by J C Williams
“Go get ’em, Grandad!” shouted Jack. He stood with Emma and watched as the runners completed their first couple of laps and, as expected, Grandad was bringing up the rear, while he was certainly not alone.
“Excuse me, Jack, are you okay to do a piece to camera?”
Jack smiled and walked to the waiting camera crew. His confidence was soon somewhat dinted, though, when the young assistant advised him that the interview was going to be going out on live television.
“If I can just put this microphone on you, Jack.”
Jack allowed himself to be tended to whilst trying to get his courage up.
“Right. There it is. And Scarlett will be here in a moment.”
“Scarlett Redfern?” asked Jack with a quiver in his voice.
Emma was stood next to him and could see his cheeks were now redder than the hair on the attractive woman walking towards him. She smiled and moved her head to his ear. “Jack, don’t blush, I know you like her, don’t let it get in the way of a good interview!”
Jack shook Scarlett’s hand. “I didn’t think they were sending the ‘big gun’ over for this?”
“Jack, it’s good to see you again and even nicer because you have your trousers on this time. Are you alright? Your hands are trembling.”
Despite Emma’s assuring words he blushed even more. “This is my girlfriend, Emma,” he offered.
“How nice to meet you, Emma. And congratulations,” she said warmly, in reference to the very obvious bump, and then she turned her attention back to Jack.
“I didn’t want to miss this, Jack, it sounded like a lot of fun. What you’re all doing is fantastic and I’ve never had as many emails as I did after your previous interview. You really struck a chord with people.”
Jack smiled apprehensively.
“Now, I’m just going to ask you a few general questions, right?” she said reassuringly. “And although it’s live, you’ll be fine, yeah? Just fine.”
Emma was always nervous for Jack. While he was articulate and confident, she always worried that he’d fluster and say something… stupid. He was useless with silence and tried to fill it with whatever came into his head. He’d put so much hard work into the event and she was concerned that he wouldn’t get the opportunity to properly convey his thoughts. She was impressed with Scarlett; she was beautiful and dressed immaculately. Emma could certainly understand her appeal to the male audience.
She was too anxious to listen and she was worried about distracting Jack and so, as the interview started, Emma moved to a suitable distance.
It was easy to get complacent, but in that moment, she took stock of what was unfolding around her. The arena was heaving, with happy faces everywhere. It had exceeded all expectations and she knew it was something that would be talked about on the Island for years to come.
Sensing the interview was coming to a close, she eased herself back into earshot where Jack was now in full flow and gesticulating excitedly, utilising his arms for further emphasis.
“And that’s why you should come back next year, Scarlett,” he said with an artificial laugh. “Oh, and just on cue, if you look at the track, my grandad will be coming around on his next lap. He’s eighty-three,” Jack said proudly.
“Jack, there’s one eager competitor who appears to be in a mobility scooter,” Scarlett pointed out.
“We know. We think she got a bit confused and joined the wrong race, but, her battery will run out soon, and look at her face, she’s having a brilliant time, so we’ll leave her to it! Ah. Here he comes now,” said Jack as Grandad rounded the bend.
The camera panned away from Jack as Scarlett continued to provide commentary on the event. Grandad was now firmly at the rear of the pack having been lapped several times, but he still had the remnants of a smile on his face. Ever the showman, he could see that the camera was pointing in his direction and raised his left hand, extending his thumb as he progressed by. He held his hand in the air for a few moments, before quickly retracting it. His pace slowed noticeably in a split second and he developed a pained expression. Grandad stopped on the spot and arched his shoulders forwards.
“Grandad!” shouted Jack. “Are you okay??”
Grandad now had his hands clutched on his chest as he writhed in agony. Jack turned away from the camera and sprinted towards the running track. It was like slow motion, like he was running in treacle and the faster he ran the slower he progressed.
Grandad was now slumped over the advertising hoardings, scratching at his chest. Those around him were now aware and started to move towards him. Jack screamed at a nearby ambulance and the paramedics moved immediately into action.
“Give him space!” shouted Jack, as several people stood around him. “Shit, shit… Grandad, I’m here.”
The paramedics cleared a space and tried to make Geoffrey comfortable. “Please let us work,” they said to Jack. “I’m sorry, but you’ll help him more if you stand over there.”
Emma arrived and took Jack by the hand. “He’s in the best hands, Jack, let them help him,” she said encouragingly.
Jack paced back and forth like a crazed animal. Emma scooped him up and held him as he put his hand over his mouth, shaking his head. He stared at Emma for a moment and he looked crushed.
“Grandad, don’t you bloody leave me!” he shouted as Emma hugged him tightly.
.
Chapter Sixteen
T he athletic events continued uninterrupted as additional paramedics arrived, working frantically on Grandad. Jack was despondent, and just stood staring. Ray talked in his ear, assuring him that Grandad was a fighter, but Jack couldn’t take anything in, as his entire focus was on willing his grandad to respond. Through the crowd of medics stood around him, he could see that they’d removed Grandad’s shirt and were now focussed on his chest.
“He must have had a heart attack,” said Jack so softly the words barely passed over his lips.
