of such strong stuff. His encounter with the police and the State gave him a strong taste of reality and spoiled his appetite for another helping.
Still the need to speak through his poetry remained strong. He had a message and a voice and he couldn’t keep it in himself. He attended his classes but the joy of learning was gone along with the ability to share his thoughts ad emotions. He never went back to the poetry readings and avoided his friends, many of whom had been arrested also.
After some time had passed, one of his professors came to him and asked him about his plans. Fred was cautious at first. Teachers were sometimes informers. They met several times building trust in one another and then the professor suggested Fred might want to become a teacher. He had the brains and education for teaching; the professor suggested Fred might want to become a teacher. He had the brains and education for teaching; the professor could help him. Fred gave a lukewarm response.