Authors: Andrew Neiderman
roar of the audience and the sounds of people all around them, Jessie
surmised the gymnasium was ready to burst at its seams.
Henry's saving us seats, Bob said when he joined them in the lobby.
The junior-varsity game had already begun and was in the third quarter.
Jessie heard the cheerleaders chanting.
As they entered the gymnasium the crowd let out a roar.
We just scored, Bob explained. Tracy and he guided her to their seats,
which were right behind Lee and his team.
Lee's way over by the scorer's table, Tracy whispered. He sees us and
is waving.
Jessie lifted her hand.
He's smiling, Tracy said as they arrived at their seats. Henry Young
was waiting.
What a night, what a night, he said, his voice vibrating with
enthusiasm. We're gonna win the junior varsity game. Good omen, eh,
Bob?
Yes, sir, Bob said. Jessie sat between him and Tracy.
Glad you came, Jessie, Henry Young said, squeezing her hand. It's nice
to see wives supporting their husbands. He leaned over to whisper in
her ear. Men need to be stroked. We're all very vulnerable and very
helpless, you know. His breath was hot on her ear.
Yes, she said, smiling. I know. She leaned toward Tracy. Is Marjorie
here? she asked.
No way. She never came to a game, even before her breakdown, Tracy
said. Lee came to their seats before the junior-varsity game ended and
kissed Jessie. This is one helluva crowd, he said, his voice revealing
how impressed he was. Got to get into the locker room and give the boys
their pep talk. Tell them to give 'em hell, Henry advised. Good luck,
honey, Jessie said, squeezing her husband's hands. She felt his sweat
and knew how nervous he was. Her heart pounded in anticipation and she
wished more than ever that she could see. Lee must have gotten to them.
The boys look up for it, Bob began when the team entered the court,
accompanied by a thunderous cheer. Jessie felt the stands rattle and
the floor shake. Ooo, this is exciting, Tracy said.
Lee is talking with the referees. He looks very calm and very handsome.
A good-looking jock, Bob said. He's got that jock arrogance. Look at
how he holds his head. Lee's far from arrogant, Jessie said. Well,
he's swaggering over here, he said when the buzzer sounded. Our varsity
cheerleaders are taking the court. Those are cute uniforms, aren't
they, Trace? Um, she replied quickly. Could you describe them to me?
Jessie asked. I guess they're something like Playboy bunnies with a
ball of black-and-gold cotton on their tight rear ends, eh, Trace? I
guess that's the best way to describe it, Tracy said dryly. I'm
surprised these uniforms were approved she said, loud enough for Henry
Young to hear. But if he had heard her, he didn't respond.
Easy, Trace, Bob said, his voice testy. Jessie sensed a veiled warning.
If Tracy was so prudish she thought, why did she permit such disturbing
decor in her home? I'm only expressing an opinion. I can still do
that, can't I? Tracy asked. Bob ignored her question. The team's
gathered around Lee, Jessie, and he's giving them some last minute
instructions. The boys look fierce, don't they, honey? Like they want
to tear their opponents to pieces, Tracy said. The cheerleaders
introduced the players, ending each introduction with the phrase, He's
our man. If he can't do it, no one can. There was another roar from
the crowd as the players took the court. The referee is tossing the
ball, Bob said. Oh, damn, he exclaimed when the whistle was blown
immediately again. What? Jessie heard the crowd groan. They claim
Hodes pushed his opponent off as he jumped. Can you believe it? They
start the game by giving them a free shot. Jesus. The game continued
and Bob did his play-by-play, priding himself on the accuracy of his
descriptions. Rather quickly, however, the game degenerated into a
shoving match. In the first quarter alone, two of Lee's players and two
of the opponents were ejected for fighting. Then the refs began to call
foul after foul, mostly on Lee's team.
By the end of the first quarter, two more of his starting five were on
the verge of fouling out. Jessie knew enough about the game and Lee's
philosophy of sports to be sure that he was furious with his players. He
began making blanket substitutions, and the team's opponents took a
hefty lead in the second quarter. The crowd began to call for the
starting players again. Even Henry Young chanted names like Benson,
Hodes, Gilmore. Finally, with two minutes left in the second quarter,
Bob put the starters back in, and almost immediately a foul was called
on Gilmore. It was an obvious foul, Gilmore jabbing a boy in the ribs
as he went up for a shot. This time Gilmore turned on the ref. Jessie
was shocked to hear Henry Young booing. A principal, booing the refs?
Moments later Bob said, Gilmore has been booted out, but he's not
getting off the court. Lee's going out there.
Benson has just pushed the refIt's becoming bedlam.
The sight of the ball players losing their tempers appeared to rile up
the crowd even more. Jessie heard spectators jumping off the stands and
onto the court.
Oh no, Tracy said. What's happening? Jessie cried, and seized her arm.
A bit of a riot, Bob said casually. Some of the opponent's team members
are fighting with ours. Lee and a few others are breaking it up.
After what seemed an interminable amount of time, the court was cleared
again. The refs went into a conference with the two coaches and then an
announcement was made declaring the game a forfeit. The booing became
so loud Jessie's ears began to hum. She heard people scrambling madly
all around her.
Oh boy. What a way to lose your first game, Bob said. I'd better lend
a hand. He stepped off the bleachers.
Security had to protect the opposing players from the crowd. Where's
Lee? Jessie asked frantically.
He's going into the locker room with his players, Tracy said, and he
looks furious.
