by Glenn Parker
“Come on you guys,” Benny yelled. “We can do it. We’ve proved that now. Let’s get out there and win this one.”
There was a spontaneous roar as they burst through the door for the final period.
The pace had slowed somewhat during the second period but the tempo of the game returned to what it had been in the first period. Brush was obviously counting on the superior conditioning of his club to overwhelm the Blades. The puck went from end to end with neither team able to score the next all-important goal.
With six minutes left in the game, a speedy Husky winger took a pass from his centre man and broke in on the wing. Larry Domico forced him to go around the net, but as he emerged from the other side, he faked a pass to centre and then flipped the puck into the corner of the net between Jake and the pipes.
A groan went up from the crowd. The dreaded tying goal had been scored. Only a monumental effort by this tired hometown club could bring about a win now.
Several hairbreadth misses by the Huskies in the dying minutes of the game caused the crowd some moments of apprehension. Their “Go Blades Go” chant wasn’t quite as resounding as it had been earlier as the crowd could sense the game slipping away. Not one fan, however, had left his seat. They were going to see this game to the end, win or lose. And win or lose, their club had shown itself to be a courageous and plucky bunch worthy of the admiration of any fans.
With less than thirty seconds on the clock, the teams faced off in Husky territory to the right of their goal tender. The puck was dropped. Ackerman got the draw and dropped the puck back to his defenseman, Bill Buller. Buller moved in, then passed over to Arnie Lockhart who was in the clear. Lockhart blasted the puck into a maze of players in front of the net. It hit several of them before ending up on Garry’s stick at the side of the net. A quick flick of the wrist and the puck was in.
There were only eight seconds left in the game.
A thunderous roar went up from the crowd as they realized what had happened. The players hugged each other around the net. Several fans jumped over the boards and started across the ice thinking the game was over. The loudspeaker was drowned out by the crowd.
It was ten minutes before the ice was cleared of spectators and debris. The puck was dropped. Ackerman got the draw and fired the puck into his own zone. By the time his defenseman had retrieved the puck, the game was over.
Brush came across the ice to shake Lew’s hand. He winked at Don. “You guys played a great game. They deserve to keep you. And I take back everything I said about this being a bush league.”
The crowd stood and applauded as the teams skated to the dressing rooms. Lew was smiling and shaking hands as he followed. In the dressing room pandemonium prevailed. The players in their excitement almost took the room apart.
“We did it, we did it guys. We showed them,” Garry yelled and once more the team enacted the ritual of hoisting the goalie, Jake Cuthbert, onto their shoulders and marching around and around the room.
Don felt exhilarated. He knew the game would be a highlight in his career, something he would remember proudly and tell his children about. The fans of Fairmore would talk about this game for years to come and the age-old debate would continue about which league was the better one, junior or intermediate. Not many would side with intermediate, but on this night, they proved something both to themselves and to their fans. Yes, they had played over their heads, and maybe they had gotten lucky, but wasn’t that what happened sometimes in sports? Sometimes the underdogs became the giant-killers.
Best of all, Don thought, he would be staying around Fairmore to share in their victory and help the team out. Fairmore was his kind of town and he had no intention of leaving it for some time.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
There were people everywhere, fans and players alike at Lew’s party after the game. Don’s hand was sore from being shaken. He felt as though he had personally met every citizen of Fairmore and then some.
The talk naturally centered on the hockey game. Plays were rehashed and evaluated — everyone had his own opinion about why the team had won that night.
Don enjoyed the self-indulgence as much as anyone, perhaps more, since he was the central figure in so many of the discussions.
As the house began to fill up, Don yearned to get away. At the first opportunity, he grabbed his coat and made for the door.
“You’re not going already, are you?” he heard someone say and turned to see Jennifer standing with a bowl of popcorn in her hands.
“I was just going to get some air,” he said. “It’s getting a bit close for me.”
“Just a minute and I’ll come with you,” she said. She put the bowl on the table and disappeared into the hallway. When she reappeared, she was wearing her coat.
Outside, she steered Don over to her car. “Let’s go for a ride.”
It was a clear, cold night with a full moon. Fairmore looked eerie and deserted at this hour as they drove up the main street.
“You played a wonderful game tonight, Don. Daddy was so pleased. I haven’t seen him this excited for years.”
“I’m glad. He’s earned it.”
She turned to him. “We owe a lot to you. If it hadn’t been for you, none of this would have happened.”
“You can thank Garry,” Don said. “It was his brainstorm. He was responsible for getting the Huskies to come here in the first place by challenging Brush like he did. It was a stroke of genius.”
She smiled. “He’s changed so much. I can hardly believe it. He’s not the same person.” She paused. “It’s because of you, you know. He respects you. I think he wanted to prove to you that he wasn’t just a hockey bum.”
“Whatever his reasons, I’m glad he’s back to his old self again. It hardly seems possible that at one time he would only speak to me in grunts.”
Jennifer stopped the car on the hill overlooking the town. The eeriness was even more pronounced from here. The lights from Jennifer’s house could be seen in the distance.
