Victor bounced the ball a few times before traveling halfway down the court, the ball never touching the floor. John overlooked the blatant traveling violation.
Victor threw the ball to Jerome, who treated it like a hot potato, quickly tossing it to Brian, who was already positioned under the basket. Amidst a gaggle of lanky arms and sharp elbows, Brian threw the ball straight up. It hit the front of the rim, ricocheted off the back rim and then dropped through the net. The crowd erupted. The first two points registered on the scoreboard. As if nothing had happened, Brian trotted down the court to set his team up into its long-practiced defense.
For two periods of eight minutes each, both teams battled valiantly, while the crowd celebrated each basket and every miss. There were numerous timeouts taken for water breaks. At halftime, as loud music pulsated through the gymnasium and a half dozen cheerleaders with disabilities took the floor, Lisa used the extended opportunity to offer one of her famous pep talks. “You’re doing great, guys! Keep up the energy and just keep taking your shots.”
“Win us?” Brian asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” Lisa replied. “We’re up by three baskets, but the score doesn’t matter. We still have a whole half to go and anything can happen. Just play hard and…”
“FUN! FUN!” the team screamed.
At the end of the halftime break, Brian placed his hand into the middle.
They all joined in. Lisa smiled. “Let’s hear it on three,” she said. “One…two…three…”
“Go Tee!” everyone yelled – or something like it.
Smiling, Brian ran toward one of the cheerleaders and gave her a hug. She was happy to return the affection. In the stands, Joan looked at Mama and rolled her eyes. Mama chuckled. “I told ya. He’s a ladies’ man.”
“Sure, but I think he just violated the Special Olympics Code of Conduct.”
Mama laughed. “Well, at least he’s not drinking alcohol.”
Joan rolled her eyes again and joined her mother in laughter.
“Okay, Romeo,” Lisa yelled from the bench. “Get your mind back in the game.” Everyone within earshot laughed. Brian threw his coach a thumbs-up and got back into his crouch. John threw the ball into the air and the game resumed.
As they played, fans from both sides called out from the stands, “Come on, Bobby,” and “We love you, Georgie.” Even both coaches cheered on the other team’s players. Brian hit three shots in a row, the ball arcing high toward the gym rafters each time. The gym echoed with applause, while the team celebrated on the court after every score. John – as the referee – struggled not to cheer along with them.
Returning on defense after his third consecutive basket, Brian watched as Joey, one of the boys on the other team, struggled once again to get the ball in.
Brian grabbed the rebound and to everyone’s amazement, handed the ball back to Joey. “Ja, Ja, go,” he yelled.
The boy tossed the ball back up, but missed the rim completely. Determined, Brian went back up with a vengeance, fighting his own teammate, Jerome, for the rebound. Brian won and stuffed the ball back into Joey’s midsection. “Ja, Ja, go.”
Realizing what was going on, the crowd went silent and got to its collective feet. Mama and Joan looked down the bleachers to Lisa for an explanation. The coach could only shrug, her eyes misting over.
Against his entire team, Brian fought like a wolverine on the boards, while Joey tried and tried to sink a basket – but couldn’t get one to fall.
The ball finally landed in Jerome’s hands. He turned and charged up the court. By the time he reached mid-court, though, Brian had chased him down and stolen the ball from him. Prepared to overcome any obstacle before him, Brian made his way back to Joey and handed him the ball. “Go, Ja Ja. Go!” he yelled.
While the entire audience held its breath, Joey launched the ball back into the air. It bounced once and then twice off the rim until finally falling through the net. Elated, Brian raised Joey’s arm in victory. The crowd went wild. Overwhelmed with all the magic and love that filled the moment, Lisa took a seat on the bench and wept. John stood motionless on the floor, matching her tears.