They appeared to be getting more physical with Grandad, pulling and pushing him.
“What are they bloody doing to him!” said Jack, getting more frustrated.
Jack had enough and marched towards them. As he approached, one of the team turned to him. “Are you a family member?” he asked.
“I’m his grandson. Is he okay?”
“I’m not sure how to tell you this…”
“What! Just bloody tell me, will he be okay?” Jack said, getting more animated.
The medic had a grave look on his face.
“Right. Well there’s no way to sugar-coat this, I’m afraid…”
“Yes??” Jack pleaded.
“… but your grandad was wearing a bra.”
Jack stared at the fellow like he had two heads. He looked away, and then back again.
“What… I don’t… I don’t understand. Look, you’ll need to start making some sense or you’ll soon need a paramedic yourself.”
“Your grandad is fine, relax. He was simply wearing a bra under his running suit and it would appear that the wire had burst through the fabric and dug into his chest. There’s a spot of blood but otherwise he’s none the worse for wear.”
“So he’s not had a heart attack?”
The medic was now struggling to retain his professionalism, fighting mightily against a grin that was intent on overtaking his face.
“No, he’s fine. Although I’m not sure this pattern is best for his skin colour,” he said, holding aloft a tatty-looking pale-pink padded bra — which had the hint of a metal wire poking through.
“That’s it? That small bit of wire is what I thought was a heart attack?”
“Yes… Here, then. You keep the bra and we’ll leave you to give him some lingerie advice.”
“I’ll bloody kill him, the stupid old bugger!” Jack said. And, then, after regaining a degree of composure, “Look, thank you anyway.”
“At your service,” said the paramedic, quivering like a blancmange from a case of the silent giggles.
Emma was
relieved as Jack showed her the bra. Jack looked away and the emotion burst out of him as tears ran down his cheeks. She took him in her arms.
“He’s going to be fine”
“I know he’s fine, but I thought that was it. I thought he’d gone.” Jack was holding the bra tightly, almost affectionately, like a childhood teddy bear.
Emma looked at it a little closer and laughed.
“What. Why are you—?”
“I know whose bra that is!” she exclaimed.
Jack looked concerned. “If you tell me it’s one of yours that he’s stolen, then me and Grandad will be having words.”
“No,” she said, laughing. “That’s the same one that Ray had used when he went cycling. The padded one to stop the bones in his bum hurting.”
It took a moment to register, but as soon as it did, Jack threw the bra to the ground. Grandad, for his part, was back on his feet and putting his shirt back on. He knew he was going to have a few difficult questions to handle, so decided the wisest course of action would be to discretely slip back into the race.
Jack picked the bra back up and stomped over, intercepting him.
“Firstly, I’m glad you’re okay,” Jack said, giving Grandad a warm embrace. The relief he felt was overwhelming. “A bloody bra, though. What on earth are you doing wearing a bra? And particularly one that Ray had stuffed down his underpants??”
Grandad was a bit flustered. “It was his idea,” he said, pointing at a fairly-pleased-with-himself-looking Ray.
Jack was confused. “What? Ray told you to wear a bra? … Why?”
“It was my nipples. They felt like they were on fire. My shirts were rubbing on them when I went out jogging and they ended up red-raw. Soppy sod here suggested covering them with something.”
Ray stepped forward. “To be fair, Geoffrey,” he said tut-tutting, “I meant a plaster or something. Not a woman’s bra, clearly.”
Geoffrey rubbed his nipples.
“It was working well, until that wire burst out and stabbed me in the chest. I thought I’d been shot.”
Emma reached into her bag and retrieved a packet of plasters. “Grandad, do you want to try these blister plasters? They might work.”
He reached inside his top and grimaced as his hands made contact with his delicate skin. “I’ll give them a go, Emma, can’t be any worse than they are now. It feels like they’ve had acid poured on them.” He was now lagging quite far behind in the race but his determination was as strong as ever. Undaunted, he said, “Right. I need to get going again.”
As Geoffrey braced himself to burst into a trot, Jack leaned forward and called out, “Don’t forget your bra!” throwing it with precision. It landed perfectly on Grandad’s face and covered his eyes like the mask of a deviant superhero.
Grandad, having started to jog off but now suddenly blinded by the fabric of Jack’s parting gift, ran directly into the path of the confused woman in the mobility scooter. She swerved to avoid contact and beeped a shrill-sounding horn on her dashboard. “Get out of the way, you senile pervert!” she screamed and, as she passed, she scowled at Geoffrey and extended her wrinkled middle finger as a parting gesture.
Jack watched as Grandad disappeared, slowly into the distance, and started to laugh, though more in relief now than in humour. “Come on,” he said to the others. “Let’s go and watch the javelin.”
Scarlett Redfern caught up with them, and once again Jack blushed like a schoolboy.
“Your Grandad took quite a turn. I hope he’s alright?” Scarlett offered kindly.
“He’s fine, thank you for asking. He had… em, a touch of heartburn, as it happened. But he’s running again.”
Emma smiled and didn’t say a word.
