A Deal With God: The Power of One

by Haden, Michael

  Deana would not be able to attend the away games with Luke and Leon, but she wanted to see as many of the home games as she could.

  Tonight was a home game. The restaurant was busy early with people trying to eat before the football game. Around seven o’clock, it started to empty out. Deana jumped into her Status and sped to Morrison High School. She wore a red jacket which was the color of Morrison’s home jerseys. Deana was still wearing her Vito’s uniform under the jacket.

  When she got to the stadium she found where Leon and Luke were sitting and sat down between them. The first quarter had just begun as she entered the stadium. Leon explained to Deana the coach only planned to play Matthew and Mark on passing downs, to best utilize their pass rush skills. Unfortunately, the other team got a big lead and predominantly ran the football.

  By halftime, the boys had been in on only a handful of plays.

  “Matthew and Mark are just as good against the run as they are at rushing the passer,” Deana said passionately. “I bet they could help slow down their running game.”

  Toward the end of the third quarter the visitors scored another touchdown. The score was now 28–3. As the 4th quarter started, Morrison turned the ball over again. This time the coach put Matthew and Mark in at the same time. Matthew lined up at right outside linebacker and Mark played left outside linebacker.

  On first down, the opposition did a pitch toss to the strong side. The running back streaked toward the sideline expecting to make a big gain like he’d done all night long.

  Mark honed in on him before he even got to full stride. Mark hit him hard and solid for a five yard loss. The running back looked like he didn’t know what hit him. The opposition’s coach thought he would teach Morrison a lesson. On the next play he ran a lead pitch toss to the same side. They brought an extra tight end to the strong side. They ran the same play except this time they had their fullback leading the play.

  Mark split the fullback and extra tight end and dropped the running back for a six yard loss. The stadium erupted as the formerly quiet Morrison crowd finally had something to cheer about. The cheerleaders got louder; even the mascot looked more enthused.

  On third down the opposing offense needed twenty–one yards to make a first down. They decided to go with a passing play. One of their wide receivers was wide open on the play. As their quarterback went to pass the ball, Matthew hit him from the blind side and the ball fell harmlessly to the ground. It was ruled an incomplete pass.

  On 4th down, Morrison’s special team’s players sensed the momentum was changing. The punter kicked the ball well but Morrison’s punt returner played it perfectly. He caught the ball in full stride and ran the ball sixty yards for a touchdown. The other coach spent the rest of the game keeping the ball as far away from the Samuels’ as possible.

  Morrison got a late last minute touchdown, so the game ended 28–17. Now they had something to build on for the rest of the season.

  The following Thursday, was Leon and Deana’s 4th wedding anniversary. They both had to work and the boys all had school and practices. Leon asked Deana if they could wait until Monday to celebrate. Monday was Labor Day and everyone in the family would have the day off. Leon wanted to get up early Monday morning and drive the family to Savannah to show the boys where he had proposed to Deana. The boys had never seen the Atlantic Ocean in person.

  Deana loved the idea. Even though there’d be a great amount of traffic and a lot of time sitting in the truck, Deana loved being with the boys and doing family things together.

  As expected, there was a lot of traffic and parking was almost impossible to find. Nonetheless, the Samuels’ family persevered and by 2pm they were all swimming in the Atlantic Ocean near the spot Leon proposed to Deana. Everyone in the family had a fantastic time.

  On the way back home to Dothan, Leon had an unusual request for Deana.

  “The last time we drove home from Savannah, you had your feet up on the dashboard like you do now and you left toe prints on the glass. I really liked that.”

  “Leon, the last time we drove home from Savannah I was very nervous. I didn’t do it intentionally.”

  “I know you didn’t, that’s what made it so sexy and cute. Your toe prints on the glass reminded me of you even when I was alone driving to and from work.”

  “You are so sweet.” Deana smiled and pushed the bottom of her feet onto the inside glass of Leon’s windshield.