Grinning, Mama looked at her daughter and snickered, “And they said he wouldn’t walk. That’s my butterfly…my beautiful butterfly.” Weeping in joy, Joan hugged her mother, while the old woman removed a set of rosary beads from her jacket pocket. “Hail Mary, full of grace,” she whispered, “the Lord is with thee…”
Before an ear-piercing crowd, the kids finished the game. The score didn’t matter. Parents and friends swarmed both teams and congratulated them. While celebrating with Brian, Angie spotted a boy in a wheelchair on the opposite end of the court; he was having trouble shooting the basketball. She broke out of her family circle and approached the boy to help him. Mama caught it and slapped Joan’s arm to watch. “Look at that.” She shook her head. “Seems like Brian’s taught her, too. It’s amazing how fast she’s grown.”
Nodding, Joan beamed with pride. “Angie’s going to do great things. I just know it.”
After the medal ceremony, Mama suggested an impromptu celebration at the East Side Grille. “On my dime,” she insisted. No one argued. The East Side Grille served the best barbecued ribs and cornbread in town.
Steph and her new girlfriend, Lauren, were at the bar ordering pitchers of soda when they overheard two men making fun of someone. “What a retard!” the older of them commented.
In a million years, Steph would never have dreamed of opening her mouth. But there was something inside her that just wouldn’t let it go. “Retard? That’s a real intelligent word, don’t you think?” she asked, shocking herself even more than Lauren.
The guy looked up from his beer, sized the two girls up and muttered, “Whatever, dike.”
Steph’s blood rose. She wrapped her arm around Lauren and kept it there. “Another intelligent label,” she snapped. “You must be a college professor, right?”
“Why don’t you two go get a room,” the older one chimed in.
“Why? Do you think there’d be something wrong with that?”
“No, I think that’s exactly what God intended – man with man, woman with woman,” he answered, sarcastically. “This way here, we can finally stop reproducing and bring the whole travesty to an end.”
“What a hateful thing to say,” Steph countered in a tone that betrayed more sympathy than anger.
“I prefer the term traditional.”
“Yeah, okay, Archie Bunker,” Lauren jumped in.
“As long as you people don’t bother me, do whatever you want. I don’t care,” he finally surrendered.
“You people?” Steph asked, and then looked at Lauren. “There’s that big brain working overtime again.”
With a dismissive snicker, Lauren grabbed both pitchers of soda, while Steph paid the tab. As they turned from the bar, they spotted Brian standing there, staring at the two ignorant men – who were staring back at him.
“Bad!” Brian barked. He stepped up to the bar until he was inches from them. “Pitcher, ponk?” he asked.
For a moment, they were clearly at a loss. When the younger one opened his mouth to respond, Brian put his hand up – palm out – indicating that the conversation was already over.
Both men were stunned, and silenced.
As if they’d just come to an agreement, Brian nodded once. He then wrapped his arms around both girls. “Go now,” he said, escorting them away.
Steph and Lauren looked back and shot the men a smile – whose mouths were still hung open in shock.
Not ten feet from the bar, Lauren turned to Steph and laughed. “What the hell got into you?” she asked.
Giddy, Steph shrugged. “I don’t know. I just couldn’t let it go.”
“I’m proud of you,” Lauren said, and hugged Brian. “Both of you.”
“For what?” Steph asked.
“For having the courage to argue and defend our love.”
Steph shook her head a
nd chuckled. “I’ve watched my grandmother and this guy…” She squeezed Brian’s hand. “…stand up against the most brutal challenges and still hold their heads up high. I’m never hiding from anything again, I swear it.”
Brian looked at her and smiled, proudly.
Lauren kissed her cheek. “Good for you,” she said.
Brian glanced at Lauren and pointed to his cheek. She kissed it. He giggled.
Wearing giant smiles, all three rejoined Brian’s victory dinner.
While they ate and celebrated, John explained, “The Special Olympics is funded through corporate and individual gifts, but days like today could never happen without lots of other fundraising efforts.”
“Like what?” Heidi asked, her fingers covered in barbecue sauce.
