Lessons Learned

by Earl Sewell

  It didn’t look good for my team and I could see the glassy-eyed look of defeat etched on the faces of my teammates. Many of them were on the sideline, down on one knee with their head slumped between their shoulders. The score was fourteen to seventeen. The Titans were ahead by a few points and my team, the Thunderbirds, had a short time to either score a touchdown for the victory or score a field goal so that we could tie the game up and take the battle into overtime.

  I stood in the backfield near the twenty-five-yard line waiting for the football to be punted to me. I’d taken Romeo’s position and hoped that they wouldn’t hit me hard enough to break a bone. I briefly listened to the echoed chants of the Thunderbird cheerleaders. I began to focus on what I had to do, which was to return the football to at least the forty-yard line so that Marlon, our star quarterback, could move the team down the field and take a shot at connecting with a receiver for a touchdown. Pacing back and forth I tried to anticipate the direction in which the Titans’ punter would kick the ball to me.

  The roar of the crowd reached an earsplitting level as the players lined the field in anticipation of the punt. I glanced up into the stands and noticed that everyone had risen to their feet. I closed my eyes, then took some deep breaths and wiggled my fingers, making sure they functioned in the cold winter air. The last thing I wanted to do was drop the ball and give the Titans a chance to recover it. I briefly fiddled with the tan breathing strip that was on the bridge of my nose, making sure that my sweaty skin hadn’t caused the adhesive to come unglued. When I heard the referee blow his whistle, I stopped prancing around, dug my cleats deeper into the grass and waited for the play to unfold.

  “Let’s go, Mike!” I heard one of my optimistic teammates yelling from the sideline. “This is our time and our championship! They can’t stop the Thunderbirds, baby!” I heard the thudding sound of the football being kicked. The punter kicked the ball toward the left side of the field. I quickly moved in that direction and got beneath the ball. It hung in the air for a long time before it came hurling end-over-end toward me.

  “Drop it, fool!” I heard one of the Titans yell out as he sped toward me. I tuned him out and remained focused. The ball was about to land in my hands. I fought the urge to take my eyes off it for a moment so that I could see what type of running lane was available, but I knew that any lapse in concentration would be a colossal error. I reached up and plucked the ball out of the air.

  The moment my hands secured the ball, I exploded to my right side toward a pack of angry Titans waiting to knock me flat on my back. Fearlessly I rocketed toward them at a blinding speed. My plan was to burst through the cluster of defenders and keep on going. Just before they were about to place their hands on me, I saw an opening to my left and quickly cut in that direction. The running lane was narrow and collapsing quickly. I boomed through the lane before it caved in. I shot down the field like a missile chasing a target.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a Titan rushing toward me. I thought for sure I was about to get tackled until Jason, one of my teammates, leveled him. The block provided me with nothing but open field and opportunity, which was all I needed. I willed my legs to turn over more quickly. As I accelerated, I listened to the sound of the wind as it whistled past my ears while I showed everyone just how spectacular my running speed was.

  When I crossed the goal line for a touchdown, I tossed the football over my right shoulder and yelled out as loud as I could. I felt strong, invincible and indestructible. I couldn’t quell the urge to celebrate, so I began to perform the Soulja Boy dance inside the end zone. My fluid dance moves caused the crowd to scream. A moment later all my teammates surrounded me filled with excitement and renewed energy.

  “You did it!” I heard Jason yell out.

  “That’s right,” I growled.

  “We’re going to win, Mike! This game is about to be over, baby!” Jason shouted as he continually jumped up and down. The roar of the crowd was deafening and the liveliness that was in the air was undeniable. I trotted back over to the bench with my teammates so that the field goal unit could come out and kick for an extra point. I watched from the sidelines as the ball was snapped and then punted perfectly between the uprights. As soon as the ball sailed through them, time ran out.

