The Boys

As you may have gathered from my previous posts that God has granted me the fortune to have two boys and two girls. The daughters are the bookends and the boys take up the middle. Yesterday, my boy's high school track team had a meet with a rival school. A rich kid school if you will. It was a great sunny day, perfect for a track meet.

The younger brother, Slick had been suspended or academically ineligible until yesterday so it was his first meet. He was nervous as he could be. Being a freshman and not ever participating in an event this big he was all nerves. During his suspension he had been practicing with the team but not able to participate in the meets. This being the case his participation in practice had been lacking at best (I secretly think he is only doing the sport so he can check out the girls in shorts and tank tops, a good little Pirate). His coach had put him down for the 1500 meter run. He came and sat by me prior to his run and got his "dad hugs" in (he's that kind of kid) and kept telling me he was feeling sick. He tried everything he could to have me say, son why don't you skip it this time. Unfortunately I wouldn't play. You'll do just fine bud, go do it.

Suffice it to say he did great. He didn't place and he didn't tear up the track but he finished strong. At the end of the second lap I could see he was looking for away to quit. He ran by with his hand on his stomach and a glance up to me. I kept yelling for him as if he was beating the pack. "Come on Bud you're looking great, keep it up."

After the race he walked around proud as a peacock. You'd thought he had just kicked everybody's butt. Then he hit me up for money for the snack bar. I watched him wonder about the rest of the meet talking with friends, laughing and encouraging others. He made me proud.

The older boy, Jock faired a bit better. He being one of the premier sprinters at the school enjoyed the success he has came to consider common place since his freshman year. He ran personal bests in the 100m, 200m and their 4X100 relay kicked ass one more time. Then the event of the day, the 4X400 relay. The race that pits the four best runners from each school against each other. The stands were packed. The student bodies were in their places at the final turn, both teams were hitting on all pistons. The meet came down to this last event. The winner would get 5 points the loser would get 0.

Each leg was a battle, one team would fighht for the lead and the other would quickly relinquish it. It gave the appearance of a real horserace. Both student bodies and both stands of parents were screaming their lungs out.

Jock was to run the fourth and final leg of the race. He was pitted agianst a senior who currently held the fastest time in the 400m for the year. The leg prior to Jock began to wane, he fell seconds behind. When he passed the baton to Jock, their team was 2 to 3 seconds behind the lead. Jock took the baton and sprinted faster than I had ever seen him start. He nudged closer and closer and closed in on the back stretch. The boy in the lead then kicked in another gear as Jock began to breath down his neck. Going into the last corner Jock appeared to be losing ground. He may have spent too much effort to catch him in the first place.

As they came to the last straight stretch, student bodies on both sides of the last corner screaming encouragement and school pride, the stands laying parallel to the final run were rocking with the adults all jumping and yelling. Jock closed the gap, 100th of second seperated them down the stretch. As they passed I was sure my boy didn't have any left. He was to surely leave it all on the track. At the tape, Jock leaned forward and stole the victory. The student body sprinted to meet the exhausted Jock. He fell to his knees and piled into a lump on the track. The throwers ran to him and hoisted him into the air they ran his exhausted body to the finish line and laid him back on the tarmac as the rest of the team piled on him. They tore off his shoes and ran around going nuts, jumping with excitment. They had finally after years of effort beat the rich school. The past taunts of "ghetto kids" had gave them the drive to overcome. They were now the team to beat in town.

As the two boys and I drove home. I watched the two brothers through the rearview mirror they were both seated in the backseat both humbled by what they had just experienced both exhausted for different reasons, Jock looked over to Slick and without any false pretense high fived his little brother and said, "Good job. You looked good running the 1500, I'm proud of you." Slick always the comedian said, "Will you autograph my shoes?" They both smiled at each other and their dad gave thanks.