Chapter 36. A Conversation in Kisses

I have taken many hard hits in my career but when she stopped I knew I'd flatten her so I rolled over top of her. Time seemed to stop until I hit the ice. I've come to rest about 15 feet from where I took off. 91 in her pretty pink uniform is now standing up looking at me. I can hardly breathe. She cocks her head to one side as if to ask if I'm okay. She looks pale, worried, but unhurt. I nod at her and hope Mario doesn't shoot a puck at me. She drops the puck she is carrying on to the ice and heads down to Voukon to take her shot. I get slowly to my knees as she fakes a couple of shots trying to break his stance. Then as she is about to cross behind the net she flips the puck up and rebounds it off the goalie's back and into the net. That's my cheeky chickadee.

I get to my feet. She's jumping up like she just score the winning goal in game 7 of a Stanley Cup final. I am happy for her. 91 skates back to stand behind the guys at center ice. Mario is yelling at me to get my shit off the ice. He can yell all he'd like. I block her way. She looks up at me with questioning eyes filled with tears. I know how she feels. I place the blade of my stick behind her bottom and pull her toward me slowly. If she doesn't want to get closer all she has to do is move out of the way or brake. But 91 doesn't, she just looks at me. I pull her in close with my stick, pick her up and give her a 87-91 special. She counters with an "I'm sorry ". We nose rub. I cover her face with the 'I'm excited and happy to see you" pecks."

'Jesus Christ there is no kissing in hockey God dammit. Let's get this show on the road.' I think Mario is going to burst a blood vessel.

I hug 91 hard, give her another I'm sorry kiss, whisper in her ear, 'Go Slay those Orks' and set her down. She looks up at me with a sort of "really can I?" expression.

'Go get 'em, Tygyrl.' I call out to her. I don't care how much it costs me. I want everyone to know this is my girl.

I skate over to where a growing number of my teammates are sitting on the bench. I take my helmet off and sit beside Kunitz. I close my eyes for a moment thinking about when she hit the end boards racing against the D'men. It was the same feeling as when she bounced out of the boat. I thought I was going to be sick. Up until that moment, I was confused as to what was happening, then it hit me. Some how the weird watchers had found her. Maybe she called them I don't' know and at that moment I didn't care. I just knew if anything happened to her. I'd never get a chance to be with her and I am not about to let that happen. Kunitz laughs.

I open my eyes and Cookie is trying to get the puck off 91 who is playing keep away with him. She is running him ragged. The mood on the bench is lighter now. Cookie trips and Mario blows his whistle. 91 trashes another one. She stares down Flower. But he kicks away her shot.

'She's a sassy one.' Cookie sits down beside me and whispers.

'I heard that Cooke. That's 20 thousand to a charity of my choice, Cookie.' Mario then turns his attention back out on the ice. 'You idiots are just standing there. You'll get yours yet. You aren't in her league. She's in a league of her own. Losers.' He fires another puck at Flower who is now in the net. Duper gets stripped of the puck shortly after he gets is. Tanger picks her up and puts her over the boards. Gently, I might add. Nealer gets the puck and quickly takes a shot not wanting to engage her. Last one of us to fall is Orpik, she challenges him straight on, she shoots the puck through his legs, steps around him picks it up again, slaps the puck up on to her stick, bounces it a couple of times and flicks it over Flowers' far shoulder. Fleury spends a few minutes looking around him as if he can't believe what happened.

91 circles her hand at Mario.

'Come into the center, everyone. Lets see who gets to play the Sharks tonight. Stick tricks. Your four' he points to Geno, Nisky, Tanger and Nealer. 'Better start thinking about you best stick skills.'

Darcy our trainer in laying out a variety of objects, sticks, bars on 3 inch raisers, a piece of 4 inch plastic pipe, a speed cone, a stool and finally a bucket set upright. The whole course is maybe 20 feet long. He steps back looks at the items in the line then checks a piece of paper moves a stick to between the pipe and the speed cone. Okay, it's an odd looking obstacle course. I'm glad I'm now a lowly spectator. Billy pokes me, points at Brisson, Burkle, Dan, Ray and smiles. Where the hell did they come from. Ray and Dan have video cameras. Brisson gives me a wave then an okay sign above 91's head.

'Okay, you lazy bunch of assholes. This is an obstacle course so you flip the puck across the shaft stick three times, under the first bar then over the next bar through the plastic pipe, three more puck flips down the next stick, take it around the speed cone over the stool and pop it in the bucket. Got that. Easy peasy. Child's play if you ask me. Who want's to go first?'

