by Mary Tribbey
Chapter 19
The flight to Los Angeles was shorter than the other flights. When they landed at LAX, Dave and Joan took the airport shuttle to where he had left his car. He put their luggage in the trunk and opened the door for her.
She drove out of the parking area and headed up the Pacific Coast Highway. It was a beautiful, sunny day along the beach while Dave settled back and enjoyed the fresh air. She turned into Dave’s driveway and drove up to the front of his house. He got out, opened Joan’s door. They got their luggage out of the trunk and headed inside.
Once inside, Mrs. Jensen came walking out of the kitchen. She hugged Dave and said, “Welcome home, Dave and Joan. It’s good to see you both. How was your trip?” she asked eagerly.
Dave hugged her back and answered, “The trip was great. We talked to a lot of people, saw some really interesting places, and hopefully got lots of great information for Joan’s article. There are several places and things to see around here, so we are finishing our research in this area. Would you put Joan’s suitcase in the guest bedroom? I think we can accomplish a lot more with both of us working from here.”
Joan looked over at him with a surprised look. She wondered what Mrs. Jensen would think about that arrangement, but she just smiled and said, “I have it all ready for her. I even got the computer set up and ready for her to use, if she wants to use it. I am really anxious to read your article. When do you think it will be ready?”
“Joan, how long do you think you’ll need to work on it? I know you took a lot of notes, but I never thought to ask about how long it takes to write an article like this,” Dave said.
“I’m not really sure. First, we have to go over everything and decide what slant you want to use and figure out what to include and what to omit. That will be the hardest part. I’ve learned so much that is interesting about you. I’m not sure about the writing time, since this isn’t the kind of writing I usually do. I’ll work on it and get it done as quickly as I can,” she said.
“I’m not trying to rush you. You can take as much time as you need. I’ll do whatever I can to help you with it, but you are the one with the writing talent. I’m relying on you to do whatever you think is best,” Dave said.
“Do you mind if I go in and freshen up? I’d like to take a shower and put on some fresh clothes. While I’m doing that, maybe you can lie down and rest your shoulder. Then you can decide where to go and what we need to do,” Joan said.
“That sounds like a good plan to me. Mrs. Jensen will see that you have whatever you need. I’ll be in my room when you are finished,” Dave agreed.
Joan showered and brushed her hair until it shone and hung softly around her shoulders. She pulled a pair of sky blue Capri pants out of her suitcase and added a silky white top, before going down the hall to Dave’s bedroom. Not hearing any noises, she cautiously knocked on the door, not wanting to awaken him if he was dozing.
“Come in, I’m awake and dressed,” he added in a teasing voice.
“Were you able to get any rest?” she asked.
“I’ve been lying on my bed, resting my shoulder. We’re not in Seattle anymore. Do you want to lie down on the bed with me,” he suggested and gave her a mischievous grin.
“Sorry, but I’m still working, remember what you said. Our trip isn’t over for two more days,” she laughed, turning his words against him. “Well, have you decided what you want to do next?”
“Sure, but you already turned that down. Seriously, I am supposed to go to the Special Olympic training facility this afternoon. I’ve been working with Special Olympics most of my life. That’s one of Mom’s favorite groups. Mainly I just talk to the athletes and encourage them to keep trying. Some of them are fairly good at their events, but the joy is seeing everyone, winners and losers, all smiling and feeling proud of their accomplishments. It’s for those smiles and hugs that I keep going back to work there. Because of my shoulder injury, all I can really do this time is give praise and encouragement. After that, I usually visit the kids at the Children’s Hospital for a few minutes. That’s something I try to do at least twice a month. After that, I don’t have any commitments,” he added.
When they arrived at the Special Olympic training center, many of the young athletes crowded around Dave. They gingerly touched the sling he was wearing on his injured shoulder.
“You hurt?” one young boy asked.
Dave smiled and said, “Yes, but not enough to keep me from coming to see you. How are you today Jeff?”
“I am good,” he answered with a big smile. “Will you watch me run my race?”
“Sure, Jeff. This is my friend Joan. She wants to watch, too,” Dave said.
“She’s beautiful. Is she your girl friend?” he asked.
“She is my best friend, and she is very beautiful,” he added smiling at Joan.
