“Hurry up Jack! Your uncle is ready to go. We need to be at the bus station in ten minutes.”
“I’m coming! Hold on a minute…I gotta grab my basketball from the garage!”
“We don’t have time! Let’s go!”
“It will only take me a second.”
Jack hurried off into the garage and grabbed his 2008 Kansas championship ball. He had won it for selling the most candy bars at his elementary school. Even though it wasn’t signed by any of the coaches or players from the 2008 championship team, Jack still loved the ball more than anything he owned and he didn’t own that much.
“Come on Jack…we’re late!”
“I’m coming!”
Uncle Sean drove a dusty orange Chevy pickup truck that smelled like cow manure. Jack’s mom couldn’t find anyone else in their town to take them to the bus stop on a Sunday morning except Uncle Sean, who was really more like a friend of Jack’s dad. Jack threw his duffle bag in the bed of the truck while Uncle Sean lifted Jack’s mom’s suitcase and backpack into the bed.
“Get in the truck Jack or we’ll be late.”
“Can I sit in the back?”
“Fine!...Let’s go.”
Jack’s mom was not usually so paranoid about getting to places on time, but ever since she got offered a job in Denver she was ready to bust out of Parsons Kansas. Jack didn’t feel much different. Since his dad left two summers ago he hadn’t been the most popular kid around town. Some of his friends couldn’t hang out with him anymore and his best friend had moved to Kansas City. Jack was ready for a change in scenery and he was excited to see what mountains looked like.
After he climbed into the back of the pickup, the truck started rolling forward. Jack quickly grabbed the side of the truck and plopped down. His mom always told him he didn’t have the best balance and since his dad left he had put on some excess weight.
Sean tore through the empty town, not even stopping at red lights or stop signs. One thing could always be counted on in Parsons and that was Sunday morning was quieter than a mouse stealing corn from a barn. Jack watched from the back of the truck as they passed his elementary school and middle school. His mom decided to let Jack wait to start school until they moved to Denver. Her new job started the day after Labor Day and she had already registered Jack in the middle school near the apartment they would be renting. Jack thought about the other seventh graders who had a long weekend and were probably out camping, going to church, or maybe even hunting with their dads.
His thoughts drifted back to his dad again. His dad was the only missing piece in his life, but he couldn’t think about his dad now. Mom had finally decided to move on and Jack was one hundred percent behind her. He wanted a fresh start too and Denver sounded like an exciting place to start. It would be the first time Jack had traveled to another state and the first time he’d be in a big city. Mom had promised that they could go to a professional basketball game after they got settled that thought permeated Jack's mind until the town of Parsons became a blur.
“Hurry up son! The bus is about to leave!”
Jack jumped out of the truck with his duffle bag and basketball. Sean grabbed his mom’s suitcase and shook his head at Jack who hadn’t offered to help. His mom waved to Sean as they ran over to the driver of the bus who was loading the last suitcase under the cargo hold.
“We have two tickets to Denver.”
“That’s exactly where I’m headed ma’am.”
Jack and his mom climbed the stairs of the bus and took two open seats towards the front of the bus. The seats were nicer than anything Jack had ever seen. They were plush with armchairs and even slightly reclined backwards if you pushed a silver button. His mom acted like it was nothing, but Jack thought this had to be living the high life.
The bus driver boarded the bus and walked down the aisle taking everyone’s tickets that got on at Parsons. There were only three other people from Parsons who got on, but the driver acted very official in examining each ticket to insure it was authentic and valid for travel. Soon the bus was pulling away and was out on the open road. Jack’s mom let out a big sigh. Jack thought she looked elegant in her trouser pants and buttoned up blouse. She insisted on wearing her best clothes while they traveled so she wouldn’t have to iron them for her first day of work. Jack watched as the corn rows, blue sky, and farm land of Kansas started to pass him by.
“Do you think we’ll like Denver mom?”
“I think we’ll like it just fine…now take it easy…this is going to be a long bus ride.”
“I’m glad we’re moving…”
“So am I sweetie. Why don’t you take out something to read or get some rest?”
“I’m not tired and I didn’t have room to bring any of my magazines.”
“There’s an old newspaper across the aisle…why don’t you read it?”
“Do I have to?”
“I’m going to try and get some sleep…I think it’s better if you have something to keep you busy.”
“Alright…I’ll see if it still has the sports section.”
“Sounds good honey…don’t wake me up unless we stop for food.”
Jack reached across the aisle, but couldn’t quite reach the newspaper. His short arms were never very useful for much. He tried to stretch out, but he still couldn’t reach it. The bus driver looked at him in a rear view mirror.