  “We’re state champions! Thunderbirds forever!” someone shouted out. We all began chanting the name “Thunderbirds” loud and clear so that the Titans knew exactly who’d won. Our coach tried to calm us down before we were penalized for bad sportsmanship but our jubilation could not be contained. My teammates and I did shake hands with all of the Titan players before heading back to the locker room. As we all jogged toward the locker room, we once again began chanting our team name.

  Once inside, we all began retelling the events that had taken place on the field.

  “Did you see how Marlon kept the defense confused by looking one way and throwing the ball in the other direction?” asked Steve, one of the defensive linemen.

  “Did you guys see how John sacked their quarterback four times? John was tackling him as if he owed him money,” laughed another player.

  “And when Marlon threw that perfect pass and hit Rick in full stride. Whoa, that was a thing of pure beauty, baby!” said Andrew, one of the wide receivers.

  “Okay guys, listen up.” Coach Joe, a man with a deep Southern accent, spoke above our loud chatter. “Give me your attention for a moment.” It took a second before everyone stopped talking.

  “Today, we let everyone know that the Thunderbirds are true champions. I’m so proud of you guys and what you’ve accomplished. This trophy will sit in the display case as a reminder of what this talented team has achieved.” Coach Joe picked up the tall trophy and passed it around so everyone had an opportunity to hold it. “Make sure that you all stay connected with our graduating seniors.” He continued. “Laski, Linahan, Panky and Steele. This was the last game for those guys and I can’t think of a better way to end their high-school football career. I have the game ball in my hand. I don’t know about you guys, but I think the game ball needs to go to Mike Kendall.” Everyone in the room began to chant my name which made me feel extra special.

  “Mike, you’ve earned this. All the extra time you’ve spent in the weight room has really paid off. You’ve not only earned respect but also you’ve put fear in the hearts of our opponents. Son, you seem to have developed the speed of Devin Hester, Michael Johnson and Usain Bolt all overnight. Your quickness is mind-blowing. You make sure that you see Coach Miller about joining the track team this spring. If you keep up this pace, you’ve got an awesome athletic career ahead of you.”

  “I’ll do that,” I said proudly.

  “The game ball.” Coach held it up. “This goes to Mike for saving our you know what!” Everyone howled and screamed at the top of their voices.

  “The MVP award for this game goes to our team captain and quarterback, Marlon Hanks. A guy who has demonstrated excellent leadership on and off the field and has led this team to the state championship.” Everyone began to howl for Marlon.

  “Hang on, guys. Listen up. It’s not all about Mike, Marlon and Rick. It’s about everyone. You guys are one hell of a unit. You’re all winners and champions. Also a quick update on Romeo, he’s going to be just fine. What we thought was a broken arm turned out to be a very badly sprained wrist. Now hit the showers, pack your bags and get on the bus so that we can head on home.” Everyone continued to howl with jubilation as we headed toward the showers.

  When I exited the locker room, I walked down a long corridor that led to the school bus that would take my teammates and me back home. Just as I was about to board the school bus, I heard someone call my name.

  “Michael Earl Kendall, the fastest man on the planet.”

  I recognized my grandmother’s voice right away.

  “Grandma,” I said dropping my bulky football helmet and gear to move toward her.

  “Give me a hug,” she said before embracing me tightly. “O
h, look at you. You’re getting so strong and muscular,” she said as she squeezed my rock-solid arms.

  “Well, you know, I’ve got a few cuts,” I said boasting about my physical prowess. “When did you get here? I called you on your cell phone before the game but I got your voice mail. Did you get my message?”

  “I got your message. You called me when I was at the veterinarian’s office with Smokey.”

  “How is Smokey doing anyway? Is he still trying to chase down jackrabbits?” I asked.

  “Yes, he is, but Smokey can’t run them down like he used to. Fact of the matter is that you can probably chase them down quicker than Smokey can.” She laughed. “I was starting to worry about that dog because he was walking around the house grumpy and acting like an old cranky man. I took him in for a checkup and learned that he’s starting to have joint problems. The vet gave him some medicine for his sore joints and said that he should begin to feel better.” Grandmother Katie paused and smiled at me once again. “I saw you run that ball back for a touchdown.”