Jessie could hear Henry Young and Bob just below them, encouraging
spectators to leave the gymnasium.
Finally people began to make their way toward the exits, grumbling and
shouting as they departed.
I'll wait for Lee right here, Jessie said. He must be so upset. All
right, Tracy said. Henry Young' s going into the locker room. I'll get
him to tell Lee, she said. Don't worry. I'm sure he's okay. Almost
twenty minutes later, Lee was at her side. The gym had emptied rather
quickly once people had begun leaving. That's what I would call baptism
by fire, Bob quipped. I could have done without it. Some of these fans
were behaving like wild animals, not that I can say my team acted much
better, Lee replied. I'd say the refs here are vastly underpaid. They
should get battle-front bonuses. Bob laughed. You want to go someplace
maybe? Have a drink? he asked them. No, Lee said quickly. I just
want to go home. Sure. Hey, don't take it badly. Look at it this
way-things can only get better, Bob joked. Lee didn't respond.
Jessie felt his tension in his hand. Are you all right? she asked
softly. I will be when I get out of here, he said. What a madhouse, he
added. I told you those boys were undisciplined, he said when they got
into their car. I chewed them up and down and in and out, but they
looked at me as if I'm the one who's undisciplined. Some of them
actually think they did good. Can you imagine? But the worst part is
Henry Young didn't help. In fact, he added to it.
What do you mean? He came in there and interrupted my bawling them out
to tell them he was proud of their aggressiveness, proud of their grit,
proud they showed what they were made of.. "From now on," he said,
'you're the team to fear." Can you imagine? He and I are going to have
a big talk tomorrow. Right now I feel like resigning, he concluded.
Jessie was silent. She could feel Lee's anxiety, his insides tied into
a knot. I'm sorry, she said finally. I know how disappointed you must
be. Disappointed? I'm not disappointed. I'm terrified he said, and
suddenly she realized she was, too.
Jessie awoke to the distinct sound of someone digging, but recognized
that it was some distance away and probably imperceptible to Lee. He
was in a dead sleep any way. She heard his rhythmic breathing. The
digging continued. As quietly as she could, she slipped her legs over
the bed and found her slippers. Then she went to the open window and
listened harder. The digging seemed to get more frenzied. It was
coming from somewhere toward the rear of the cemetery. She didn't move;
she remained still, her ears attuned to the sound of the shovel lifting
and dumping dirt. And then she heard that clear clack of metal against
wood.
In her mind's eye, she envisioned that a grave was being dug up. The
image put a finger of ice on the base of her neck and sent it tracing
along her spine. She shuddered. Grave robbers? Was that it? She
thought she even heard the sound of a coffin being pried open.
She started to gasp and put her fist into her mouth. Lee stirred, but
didn't awaken. He turned on the bed and then his regular breathing
began again.
She listened. Now there were footsteps and they were coming this way,
toward the house. Instinctively she backed away from the window. Then
she walked toward the bedroom doorway and paused to listen again.
eventually she heard the front door of the house open and close, so she
moved forward and attuned her ears to every sound.
Someone was going up the stairway. Mr. Carter? This late at night?
And then there was that shuffling. She had to wake Lee. She just had
to wake him so he could hear it. She started to turn when the sound of
laughter stopped her. It wasn't coming from upstairs; it was coming
from outside. She returned to the window and listened. For a moment
there was only the sound of the wind playing on the leaves, and then . .
. laughter, but laughter that seemed caught up in the wind. It carried
over the house and was gone. All was suddenly very quiet, deadly quiet.
It was too late to wake Lee and he wouldn't believe her now if she told
him what she had heard. She made her way back to the bed. Jessie? Yes.
You all right? She hesitated.
Should she tell him anyway? I'm all right, she said.
Good. He turned over. She lay there listening. The voices were
starting again, only louder this time, sounding like a crowd of people
complaining about something.
They were frightened. She put her hands over her ears and pressed hard.
What is it? she wondered. Why doesn't it stop?
When sleep returned, it was truly an escape.
In the morning it all seemed like it had been a dream.
Lee was already up and dressed. She sat up and tried to remember every
detail. Had it been a dream or had she gotten up out of bed and gone to
that window to hear the digging and then the laughter? The answer
didn't come until she accompanied Lee to the front door after they both
had had breakfast and he was on his way to school.
He kissed her good-bye in the doorway.
I'm sure there will be lots of chatter about last night, he said. The
first thing I'm going to do is get myself an appointment with Henry
Young and let him know what I think of what he did last night. He
sighed. I guess we won't be staying here too much longer after this
year, Jess.
I don't care, Lee. I'm beginning to wish we had never come, she said
firmly. She felt his surprise, felt it travel through his fingers and
into her shoulder, where he still held her. It made him laugh. Then he
kissed her again and turned to go.
Jeez, he said just outside their doorway. She was closing the door and
stopped.
What?
You should see the mess out here. Old man Carter must have tracked in
fifty pounds of mud. I don't know when the hell he did that, Lee added.
It wasn't here when we returned from the game last night, if I can call
that farce a game.
Mud?
Don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll clean it up. He probably does
this often. Lee walked out the front door before she could tell him
about last night. She held the door open a bit longer. A moment later
she heard a door open upstairs. Its hinges squeaked. But Mr. Carter
didn't come down.
He's standing up there with his door open, she thought.
Why?
Mr. Carter? Is that you?
There was no response, but she was sure she sensed another presence . .