“I meant to ask, Scarlett,” Jack continued. “And you’re welcome to say no, of course, but would you help us present the medals shortly? Kelvin Reed is also coming to help us but it would be lovely if you could as well, if you could see your way clear.”
“I’d be honoured, I really would!” she said enthusiastically. “I’ve had a fantastic day, it’s such a beautiful island and the people are amazing. I mean, look how many people have turned up and stayed. They’ve not just turned up to see their relative and left, they’ve stayed to support everyone else, it’s wonderful.”
“So, you’d come back next year?” asked Emma.
“In a heartbeat,” Scarlett replied. “And if you do it again, please get in touch and I’ll make sure we do a feature on the breakfast show.”
“Not a problem at all,” Emma assured her.
“I’d love it if you’d both come onto the show in the next couple of weeks? I’m sure people would be desperate to hear how it all turned out for you and maybe we could bring a couple of members from the club on and perhaps they could share their experiences?”
Jack looked at Emma, and Emma nodded her head in agreement. “Yes… we’d love to, and I’m sure we’d be inundated with members wanting to share their stories. We may need to wait, though, for this one to make an appearance,” he said, placing his hand on Emma’s belly.
The afternoon’s events were drawing to a close and the 100 metres race was the final event, though the half marathon was still continuing, however, with a number of the backmarkers continuing with stoic determination.
As the remaining field events had concluded, the entire audience converged on the running track. The sound of enthusiastic encouragement was awe-inspiring as the competitors for the 100 metres stood on the start line. Small children stared with admiration as the adults began to clap rhythmically. The clapping spread, and before long over three thousand people were clapping — like a slow drum beat.
There were eight runners, some of whom looked apprehensive. Many of them were former competitive athletes who, even at the height of their career, had never found themselves in front of such a crowd. There were seven men and one woman and, despite their advancing years, they were each of them in trim condition and well fit.
“I wouldn’t stand a chance against that lot,” said Jack. “Not hardly.”
The sound of the crowd all but drowned out the sound of the starting pistol and the athletes must have been buoyed by the electric atmosphere. One of the visiting athletes was first to cross the line. The first thing he did once they’d crossed the finish as well was to round up the other runners and turn towards the crowd. He started a Mexican Wave, which started cautiously before erupting around the track.
It was difficult to not be caught up in the moment and volume increased drastically throughout the stadium.
“I think it’s safe to say that everyone has had a good day!” shouted Emma over the noise of cheering. She placed a kiss on Jack’s cheek. “Well done, it’s been amazing!”
Kelvin had flown back early from filming in Scotland to present the medals and his appearance was appreciated. He was surrounded by mature ladies from the moment he arrived. “What an event, Jack, truly exceptional!”
The brass band once again played a rousing fanfare as the staff wheeled out the stage for the medal presentation. The athletes milled around chatting and congratulating each other and it was clear that the event had been enjoyed by those involved.
Kelvin picked up the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. I think you should all give yourselves a warm round of applause for making today what’s been a very special day. I’ve not been on the Island for too long, but what I’ve seen here, today, is something wonderful, and I doubt you would get anything like it anywhere else. It genuinely feels like I’m stood with one big, giant happy family. I’d also like you to take a moment to appreciate the amazing athletes, who, let’s be honest, have been truly inspirational!”
The crowd were eager to comply, and without complaint showed their appreciation to the grateful athletes who revelled in the attention.
“It would be remiss of me if I didn’t take a moment to recognise the Lonely Heart Attack Club. The majority of you here today know what the club is and w
hat it stands for. It’s a wonderful institution, and one that I’m delighted to say has now stretched beyond this wonderful island. The club is there to provide a place where the elderly, the vulnerable, or even just those looking for a bit of company, can find a friend or someone to talk to.
“It is humbling to visit one of these clubs and see the value that something like this can do to a community. It is because of the club that so many wonderful people are here, today, enjoying what is an amazing day. And I would be further remiss if I didn’t bring up here two — soon to be three — very special people who I’m proud to also call friends. It was their vision, their passion, and their dedicated work that made all of this possible. They are an inspiration, and I’m very pleased to introduce you to Jack… and Emma.”
Jack was blushing again, but this time not down to the womanly charms of a TV presenter. He and Emma reluctantly approached the stage and accepted the appreciation. Kelvin thrust the microphone in Jack’s face and prompted a speech. He looked at Emma desperately, but she, naturally being the wiser of the two, was quick to take a step back and leave him to it.
After a moment or two to work out what he’d say, Jack soldiered through. “Look,” he said, addressing those in attendance, “I can’t really say anything that Kelvin hasn’t already articulated. Today is really about you, all of you. It’s easy to think negatively about people and about society in general. But it’s my belief that this is the exception rather than the rule, and you only need look around you to see that there is good in people. We have selfless people that volunteer their time and services, and, on that point, I’d like to thank those that helped today — the staff at the NSC, the paramedics, those helping to collect tickets, and absolutely everyone involved in making today special.
“Take a moment each day or each week to think about how you can make a difference in someone else’s life. It could be as easy as looking in on an elderly neighbour or saying hello to someone over the garden fence — it needn’t be a dramatic gesture, but it doesn’t take much to make someone else happy.”