  Luke was now in third grade. His teachers and coaches adored him. If you ever needed anything from Luke it was always “Yes sir,” or “Yes ma’am.” Luke had all of the tools to be a really great soccer player; he was tall, fast and very smart. He was also a great teammate. He was just as happy getting an assist as he was scoring a goal.

  Luke had an even temperament. He never got too excited when they won or too upset when they lost. He was, however, very competitive. He made the other players around him much better by being a leader on and off the field. He always hustled and played hard but never dirty. Luke’s teams didn’t lose very often.

  The third week of Morrison’s High School foot ball season was a home game against Billings High School. Matthew and Mark were both in the starting line–up this week. Morrison’s offense had trouble moving the ball but so did Billings. Mark spent most of the night in the opposition’s backfield chasing down play after play. Matthew was very solid on his right side, he just wasn’t quite as dominant as Mark. Morrison lost by only three points. The final score was 6–3.

  As Deana got ready to leave Vito’s for Morrison’s fifth game of the season, she hoped tonight would be the night for their first victory. Morrison High School was 0–4. Richmond High School was 1–3. Richmond was one of the two teams they had beaten last season.

  Deana got to the game in the middle of the first quarter. There was no score yet. The stadium was pretty full considering this was not really a marquee match–up. Richmond was running a very conservative offense. Most of their plays were dives and traps up the middle. This was keeping Matthew and Mark from making a lot of plays.

  The Morrison coach decided to take advantage of this. He blitzed his two inside linebackers and strong safety all at the same time. The Richmond running back got pummeled. He fumbled the football and Morrison had the ball inside the twenty. Morrison ran a half–back option pass on first down and scored a touchdown off of the play. Morrison later added a field goal in the second half and it was all the scoring they would need. Morrison won the game 10–0.

  The following week Morrison had an away game. They lost 13–3. The next week the game was in Morrison and Deana was in the stands with Luke and Leon.

  The beginning of the game was slow. At the end of the second quarter there was no score. It was 0–0 at the half. There was a pretty big crowd in attendance and they were getting frustrated with Morrison’s lack of offense.

  In the middle of the third quarter, Morrison had already punted the ball ten times. Compton was about to punt their tenth time. Compton’s left tackle completely missed his block and Matthew came around the corner untouched. He blocked the punt and the ball started rolling toward the Morrison end zone. Johnny Rollins, the right defensive end, picked up the football and ran it into the end zone for the score.

  It was the only score the entire game. Compton tried a couple of pass plays in the fourth quarter but Mark sacked the quarterback on both plays. An elated crowd left the Morrison field overjoyed with a hard fought 7–0 victory.

  Morrison had a freshman quarterback. He struggled most of the season but continued to improve. With the Morrison defense as good as it was, the offense was getting lots of opportunities.

  Morrison’s defense continued to excel, led by the Samuels brothers. As the season progressed, the offense was starting to feed off of the momentum and good field position the defense was providing.

  Morrison lost their sixth game to one of the best teams in the state. However, they played extremely well in both of their last two games. Morrison won both games
and they finished with a somewhat respectable record of 4–6. They doubled their win total from the season before.

  By the time Thanksgiving came and passed, Deana was exhausted. She really could have used more than a day and a half relaxing in the cabin in the woods in Gatlinburg; it was so wonderful. The cold winter weather was starting to creep in. Having a cabin with a hot tub and a fireplace was a perfect setting for a romantic getaway with the one that you love. The happy couple made the most of their time together.

  CHAPTER 19

  THE POWER OF ONE – THE HUGE DIFFERENCE ONE PERSON CAN MAKE

  This year, Christmas was on a Monday. This did not work out anywhere near as well as last year. Deana had to work Saturday night. She also had to prepare for two performances at church. One would be for the regular Sunday service; the second one would be for Christmas service the next day. She was always off Mondays anyway, so the only bonus was she did not have to go to work Sunday night.

  The really good news was that Leon had a surprise for the family, Deana in particular. As a Christmas gift for the family he bought five tickets to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. Leon got Tuesday, the day after Christmas off so he would be able to spend the entire day at the attraction with his family.

