Fairbanks Athletic Director Logan Dunn kneels down on the sprawling lawn in front of the high school. He gently waves his hand over the grass. He plucks a leaf of it, and raises it to his lips. He tastes the grass. Perfect. In just a few days, Fairbanks will host its annual home invite, and everything must be in order. The course has been mowed. Low tree branches have been clipped. The chocolate milk has been secured. Dunn rises to his feet and his eyes follow the painted lines that open the course. Soon, in the midst of them, will be a large bingo board for the classic Cow Chip Bingo fundraiser that the Van Winkles have implemented. He hears footsteps approaching. He turns and sees Coach Emily Van Winkle. “Well?” she asks. “Everything is in perfect condition,” Dunn responds, spitting out the shreds of grass still lingering in his mouth. “The course looks good. We’re ready to roll.” “Excellent,” says Emily. “You’ve done well.”
Elsewhere, Coach Mike Van Winkle is leading a heifer to the milking stall. He is deep in thought. The athletes performed admirably at Pickerington, but now a full week must pass before their next test. And there’s a heat wave, to boot. He considers his options as he applies the suction tubes to the udder. Should I make the athletes sweat? Should I relent? Deep down, he knows that in the end, his runners will do what he asks of them. They have to show their best at home, so despite the encroaching heat, they will have to run hard this week. He wipes the sweat from his brow. It’s been a long day of work. Now it’s time to plan. His mind begins filing through the catalog of Led Zeppelin songs. He must choose the right one. He knows that when his athletes listen to the music, they are swept away into a land of imaginative possibilities. It is a land where personal records fall like boulders heaved from mountain tops by giant gods.
Little Vivienne Van Winkle is eyeing the cats again. She doesn’t quite trust them, and she likes it that way. There are three of them, climbing on and around a bucket, trying to outwit each other and sit on the top. They are batting at the others with their paws. Vivienne glares at them. They remind her of herself. On the surface, they appear to be soft and playful, but just beneath that calm exterior are sharp claws and sharper teeth. Vivienne smiles. She knows that the home invitational is coming up. She has sensed the flurry of activity from her parents as they prep for the big day. Has she felt neglected lately? Maybe, but that’s okay with her. It affords her extra time to simply watch the cats and learn from their glad, animal movements. She knows that her study will pay dividends one day, when she too will lace up her running shoes and head deep into the woods for a ten mile jog. Suddenly, there is a hiss and sharp yowl. One of the cats has a bloody ear, but it is sitting proudly on the bucket. Vivienne smiles again, because she also understands what it takes to get to the top.
To Be Continued…..