“He’s…he’s asked me to accept his ring back,” she said, not looking at him. “He wants us to be engaged again.”
Don looked over at her. “Oh?” He felt a stab of disappointment. There had never been anything spoken between them. They had simply been good friends. But Don knew that their next step was one that he had been looking forward to. From the moment he had met her, he had been captivated by both her personality and her appearance. He had been almost certain that she felt the same way.
“What do you think?” she asked.
He sighed. “I’m glad for you — for both of you. I think you’ll make a wonderful couple.” It wasn’t what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her how much he liked her, admired her and hoped that they would become an item, but that wasn’t going to happen. On this night of celebration, Don suddenly felt like all the air had been forced out of his lungs.
She put her hand on his. “Thanks Don. That means a lot to me. I haven’t accepted yet, of course. I told him I would think it over. It’s not an easy decision to make. Once bitten twice shy. But everybody makes mistakes and deserves a second chance don’t you think?”
“I do, and I think he’s a very lucky guy.”
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. It was a friendly gesture, nothing more. Don put his arm around her. “You know something?” he said. “I envy Garry very much.”
“I guess we’d better get back to the party. We wouldn’t want too many tongues wagging now would we?”
The party was still going strong when they got back. Don wondered how he was ever going to make it to work the next day. In six hours he would be getting up.
Jess Abernathy approached Don when they came in the door and shook his hand. “Sorry I wasn’t here earlier,” he said. “But I had some things I had to finish at the yard. That was some performance out there tonight. Congratulations! We were all pulling for you. And don’t worry about coming in tomorrow. You’ve earned a rest.”
“Thanks J
ess,” Don said. “I appreciate that. I’m not very good at anything when I haven’t had my eight hours.”
It was almost light when Garry dropped Don off at the hotel. “Sleep tight,” he said. “See you tomorrow — or should I say today?”
“Right,” Don said. He hesitated. “And congratulations — about you and Jennifer I mean. She’s a great girl.”
“What about us?” he asked.
Don sat down again. Oh, oh, had he breeched a confidence? Perhaps Jennifer wanted Garry to sweat it out for a few days before giving him the good news. It was a little late now to try to backtrack. “About becoming engaged again,” he said.
“Oh. She told you eh? Well, it isn’t exactly official yet. We’ve only talked about it.”
“I’m glad for you,” Don said.
“No hard feelings?”
Don hesitated. “No hard feelings. I admit I like her a lot, but you saw her first.” He managed a smile.
Garry laughed. “You gave me quite a fright there for awhile. I thought you two had something going.”
“So did I”, Don said honestly.
They were silent for a moment before Don roused himself. “Guess we better call it a night before it’s too late.” Don glanced at his watch. “This is about the time I get up. Guess I’m going to miss breakfast today.”
“See you tomorrow,” Garry said.
Don watched him drive away then turned toward the hotel. A bitter feeling of emptiness engulfed him. At a time when he should have felt elated at the evening’s events, he felt only a letdown. It was his own fault, of course. He should have seen the writing on the wall. Jennifer had talked about Garry a lot, praising him, noticing how he had changed for the good. It was all there for him to see, but he had chosen to ignore it.
He tried to put it out of his mind as he made his way up to his room. But he couldn’t. He felt annoyed at himself. After all, his relationship with Jennifer had never advanced beyond hand-holding and friendship. Why then was he experiencing this letdown?
“Women,” he said to himself as he opened the door to his room. He was sure he would never understand them.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Gary helped Don carry his suitcases down the stairs and out to the car. It was a mid-September day with a vestige of summer warmth still in the air. He shook hands with Garry and kissed Jennifer on the cheek. Mrs. Schafer, in a rare moment of affection, came forward and gave Don a hug.
“It’s been a pleasure having you here,” she said. “Don’t be too long in coming back to us.”
He drove away watching the three in his rear-view mirror. They were real friends and he wouldn’t soon forget them. Funny, he thought, how things had been between Garry and him at first and then their becoming the best of friends. There was a lesson there somewhere.
He drove past the arena. It was deserted now, waiting for another hockey season. It wouldn’t have long to wait. In a few weeks the first practice would be called and in less than a month, the roar of the crowd would again be heard coming from its depths.
He wondered as he drove along how the team would do in the upcoming season. He along with a couple of the veterans were the only players who wouldn’t be returning. Lew of course was looking forward to another championship. There was no more talk of relieving him of his coaching position. Any coach who could take a last place team and pull off the league championship had little to worry about.
The turning point had been the victory against the Huskies. There was no beating them after that. The team had gone on to win a good share of its remaining games. The crowds, of course, had stayed with them and Fairmore had returned to the hockey town it had once been when they had won the national title. The sign that stood at the entrance to the town proclaiming the national championship had seen an addition. League champions 2008-2009. And it had plenty of room for expansion.