  The Georgia Aquarium’s biggest show and gallery is “Dolphin Tales.” This exhibit allows guests to better understand the lovable bottle–nosed dolphin. Leon remembered how much Deana enjoyed the dolphin watching excursion at Hilton Head Island. He knew she would love this. Also, it would be a fun trip with the boys. For Deana, it was the perfect Christmas gift.

  Christmas morning was spent at church and with the Johnsons. The Johnsons had really grown fond of Deana. They respected the nurturing abilities she had displayed toward the boys over the last five years. Deana was always extremely gracious towards the Johnsons.

  Christmas afternoon was spent in Athens with Leon and Lester’s parents. Deana prepared a sixteen pound honey baked ham and made a macaroni and cheese casserole. However, she insisted Claire make all of the other sides. Deana did not appreciate Claire taking advantage of her.

  Tuesday morning, Leon, Deana and the boys jumped in Leon’s truck and headed to Atlanta. The aquarium was a little over an hour away. When they arrived at the gallery section of the aquarium, they were amazed at the entrance lobby that featured an expansive underwater dolphin viewing window.

  “What do you think of that, Deana?” Matthew asked her. “You can see their entire habitat through that big glass window.”

  “I think that’s pretty amazing,” Deana answered. “I can’t wait to see the huge theatre and its show; it’s supposed to be really something.”

  Dolphin Tales theatre is a State of the Art enclosed facility. It’s both a spectacular theatrical and musical production. It features humans interacting with dolphins, dramatic costumes and amazing special effects.

  “The actual story is a mysterious, seafaring adventure,” Leon explained. “The main character gets help from the dolphins and other aquatic mammals to defeat the villain of the ocean.”

  Deana liked the fact the show stressed the importance of caring for and about aquatic creatures.

  The show did not disappoint. The show utilized video, strobe and flash lighting, special effects and amazing audio pieces. It took place in a five level theatre. The theatre overlooked a thirty foot show pool.

  “This show is unbelievable,” Mark said. It’s like there’s a bond between the humans and animals.”

  “Dolphin Tales is the best show I’ve ever seen. Everything is so huge. Maybe we can come back for my extra Special Day. Would that be all right, mom?” Luke asked.

  “I would love to, Luke,” Deana happily agreed. “I had so much fun. Leon, Thank you. What a wonderful gift. I love you so much.”

  “I love you too, Deana,” Leon said appreciating her gratitude.

  New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day were extremely cold this year. Deana and Luke wanted to go fishing anyway but got outvoted. Leon, Matthew, and Mark wanted to watch football. Pro football was on Sunday and college was on Monday, New Year’s Day.

  Leon rebuilt the burn pit for New Year’s Eve. Everyone enjoyed the warmth the burn pit provided and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows around it. Leon fired it up both Sunday and Monday nights. It was an enjoyable yearly tradition.

  Tuesday afternoon, Deana took the boys to the movies like last year. It was something they all enjoyed doing together. That night was Matthew’s night with Deana. They went on a long walk and talked about his new girlfriend.

  “Sandy is way cooler than Cherie,” Matthew said with a smile. “She’s more fun, has a better personality and is easier to talk to.”

  “Those three things are definitely important; it’s part of what they call chemistry between two people. Without chemistry the relationship will struggle to endure.”

  Matthew agreed with Deana.

  The following Monday night, Mark had a funny story for Deana.

  “My English teacher loves to burn television shows and clips off of the internet and play the DVD in class instead of lecturing. At first it was cool because it was different. But it got old pretty quickly. Most of us think he’s really lazy. He sits on his butt, uses a remote control and says and does as little as possible. My friend, Joey Horton, came up with a great idea. He got his hands on a very small universal remote. It was so small he could keep it in his pocket, so no one could see it. Every time the teacher would cue up the part he wanted to use to teach the class, Joey could cause the DVD to go forwards or backwards. Sometimes Joey would mute the teacher’s DVD or sometimes he would freeze the DVD. It was flat out funny.”

