Team Manager 2: SPRINT!
Chapter 13
DENNIS DID NOT RETURN to school on Wednesday. Neither did Amy. In fact, both were out for the remainder of the week. Dennis stayed with his mother and sister as they mourned the passing of his father. Amy was forced to stay home by her parents who were mourning the passing of their son. Jerry Unger’s throat had been slit. Suspicion had been cast on Amy, but was quickly dismissed by all except her parents. Mrs. Unger had ‘left for just a few minutes’ to get groceries while Jerry’s friend Tom was visiting. Then she’d been locked into the grocery store with everyone else when the tornado warning sounded. About the same time Agent Brisco was shooting Jerry’s and Will’s murderer, Rita Unger returned home to discover her dead son and missing daughter.
There was no one left to mourn Tom Perkins. When Carol Reston had been told of his death, she began to weep and repeat over and over, “I’m safe. I’m safe.”
Trooper Ray Lenin had to deal with his own nightmares. He’d arrived on the scene at the same time as the first rescue crews reached the Trimble school bus, overturned on Route 141. The bus had hit a downed powerline and went out of control, rolling into a ditch. None of the students on the bus were killed, but several had serious injuries, including concussions, abrasions, and broken bones. When the bus rolled, a tree limb had pierced the windshield and pinned the unconscious driver to his seat. He was still alive but in critical condition.
A nervous and unsteady track team came in last in a four-way meet at Forbes Consolidated High School on Saturday. Nine members of the girls’ team were absent. They sat behind their boyfriend as the Lutheran pastor conducted the memorial service and Randy Brown stood to give a eulogy.
“Will was my best friend in high school. Our farms were just half a mile apart. I will never forget the look of absolute joy on his face when he told me Dottie was going to marry him. We saw each other through some joyful times as we welcomed our children into the world. And we saw the tough time of that raging hailstorm that destroyed farms and crops all over the county. Sadly, we grew apart after Will moved his family to town. And I missed my friend. In his acts of self-sacrifice, protecting his family, Will brought our families close again. Even though he was mentally challenged in these past few weeks, there was a spark of our friendship that still remained.
“That was one of the things I found amazing when we sat with coffee just a week ago after sharing Sunday dinner. The drug overdose that was forced on him and crippled his mind, left him unable to remember from one moment to another, and he’d often repeat himself. But when we talked about farming, the joy he’d had when we worked together on the farm was still there. No matter what they did to him, no matter what hardships came upon him—and I won’t pretend we didn’t know he had a battle with alcohol in those later years—but no matter what happened, Will remained essentially the same good man he’d always been. He was always there when his family needed him. When he had a job, whether it was at the elevator or driving snowplows or hiring himself out for haying and corn-picking, he was never less than a hard and faithful worker.
“I still remember the first day of our senior year in high school. Will nudged me and pointed at Dottie getting on the school bus. He said, ‘Isn’t she pretty. I’m going to marry her.’ I heard him say those words again last Sunday as the love he had for her cut through the haze and confusion of his mind. I’m told his last words to her Tuesday were once again to ask her to marry him.
“Farewell, my strong and faithful friend. May we meet one day on heaven’s golden shores.”
The bus from the track meet got back to the school just about the time that the service was ending at the church and folks were getting ready to follow the hearse out to the cemetery. Some forty kids—boys and girls—lined Main Street in their track suits as the funeral procession went out to the cemetery. They fell into step behind those who walked the six blocks from the church to the cemetery. They, with his coaches and other classmates, stood behind Dennis to show their support.
In the heart of the Midwest, a funeral like this did not end at the cemetery. Aromas of hot dishes being prepared in the basement fellowship hall of the church could be detected even during the service. After the graveside ceremony, people walked back to the church, some just to pick up their car and go home, but many to go into the church with the family to eat and reminisce. Not all the track team came in, but all the basketball team and all their parents except the Ungers and the Grants. In addition, there were other church members and community people like Mr. Dietz from the Chevrolet dealership, Dr. Strait, the dentist, acting principal Andrea Morris, school superintendent Nathan Jones, the other coaches at the school, the owner of the grain elevator, two of Will’s coworkers for the county snow plows, and people Dennis only vaguely recognized as living in the area. He saw Agent Brisco and two State Police troopers. He was amazed that so many people had turned out to wish his father farewell.
Of course, Dennis noticed that many of the people were not there specifically for his father, but for his mother, sister, and him. There was always a girlfriend nearby, holding his hand or getting him another cup of coffee. They were just as attentive to their ‘sister’ Peg. The ladies of the church who prepared the meal were also near Dot, supporting her and occasionally sharing memories. He could hear the men, many of them around his father’s age, talking about their youth.
“Remember when we had that bovine flu epidemic and had to get all of them vaccinated? Will didn’t raise cattle, but he was right there in the middle of the pen with us, shuffling the cattle through and marking them when they’d been vaccinated.”
“We decided to go hunting once when we were… oh… fifteen, I think. We saw one squirrel and missed it with our old .410 shotguns.”
“He liked the stock on that gun better than the gun itself. I think he spent an entire day stripping it, sanding it, and giving it that fancy new finish.”
