Wayward Paths and Golden Handcuffs

by S.J. Thomason

  “Good,” she said. “You know you can always take a Fox ‘n Fields’ internship this summer.”

  “Yeah, I know that. Thanks mom, but I want to make it on my own. I don’t want to be known as the kid who rides his mom’s coattails.”

  “Don’t let your pride get in the way of an opportunity, Nick. Fox ‘n Fields has much to offer you and there’s nothing wrong with capitalizing on your connections. Everyone does it. But of course you’d be held to higher standards than those without connections if you did.”

  “That wouldn’t bother me, but I’m going to try something else first.” He sat back down on the couch and again peered out the window.

  After a few minutes, he asked, “Mom, do you really need all of this? I mean it’s only you and Chipper now. I’m only here during the breaks and I’ll be moving out after I graduate. This house is gi-normous! How are you going to keep it clean? So many rooms.”

  “Yes, Nick. I can assure you that I need this house.” She put the newspaper she was reading down by her side. “I’ve hired a maid who comes twice weekly and keeps it nice and clean. CEOs don’t live in middle-class neighborhoods in rural areas; they live in homes more fitting.”

  “Fitting?”

  “Yes, Nick, fitting. I’m in the upper echelon now, rubbing elbows with the board and other highbrows. I need to walk the walk and talk the talk, and I need to be able to entertain them properly in my home. If we were still in the other house, they’d have to drive forty minutes to visit through cow pastures and orange groves just to visit. And that house hardly had the amenities people expect.”

  “I don’t want you to think that I don’t like the house,” Nick continued, “I do. But it just seems so opulent, you know.”

  “You’ll grow into it, Nick. Opulence is good. I’ve earned opulence.”

  Nick felt her impatience with him. He also observed the designer labels on her slightly casual weekend outfit, which further reflected her desire to dress the part she felt was required of her in her new role.

  “Mom, did I ever tell you how I found Jesus?”

  “No. Do share.”

  Nick sensed a bit of sarcasm in her response.

  “Well, I was down and out in December, right after Tyrone was killed in the football game. It was horrible. I was drinking too much. Couldn’t focus. Couldn’t think about my final exams.” He paused and shook his head.

  “Certainly impacted your grades. What happened to Tyrone was horrible, Nick, and I figured you were drinking to drown your sorrows. Your father was a big drinker, you know. Drank when he was happy and drank when he was sad. Just loved to drink.”

  “Yeah, I know. How could I forget that? I don’t ever want to follow his footsteps though; he was such a mean alcoholic. I’m not mean when I drink, Mom, and fighting is the last thing on my mind.” Nick looked at his mom who was nodding and listening intently.

  He continued, “I hate to admit this but I think drinking is kind of fun, and it helps me to forget about things like Tyrone’s death. Tyrone was awesome. He didn’t know his dad and barely ever saw his mom since she was always working, but that didn’t stop him or get him down. He was an excellent athlete. He had everything and would have gone pro.”

  “Nick, I’m very sad about Tyrone and I feel badly for his family too. I’m sure that they were counting on his success. We’ll send them some money. He was a good leader to all of you and an excellent quarterback. It’s a real tragedy. But despite that, Nick, I want to be sure that you don’t lean on alcohol to drown your sorrows.”

  “Tyrone’s family will appreciate money, Mom, as I’m sure they could use the help. As for me, things were much better in the spring. I found another way to deal with Tyrone’s death: God. And Tanner helped me. He proved Jesus is the Son of God. He read me a passage from the Old Testament, Isaiah 53. Mom, Isaiah 53 predicts Jesus’ crucifixion. The thing that got me was that the book of Isaiah was written about seven hundred years before Jesus’ birth. In the Old Testament. Isaiah was a Jewish prophet and is still considered a prophet to Jews.”

  “Interesting,” his mom said, “I didn’t know that Tanner was a Bible thumper.”

  “His family is very religious.”

  “Oh.”

  “He helped me to become a believer. I’ve been going with Tanner to church at State ever since. We’ve been there just about every Sunday. Do you believe in Jesus, Mom?”

