Final Season by Tim Green

Final Season by Tim Green

Author:Tim Green
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2021-07-08T00:00:00+00:00


44

Sunday was the first day off from practice.

Ben had Tuna and a few other teammates over for a sleepover. They played Xbox until midnight and horsed around until all hours before finally falling asleep. So when Ben felt someone tugging on his big toe, he said, “Tuna, no. Stop.”

The tugging only got harder.

Ben threw the sleeping bag off his head, kicked his feet, and cried, “Enough, man!”

A hand grabbed his ankle, a big hand with a weak grip. His dad pushed a finger to his own lips. “Shh. Church.”

“Aww, Dad.”

“It’s the last time for a while. We’ve got games until November.” His dad gave him a sad look, shrugged, and walked out.

Ben pulled the covers back over his head and closed his eyes. He was determined to go back to sleep, but it wasn’t five minutes before he swept away his covers and reluctantly crawled out of the sleeping bag.

Upstairs, he found his dad at the kitchen table with a steaming mug of coffee. “Hey, you’re up.”

The joy on his dad’s face rewarded him more than he felt he deserved. It wasn’t a big deal, going to church. He didn’t totally get the whole thing, but his dad took a strange delight in having Ben with him. He’d lean down to whisper in Ben’s ear from time to time, mostly explaining things that Ben had heard before. Afterward, his dad would take him to the bakery for whatever he wanted.

He knew the church duty had fallen on his brothers and sisters as they were growing up. They had a four-man rotation growing up, sometimes five when their mom would break down and go with him, even though she was Jewish. He figured that’s why his dad didn’t force him to go, since there was no longer any rotation to speak of.

“Yeah,” Ben said. “We turned in at midnight, but then we talked for a while.”

His dad smiled. “Uh-huh.”

“Can I wear my sneakers?”

“Your new ones. And pants!” His dad raised his voice because Ben was already around the corner. “And a collared shirt!”

Outside on the church steps, they were greeted by the reverend. “Good morning, Ben. Good morning, John. I hear your team is looking good.”

“Hi, Craig. We are. Hopefully an undefeated season this year.”

The reverend wore a look of genuine concern, no doubt because of his dad’s slurred speech. “John, I, umm, noticed the cane. Is everything all right?”

Ben knew his dad was good friends with the reverend, that his dad had coached the reverend’s son when he’d coached the high school wrestling team for Raymond. So Ben expected a full confession from his dad.

“Just another old football injury.”

Ben looked up at his dad’s face. He wore no sign of shame. Ben wanted to ask how his father could lie to the reverend like that, but he didn’t dare.

They sat in the back corner, as always. His dad took the bulletin handed to them at the door and began to read. He wouldn’t raise his head unless someone stopped and greeted him, some he obviously knew and some he didn’t.



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