Mario is just waiting for one of them to break. 'No volunteers. 18. Ready when you are? Oh yeah, this is a timed event in case of a tie.'

Nealer skates to the end of the hockey stick with a puck. He gets the puck back and forth over the hockey stick under the first bar then over the second but totally blows the plastic pipe.

"Oh just give it up. Your done here. That was shit. This drill has a record time of 17 seconds. You're at 22 already.' Mario waves him to join the rest of us. 'Number 2 show him how it's done.'

Nisky not known for his great puck handling skills and he too gets stumped by the pipe. I bet the trick is to stuff it in the pipe. Course, I'm not going to help them at this point. I 'm rooting for 91.

'It's impossible' he says under his breath.

'And that's 10 thousand from you Nisky. Thank you. Get out of the way you lump of dog meat.' Mario hauls him off. ' You think it can't be done. Okay, how many of you think it can't be done? Show of hands? 12 of you . Okay how many are will to put 500 hard earned dollars on it. If 91 can't do this I'll donate 6000 to her favorite charity but when she does you all will cough up 500 each. Show 'em how it's done, 91.'

She looks up at him then skates to the start of the course and just before she begins.

'Better do it slowly this guys are the remedial class.' Mario laughs. She nods, puts her puck down and flips the puck four times down the shaft of the stick under the first first bar, over the second bar, stuffs the puck down the pipe, four more flips, tucks tight around the cone over the stool and pops it right into the bucket. Yeah, I'm impressed. 'Not bad 23 seconds. That's 500 from you doubters. That's respectable. 58 take that puck through.'

Tanger is no idiot he retrieves the puck from the bucket and gets the puck through the pipe and is going around the cone when he tips over the stool. He's a big guy. So our remaining hope is Geno. Shit.

'You think you can redeem this group of shitheads and losers, 71? You beat her time and I'll let you choose anyone of them to play with you tonight. Fair enough.' Geno nods his assent.

Geno is a showman. Not on the scale of Ovechkin but he can hold his own. He skates over to 91 looks her up and down, takes the puck from Tanger and does the course. It wasn't as pretty as 91 did it but he got the job done.

'21 seconds. Not bad but wait a minute. You want another shot 91? I did ask you to go slow 'cause these guys are the remedial class.' She nods and cocks her head.

'What about you guys does she get another chance?' The peanut gallery of Billy, Dan, Ray, Ron and Darcy all cheer.

This time when 91 goes through her stick is almost a blur. It shouldn't have surprised me but it did. Just before the bucket she then does the whole course in reverse getting to the head of the stick then pops the puck the length of the course into the bucket. Crap, I knew her stick skills were good but hell she just put all of us to shame.

'Good job 91. Very good job. That was a 23 seconds on the nose.' Okay even Mario can't believe his eyes. ' You got that on video right. Dan? Ray?'

'Shit, yeah holy shit.' Dan is looking amazed.

91 bangs her stick hard and flicks a puck at Mario. Oh he's getting slitty eyes. I wonder what he's done wrong.

'91 is that your stick of choice? Is that your puck of choice?' She shakes her head no at Mario. She looks at Billy who takes from behind his back a field hockey stick and bright pink ball. She trades him. Then skates straight up to Geno shows him her stick then points at the flat side and makes an okay sign. She then flips the stick over showing him the curved side and shakes her finger no.

'What your saying is in your sport you can only use the flat side of your stick?' She nods at Mario. 'Take it away then 91. Get this Dan, Ray. I want to replay this.'

91 lines up drops the ball on the ices and rolls it back and forth. She raps the ball hard and it bounces up on to the crook of her stick. She's waiting for something.

'Sorry, go' yells Mario and she does. The ball has the advantage of rolling but also the disadvantage of rolling. She controls it like a puppet on a string. When it finally comes to rest in the bucket, I swear all of us are standing there dumbfounded. Who knew she had that kind of talent.

'What was her time?' Brisson is the first to break the silence.

'Shit. Holy shit. 16.9 seconds. ' Le magnifique, the great Mario Lemieux is silent staring at the stopwatch in his hand. Billy whoops standing beside me. 91 doesn't even look winded. She skates over and offers her field hockey stick to Geno.

'No, that okay. I lose fair. You better than me today.' He nods at her.

'I lost count of the number of words Geno so how about you give my charity 20 thousand like Sid okay? Anyone been keeping track of the dollar amount? Pat?' Mario looks to Brisson.