  An uncomfortable silence followed. Nick took a deep breath as he waited for her response. “Well, Nick, I was raised to believe in Jesus.”

  “Well then, why don’t we go to church? And why didn’t you raise me to believe in Jesus?” Nick asked feeling a bit of sadness, along with a hint of anger.

  “I don’t need to go to church,” she said, “God appreciates hard work and goodness. And I’ve always been good to you and my subordinates at work. And I’ve taught you about the Protestant work ethic, which is all about God. God helps those who help themselves. He appreciates independence.”

  “I’m sure he likes that Mom, but I don’t think God appreciates opulence,” Nick challenged, “He wants you to use your money to help others in need.”

  Nick loved and respected his mom, but something about this new lifestyle made him uneasy. He was happy that she’d offered to help Tyrone’s family out. God would appreciate that, if she actually did what she said she’d do. Sometimes she said things just to appease him and sometimes she forgot to make good on promises.

  “Oh please. Nick, do you really think God wants me to give everything I’ve earned away? I’ve worked hard. Very hard. If everyone who worked as hard as I did gave it all away, they’d never be motivated to work hard again. The world would fall apart. We’d have no entrepreneurs and no workers and might as well be communists where everyone benefits despite their contributions. God wants us to prosper and work hard, Nick, and I’ll betcha he’s a bigger fan of capitalism than communism; he gets human nature.”

  Nick said softly, “I’m sure he wants everyone to be prosperous, but…” He felt a little queasy. Something didn’t seem right. He knew how his friends on the football team lived; most weren’t superstars and most would leave the glory. Many were part of families that were struggling to make ends meet. Many needed the football scholarships they were awarded. Nick didn’t need his football scholarship, but he was happy they’d given him one.

  Nick was the back-up quarterback to Tyrone. He remembered how Tyrone had told him that his mom worked two jobs, but still had trouble paying the bills. She had probably counted on him to be the lifesaver, lifting the family out of poverty. Instead he was killed in a freak accident in the last quarter of a football game.

  He thought of his other teammates. Most wouldn’t make it to the riches of the NFL, freeing themselves from financial worries. These thoughts saddened Nick, who walked over to the patio door and looked out onto the bay. He’d never given much thought to poverty before.

  It was one thing when he was in the middle-class neighborhood where everyone’s homes and cars and income seemed about the same. Some had nicer cars than others, or a slightly larger house, or maybe even a pool, but all in all, the differences were minimal.

  He was now living in a lavish home with a Ferrari and a helicopter pad. Pulled from his comfort zone of relative equality to his friends in his former middle class neighborhood to the extravagance he now knew. Extravagance made him focus more on those at the other extreme.

  After taking a deep breath, he changed the subject. “Love the view here Mom,” he said as he walked to the patio door and stepped outside, “nice weather today too. Look, not a cloud in the sky.”

  “Yeah, it’s beautiful, isn’t it?” She followed him into the patio. “Why don’t you invite Tanner and the boys over next weekend? I’d love to see them again. I know you want to spend your time finding a job, but celebrating your accomplishments is important too. Celebrate the semester. I don’t mind if you have a co
uple of drinks, but if anyone drinks, I don’t want them to drive. No one should drive after drinking. If they want to stay overnight, we certainly have the rooms.”

  “Okay. You’re right. I’m still going to work on getting a job this week, but I’ll open up the weekend for entertaining. Thanks Mom.”

  Chapter 5

  Summer Camp

  On Monday morning, the phone rang.

  “Hi Nick. This is Bonnie Toth, the summer camp staffing coordinator for the kids in the 9-12 age group.”

  “Hi.”

  “I’ve gone through the resumes and you’re qualified for a position as one of our assistant camp coaches. Can you come in this afternoon for an interview? We have a tight schedule as camp starts tomorrow at 9 a.m. We need an assistant coach on the fields from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. five days a week, Monday through Friday, through the end of July.”

  “Sure!”

  “Excellent,” Bonnie said just prior to giving Nick directions to the recreation facility.