“He once helped me tear down our old corn planter and replace the coulter bearings. Pa didn’t have the heart to tell us he was buying a new planter and put it off till the next spring so we wouldn’t feel bad.”
The stories continued and in their strange way, comforted Dennis and his family as they had done many families over the generations. He found Amy sitting next to him and leaning in under his arm. She sniffled periodically and Dennis wiped her tears.
“I’m glad I can mourn with you,” she whispered. “It lets me hide my tears for my brother.”
“I’m sorry for your sake that he’s gone,” he said.
“I wanted him to die, but he was still my brother. It’s not going to make a difference in my life. My parents are still going to hate me and not believe anything I say. I just hope at least that nobody else is going to try to kill me or rape me.”
“I love you, Amy. I’ll be here whenever you need me.”
“I love you, Dennis. I never really thought I would be at all interested in you when I joined the team. But you’ve changed me for the better. Not just physically, but in the way I relate to people. It’s possible that I might need to move. I talked to that Child Services person and we discussed where I should go. At least my grandmother isn’t far away. I could still visit and… um… date you, you know?”
“I’d miss seeing you every day.”
“Well, they won’t let me move in with you, I know that,” she laughed. She kissed him and moved aside so Brenda could sit next to him. And eventually, surrounded by friends, the mood lightened and the weight of grief seemed less as the family made their way home.
All week, the girls picked up extra duty at the Enders’ house. Their mothers helped with cooking and transportation to see that Dot was never without help. The girls cleaned and, like it had been in the days after the drug bust, someone stayed with Dennis every night. On Sunday, the Browns came over after church. Elsa cooked as Randy looked over the yard and made sure the grass had been cut and the flower beds weeded. The younger kids played with Peg and Dennis found himself sitting in the living room next to Lana.
“I’m um… I’m here if you need to lean on me,” Lana said. “It’s okay.”
“Lana, you don’t have to force yourself to do things because you think my girlfriends do. This week has been pretty stressful and mostly we’ve just sat around and talked or played cards or something. You don’t have to do anything physical. I’m getting along pretty well now that the shock is passed. I’ll be going back to school tomorrow. It will be nice just to know I have friends around me,” Dennis said.
“Well, I’m not a real girlfriend,” Lana answered. “But I’m an honorary girlfriend. I ought to be able to do honorary things like talk. And, um… maybe hold hands. A little. It’s not like I’m repulsed by you. I’m really not at all. Dennis, when I was struggling this winter, you came to my defense. You helped me get through. You still are. You’ve helped my jumping and my physical fitness. It’s not like I think I owe you, but friends are there for each other. You’ve been there for me and I’m here for you.”
“You can’t even imagine how much that means to me,” Dennis said. “I never had friends until this year. Now I not only have girlfriends, I’m getting real regular friends. Did you know that last week Derek came up to me and thanked me for helping him be a better shot putter? And Don Wilson wanted to talk to me about the exercises I have you and the other jumpers doing to strengthen your take-offs. Most of the team showed up after the meet yesterday to back me up when we laid Dad to rest. It’s just… Lana, I never had friends before.” Tears were running from Dennis’s eyes. He’d discovered they were always near the surface this week. Lana didn’t hesitate. She put her arms around him and hugged him to her.
Randy came into the kitchen from the back yard and gratefully accepted a glass of tea from Dot. He looked out into the living room just in time to see his daughter wrap her arms around Dennis. He caught his breath and was about to say something but then thought better of it. Elsa saw him and stepped over to see what he was looking at. She expected her daughter to be making out with Dennis but the tableau she saw was sweet and innocent as she comforted her friend. Elsa took Randy’s hand and led him back to the kitchen table where the kids were playing Skip-Bo, and he joined the game.
“Dennis, would you take a little walk with me,” Randy said after they’d eaten. Lana had gone straight to work cleaning dishes, helped by Peg and the two younger kids. Elsa and Dot took their coffee to the living room.
“Um… sure,” Dennis said. Lana gave them an alarmed look, but her father ignored her and left with Dennis out the front door.
“Sir, I respect your daughter and she’s my very good friend, but we aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend. It’s not like that,” Dennis began immediately.
“I know that,” Randy said. Dennis rapidly tried to figure out what this was about if it wasn’t about Lana hugging him. They walked out to the street and Randy stopped looking at the pavement. “This is where you found the Reston girl, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir. She was lying about here,” he said. He’d gone through the description enough times with the police to know it pretty well.
“You did a good thing there. Lana told me about your history with Carol and I was impressed that you were able to put that all behind you and help another human in need. That’s a sign of maturity that is missing in many adults I know.” They turned and walked up the street. “One of Lana’s classmates lives along here, doesn’t she?”
“Rosie Barnes,” Dennis said. “Here.”
“I saw you were friends with another couple of her classmates,” Randy said.
“Judith Long and Amy Unger,” Dennis said. “They’re my girlfriends.”
“Ah yes. You have several.”