They walked over to the track. There were several boys and girls waiting for their event to start. Dave gave each one a smile and a one-armed hug. All of the kids knew him by name and clearly adored being around him. He helped get the group of runners lined up. He explained to them how to get the best start when the race began. He cheered them on and had words of praise for their effort.
One little girl was left behind by the others when the gun sounded to start the race. She sat down on the lane and began crying. Dave rushed over, helped her stand up, put his good arm around her shoulder, and comforted her. After that, he took her aside and had her practice her starting position again. He explained the order of the commands she would hear and how to react to each of them. After a few practice starts, she jumped up and down happily as she saw how much she had improved.
Joan asked Dave about her. He explained that she was mentally slow and did not remember from meet to meet what she should do, but he praised her for continuing to keep trying. She hugged Dave and ran off the join the next practice group. “She probably won’t remember what I tried to teach her, but she felt encouraged and successful when she left. That’s the payoff for me, seeing them happy and encouraged,” he added.
About 3:30, they left the training center and headed to the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital. She parked the car and walked beside him through the entryway.
It was much the same story here, as Dave went from room to room offering words of cheer and smiles of hope. Many of the children recognized him and called him by name. He sat beside some of the beds and just held the patient’s hand. The ones who were feeling stronger, he talked with about many things. No matter what he was saying or doing for each child, he always gave them his undivided attention and a kiss on the cheek or a firm handshake before moving on to the next child. Some of the parents who were there, thanked him gratefully. They said they were praying that his shoulder would heal quickly. Many of the parents had tears in their eyes as they watched Dave relating to their children.
In the arts and crafts room, he stopped to admire each drawing or work of art they had created. One young teen-aged boy showed the picture he had drawn with colored pencils. One look at it, and Joan recognized it was a fairly good representation of Dave’s face.
“I tried the technique you showed me last time you were here. I think it is better than the last one. What should I work on next?” he asked.
Dave looked carefully at the drawing. He shook his head, “I think you’ve got it just right now! I couldn’t have done it any better. I’m so very proud of you,” Dave praised. The smile on the boy’s face was brighter than the sun shining through the nearby window.
By the time the visit to the children was over, Joan was awed by how loving and caring Dave had been with each one. As they left the hospital, Joan asked, ”How long have you been coming here? What did the young boy mean when he mentioned the technique you showed him?” she asked.
“I’ve been coming here since I started playing for the Rams. Ron, the boy with the drawing of me, was referring to a hint about
perspective and shading and how to achieve a feeling of depth in a two dimensional art form. When I have time off, I like to paint and draw. I especially enjoy painting with oils, especially doing seascapes and landscapes. Sometimes I try doing portraits, but I’m not very good at it, but I enjoy trying to do it sometimes,” he said.
“Will you show me some of your paintings or drawings? I’d like to see what kind of artistic talent you have,” Joan added.
“You may be disappointed, but remind me when we get home and I’ll point some of them out to you. My shoulder is beginning to hurt worse than it did this morning. I think I need to go home and rest for a while. If I ask politely would you consider giving my shoulder another treatment? I’d sure appreciate it,” he said with a smile.
“I’ll consider it. Hum. I have considered it carefully and I say I’d be delighted to give you a massage treatment. I’m afraid you’ve been doing too much all week,” she scolded.
“I know, but these two groups mean a lot to me, and they were expecting me to be here. It was worth a little soreness, just seeing them smile,” he answered.
Once at home, Mrs. Jensen had a late lunch waiting for them. After eating, Dave stretched out on his bed and Joan gave him a treatment with ice packs and medicated sports cream. Dave relaxed and fell into a light sleep. Joan quietly left his room and closed the door. She went to the kitchen and found Mrs. Jensen preparing a pot roast. Joan volunteered to help peel and cut up the vegetables. They chatted while Dave took a long nap. When Dave woke up, he found the two women sitting at the kitchen table drinking glasses of iced tea.
Dave walked into the room and smiled ruefully. “Why did you let me sleep so long? I felt so relaxed after you gave my shoulder that light massage, I guess I dozed off. How long have I been asleep?” he asked.
Joan looked at her watch and smiled, “About 3 hours, I think. We let you sleep because you needed the rest. Although the trip was fun, it was also very tiring for you. The pain sapped your energy. I was glad you finally got some good quality rest time. I don’t want to get blamed if your shoulder isn’t improved enough when you go back to the doctor on Monday. I’d hate to have your offensive linemen out gunning for me,” she kidded.