Chapter 17

Fall passed fast being busy with school, football, basketball practice and the girls. We seemed to be tighter than ever. Misty and Cherry were off on one of their conquests, but Sarah still hung out with all of us. Sarah seemed a lot more subdued than she used to be. The guy she was supposed to be engaged to, or was promised to, came down to school a couple of times a month on weekends. When he was around, we didn’t see Sarah. When he left she would re-appear but seemed morose and down. Not down because he had visited and left, but just down, depressed.

One Friday after basketball practice, Delta and Trish proposed that we take Sarah out some place and cheer her up. Sandy, who seemed to always be present with us, said we should all do that. Sandy and Keith were being a little distant with each other, so it would be me with four girls. It seemed Keith wanted more of a physical relationship than Sandy wanted to give him. She said she was saving it for marriage, and he was saying they were close enough and in love enough to do more. Sandy’s way to handle it was to tell Keith to go get some girl that wanted to do that stuff and then come back to date her afterward.

We took Sarah to the country club along with the girls’ parents. Sarah was a hit with George and Dan. She was tall, busty and luscious looking, a tall, dark contrast to Cecile and Carol. The moms both had nice slim figures with at least big C’s or probably D’s up top, while Sarah probably had twice what they did. I couldn’t take a guess, Z’s maybe? It was funny to watch them dance with her, as they were actually a little shorter than she was in heels. When I danced with Sarah the first time, it was right after dancing with the diminutive Sandy. What a contrast that was to go from a skinny, little girl to a voluptuous Nubian amazon! Delta and Trish kept my mind on them with their full body contact while dancing. The moms were bad the way they were rubbing around on me but were probably trying to get the guys attention.

On the way back to the dorm that night, Sarah opened up a little. She said she didn’t think she could keep up a relationship with her guy because she just didn’t love him. She thought he was a very nice guy but didn’t think it could be long term. She said she was depressed because she had to tell him and she felt bad about doing it. Her mom and dad said they understood, and it was her decision. She thanked us for including her in our night out, and that it had helped her feel better about herself.

Saturday’s football game was a home game so it was okay for me to be up a little late. We were only out till eleven, so I was in the sack in plenty of time for bed check. I was laying in my bed reading when the coach stuck his head in. Big Al asked how everything was, and was I getting enough time for basketball. I assured him everything was fine. He nodded, said goodnight, and then closed the door to continue on his rounds. It was unusual for him to do bed checks. Normally, it was some of the student coaches who did the deed.

The game was with a tough rival. We kicked off to them, and over most of the first quarter they made play after play until they finally crossed the goal. This was the first, first series goal we had allowed the entire year. When they kicked off to us, we ended up on the fifty, so we had pretty good field position. Adrian was stuffed on two consecutive plays, and then the coach called for a five-receiver set with me a short down field safety valve. I made my bump off the line and then ran to my position pretty much undefended. Stan threw me the ball, and I was able to get a first down. Two more consecutive runs were stopped, and this time I was covered, but Stan was able to scramble down field for twenty yards to get the first down. This time on first down Stan faked a pitchout to Adrian and then threw the ball to me, very high. I had to jump really high to catch it and was hit by three guys before I could hit the ground. Thank goodness I held on to the ball because I hit the ground in the end zone.

I was pulled for the point after and the kick off, as I was still trying to recover from getting the wind knocked out of me.

Once again, this team slugged their way down the field, rushing three plays to get a first down. Their offensive line was bigger than our defensive line, so they were having their way with us, pushing us back far enough to get three to four yards a carry. The defensive coach had everyone but two safeties rush the line to try to stop the runner. They stopped him twice, but then the quarterback dropped back and lofted a long pass down the sideline. Keith was on the receiver so tight he was flagged for interference. Keith came off the field hanging his head. The coach jumped him and told him to stand tall and get back in there and do what he does best. They repeated the two stops and then passed again to the guy Keith was defending. Keith waited till the ball was almost to him then jumped up and caught the ball in his stomach. The receiver pushed him out of bounds after the catch, but it was still our ball on about our twenty.

