have
forgotten?
Interrupting a
conversation about what they were all going to have for supper that
night, Dan blurted out, “Hey, whatever happened to coach Harris?
Did he give away that scholarship?”
Gabbie and Clara exchanged
uncomfortable glances before Clara finally spoke. “Honey, he had to
fill out his team, and no one knew what your long-term status was.
Coach Harris called your father two weeks after your accident and
told him he was giving the scholarship to Elmer Deskins. He did say
you should feel free to call him and catch up when you came back to
us.”
Dan was wounded and lashed
out at his mother. “I don’t want to ‘catch up,’ Mom. I should be
playing third base for the Redhawks right now!”
A few moments later, when
he’d calmed down, he added, “I’m sorry, Mom. It’s just frustrating
losing all this time and not knowing what to do next. Did I at
least graduate from high school?”
“ Well, you weren’t at the
ceremony, of course, but Principal Stetson hand-delivered your
diploma to you the Monday after graduation,” Clara said. “He came
to see you in the hospital and brought it with him. It’s in your
top desk drawer if you want to see it.”
Dan nodded and walked from
the kitchen, down the hall, and into his room. A minute later he
returned, holding his diploma stretched out in front of
him.
“ Well, that’s pretty
neat,” he said. “Think I can get a job with that?”
“ I don’t see why not, Dan,
but what would you want to do?” his mother asked.
“ I don’t know yet,” he
said, then, looking at Gabbie and Troy, he added, “but I have to do
something … soon.”
CHAPTER TEN
Working Man
“ Look, Dan,” David
addressed his son after the shock of seeing him awake had started
to subside that first afternoon. “I’m very proud of you for wanting
to work and be productive. It’s a testament to your character that
you have such a level head even when life is so topsy-turvy, but
there is no need to rush.”
“ I guess so, Dad,” Dan
said.
David went on: “Mr. Jordan
and I both have good jobs, and, between the two of us, we’re doing
fine taking care of Gabbie and Troy.”
“ And
they’re taking care of me, too,” Dan thought to himself. To David,
he said, “I know. I just need to contribute … I have to
do something .”
Dan wanted to play
baseball, of course, but without a scholarship and little interest
from the scouts a whole year before, that was nothing but a pipe
dream by the early spring of 1974. No, what Dan needed was a real job that would pay
him real money so he could support Troy and Gabbie and hopefully
move out of his parents’ house sooner rather than later.
“ I’ve already lost an
entire year of my life, and I don’t want to sit around waiting or
wondering what the future might bring,” Dan concluded
The conversation had begun
just a few minutes after David came rushing home from work that
Monday, and the topic came up again at dinner and even a couple of
times that evening when various friends from high school and other
family members dropped by the Hodges’ home to welcome Dan back to
the world of the living.
For the most part, though,
David and Clara were able to divert their discussions toward other
talking points until Gabbie and Troy left for the Jordan’s house
around 9 o’clock that night.
“ Are you sure you have to
go?” Dan asked her, not sure where their relationship stood and
uneasy about saying goodbye again so soon.
Gabbie nodded. “I can see
you’re exhausted, Dan, and Troy has had a long day, too. I need to
get him home, bathe him, and get him in his crib. There’s no place
for us to sleep here and, besides, I have school in the
morning.”
They were walking down the
sidewalk toward Gabbie’s car, and Dan stopped when they reached the
driver’s side door. He hugged Gabbie and kissed his sleeping son on
the top of his
forgotten?
Interrupting a
conversation about what they were all going to have for supper that
night, Dan blurted out, “Hey, whatever happened to coach Harris?
Did he give away that scholarship?”
Gabbie and Clara exchanged
uncomfortable glances before Clara finally spoke. “Honey, he had to
fill out his team, and no one knew what your long-term status was.
Coach Harris called your father two weeks after your accident and
told him he was giving the scholarship to Elmer Deskins. He did say
you should feel free to call him and catch up when you came back to
us.”
Dan was wounded and lashed
out at his mother. “I don’t want to ‘catch up,’ Mom. I should be
playing third base for the Redhawks right now!”
A few moments later, when
he’d calmed down, he added, “I’m sorry, Mom. It’s just frustrating
losing all this time and not knowing what to do next. Did I at
least graduate from high school?”
“ Well, you weren’t at the
ceremony, of course, but Principal Stetson hand-delivered your
diploma to you the Monday after graduation,” Clara said. “He came
to see you in the hospital and brought it with him. It’s in your
top desk drawer if you want to see it.”
Dan nodded and walked from
the kitchen, down the hall, and into his room. A minute later he
returned, holding his diploma stretched out in front of
him.
“ Well, that’s pretty
neat,” he said. “Think I can get a job with that?”
“ I don’t see why not, Dan,
but what would you want to do?” his mother asked.
“ I don’t know yet,” he
said, then, looking at Gabbie and Troy, he added, “but I have to do
something … soon.”
CHAPTER TEN
Working Man
“ Look, Dan,” David
addressed his son after the shock of seeing him awake had started
to subside that first afternoon. “I’m very proud of you for wanting
to work and be productive. It’s a testament to your character that
you have such a level head even when life is so topsy-turvy, but
there is no need to rush.”
“ I guess so, Dad,” Dan
said.
David went on: “Mr. Jordan
and I both have good jobs, and, between the two of us, we’re doing
fine taking care of Gabbie and Troy.”
“ And
they’re taking care of me, too,” Dan thought to himself. To David,
he said, “I know. I just need to contribute … I have to
do something .”
Dan wanted to play
baseball, of course, but without a scholarship and little interest
from the scouts a whole year before, that was nothing but a pipe
dream by the early spring of 1974. No, what Dan needed was a real job that would pay
him real money so he could support Troy and Gabbie and hopefully
move out of his parents’ house sooner rather than later.
“ I’ve already lost an
entire year of my life, and I don’t want to sit around waiting or
wondering what the future might bring,” Dan concluded
The conversation had begun
just a few minutes after David came rushing home from work that
Monday, and the topic came up again at dinner and even a couple of
times that evening when various friends from high school and other
family members dropped by the Hodges’ home to welcome Dan back to
the world of the living.
For the most part, though,
David and Clara were able to divert their discussions toward other
talking points until Gabbie and Troy left for the Jordan’s house
around 9 o’clock that night.
“ Are you sure you have to
go?” Dan asked her, not sure where their relationship stood and
uneasy about saying goodbye again so soon.
Gabbie nodded. “I can see
you’re exhausted, Dan, and Troy has had a long day, too. I need to
get him home, bathe him, and get him in his crib. There’s no place
for us to sleep here and, besides, I have school in the
morning.”
They were walking down the
sidewalk toward Gabbie’s car, and Dan stopped when they reached the
driver’s side door. He hugged Gabbie and kissed his sleeping son on
the top of his
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