“You can get out of your seat if you want to read my newspaper son.”
“Are you sure it’s safe?”
“You just find yourself another seat quick like.”
“My mom is trying to sleep. Are you sure it’s okay?”
“I’m positive…now grab my newspaper and come closer to the front so you can read it to me.”
Jack unbuckled his seat belt and grabbed the newspaper as fast as he could and sat down in the front row of the bus where no one else was sitting.
“My name’s Jack.”
“My name is Clyde and it’s very nice to meet you Jack.”
“It’s nice to meet you to sir.”
“Call me Clyde son. I never did like sir.”
“Okay Clyde…what would you like me to read to you?”
“Well…I think I was reading something about Afghanistan or Iran, but you probably don’t want to read about that…do you?”
“I’d kinda like to read the sports section…if you don’t mind?”
“Of course I don’t mind…sometimes it feels like I’m eating my dessert before my dinner if I read the sports section first, but I think I got pretty far through that newspaper this morning.”
“Should I start with the headlines?”
Clyde gave Jack a wry smile and looked at him in the rear view mirror.
“Why don’t I tell you a story about a game that happened a long time ago?”
“That’s fine…did you play in it?”
“Why yes I did…are you a Kansas fan Jack?”
“Absolutely…isn’t everyone in Kansas?”
“Well not everyone, but there are a lot of us. Now this story has to do with a boy who would someday become a Jayhawk…Are you ready?”
“I’m ready.”
“Way back in the days of early basketball…there was a boy who liked to play on the basketball court at the school playground. There was only one basketball hoop and it was in bad shape. The boy really l
iked to play though and so he played by himself almost every night. One day the gym teacher at the school took interest in the boy and saw that he was a pretty good player. The teacher thought the boy was good enough to play on a team so he helped the boy find a team to play on. The boy liked basketball, but he didn’t always like playing with the other boys on the team. He was the best player, but he didn’t pass the ball or help his teammates when they were struggling. The boy just kept to himself and tried to score all the points by himself.”
“This is kind of a strange story Clyde.”
“Well that’s the most intelligent thing I’ve heard anyone say all week…Shall I continue?”
“Sure”
“The boy and his team won some games and lost some games, but at the end of their short season the boy told the coach he didn't like playing with the other boys. The boy went back to playing on the court at the school yard. The teacher saw the boy back at the school yard and asked him what was wrong. The boy told him what happened and the teacher decided that he better start working with the boy. The teacher started practicing with the boy and after a week or two brought another kid to play with them. The boy didn’t mind the small group. After another couple weeks the teacher brought another player. The boy adjusted fine to that. Pretty soon the teacher had ten boys playing on the school yard and the boy who was playing alone soon found out that playing with others was more fun than he had first experienced.”
“So is this story about being nice to other kids?”
“It’s really not finished…do you want me to finish?”
“Sure I do…but I think that the teacher was pretty smart for doing what he did.”
“Of course he was smart and that’s why I like you Jack…You’re smart too.”
“I don’t get the best grades, but it’s enough to pass.”
“Well you see things that many people don’t see from this story.”
“Is that good?”
“Of course it’s good…now how about I finish up this story?”
“Sounds fine to me.”
“Well…the teacher had a regular practice and game going every day after school and the boy who started it was the best player on the court. When the boy went to junior high he was asked to play on the basketball team. Because he had so much fun with his gym teacher and the other kids he agreed. He was the best player at his junior high and was then the best player at his high school. He was so good that he was named the best player in the county when he was in the ninth grade. After his tenth grade year he was the best player in the state and soon there were colleges who wanted the boy to play for them. The boy had a tough choice of where to go to college, but he chose to be a Jayhawk. He went on to do many great things in his life as a basketball player. One thing he never forgot was the lesson he learned from the teacher…Now can you tell me what lesson he learned?”
“He learned that you have to give things a try.”
“That’s right…he did learn that…is there anything else he learned?”
“He learned that you have to play with teammates to play basketball.”
“That’s also right. What else Jack? What else did he learn?”
“I don’t know Clyde…maybe that teachers are good people?”
“Well lots of teachers are good people, but there’s something more to this story.”
“I’m not sure what it is.”
“I’m gonna give you a clue, but I’m not gonna give you the answer. The boy learned something about himself.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s your clue.”
“Now…It’s about time to start reading that newspaper. You have all the way to Denver to think about what that boy learned. When you have the answer you can give it to me…now let’s read that sports section.”
Jack opened the newspaper and started reading. Something exciting was happening in baseball and college football had just started. Clyde smiled as Jack read to him out loud. The rest of the bus was quiet, but the front was rich with stories and sports talk.