Cross Country Love(Kevin Hughes) He was tall, about six foot two, he weighed pretty close to 225 lbs and looked like knotted cordwood, or one of those old marble statues down at the museum, and was just as hard. The only things out of proportion on that practically sculpted body, were the arms. They were much longer that they should have been on a six foot two inch man, not quite ape like, but not far from it either. It is what gave him his unbelievable strength. For force doesn’t double as you add to the fulcrum, it quadruples, and if he wrapped those arms around you in anger, well, you got a lesson in both applied physics and manners.

The coach was astounded when the large quiet boy, who looked much more like a linebacker than a X country runner asked if he could try out for the X country team.

“Of course you can son. We have tryouts the Monday before school starts. Nothing fancy. We warm up, then everyone- boys and girls, run two miles as fast as you can. We time everybody. Nobody gets cut. You stay on the team as long as you want to run. Only seven dress for the meets though. Five Counters, and two displacers. If you make the team, it is officially made up of those seven, plus five more who can run in the race , but don’t count. We do let everyone run in the Open Races though. “

“Yes, Coach. I understand. I will be there on Monday.”

And he was.

The whole team from last year, plus all the girls team from last year, and the few new runners , ogled the big new boy. He towered over everyone. Nobody had ever seen a body like that on a X country runner. Most had never seen a body like that period. Unless they had a relative who was a professional athlete. Quiet comments were made, and even a few bets were placed that the “linebacker” wouldn’t even make the first mile. He stood out. He also stood apart. He was by nature quiet, not shy. It just never dawned on him to make small talk. He just minded his own business, and expected you to do the same. He was so polite as to be one step away from reserved, which is why , in just a few minutes, he would do something he never thought he would have done in a million years. At the same time, he would be doing something the coach had never seen in 25 years of coaching- and it was about to come to pass.


‘Line up!”

Forty seven girls and boys, plus the one boy/man/linebacker…whatever- lined up behind the chalk line drawn on the grass. Off in the distance, in a straight line, was a large pole with a flaming red flag waving briskly in the wind, like a sticky spider web blowing off a garbage can lid…making you wonder how it stayed stuck. Under the pole stood two High School girls with stop watches. One would yell out times for the girls, one would yell out the times for the boys. Next to them, stood two more girls with clipboards. As the runners came by them, they just noted the numbers pasted to the runners T shirt- and their place as they passed the flag: First, Second, Third..etc…at the finish line, two more girls would write down the numbers as they finished, and their place. First, second, third…etc. That way the coach could know who the rabbits were, and who the real runners were.

“Okay. That flag is one mile from here, you turn there and run back. You have all warmed up for the last 20 minutes and should be loose. I want you to run full out, as if this was a real race. The top seven boys, and the top seven girls will be the Starting Team for week 1. You can earn your way up, or displace a runner over the season if you work hard and get better. But today, we find the starting team. Two miles. As fast as you can. That’s it, practice will be over after your cool down. Everybody ready?”

47 young boys and girls hooted and hollered in anticipation. The linebacker sized boy just turned, and looked at the flag. He set his mind, and his body to being the first to the flag, and the first to the finish line. No one but the coach noticed how the big boy quietly eased up to the line, set his toe on it, and relaxed his whole body, and focused on the flag. The coach had never seen anything like it. He thought to himself: “So that is what they mean when they say a Lion was ready to pounce, to uncoil. He looks ready to pounce too.”

“READY?!”

All of them were juggling for position on the line now. Jostling and hustling for position, except for the linebacker boy, he was already in position, and no one was moving him that day, or any other day.

“Set!”

Hearts started pumping, fists were clenched, young supple bodies leaning into an invisible tape, eager to get going. The only one that did not tense up, but gave you a sense of being ready to explode with unbelievable power…was the linebacker boy, man, whatever. He simply grew into his stance. The coach noticed that too.

“Go!”

Off they went, some fine runners, some laughing, some yelling, the better ones trying to find the leader, and hang on. Some went out to fast and faded almost as quickly, other tried the slow and steady philosophy of children’s stories, and passed one winded runner after another. Pacing was key in a long race, and there were several champion runners from last year in the tryout. None of them expected to see the big man pull away from the outset. Not just pull away, but make them all look like X country runners, while he looked like he was in a full out sprint. They expected him to fade after a quarter mile at that incredible pace. Life is funny that way, you don’t often get what you expect. For he did not fade, he got…well, faster.

“Shit!” said Brian Murphy. One of the best runners in the State last year. Finishing third at the State X-country Meet, and the current record holder of every race from the mile up to the three mile in track.