  “Did you really?” I asked, excited about the fact that she’d seen me.

  “Oh, yes, and you ran like the wind, honey. Once you go into the open field, you outran everyone.”

  “I made them look like they were walking, didn’t I?” I asked boastfully.

  “You most certainly did. And I got it all on video.”

  “For real?” I said super excited. “Oh, you’ve got to send that to me.”

  “I will.” She knew that I’d flip over the fact that she’d captured my team’s performance on video.

  “Ooh, I can’t wait to post clips of it,” I said.

  “Well, when I get home, I’ll download it and e-mail it to you.”

  “You remember how to do it, right?” I asked a little concerned that she may not have remembered how to operate her computer or video camera. This day was too important for mistakes.

  “Of course I do. I’m not one of these elderly people who is afraid of technology. You know, I’m on a committee at church that teaches grandparents how to use a computer.”

  “Okay. I’ll give you that. You’ve never been one to allow anything to slow you down.”

  “No I haven’t. I’m still as a sharp as surgeon’s blade.” She laughed at her own joke. “Well run along and get on the bus before they leave you. Enjoy your time with the team. I just wanted to tell you how proud I was of you and to let you know that I’d made it to see you and the team win.”

  “Thank you,” I said and then gave her a kiss before I picked up my equipment and rushed through the doors of the bus.

  As I headed to one of the seats in the rear, I could tell my teammates were all still excited by our victory. Once the bus got on the highway, I located my cell phone and called home.

  “Hello,” I heard Keysha answer the phone.

  “What’s up, son?” I asked as I glanced out the window at the passing vehicles. Several of the cars had the Thunderbirds banner attached to their antennas.

  “Mike, stop calling me son. How many times do I have to tell you that?” Keysha was being her usual whiny self.

  “Where’s Mom?” I asked.

  “In her skin,” Keysha answered me sarcastically.

  “You know what, stop screwing around, Keysha, and put her on the phone.” I wasn’t in the mood to play around with her.

  “Make me,” she said defiantly.

  “Girl, I swear I’ll make you regret the day you were born if you don’t put her on the phone,” I said through gritted teeth. I slapped the back of the seat in front of me out of annoyance.

  “I would put her on but she’s not here,” Keysha said.

  “Where is she at?” I asked wondering why my mom wasn’t at home.

  “I don’t know. It’s not my turn to watch her,” Keysha’s tone was nasty.

  “Why are your panties all in a knot?”

  “Shut up, Mike!” Keysha snapped.

  “Shut doesn’t go up! Prices do. And if you keep flapping your lips I’m going to—Hello? Hello? Ooh, I swear that girl is going to drive me insane,” I said realizing that Keysha had hung up on me. I called my mother on her cell phone. It rang a few times before she picked it up.

  “Hey, Mom,” I greeted her.

  “Hey. How did the game go? Did you guys win?” she asked.

  “Yeah, and you should’ve seen me. I scored the winning touchdown. I ran the ball back seventy-five yards,” I stated, hoping to impress her with what I’d done as well as make her proud of me.

  “Wow! That’s wonderful. I’m so sorry that I missed your game. I just feel horrible about it. But there was no way I could get out of attending the church board meeting. I know your father feels the same way but he had a sales conference this weekend.”

  “It’s cool. Grandmother Katie came to the game and videotaped everything. So we’ll get to sit down and watch it together. Where are you?” I asked.

  “I’m on my way home from the long board meeting. I was hoping that I’d still have time to run some of my normal Saturday afternoon errands but that will just have to wait until Sunday. Now remind me, what time will the bus be back at the school so that I can pick you up?”

  “Around 11:30 p.m. I can get a ride home from Marlon I think. That way you don’t have to come back out in the cold. Hold on a second.” I pressed the Mute button on my cell phone.

