Pam lived in the same building as my other two baby mamas, Ashley and Scarlet. While I was glad they spent time together, I was worried about my dad’s ‘demise’ comment. Surely, I hadn’t done anything to make them irritated with me.
“I’ve been thinking,” I said to change the topic.
Dad reached over and felt my forehead.
“Just checking to see if you were sick.”
Dad imagined he was a comedian. I didn’t even reward him with an eye roll; that would only encourage him.
“Remember when we all got together because I wanted to leave a legacy of excellence, and we laid out our plans to make Lincoln High special?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“We’ve put a lot of the plan in place, like the Field House. We also talked about building a legacy that would continue after I graduate. I’ve got an idea for the older guys to act as mentors, sort of like all the ones I’ve been lucky enough to have. I’d like to see us pass down our insights to the younger boys with the idea that they would do the same when they became seniors.”
“Sort of like a big-brother type of arrangement?” Dad asked.
“Yes, that sort of thing. For example, I plan to work with Phil and Trent and share my knowledge on how to play quarterback.”
Dad got thoughtful for a moment.
“It might be a good time to get more people involved to help you plan this. We really haven’t looked beyond what we’ve put in place already. It’s time we plan what’s next. Do you want me to set it up?” he asked.
Sometimes, I didn’t fully appreciate my dad. He’d heard tidbits of my idea and already taken it and was running with it. When he mentioned getting others involved, it made me realize that I needed to open my mouth more often. I had to share my thoughts because I didn’t always have all the answers.
Did I just think that? That couldn’t be right. My mom had pointed out on more than one occasion that I thought I knew everything. As a teenager, I had to acknowledge that my mom was right on that count.
“That would be great. I’m sure they might have more ideas,” I said.
Mom came in to get me. She’d picked out photos and the part of the drone video she liked. I helped her cut that down by about half, and we made the video for her website. It turned out we only used a small portion of the drone footage. We used it as an intro to show the farm, and then it soared over the house and captured a glimpse of all the outbuildings and the land behind it.
The rest of the video was composed of the still photos my mom had taken. I had her add some introductory graphics and showed her how to do the soundtrack. At the end was a call to action. By the time we were done, Mom was happy.
Before we finished, I showed her where she could learn more about the movie software. There were online videos that people had put together that presented how to accomplish different tasks step by step. I left her watching a video on how to add her voice so she could describe the property in her own words.
◊◊◊ Tuesday January 24
“Question,” Tim said when he saw me at lunch.
“Answer,” I replied instantly.
“I haven’t asked the question yet, asshole.”
Wolf’s phone chirped, and he looked at it.
“Will you two dumbasses shut up? I just got a message from my mom. She says I got a letter from the NCAA telling me that they’re putting my eligibility on hold until they complete their investigation,” Wolf said.
I said something I can’t repeat.
“Yeah, I agree with David. I bet we all got them today,” Tim said.
“Screw it, I’m hungry. Let’s figure this out after we eat,” Wolf said, making way too much sense.
The three of us got in line. It was another mystery-meat day. Today’s offering had a bit of a green shimmer when the light hit it just right. My stomach threatened to revolt.
“What would it cost me for you to make us sandwiches?” I asked the lunch lady.
I flashed her a twenty, and she snatched it out of my hand and walked into the kitchen.
“He’s handy, sometimes,” Tim said to Wolf.
She came back with ham and cheese subs with a side of potato salad for each of us. Yuri was three people behind us.
“How do they rate?” he complained.
I ignored him, and the three of us made our way to the table.
“You three look about as happy as a vegan at a steakhouse,” Gina said as we sat down.
Cassidy and Dare looked at our lunches and then down at what they’d been served. I didn’t even explain; I just handed her money.
“Come on, Dare. Let’s get something edible,” Cassidy said.
“What’s going on?” Gina asked.
I let Wolf explain that we had a slight snag with the NCAA and that I would get it fixed. I was happy that he didn’t tell her about the money or any of the details.
Dare was back, and he looked uncomfortable.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He pointed to Cassidy. She caught my eye and held up her hand, making the sign that she needed more money. I peeled off a large bill, and Dare grabbed it and hurried over to Cassidy. Ten minutes later, they came back with a variety of subs and a giant tub of potato salad. They’d gotten enough for the whole table and then some.