“There are several major events hosted annually – like the Recycle for Gold vehicle donation program and the Sports Celebrity Carnival.” He shrugged. “But to be honest, most of the funds are raised at smaller, family-run events like spaghetti dinners, motorcycle runs, bowl-a-thons – things like that.”
Heidi nodded twice, but her mind had already drifted far away. Watching this, Mama ignored her throbbing legs and smiled. She could read each one of her grandbabies like an old, favorite book.
As the waitress cleared the tables, Heidi announced, “As much as I’ve dreaded telling you all, Peter and I are moving to New York City in a few weeks.”
“What?” Steph gasped.
Heidi’s eyes filled. “We have to,” she explained. “If I’m ever going to make a name in the fashion industry, I need to be working in Manhattan. I hate the idea of being away from the family, but…” She looked at Mama.
With each set of eyes upon her, the old matriarch rose and approached her broken-hearted granddaughter. “Wherever your heart is, then that’s where you must be,” she said, and kissed her forehead. It was the only blessing needed.
Chapter 26
Early Spring 1994
Mama hung up the telephone and told Brian, “Go next door and help Mrs. MacDonald. She just called and needs a hand moving some boxes into the cellar.”
He shook his head. “Nah, Mama. Nigh nigh,” he said, not budging from his permanent throne at the kitchen table.
Her head snapped back at him. “What’s that?” she asked, her tone sharp. “You’re too tired to help someone?”
He nodded. “Yets.”
Mama flipped out. “There are folks who need help in this world and whenever we can, we’re going to help them!” she roared.
“But Mama…” Angie started, trying to come to her older brother’s defense.
“But Mama, nothing!” she said. “Brian has an obligation. He was diagnosed to be a vegetable. Instead, the good Lord saw fit to make him a walking inspiration.” She looked directly at Brian. “No matter how big or small the task, he needs to give back. We all do. I asked God for some pretty serious miracles on the day that Brian was diagnosed, and God came through. The way I see it, there’s a heavy debt owed and there’s no way I can pay it off all by myself.”
“K, Mama,” Brian said. “K.” He got up from the table and quickly made his way to Mrs. MacDonald’s house across the street.
Angie filled her two older cousins in on the scene in Mama’s kitchen. Two days later, Heidi called her grandmother. “Mama, Steph and I talked and we’ve come up with an idea to help pay back some of your debt, and hopefully get Brian more involved in his community.”
“That’s wonderful!” Mama said. “I’m all ears.”
“We’d like to host a comedy fundraiser event to benefit the St. Jude’s Research Hospital in your name, and Special Olympics in Brian’s name.”
Overwhelmed with unexpected emotion, Mama held her tongue – fearing that she would burst out in tears.
Heidi explained, “Peter and I will put off New York for a few weeks. This will take a lot of planning.” She began reading from her list. “We’re going to need four or five comedians, raffle prizes for a Chinese raffle, a Grande raffle and a silent auction. We’re also going to need a hall to host this thing and some snacks because Steph doesn’t think we should serve a sit-down meal. It’ll cost too much to feed two hundred people.”
“Two hundred people?” Mama asked.
“No such word as can’t,” Heidi teased, echoing her grandmother’s age-old mantra.
“Amen to that, sweetheart!”
Heidi was right. The preparation was immense. With a little less than three weeks to put it all together, she secured the St. John’s Club in East Greenwich. The manager said they could use it free-of-charge, just as long as it was on a night in the middle of the week. The last Thursday of the month was selected.
Next, Heidi secured letters of intent from the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and the Rhode Island Special Olympics. She then made over three hundred phone calls and sent out even more emails and letters to solicit donations for raffle and auction items, as well as for snack food.
Steph called the local supermarket and scheduled two dates to “shake a can” to cover all expenses. Brian spent two full Saturdays with his sister and cousins, soliciting donations. They raised nearly one thousand dollars – or enough to fund the entire show. “Every penny we earn from the ticket sales will now go straight to the charities, Brian,” Angie explained to him. “You really did a great job!”