  “Yo, Marlon,” I called out as I searched the bus for my friend.

  “Yeah,” I heard his voice answer me from behind. I turned to look at him. He was sitting with another teammate talking and laughing.

  “Can I get a ride home with you?” I asked.

  “What? Do I look like a cab service to you, man?” he joked.

  “Come on, man, seriously. Can I catch a ride back to the crib with you?” I asked again.

  “Yeah. I got you,” Marlon said. “No problem.”

  “Mom?” I spoke back into the phone. When I didn’t get a response I remembered that I’d pressed the Mute button.

  “Mom, are you there?” I asked once I’d taken her off hold.

  “Yes, I’m here,” she answered.

  “Don’t worry about coming to pick me up. Marlon is going to give me a ride back.”

  “Are you sure? I’ll come pick you up. I don’t mind,” she said.

  “Mom, it’s okay. You don’t have to pick me up and drop me off all the time.” I paused. “I can’t wait to get my driver’s license so that I can drive myself around.”

  “One step at a time, Mike. You’ll be driving soon enough.” I could hear a bit of uneasiness in her voice.

  “I’ll be turning fifteen and getting my permit soon. Then before you know it, I’ll have my driver’s license. Once I get my license, I’m going to start looking for a car. You and dad are still going to get me a car when I get my driver’s license, right?”

  “We’ll see,” she said but she didn’t sound very certain.

  “I’m for real, Mom. We can get a good deal on a used car for about ten thousand dollars. Just think. If I had my own wheels, you wouldn’t have to drive me around all the time. I could run some of your errands for you and—”

  “Mike, slow down. You’re getting way ahead of yourself. Besides, we’re going to have to reevaluate the idea of you getting a car. With Keysha living with us now and being of driving age already, we’ll have to make some adjustments. You guys may have to share a car.”

  “No way! I don’t want to drive around in some girlie car. She’ll probably want some stupid color like pink. I want a red Mustang. I know you’re not thinking about putting Keysha before me!” I’d just about lost it. “I was here first, remember. I’m your son. Keysha shouldn’t get a car before me or even have a say in what car I get. Keysha probably doesn’t know a thing about cars and I do. Besides, she could get into trouble if she had a car. You know that trouble follows her around like a stray dog.”

  “Mike, I didn’t say that she was getting a car. All I said was that your father and I are
discussing what would be best.”

  “What’s going on with Keysha anyway?” I asked. “When I called earlier she was tripping on the phone.”

  There was a long moment of silence before my mother said anything. I instinctively knew that something was up. “Keysha is just in a strange place right now.” I could tell that she wanted to say more but she held on to her thoughts.

  “Ever since that girl moved in with us she’s had nothing but trouble. I don’t think that anything will ever go right in her life,” I said completely convinced that Keysha was some type of drama magnet.

  “Mike, don’t say that. Being sarcastic isn’t going to help.” My mother was warning me that I was skating on thin ice with my criticism of Keysha.

  “Why are you choosing her over me?” I asked. I seriously felt disregarded.

  “I’m not choosing her over you, honey,” she said defensively.

  “Well, it feels like it.” I paused in thought for a moment. “I don’t know how much more of Keysha I can take. I don’t want to deal with any more of her problems. At first, it was cool trying to help, but now her tragic issues are just annoying.”

  “I can understand how you feel but we just have to work together in order to get through this latest crisis with Keysha. Her mother showing up the way she did was difficult for her.”

  I was silent for a long moment because I didn’t want my mother dealing with Keysha anymore. I wanted her to focus on my needs and me. “Yeah, whatever,” I uttered.

  “Don’t be like that, Mike,” she said softly. “I’ll see you when you get home. We’ll talk some more then. Oh, and Mike?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Congratulations on winning the state championship. I’m proud of you,” she said.

  I don’t know if she heard my thank-you before I hung up the phone.

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