  Later that afternoon, Nick interviewed with Bonnie for the position and was hired. He was thrilled that he’d be starting as a camp coach the following day on the city’s football fields.

  The following morning, he arrived on the fields at 8:30 a.m. and looked for his new boss, Don Winston. The interviewer told him that Don was a retired professional football player who volunteered for the parks department in its summer camps programs each year. He was a big name in the late 1980s and early 1990s when he played for the Bears and the Bucs. Nick had heard of him before.

  “Hi, you must be Don,” Nick said as he walked up to a tall, muscular black man who was standing next to a large bag on the sidelines.”

  “You guessed it. And you’re Nick?”

  “Yup. This is my first day on the job, so just let me know what you need me to do.”

  Don pointed to the large bag, “This bag has pockets containing footballs, jerseys, and flags. Go ahead and sort the jerseys by size, pull the flags out and set them up separately, and put the footballs over there.” He pointed to a small clearing. “The kids should be here in just a few minutes. There are always some who are early. Oh, and change your shirt into this one.” He pulled a red shirt from a separate bag labeled ‘coach’ on the back.

  “Sounds good,” Nick said as he changed shirts. He proceeded to sort the equipment as directed.

  A few minutes later, a boy walked up.

  “Is this the Orange Bay summer football camp?”

  “You got it son,” Don said. “What’s your name?” He grabbed a roster from a bag next to him, along with a pen.

  “Danny Perez,” he said.

  “Um, okay, I see your name. Coach Nick has your gear so you can go ahead and get changed. Feel free to wear the jersey over your shirt if you want, or you can use the port-a-lets to change.”

  Nick handed him a jersey and a belt with the flags and the boy put the shirt on over his own. He went to the bleachers where he sat down and waited for the rest of the kids to show up. Other boys followed and soon they numbered twenty. Full house.

  Don blew the whistle to let everyone know that it was time to start. “Okay kids, come on over here and let’s form a huddle. My name is Coach Don and I’m here with Coach Nick. Your first plan of action is to listen closely. I’m going to share the rules of the game with you, along with the city’s rules of the field, before we begin.”

  The kids formed a circle around Don. Two of the boys, Parker and Aiden, sat next to one another and nudged one another. They nudged one another again. Nick walked over and said, “Hey, cool it. You guys have to listen to Coach Don. It’s all about respect, authority, and rewards. The rewards are great if you play by the rules.”

  “Hey, don’t you play for State? You look familiar,” Aiden said.

  “Yeah, backup quarterback. I haven’t had much playing time. Surprised you recognize me.”

  “I know all of the players on State. I hope to go there one day on a football scholarship. My uncle went there a while back on a football scholarship.

  “That’s great. Well, work hard and play smart and you’ll increase your chances.”

  “Thanks Coach,” Aiden said.

  Nick studied Aiden. He had a thick build and dark brown eyes and a dark brown complexion. He looked like a young football player. He got up and moved away from Parker and sat down next to another boy a few feet away. Parker watched him as he left and shook his head. His freckled face framed his down-turned, saucer-shaped hazel eyes, which shone under his straight, matted brown hair. He was leaner and taller than his counterpart.

  Coach Don blew his whistle and said, “Boys, are you ready to listen.”

  A halfhearted “yes” followed.

  “That’s ‘yes sir!’”

  “Yes sir,” they replied in unison.

  “Yes sir,” Coach Don said loudly, “I can’t hear your voices when you whisper like that.

  “Yes sir!”

  “Good. Let’s play some flag football. The rules of the field include no swearing, only sportsmanship-like conduct, no littering, no animals, and treating each other and your coaches with respect. Can you all play by the rules?

  “Yes sir!”

  “Good. The rules of the game are consistent with those of regulation football, but there is absolutely no tackling. We don’t want any concussions or other injuries. You understand?”

  “Yes sir!”

  “Good. I understand you’ve all played before and are familiar with the rules of the game, so let’s get started.” He separated the group into two teams randomly and all took to the field. Coach Don led the game and the calls, while Nick rotated the players on an off of the field. While doing so, he had a chance to get to know a few players, including Aiden and Parker.

