CodeY

by Lamar Rutherford

  “Pace! Remember to keep the ball off the field!” Pele shouted to his son.

  Pace was clearly all boy; he would swing as hard as he could every time. Kala, on the other hand, studied how the pros swung and did her best to imitate them. Her swing was already much smoother, what she lacked in strength she made up for in accuracy.

  Pele waved as he saw Cole, Radi, and Radi’s kids walking towards them. Pele smiled to himself, he was sure Cole was the only reason Radi and the kids were close to on time. Otherwise, he knew Radi would be more likely to show up nearer to the middle of the match. Cole probably told him the match started an hour earlier just to get Radi out of the house in a timely fashion.

  “Hey guys. Great to see you,” Pele greeted his guests. Devan, Radi’s oldest son, as usual, barely got out a greeting before he was off to play with Rane. Shanta, Radi’s second child, was still shy and more of an introvert like her mother. She held tightly to her younger brother, Sanji’s, hand. Sanji, on the other hand, was not shy at all. “Hi Uncle Pele, can we go play with Pace and Kala? Are we going to watch polo today? Is Aunt Keece playing? Did you bring any snacks?”

  They all laughed at the barrage of questions. Radi interrupted Sanji to say, “Easy there Tiger, one question at a time. Yes, you can go play with Pace and Kala. Yes, we’re here to watch polo. Yes, Aunt Keece is playing. And you can have snacks later. Go play for now.” Sanji, dragging Shanta with him, took off after Pace and Kala, squealing in excitement.

  Radi continued to Cole and Pele, “Shocking how distinctive they all are. My three kids have totally different personalities. It’s a wonder they came from the same genetics.”

  Cole shook his head in agreement. “I know exactly what you mean.”

  Pele nodded in agreement as well. “Me too. It’s crazy how unique each one is, especially after all our ‘genetics matching’ efforts.”

  “It is weird how we did all this genetics matching, and yet each kid has their own completely different set of skills and flaws,” added Cole.

  “Yes, and no. There are so many possible combinations, it’s almost expected that each is its own unique blend,” added Radi, always the scientist. But he went on to add, rolling his eyes and clearly showing the non-scientific side was having an impact on him as well, “But the differences in their personalities still takes me by surprise!”

  Pele laughed and added his latest case in point to the conversation. “I wish you could have seen Pace and Kala in Peewee polo this morning. First of all, they’re both so little they can barely get their legs around the horses, and of course, the biggest horses are the gentlest, so they’re riding these huge animals. It’s hard to imagine how they get the horse to even notice they’re on them, let alone follow their commands, but that’s another story.

  “Kala literally looks like she’s doing the splits on hers. He has a bit of a grass belly,” Pele added with a chuckle, then continued, “Pace is all about hitting the ball as hard as he can. Kala, on the other hand, is already all about strategy. Their coach doesn’t put them on the same team because Kala is so good at knowing where Pace is going to hit that she anticipates and gets there way ahead of the others. Then, if she can’t dribble it in, Pace follows her and whacks it in. It’s hilarious. The other Peewee players don’t stand a chance. But the funniest was today. Kala was headed for a ball and her opponent was coming up, at a vicious trot mind you, and Kala intentionally pulled back so her opponent, who could not stop her mount quickly enough, fouled Kala. Kala intentionally drew the foul! And on top of that, she held up her mallet like the pros when they get fouled! She’s six and she’s already drawing fouls! You should have seen the coach’s face. He had to call the foul, but he could hardly keep a straight face. He glanced over at Keece and me. Of course, we were no help because we were practically doubled over with laughter. So funny! But Pace would never have thought to do that. He would have simply whacked the ball and probably hit the other player. They have totally different approaches to almost everything.”

  Cole and Radi could see how much Pele enjoyed his kids. They exchanged an uncomfortable glance, as if Pele had confirmed their suspicions. This did not go unnoticed by Pele. He wondered what it was about. Unfortunately, he did not always trust Radi these days. Sometimes Pele thought he sensed some kind of resentment from Radi, almost as if he was envious of Pele’s happy life. But before Pele could muse further, Cole commented, “That must be such a hoot to watch. Can you imagine if we started that young?”

  Pele teased Cole, “Yah, if that were the case you might have actually scored a goal in your polo career!”

  Cole, playfully defensive, shot back, “Hey! I scored plenty of goals! Especially off you! At least when Luca was keeping the ball from you.”

  Pele groaned, shaking his head. “Oh, those were the days!”

  As they all laughed, Keece rode up on a beautiful palomino and greeted them. She was clearly happy to see Cole. She welcomed Radi enthusiastically as well, but he was a regular fixture in their lives, they saw him at least every other weekend at their children’s’ soccer events, if not more often, because their kids all went to the same schools.

  “So glad you could make it out for a visit Cole!” Keece said. “Pele filled me in a little on why. Sorry to hear about you and Ava, but I'm sure you’ll work out what's best for both of you and the kids.”

  Pele admired how his wife so often managed to express empathy without judgment.

  Cole clearly did not want to dwell on his news. He gave Keece a big warm grin and deftly shifted the topic. “Quite a handsome pony you’re on there. Looks like a bit of a step up from some of our favorite old school mounts.”

