The Freak - S01 E02

2 months ago

The Freak - S01 E02

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 2

"Don't apologize. It's been fascinating. You probably should have been killed, but you weren't and what's happened to you has been a miracle."

I guess it has. Are you in any school activities?"

Barbara laughed. "I have a bunch of nuns for teachers. What do you think? Besides, I have to take three buses just to get to school. That takes me more than an hour each way. I ride the red bus to Chester Heights then the blue bus to Bronxville and then transfer again to Yonkers."

I can empathize. My dad told me I could try out for sports, but I'd have to walk home every day. It's about three and a half miles and after running my butt off for two hours it's a long walk, especially in the winter when it's dark and cold. Sometimes walked across the Siwanoy golf course and the parkway. It's shorter that way, but last year I got my senior license and now I can drive which is good because I play football and baseball, too, and the baseball field is down in the Village of Tuckahoe. There's a bus back to school, but it takes almost half an hour to get there."

"You know, I've never even been to a high school game of any kind."

"Would you like to come with me Friday night? It's going to be a big game. Tuckahoe is a really small school and we're going to play New Rochelle. My mom went there and she told me that they had more than 3,000 students then. I think they still have that or more. They'll be a real challenge. They want to break our win streak. It's up to 105 now-a state record."

"I'd love to go. What time?"

"I'd have to pick you up at about 5:45 so have a bite to eat first. I'll take you out for pizza after if you like."

"That sounds great. What should wear?"

"Jeans or slacks and a blouse, but nothing too heavy because the gym is always jammed and it gets hot." She nodded her agreement and we rose from the booth. I paid the bill, tipped the waitress and led Barbara back to my Jeep. I drove her around the block where she showed me to the entrance to her apartment. She lived on the second floor above a number of retail stores-a far cry from where

I lived in a big house on a big lot on a quiet street.

I phoned Barbara on Wednesday evening as we had agreed. She had read about our Tuesday game against Concordia, a Lutheran private school only about two miles from mine. We destroyed them, 96-40. We had an outstanding group of seniors. Any one of the five of us could score double figures at any time and we all did in this game and we also had two skilled subs with good experience. I'd had 40 and I only played three quarters. Our point guard, Tony, had twenty-two assists, but there was nothing unusual about that

We spoke for almost an hour and I did get to speak briefly with her foster mother, Mrs. Gleason, who told me that Barbara was really looking forward to our date on Friday. was looking forward to it, too. Most girls were dwarfed by my six feet six inch, two hundred and twenty pound frame and Barbara was no exception. I estimated her height at five feet nine inches and she was slender with medium-sized breasts and shapely hips. Her face was absolutely beautiful in my opinion-perfectly oval and symmetrical with sparkling blue eyes and a small nose-nicely framed by shoulder-length lustrous reddish brown hair. I was sure that had a good hundred pounds on her. Looking back, was sure I'd fallen in love at first sight.

The weather was cold and clear Friday night when I rang the bell at her apartment. An elderly woman correctly assumed was Mrs. Gleason opened the door on the second floor. She greeted me warmly and smiled when I gave her the bouquet of flowers I had bought for her. I was met by Mr. Gleason just inside the living room where he thanked me for stopping Barbara from falling. "I'm a bank guard now so I don't make a lot of money and Barbara doesn't have great health insurance from Social Services so any kind of injury would have been a burden on us. Of course, her welfare always comes first." realized then that Barbara hadn't told them much about our lengthy conversation.

She appeared from a door across the living room and I could tell she was shocked by my attire. I was wearing a blue sports jacket with a white button-down shirt and a blue and gold striped tie with charcoal gray slacks and cordovan loafers. I laughed as she approached. "You're probably wondering why I'm all dressed up when I told you to dress casually. I have to dress up for games. It's a team rule, but I have some casual clothes in my car." We said good night to the Gleason's and walked quickly down the stairs to the street where led her not to my Jeep, but to my '61 Olds

Starfire convertible.

"Where's the Jeep? You have two cars?"

"Yeah, I rent a garage a couple of blocks from my home and keep one of my cars there. The Jeep is great in bad weather, but the ride is really harsh and the heater stinks." I held the door for her then sat behind the wheel and started the Olds' powerful V8 engine. Two minutes later we were on the parkway on our way to my school.

"I need to warn you...well, maybe not warn you, but I do need to tell you what will happen when we get there. The gym will be packed; it always is. The school is old-built in the early 1930's-and the gym is small. They probably violate every fire regulation ever created by packing people in at every game. They even have a TV camera that broadcasts to the cafeteria just downstairs to accommodate all of the people. I'll introduce you to my family-my mom and dad and my two youngest sisters. I have three, all younger than me, but Angela who's in tenth grade is a cheerleader. Mom and Dad are saving a seat for you. There are four men who always sit behind them. They'll get up when we walk in so can lie down and meditate. I clear my mind of everything and go into a kind of trance until the end of the third quarter of the JV game when I wake up and go into the locker room to dress for the game. I always hug and kiss my mom and dad and my sisters and I'll do the same with you if that's okay. I've asked my mom to speak with you once I'm in the locker room."

"Why? What about?"

"I'll let her tell you, it's nothing bad. Okay, that's the school just ahead." pulled into the parking lot and found a place to park, grabbing my bag and locking the car before walking Barbara to the entry. I had timed our arrival well. The first half of the JV game had just ended. The teams were just walking off the floor when everyone stood and began screaming, "FREAK! FREAK! FREAK!" waved my acknowledgment and turned to Barbara. "Sorry, forgot to warn you about that. They get a little carried away. That's what all the kids call me... kind of like a nickname."

We walked along the end of the court as I pointed to the four state championship banners hanging from the wall at the other end. Behind us was another with my name and number. "What's that," Barbara asked.

"The school board retired my number last year which is really

strange. They usually wait until a person has graduated before

doing that." I introduced her to my parents and to my sisters-

Marie and Carole. The four men greeted me then rose and stood while laid my coat and sports jacket on the bleacher. A minute later was in a deep trance, one that wiped my brain clean of any extraneous thoughts. When I roused myself there was only the game on my mind. I stood and, after thanking the men again, I hugged and kissed my dad and mom then my sisters and finally Barbara who surprised me by turning her head so my lips fell on hers. She broke it with a smile as I walked down the court to our locker room.