  “Coach, can I go in now?” Parker asked after rotating out of the game for two downs.

  “Hold on, after this down you’ll go in for Jackson.”

  “Okay,” he said as he looked out onto the field, “Coach, how about if I go in for Aiden? He’s playing QB and that’s what I do best.”

  “No, right now you’ll go in for Jackson. Aiden hasn’t been on the field for very long. I’m going to rotate everyone through all of the positions to see what fits you best. You’ll play both defense and offense.”

  “Okay Coach.”

  Nick could tell that Parker and Aiden had a history with one another, and seemed to want to pick on each other, so he figured he’d keep them separate that first day. They seemed fine when acting individually, as both seemed respectful when away from the other. He decided to get them to focus on teamwork over the course of the summer program. Kids need to learn to get along with one another.

  A couple of hours later, the group went for lunch, sitting at the picnic tables between the football and baseball fields.

  “Did everyone bring a lunch?” Don asked.

  “Yes sir!” A few answered.

  “No sir!”

  “Okay, who needs a lunch?” He asked. To Nick’s surprise, fourteen of the twenty kids hadn’t brought their lunches.

  “Don,” he whispered, “didn’t they know they were supposed to bring their lunches?”

  “Of course they knew. Most of them come from impoverished families, so they’re sent here without food. I supply it to them. That’s my way of giving back.” He opened a large cooler, which he’d lugged to the picnic tables from his truck during the practice break, and pulled out twenty large bags containing sandwiches, carrots, and apples. He further distributed bottled waters, bags of chips, cookies, and extra sandwiches for the especially hungry. Many seemed especially hungry, and Don was prepared. Nick was inspired.

  “This is great, Don. I really like what you’re doing. I’ll bring the food and drinks tomorrow!”

  “You don’t have to do that Nick. That will probably eat up all of the money you’re earning here. No, that’s my way of giving back. I had a successful career in the
pros, so I need to do something. You can do something else.” He paused for a minute and added, “The kids really need a mentor. I’m a mentor to them, but you’re closer to their age. They’ll probably better relate to you. See those kids Parker and Aiden over there,” he said as he pointed to the two Nick had talked to earlier.

  “Yeah.”

  “They’re two Collins’ kids, from a community foster home. They could use a mentor. Both have had troubled pasts and they need a good role model. Lead by example, Nick, and you’ll make a tremendous difference in the kids’ lives.”

  Nick studied Parker and Aiden. They didn’t seem troubled, per se, but they were picking on each other. “Just like brothers,” he thought.

  “Okay, then. Glad to be a mentor. Thanks Don.” He walked over to the table where Parker and Aiden were sitting and took a seat in the middle.

  “Hey guys. Good to see you today.”

  “Thanks Coach,” Aiden said. Parker and the others chimed in a “thank you” as well.

  They made a bit of small talk while eating their lunches. When lunch was finished, all got up and threw away their bags, napkins, and cups and prepared to return to the field. That’s when Nick decided to talk to Aiden a bit more.”

  “So, what brings you here? Love of football?” Nick asked.

  “Yup. Love of football. Sometimes I just need to get out. You probably know that I’m one of the Collins’ kids. Parker is one too. My parents are dead. Died a couple of years ago. Car accident. My dad was driving. Drunk.”

  “Geez, I’m so sorry to hear that Aiden.”

  “He was always drunk. And mean. But I loved my mom. She never drank like him. She should have been driving that night instead of him.” Aiden wiped a tear from his eye.

  “Hey, thanks for opening up with me on that. I’m sure it’s hard to tell people.”

  “Thanks. What’s worse is that my uncle adopted my little brother. He said he couldn’t handle both of us. It’s just not fair.”

  “Be strong Aiden. Have faith in your future. I know you’ll do great things one day,” Nick said as he looked behind Aiden and noticed Parker, who appeared to be eavesdropping.

  “Hey there, Parker.”

  “Hey.”

  “So you’re a Collins’ kid too?”

  “Yup. Life sucks for me. But the home isn’t that bad.”