  Keece chuckled. “Well, it’s hard to compete with those trusty steeds, but Lemon Meringue here is a pretty fun ride.”

  The polo school ponies were often great steady horses, but as players got better, they usually needed horses that were quicker, more agile, and considered “hotter” for the faster-paced play.

  “Lemon Meringue?” asked Cole with a quizzical look.

  Keece and Pele both laughed. Keece explained, “Yes, Lemon Meringue. A year or so ago, we started letting the kids help name the ponies. Dessert became a very popular theme. Especially when we decided we would celebrate anytime one of my ponies won “Best Playing Pony” in a match by having that dessert. It soon became a big problem that my ponies were not winning “Best Playing Pony” in every match. So, the kids thought it only fair that they be able to nominate their own choice for “Best Playing Pony” for any match I played in. We’ve had a lot of dessert since then!” Everyone chuckled at the explanation.

  Pele added, “Yes, but the funniest part is that Keece’s favorite dessert is a Napoleon pastry. But she refuses to name any of her horses Napoleon because it reminds her too much of poor old grey Napoleon. Do you remember him? The one that no one could get to move at more than a snail’s pace?”

  “But boy could he stop!” chimed in Cole. “Oh God, who could forget old Napoleon? He was a classic.”

  Napoleon had been a wonderful training pony for beginners, but once you got into anything over a slow canter, there was no hope. He was determined to go at his own leisurely pace. Keece would get especially frustrated. They all used to joke that the only time Keece would curse on the field was when she was trying to get Napoleon to gallop.

  Radi, who was already familiar with the dessert name stories, encouraged Keece to continue, “Tell him the other names. They’re great.”

  “Well, currently we have Key Lime Pie, a light chestnut, Oreo, my paint, Cheesecake the grey. She’s a little chubby,” Keece added with a wink.

  Cole rolled his eyes, obviously enjoying the ridiculous naming scheme.

  Keece continued, “And then there’s Ice Cream. There was a little dissension amongst the troops on this one. No one could agree on a favorite kind of ice cream, so we went with the fairly generic Ice Cream.”

  “Excellent choice,” confirmed Cole.

  “She plays real
ly well according to the kids because she wins “Best Playing Pony” almost every match. She often gets votes even when I don’t play her!” Keece added sarcastically. Then in a sympathetic amused tone, “The one I feel sorry for is Key Lime Pie. She, according to the kids, never plays well because she never gets voted in.”

  Everyone chuckled at poor Key Lime’s plight.

  Keece continued, now teasing Cole, “So when are we going to see you back in the saddle?”

  Everyone giggled at the subtle double entendre.

  “Unfortunately, I'm not sure I'll be back in any saddle anytime soon,” replied Cole.

  “Maybe you should try it. You never know who you might meet,” joked Keece, referring to how she met Pele.

  Pele, Radi, and Cole all laughed, seemingly at her comment, but also because they knew Pele and Keece's meeting at polo was not completely by chance, but instead contrived as part of their CodeY scheme. Of course, they never told Keece and hoped she never found out.

  Keece headed back onto the field to play, and the men settled in to enjoy the game, the kids preoccupied with entertaining each other.

  “Beverages gentlemen?” offered Pele reaching into the cooler.

  “If you insist,” replied Radi as he settled into one of the folding chairs set out under the canopy.

  “Ah, this brings back many good memories. San Diego is a magical place. I do miss it,” sighed Cole, clearly reminiscing about happier times.

  “You know we’d love to have you back, man,” Pele stated and clinked bottles with him.

  “Thanks,” answered Cole sincerely. “Can’t do it now, but ya never know what the future might hold. I do love it here…and not just for the polo!” he added with a grin.

  The match started behind them and soon they were eagerly cheering on Keece’s team. Her pro, Cooper Jackson, was ranked a 3-goaler, originally from New Zealand. He’d come to the US many years ago and had been on the pro circuit ever since.

  Cooper was an excellent strategic player and an involved, helpful coach. He was always telling his players where to be, but he was also great at getting them the ball. Typical of most Kiwis, he would seldom show emotion in the midst of a play, but if he felt he or one of his players had been wronged, he would find a way to get even, usually with a subtle sarcastic quip, timed perfectly to completely unsettle his opponent. Keece loved teasing him about these taunts. She also appreciated his coaching, and today was no exception. Pele, Cole and Radi were all laughing at Cooper’s energetic commentary as he tried to get his players in the right positions.

  It was a 4-goal tournament, Keece was ranked a zero; the others on her team were James, a one-goaler, and her longtime friend Sidney, who was also a zero. Keece loved to joke about how, in polo, players were actually excited to be a zero. Rankings in polo started out at -1B, then advanced to a -1A, -.5, and then zero, so it was actually an accomplishment to become a zero. But, of course, it sounded ridiculous.

  Keece was the main sponsor for the team, Team Vesta.Fit, named after her virtual reality exercise company.

  The teams were tied up five goals, each going into the fourth and final chukker. Idle chatter between the men had stopped as they watched the teams battle intently in the last period for victory.