Brian smiled wide. “Mama say,” he told his sister, requesting that Angie share the good news with their grandmother.
Heidi contacted the local printer and talked him into donating the tickets to be used for the seats and raffles. At work, Steph created signage for everything; tent cards for reserved seating, flyers to be placed under one seat per table for another fun giveaway, and table cards for the Chinese Raffle items.
The Chinese Raffle was guaranteed to be the highlight. With fifty items to win, there would be a labeled cup for each prize. Each person could purchase twenty tickets for ten dollars and then place as many tickets as they wanted within the prize cup that they hoped to win. While some folks might place one ticket into twenty different cups, others would place all twenty tickets into one cup – greatly increasing their chances of winning that one prize.
Heidi then drafted up a press release to promote the event and faxed it out to every local media venue:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Laughter & Miracles Comedy Night
Benefit for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital & the Rhode Island Special Olympics
Friends of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital & the Rhode Island Special Olympics will be hosting the first annual “Laughter & Miracles” Comedy Night at St. John’s Club in East Greenwich, RI on Thursday, March 26th.
Four hilarious stand-up comics will take the stage to make the audience laugh themselves all the way to their wallets and purses. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m., the show starts at 8:00 p.m., and for a minimum donation of $25.00, we promise a night to remember.
East Greenwich ‘s own funny man, as well as one of the hottest, up-and-coming comics in the industry, Denis Donovan, will be hosting the event.
Comedian Frank Santorelli, who played Georgie the bartender on the Sopranos, will be taking the stage. He has appeared on “Las Vegas,” “Law & Order” and “The Conan O’Brien Show.” His stand-up act has been dubbed “high spirited… exuberant…hilarious.”
Comic Chris Tabb has appeared on BET’s Comic View, NESN’s Comedy All-Stars, opened nationally around the country for Mo’Nique, and is one of the fastest rising stars in Boston Comedy.
The show’s headliner, “the Wild Man of Comedy,” Kevin Knox, will cap off the magical night with a set that he’s perfected on stages from Canada to the Cayman Islands. Recently returned from a regular engagement at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas, Kevin has been called a “high energy bag of fun” by the Boston Globe.
Door prizes, a silent auction and a Chinese raffle promise restaurant gift certificates, sports memorabilia, and tickets to the best amus
ements and shows throughout New England. All proceeds from Laughter and Miracles will benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital & the Rhode Island Special Olympics, and the children they serve.
If you would like to purchase a ticket(s), please contact Heidi or Peter Larkin at 401-555-1717.
Once Heidi, Steph and their enthusiastic volunteers completed the preparation, they realized that ticket sales would be the true test.
Nervous and excited, Heidi turned in early the night before the big event. The telephone rang. Peter came into the room. “It’s for you,” he said, smiling. “It’s Mama.”
She jumped out of bed. “Hello?”
“Hi, sweetheart,” Mama said. “I wanted to tell you that I’m not feeling well, so I won’t be able to make it tomorrow. I’ll call your sister to tell her.”
“Are you okay?” Heidi asked, concerned.
“No worries. It’s nothing that won’t pass. I just wanted to let you know how proud I am of you, and that you can swing by and pick up your donation whenever you want.”
Heidi’s eyes filled. Mama’s words had more power than anyone she’d ever known. “You don’t have to do that, Mama.”
“And you don’t have to do everything that you’re doing – though I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy about it. And more importantly, thank you again for reminding Brian that he needs to think about others before himself. He’s been telling me every night about all the things he’s been doing to help sick kids.”
“That’s great, Mama. Truthfully, it’s been an amazing experience for all of us to give back like this.” She paused. “You sure you’re okay? Do you need anything?”
“I’ll be as right as rain, sweetheart. Good luck tomorrow, and know that I love you very much.”
Heidi pushed the lump down into her throat. “Love you, too, Mama. Feel better soon.” Heidi hung up the phone and looked at Peter.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Goodnight, Brian Page 19