It was with personal satisfaction that Don recalled his part in the whole thing. He had won the scoring championship for the league with Garry a close second and had been chosen Most Valuable Player as well. That was no mean feat in a league that boasted several ex-pros.
But most important of all, he had found himself both as a hockey player and a person. He had learned to control his temper and take his knocks without flying into a rage. And when a decision went against him, he shrugged it off as best he could and got on with the game. There was no percentage in letting his temper get the better of him. It only succeeded in making him look ridiculous and getting him into a lot of trouble. Hockey was a tough game and presented enough problems without adding to them with a bad attitude. His Blade’s teammates looked up to him. He couldn’t be a leader with an anger management problem.
He took a last look at the town as he turned onto the highway and headed north. The ubiquitous grain elevators flanked the south side of the town like giant statues. But it was different from other prairie towns of similar size. It was this unique quality that he would always remember. It pleased him to know that he would be returning at least once more for Garry and Jennifer’s wedding and he hoped many more times after that.
As he drove along, he thought of Brush. His team had done well also. They had finished second and had won their playoffs. So after all, his part on the team hadn’t been as important as Brush had made out. The appearance of several major league scouts in the Fairmore arena had been a direct result of Brush’s influence. Don had received an invitation to attend a tryout with the newly-formed Saskatoon club’s training camp in a pro league. The first thing he would do when he got to Saskatoon was look up Brush and thank him.
Yesterday he had gone out to say goodbye to Allan and Peg. The cabin had been rebuilt with a lot of improvements, thanks to some of the hockey players and other volunteers. Allan was pleased with it and insisted on paying rent. At first Don had refused but then realized that he was being patronizing so agreed to a nominal rent.
Some of his recent paintings showed a definite improvement and maturity. Don was overwhelmed when Allan presented him with the promised painting. It was a landscape of his property with the old cabin on it. Allan had painted it from memory.
“I’ll follow your career with interest, Don,” he said. “I know you’ll do well. I envy you.”
“I’ll look forward to your first art exhibit in Regina. Never thought I’d turn into an art lover,” he said. “But seeing all those beautiful paintings of yours has been an inspiration.”
How long Allan and Peg would choose to stay on the land, Don didn’t know. It didn’t matter. The cabin would only sit empty. Better that it be lived in than rot away with disuse. Now that Jennifer and Garry were their friends, they had additional reasons to stay.
He recalled Jennifer’s revelation that she and Garry were thinking of getting back together again. It had been a blow. She was something special. And to think that at one time he had suspected her of collusion with her father in bringing him to Fairmore. Now, when he looked back on it, when he had come to really know Jennifer, it seemed preposterous that he could have doubted her. Their wedding date hadn’t been set, but Don promised he would be there if it was humanly possible.
“I’ll be there for sure even if it’s in the hockey season,” he said.
“It won’t be in the hockey season,” Jennifer promised. “I’m not having my honeymoon interrupted by a hockey game.” They all laughed.
Now he was about to begin another phase of his life. He looked forward to his new career, meeting new people, seeing his mother again. It had been a stroke of good luck being offered a tryout with a professional team right in his home town. The old doubts about being unable to control his temper had disappeared. If his experience in Fairmore had taught him anything, it was to have faith in himself, in his abilities. Once a person learned that, there was no limit to what he could achieve. For Don, success was taking pride in what he was doing, in never having to apologize for his actions and living the kind of life that was satisfying and thoughtful.
Now he had no reaso
n to believe that he wasn’t on his way to achieving that goal.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS BY THE AUTHOR
Q: What made you write a story about a promising young junior hockey player who decides to give up the game and then plays intermediate hockey for a small town?
A: Hockey players come in all shapes and sizes and personalities. I really wanted to explore how a young hockey player came to terms with his supposed out-of-control temper.
* * *
Q: Why did you choose a small town in Southern Saskatchewan as your setting?
A: I spent several years in Southern Saskatchewan in my youth and felt that it was the perfect setting for this novel, mainly because I am familiar with that area of Saskatchewan and played hockey there in the 50’s.
* * *
Q. Don Jordan becomes quite paranoid about some of the people he comes to know, thinking they have used him and made money from getting him to play for the local team. Isn’t that a little extreme for a young man of 19 to think along those lines?
A: You have to consider that Don needs a lot of growing up to do when he arrives in Fairmont. He has only recently met some of these people and has yet to feel comfortable that they are looking out for his best interests. Growing up and learning to trust takes time.
* * *
Q: You create almost an immediate conflict between Don and Garry Ackerman. Was this strictly for dramatic purposes?
A: Well, both of these individuals have their own demons and it was perhaps inevitable that they would clash. After all, Garry was the main guy on the hockey team and then along comes Don to replace him. Also, it looks like Don has stolen Garry’s girl friend. There’s plenty of motivation for Garry’s acrimony. It also sets up a pleasant surprise when Ackerman comes to Don’s rescue later in the novel and they become friends.
* * *
Q: It looks like Don and Jennifer are going to become an item and yet at the end of the novel, she goes back to Garry. What is your thinking there?