This time our offensive line found a weak spot, and Adrian got nine yards and then followed that up with an eleven yard run. Instead of a running play, Stan called a two-receiver slant, with me up front and the wide out to be farther down. The play is designed to confuse the defenders, and they will usually guard the long receiver and let the short guy get free. When I came off the line, I had to push at the defender as he was trying to get to Stan. I got to my position only to have the defender now on my butt with another coming toward me. I saw Stan throw but it turned out he was throwing to Adrian out of the backfield, who went almost thirty yards. Adrian ran five more times, ending with him just across the goal line. My contributions were just blocking guys downfield before they could get to Adrian trying to come along.

We were into the fourth quarter only up by seven when the other team kicked a field goal. Now we were only up by four. On the kick off they shifted to one side signaling their intent to try to do an on-side kick. When this happens all of the receivers were shifted to where ever it looked like the ball would go. They kicked the ball just right for it to bounce high off the turf. I jumped as high as I could and luckily came down with the ball. Lucky because there were at least five of the other team squashed around me. The good thing - we were on their forty.

We did the double slant on first down, and I got an easy fifteen yards. Adrian caught a pitch-out out of the backfield and gained about eleven. Then the coach called three successive rushing plays. Adrian ran into the end zone behind my block.

On the kick off, Big Al wanted to give these guys some payback so he called for an on-side kick, but we had practiced this, keeping our line looking like a normal kickoff. If they had looked, the other team would have seen only receivers and backs on one side, and everyone else on the other. Our kicker had practiced a pooch kick that went up in the air in an arc, dropping about twelve to fifteen yards away. Before I could get to the ball, one of our wide outs snatched it out of the air and fell to the ground.

With only three minutes left, Adrian and the other back only needed to get a couple of first downs, which they did, and the game was over. The win was great because the opposing team was such a big division rival.

A funny thing happened when I put on my street shoes. It felt like something was in the toe of my shoe. I was about to pull my shoe off when Adrian put his hand on my shoulder and told me to check my shoe later.

After the game, Delta, Trish, Sandy, and I went to Trish’s house for a party. Her Mom and Dad were hosting a big alumni bash. Thank goodness we won so now the party was for a win. Several of my teammates had been invited, and Adrian showed up with both Mandy and Sarah.

I finally had a chance to go into the bathroom and check my shoe. Stuffed up into the toe of the shoe was a fifty-dollar bill. I didn’t know whether to be happy, mad, or apprehensive. I really shouldn’t accept money like that. When I saw Adrian later he asked me about it and I told him how I felt. He just said don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

Someone was playing the piano, so I headed toward the music room or music lounge as Cecile called it. Sitting on the bench playing one of Debussy’s Preludes was the diminutive Sandy. She was so tiny, she couldn’t reach the far keys and had to lean and scoot to the right to play the real high chords from the piece. Sandy played beautifully. It took me a while to realize she was playing without music, completely from memory. She had people throughout the room spell-bound with the beauty of the music. I went to stand beside her as the Prelude came to its conclusion. Sandy was playing with her eyes tightly shut, squeezing out tiny tears that had streaked down her face. When she finished, she placed her hands in her lap and gave a choked sigh and then opened her eyes to the applause that surrounded her. She looked up at me and then reached up and grabbed my shirt to pull me down to sit next to her. She wrapped her arms around me and buried her face in my chest.

She held me like that for a minute and then let me loose looking into my eyes. “Sorry to get your shirt all wet, I get so emotional when I play that it takes me a while to get over it. My mom taught me to play, and that was her favorite. Since she passed away, every time I play it I get choked up. Sorry Chuck.”

I hugged Sandy again saying, “No need to be sorry. I’m glad I was right here for you to get a hug.”

I turned to the keyboard and asked, “Do you like Chopin?”

“Sure, doesn’t everyone?” Sandy replied.

“Depends,” I said as I began a very recognizable piece for piano students written as a duet.

“Oh yes Chopin’s ‘A Wish’,” Sandy exclaimed, and instantly began playing the second part of the piece.

“My mom and I played this all the time. Who did you play this with?” she asked, while playing the melodious higher notes.

“My older sister loved this, and now my younger sisters play this together,” I said as the music flowed.