“If he keeps that up…we are all going to State!”

Brian wasn’t jealous that his records might be broken, he was in awe of just how badly they might be broken. At the Flag, Kathleen O’Brian, whom everyone called Kay, stood with her clipboard. She looked up at the herd of young talent coming towards her. In the lead was a very big boy. Moving with the effortless motion of a dolphin in water. HIs whole body was relaxed but eating up ground in long bounding strides, with his feet touching feather light on the ground. She was mesmerized.

“How can anyone that big…glide?” She thought.

When her radio went off, it startled her- it was the coach.

“Kay, let me know what that big boy in the lead’s time is as soon as he passes you. “

“Okay coach. Got it.”

She was watching him run anyway, now she had a reason to focus on just him. As he neared the flag, she almost forgot to check the time- he looked liked that fleet footed God from her history class. Mercury…yes, mercury. He flowed past her and their eyes met. Luckily she had checked her stopwatch just before he made his turn..4 minutes, and nine seconds. It barely registered in her brain, because he was looking right at her. Those eyes stole every ounce of being from her for a moment, and a smile lit up his face:

“Hey Red! If you don’t have a boyfriend, meet me at the finish line, I will take you for a milkshake!”

She wanted to yell an answer back, but he was already forty yards away and gathering steam for the sprint to the finish line. She did notice the wink he gave her as he ran by though. It landed softly in her heart, like a sweet kiss on the cheek, or the brushing of an eyelid agains her face. She cherished that wink. It was her radio that broke her revery.

“Kay, Kay…what was his split?”

“Coach…it was Four minutes, and Nine seconds. I can’t believe it.”

“Don’t worry Kay, neither can I. “ And he laughed into the radio.

There were only a few people at the finish line; the coach, a few parents, the odd girlfriend or boyfriend, the editor of the school newspaper, and the assistant managers with their clipboards…all of them were transfixed as the six foot two , 225 pound man/boy/linebacker…whatever hurtled towards them. He must have run that last quarter mile in under 46 seconds thought the coach in his head. He did.

The big boy crossed the finish line in 8 minutes and three seconds. The mouths, jaws, and lips of all that saw him cross that finish line hung open like drapes on a windy day- he had just , on the first day of tryouts, broken - in no particular order: The School record. The state Record. His age group record, and the National record for two miles by a High Schooler. He also had just run the Fastest two mile time in American History. He had also run that last mile in under four minutes.

The Coach smiled over at him, as the big boy walked off his sprint .The big boy still had plenty left…so there was no gagging or dry heaves. Just a good solid hard run…for him.

“ Well, I think we can safely say…you made the team. “ The coach smiled again. Looking up at the boy who towered over him.

“Thanks Coach. Err…eh…coach?”

“Yes?”

“I met a girl out there by the flag, she has red hair, and a beautiful way about her…what’s her name?

“You had time to meet a girl?”

“Well, not really, but I asked her if she had a boyfriend, if she doesn’t I am going to take her to Dairy Queen after practice.”

The coach smiled an even bigger smile. Those two will get along well.

“Well, technically, practice is over. Why don’t you use a jog out there to the flag pole, and walk her back in as your warm down? It will give you time to talk when everyone is done running. “

The big boy’s smile was almost nuclear.

“Great Idea Coach…but…well, what’s her name?”

“Her name is Kay, and no. she doesn’t have a boyfriend…yet.”

“How do you know? “

“I am her Father. Now run, If I know my Kay…she is dying to go for a shake. “

The Big Boy reached out one of those long arms, and tossed the coach’s hair. Much like a Dad might do to his young son.

“I will tell her I have your permission then?”

Off he went at a nice slow jog, as he got about half way, he realized that Kay was running towards him. Her red hair bobbing behind her in a pony tail, and her glasses trying to stay perched on her perky little nose. The world narrowed to only the distance between them both. The last few steps they slowed to a walk. He reached out one of his long arms, and took her hand, she caught up to him, squeezed her hand into his, in a way that said: “ Don’t you ever let go! Not now. Not ever!” She need not have worried. He wasn’t letting go in this lifetime.

“So, do you like chocolate or vanilla shakes, Red?”

“I like Chocolate Shakes, but what is your name? Mine is Kay, but you, and only you, can call me Red.”

“Well, my given name is Quilt. Yes, Quilt. Everyone just calls me Q. But you, and only you, can call me : Quilt.”

On their wedding day, Kay’s mother had made a Red Quilt for them, and nobody who didn’t know them well, knew why.

by Kevin Hughes

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