“Nine. I didn’t go out and try to get nine girlfriends, though. I was thrilled when Natalie said she wanted to date me. I never thought I’d ever have a girlfriend. I’m not exactly a catch.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that. A guy who is kind and loyal and defends his loved ones really is a catch. Like your dad. It might seem strange, since we didn’t see much of each other the past few years, but I’m going to miss knowing he’s in the world.”
“I appreciate what you said yesterday at the funeral.” They walked on for a bit and turned to go around the block.
“I was going to ask Will to come work with me on the farm this summer. You might think it was just a good deed, but it turns out I’m actually in need of an extra hand. I hired a couple of temporary guys at different times last year. I’m farming the better part of three sections and have an option on another. That’s too much for one person. I guess what I’m saying is that if you’d like a job this summer, I could use the help. You won’t get rich doing it, but you might find the kind of peace and solace in farming that your dad and I both found.”
Dennis was shocked at the offer. He’d been thinking about how he could possibly help his mother financially. He didn’t know if he could do that kind of work, but it seemed like a good option.
“Thank you for the offer, sir.”
“You don’t need to say yes or no today. Just think about it. I’m pretty sure I’ll be hiring a high school boy to help this summer. You have the first option.”
They finished up the walk around the block and Randy pointed across the street to the Vinings’ house.
“Another of your girlfriends, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good people. If Drake is your attorney, you might want to consult with him about my offer before you make a decision,” Randy said. They stopped on the porch just before they entered the house. Randy put a hand on Dennis’s shoulder. “You’re a strong man, Dennis. Like your father. You may lack stature, but you are long on character. Like with your dad, I might not like everything you do. But I am not the judge. Be right with your soul.”
Dennis managed to lay low at school all day Monday. A few people still came up to him and offered their condolences. Most didn’t know what to do, so they left him and his girlfriends alone. Somehow that number seemed to have grown in people’s minds. Instead of having just the nine members of the Angelines basketball team, there were a few others clustered around—Tori McDonald, Laura Percy, Corrine Klinefelter, Debbie Stackhouse, and Lana Brown. Those five seemed to hang out with the other nine, even if they weren’t acknowledged as girlfriends. And when it came time for warmups and conditioning, those fourteen were the first row.
“Guys! What is this?” Dennis snapped at the team. “I’m gone for a week and you get this sloppy? How are you going to convince an opposing team you’re here for the win? Let’s show some enthusiasm.”
“Yes, sir!” they all barked. The coaches nearly died laughing as the team got into even rows and started the exercises with considerably more enthusiasm. Dennis choked back his own laughter and led them through a more rigorous conditioning routine than they’d had recently. There wasn’t another meet until Saturday this week and Dennis wasn’t worried about them being a little sore tonight.
“Hey, Dennis,” Dave Overman called from the track. Dennis walked over to find out what the sprinter wanted. “Say, Brenda was telling us last week that you’d been working with her on her starts and she was feeling more powerful out of the starting blocks. Can you show the rest of us what we can do?” Dennis looked over to Coach Graves who was working on baton handoffs with the relay teams. She glanced over at him and nodded.
“Sure, Dave. I watched a bunch of starts of Usain Bolt. You know him?”
“The fastest man alive? Hell, yeah.”
“Okay, so he set a world record time in the 100-meter of 9.58 seconds and a 200-meter record of 19.19 seconds. Now, that 100-meter time is three seconds faster than you. That means you’d be at seventy-five meters when he crossed the finish line.”
“Shit!”
“But his high school record was 10.50. You’ve already cut a second off your time. I think I can show you how to gain another second.”
“Do it, man.” The boy and girl sprinters all gathered around Dennis as he positioned himself in the blocks.
“Usain Bolt has a step on his competitors coming out of the blocks. There are two key elements. First, you lead with your right leg, but the left arm is just as important. The arms pull you along if you let them. When your right leg is moving forward, your left arm needs to punch forward to let your body catch up with your legs. Your legs are strong. You are weak up here.” He demonstrated the start three times, going faster each time. “Now, second is what the right arm is doing when you start. This arm takes over the momentum for the second step. So, you want it to be in position to give you the best boost it can. Most of you are pulling that right arm in tight on the start and punching forward with it the same way I just showed you with the left arm. That’s good for the third and fourth step of the race. Not for the second step. Instead of holding it in tight and punching forward, run away from that hand with your first step and swing it for all you’re worth with the second.” He demonstrated what they were doing with the arm bent and then the difference with the arm straight out behind him when he swung it forward. The guys and girls all practiced the steps with the new arm positions.
“How do you know this stuff?” one of the sprinters asked.
“I love sports. I can’t play because I’m not confident in my vision and my size puts me at a disadvantage. But my dad and I watched every sporting event we could on TV together. He…” Dennis stuttered as he thought about watching the Olympics with his dad. He took a deep breath. “He helped me understand the mechanics of the body, not just the strength. Um… Practice it. Help each other. I’ll check back but I need to head for the weight room.” Dennis took off at a run for the tunnel and went inside. He didn’t go straight to the weight room. He fumbled for the key and went into the coaches’ locker room. Once inside, he wept for his father once more.
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