Delta and Trish materialized next to us pushing Sandy and I together so they could sit on the bench with us. At the intricate key change within the piece, Trish and Delta knocked our hands from the piano and continued exactly where we had been interrupted. At the next change, Sandy swept their hands from the keyboard, and she and I took over again. We were all laughing so hard it was difficult to finish. When we played the final chords, there were eight hands on the keyboard trying to find a key to play. Again everyone in the room applauded the beautiful music. Sandy and I left Trish and Delta playing some show-tunes they enjoyed doing together.

Sandy and I went in search of food. We heaped our plates full and then found a convenient spot at the dining table to eat. Sandy told me how she used music to soothe her and help her from feeling lonely. She said that since meeting Trish, Delta, and me, she hardly had time for music and definitely didn’t feel lonely.

Adrian and I received lots of congratulations for our part in the game. Everyone there had been at the game, and most were former players and students. Many of the ladies had been cheerleaders. Some looked it, some didn’t.

The party lasted very late. Finally, Trish said that we should run back to the dorm for some clothes for tomorrow. It was still mild enough that the guys would want to play golf, and we would go to church afterward. We did the round trip and got back in time to help Trish’s folks say goodbye to everyone and help clean up. When we had the place pretty well straightened up, Cecile and Carol had us four kids come into the living room for a few minutes. Carol told everyone that she needed to tell everyone something together.

Carol was sitting with watery eyes with Dan beside her, his arm around her. She sighed then began, “My grandmother, Delta’s great grandmother, passed away this evening. You know she’s been in a nursing home for several years. Tonight her pain has stopped, she is finally peaceful.”

Delta had immediately started sobbing. She put her arms around me with her head on my chest and said, “my Grammy.” Trish was on the other side of her and put her arms around her and hugged. Sandy just reached across me and petted Delta.

Carol continued, “Mom, Delta’s grandmother, is coming tomorrow and will be with us for a few days. She might stay here or she might prefer to stay in a hotel. We’ll have to see. There are going to be a lot of people in and out for the next few days so just bear with me for a while. Before you ask, there isn’t much you can do. The arrangements have been made for a couple of years, so all we have to do is call a few of the relatives that we couldn’t tell earlier. If you girls want to help, just keep the refrigerator full of drinks and sandwich food for visitors. That’s about it. I’ll miss Grandma, but at least she doesn’t hurt anymore. The poor dear lasted a lot longer than anyone could believe.”

Cecile went over and gave Carol a hug followed my George. Carol looked up and said, “Sandy?”

Sandy jumped but looked back at Carol.

“Earlier you were playing one of my grandmother’s favorite pieces of music, one of Debussy’s Preludes. You played it so beautifully. Would you play it for me again? It will be just like she was playing for me when I was a little girl.”

Knowing how emotional the music was to Sandy, I looked at her questioningly. She had watery eyes but smiled at. She took my hand and pulled me toward the music lounge. Everyone else followed.

Sandy pulled me down beside her, hugged me then began playing again. Once again as she played, huge tears ran down her cheeks. As the piece was almost finished she had her eyes squeezed shut trying to keep back more tears.

When Sandy finished, Carol came over to her and hugged her. Sandy and Carol were both crying. Sandy clung to Carol for a long time before finally letting her go. I promised myself to let Carol know why Sandy was so emotional when Sandy wasn’t around.

The three girls and I went upstairs to bed. I took off my clothes and was sitting in the bed with only a night-light coming from the bathroom when the door opened, and Delta came into the room. She had on a long flannel gown. She came over and climbed into bed saying she needed to be held. While we were sitting there the door opened again, and Sandy came in wearing pajamas. She looked at us and asked if we would hold her for a few minutes. We were just finding comfortable positions when Trish came in saying she was lonely and needed to be close to us, too.

I pulled Sandy up on top of me and had Trish on one side of me with Delta on the other. They each had their head on my shoulders while Sandy had her head on my chest. All the emotion had tired Delta and Sandy. In just a couple of minutes relaxing, they were both sound asleep. Trish rolled to me and gave me some sweet kisses whispering, “See how you take care of all of us?” Trish pulled the covers over all of us. Sure glad they had a double bed for the guestroom.