  Keece was on Key Lime Pie, who, despite the kids' biased opinions, was really Keece’s favorite and best pony. Keece and the horse seemed to have a special bond. Pele thought back on when Keece bought Key Lime. She had taken a short weekend trip to a polo club outside of Mexico City. She had played in a tournament in the morning and was watching the Sunday afternoon 8-goal match when the patron of one of the teams, Rex Rubin fell off. It was not a terrible fall. He had really simply lost his balance when the horse turned faster than he expected. But he had hit his head and appeared to have a mild concussion, so they took him to the hospital. They asked Keece to step in for him. Keece willingly filled in. She and the horse seemed to form an instant bond. Before anyone realized what was happening, she had scored twice on the pony. With her two-goal contribution the team went on to win the match. The horse would probably have gotten “Best Playing Pony,” except the officials had enough sense not to vote for it after it had unseated one of the high paying patrons.

  When Keece brought the horse back to the stalls, the patron’s groom asked Keece in his broken English, “You like?”

  Keece did her best to respond in Spanish, which was as broken as his English. “Yes, love her,” she said enthusiastically as she stroked the mare’s forehead. “She’s fantastic!”

  The groom continued, looking almost concerned, but hopeful, “Buy her?”

  Keece was puzzled for a minute. Would the patron really sell this wonderful horse to her? The horse obviously loved to play and was so responsive and fast, better than any pony she had ever ridden. Keece asked curiously to the groom, “For sale?”

  He shrugged in a non-committal fashion. “Maybe after today. You are a much better rider for this horse.”

  At least that is what Keece thought he said, between the mix of English, Spanish, and hand signals.

  Keece suddenly understood; the horse was not a good fit for the patron. The pony did turn on a dime, which was an advantage for Keece, but could unseat a less adept rider. Keece had been riding for so long that she instinctively moved with the horse, but a greener rider could find those quick turns challenging. Probably exactly why the owner had ended up on the ground that day. Keece was suddenly very excited. If she was ever going to get a horse this talented for a reasonable price, this was probably the right time to ask. She gave the groom a big grin and a thumbs-up and immediately headed for the clubhouse.

  The deal was done quickly, as soon as the patron was back from the hospital. Keece now had the best horse she had ever owned for a very fair price. The pony arrived in San Diego a few weeks later, at which point heavy family discussions began about her name.

  The horse had a star and short pie-shaped blaze on her forehead, so Keece thought Key Lime Pie was the obvious choice. The kids, having never tasted a Key Lime Pie, were suspect, especially based on the fact that it had tart limes in it. They suggested Apple Pie, but Keece had already had a pony called Apple Strudel, so that was too confusing. “Apple” had been donated to the polo school, so they still saw her on a regular basis. Cherry, Blueberry and Blackberry Pies were also ruled out based on color. Keece insisted Cherry should be a roan, Blueberry a blue roan, and Blackberry obviously had to be black. Key Lime was a warm chestnut brown so, she clearly did not qualify. Keece, hoping to garner support, searched all over town for the best Key Lime Pie she could find. Maybe because this was San Diego and not the deep south, where Key Lime Pie was “done right,” the one she found was only marginally acceptable, definitely no competition for Ice Cream.

  Regardless, the name stuck, but she was frequently unfairly dinged in the Best Playing Pony contest simply on name alone. At least the whole family got a good chuckle out of it, every time Ice Cream was voted in again. Keece did draw the line if Ice Cream had not played.

  As the fourth chukker began, the opposing team won the throw-in and started rushing towards their goal. Keece thwarted the player in the lead with a good hook, Sidney was right behind her and hit a great open back shot towards the right. Key Lime saw the ball before Keece and did a marvelous roll back turn, sliding onto her haunches and pivoting around in the opposite direction towards the ball. She was so quick that she and Keece were turned and away well ahead of the opposing players. Keece got off a great shot down the right side of the field. Another hit, and they were only a few yards away, to the left of the goal. Keece reached forward and made a great nearside neck shot. The ball just grazed the inside of the goal post as it went in. The crowd went wild, Team Vesta.Fit was now in the lead by one.

  The players headed back to center, lining up for the throw-in, only a minute left in the chukker. There was a moment of chaos as both teams fought aggressively for the ball. The teams fought aggressively, but the chukker ended without any mo
re scoring. Team Vesta.Fit won the game. Keece’s fan club went wild! She rode over to celebrate with them, her groom intercepting her to take Key Lime Pie back to the stables.

  Chapter 4

  “Cole?”

  “Hey Rad, how goes it?” It was time for their monthly call regarding CodeY.

  “Good, good. You? Did you enjoy your trip out here?” asked Radi.

  “Absolutely. I do love SD. Thanks for a good time, as always. Pele on yet?” answered Cole.

  Radi hesitated. “No, I didn’t send him the meeting reminder. You know how busy he is these days. Besides, I wanted to discuss something with you without him.”

  Cole was surprised. He couldn’t remember a time when they’d had a call without Pele. “Really?” he answered skeptically, “What’s up?”

  Radi, paused and then jumped in, “Well, you know when we did the rabbit experiments how important the hardship factor was?”