by Jeff Moberg
***
Basketball season was amazing. I wore a protective mask to keep from breaking my beautiful new nose again—and Norma A kept driving the lane and kicking the ball out to me. I still couldn’t dribble or make a lay up or pass the ball to save my life, but for some completely unknown reason, I could make 3-point shots. And it didn’t matter where I was on the court. If I threw up a three, it went in. And, of course, I didn’t make all of them, but I made a lot of them. Mabel told me that a good NBA player could make about 40 percent of his 3-pointers. Ms. Marshall kept track of our stats, and according to her, I was shooting over 80 percent.
With Norma A playing the point, and Mabel playing tough D in the paint and rebounding—and my absolutely uncanny ability to hit the long ball, our team, the Haywood Middle School girl’s varsity team went undefeated. And with all of the pledges that Luke had gotten for my 3-pointers, we made a small fortune for the Disabled Vets.
At our end-of-the-season banquet, we presented a check for over five thousand dollars to the commander of the local chapter of the Disabled American Veterans. He was a tough, old guy, but he had a tear in his eye as he accepted the check—and so did every girl on the team. Mom took a picture of all us girls with the commander--and we hung it in the trophy case in the lobby of our school—right next to our conference championship trophy.
50
A Valentine Promise
The week after the basketball season ended was Valentine’s week. My nose and face had healed up completely and I was ready to have a nice, happy, and especially low-key Valentine’s Day and dance. Several guys had asked me to the dance, but I politely said, ‘no thanks’ to each one. Taylor Johnson and Norma B had broken up last week, and when he asked me to the dance it took a second or two longer to say no, but I did. I couldn’t believe how different my life had become during the last few months. I wasn’t the goofy, awkward 13-year-old that I used to be. I actually had a little confidence to get me through each day. And that was a nice edge to have.
Three important things happened on Valentine’s Day:
1.Luke and I were able to dance together without any other major interruptions, distractions, deceptions, tricks, misunderstandings, arguments, problems, fights, or all-out school brawls.
2.Luke gave me a beautiful gold ring with an opal stone. He said it was a promise ring--and he promised to love me always.
3.I gave Luke a small, stuffed elephant named Otis. I told him that elephants never forget—and I would never forget him.