  Mark paused to catch his breath before continuing.

  “The teacher spent weeks trying to figure out the problem. He never found out it was Joey messing with him. He had to go back to teaching the way we were used to and liked better.”

  Deana really enjoyed her walks with the boys. It was a great bonding experience.

  Matthew, on the night of his birthday, wanted to spend the evening at the movies with his girlfriend. It was a Friday and Deana had to work, so Leon got to drive the young couple around.

  Leon’s birthday was on a Sunday. Deana asked for the night off from the restaurant and Mr. Vito said it was all right, after clearing it with Delores and Peggy. After church, Deana butter basted six pounds of fried chicken, made a big loaf of corn bread and fried up some okra. She put it in a big picnic basket. She added a gallon of her home made sweet iced tea and she and the boys threw Leon a birthday party at the lake.

  They enjoyed a delicious meal, sang “Happy Birthday” to Leon and got in some quality fishing time. Deana had bought Leon an ice cream cake during the week. The boys devoured that when they got home that evening.

  Ever since Deana’s birthday last August, Mr. Vito had been trying to figure out ways to recapture the festive, packed house excitement he witnessed at her party. His restaurant did very well on the weekends, but he was looking for a way to increase business during the week.

  Mr. Vito discussed it with Peggy.

  “One weeknight, we should run some kind of special event. Something that could help fill the restaurant during the week.”

  Peggy smiled as she thought of a great idea. “You do realize you have one of the best singers in all of Dothan on your wait staff? What if you had karaoke night on a Tuesday or Wednesday night? Deana has a voice worth paying to listen to.”

  “True, and if the customers don’t want to sing Deana can go up and perform. I could hire a KJ one Wednesday night and give it a test run. It wouldn’t hurt to try.”

  KJ is a karaoke jockey. He or she runs the karaoke “sing fest.” Karaoke is a form of interactive entertainment in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music. The lyrics can be displayed on a video screen if so desired. KJ’s can “rip” entire libraries of songs onto their laptop computers and play those songs and lyrics in a bar, restaurant or someone’s living room.

  Whe
n Deana arrived at work, Mr. Vito informed her of his desire to try having a Wednesday evening karaoke night.

  “Oh my,” Deana exclaimed. “That would be so much fun. I’d love to participate.”

  Two Wednesdays later, after some advertising and finding a good KJ, Karaoke night was on at Vito’s. They decided to start at 7:30pm. This was usually when the restaurant started slowing down on Wednesdays. But tonight, quite a few people were coming in to check out Dothan’s new Wednesday night entertainment spot. Mr. Vito ran specials on all his appetizers and even printed out a special menu just for this event.

  The KJ sang the first song. It was a good way to check all the equipment and get the show started. Deana sang the second song. She got a lot of applause and everyone seemed into it, but no one wanted to go third.

  There was a little girl sitting close to the small portable stage who seemed fascinated with Deana’s singing. Deana asked the girl if she would come up and do a duet with her. The little girl agreed. Deana patiently taught the girl how to time the lyrics as they were displayed on the KJ’s video screen.

  Deana and the little girl sang a very popular song and it sounded great. The crowd enjoyed it so much they were cheering and hollering

  Next, a four year old boy wanted to sing with Deana. Then an eight year old boy sang with her. Next, Deana got the first little girl who sang the duet with Deana to try singing by herself. She did fine.

  The mother of the four year old boy went up and sang and then the adults started going up to sing. Vito’s was rocking until 11:30. Mr. Vito was thrilled; Karaoke night was a success.

  Many people came to hear Deana sing at Vito’s. They would tell Deana she had a beautiful voice and they enjoyed listening to her.

  In response, Deana told everyone the same thing. “If you like what you hear at Vito’s, you should check out the music I perform at Dothan Christian Church every Sunday morning. I play with two other very talented musicians and we have a wonderful sound together.”