'Yep, a total of 76 thousand by my calculation.' Brisson is grinning.' Good job today, Tygyrl. Great job. '

'91, good job. I said I'd match any money raised for charity out here today if you beat even one of these guys. So I'm in for 76,000 dollars Mario.' Burkle is chuckling and shaking 91 hand.

'So you losers go shower up, we'll be having a team meeting to see who plays and who's stays. You have 20 minutes. See you in the conference room at the end of the hall.' Dan is back shouting orders at us. I try to head over to 91 to talk to her but Billy seems to have whisked her away.

…..

As soon as I get the dressing room, I try texting her but no response. I get grilled about who the hell is she. I just tell them a girl I met this summer. I will move heaven and earth to get to talk to her. I shower up and try to leave the room but we are shown directly into the conference room. I choose a seat near the front center of the room. I check my phone again. No message.

The whiteboard has "fines for speaking still in effect' written in huge block letters.

Duper comes in and sits beside me. Tanger is on my left. My phone sings a little chirp.

Chkaddd: Hi. Sorry too. Talk soon?

Hckybt: Yep. Great to see you.

They look over my shoulder. We can hear a commotion outside the door. Dan and Ray who have been busy with a computer go out to see what the matter is. We can hear Mario doing his best to convince 91 to come into the room. Obviously, they are a struggling with her. She's stubborn when she makes up her mind My cheeky chickadee. I take a photo of my hand outstretched and send it to her.

I watch the door with my hand is palm up waiting for her. Sure shooting she pokes her nose around the corner of the door jam. Her hair is up in a messy bun, her face is very pale, she's dressed in an off white lace dress covered by a lacey pale sweater. She looks at me with a question on her face. I smile and lift my hand again. Duper stands to move, but I gesture him to sit. 91 looks at me and comes to stand in front of me. I take her hand, it's so cold, pull her on to my lap and into my chest for a hug. She's so cold. She is shivering. I wrap my arms around her tightly then sit up, take off my jacket and wrap her up in it.

'This isn't part of the plan. Tylyn come sit up here with us.' Mario is trying to get her to move.

'She's cold Mario. Touch her she's so cold.' I don't care about the consequences. 'How did you get so cold 91? Let her talk.'

'No, hot water only cold.' She looks up at me. I give her a kiss it better on her forehead. She shivers again. She's lost weight I can feel her ribs, her pelvic bones and cheek bones are very prominent.

'You want to stay here or go to Mario? Your choice.' I watch her face.

'Here?'

'Here it is then. Mario, don't you know anything about girls? Cold water showers not a good idea. You go up there and yell at us for a while. Fine me all you want. I'm going to work at warming 91 up.' I kiss her again on the top of her damp cold hair. Duper has taken off his jacket and wraps it around her bare legs. Tanger places his jacket on top of us. She thanks both of them in French. Billy brings over a warm cup of something for her. 91 sips it slowly. Mario walks to the front of the room and begins his rant.

'Let's review what we learned to today. Show up to the game.' The screen flashes pictures of various players being beaten by 91.'Be ready to play. Keep your stick on the ice. Adapt to the developing game. Keep your head up, Sid. Take every opponent seriously. These are all basics you've seem to have forgotten. This stops today. From here and for the rest of the season we are going for the cup. '

There is laughter around the room at the video stream. We know we've all been beat. 91 is warming up. My hand is under my jacket stroking her arm. She's watching the performance. It's amazing to me to be sitting holding her. This morning on the run I made the decision to fly north to Vancouver after tonight's game to see her. I was going to confront her about my suspicions. Now she's cuddled against my chest safe and warm. We will talk but for right now this minute. I could not be happier. A huge tension has been lifted off my shoulders.

'Jaseur, you forgot one thing. Know your opponent.' Ray looks at Mario who has been speaking. ' Gentlemen, this is Tylyn Hylkema. She's a friend of Sid's but I think you might have figured this out. This is a video so you can get to know her background a bit better.'

The video is set to the music from the 2010 Olympics. "I believe". It shows Tylyn and her teammates' progression through the pre Olympic tournament and world cup matches for the last six years. It shows the numerous times she has been awarded MVP for tournaments. It talks about her awards for sportsmanship, the team winning and praise from opposing coaches and players from the international stage. It is narrated by an old Hindi man's voice. It must be Gandolf. It shows her family supporting her, a bit of the farm and her commitment to building field hockey in the Cowichan Valley. Finally, Ray shows a short separate piece on her chicking local hockey boys. It was done at a different time by a BC tv station. It shows her beating boys just like she did to us today. Her father tells the story of her getting her nickname Tygyrl. I guess I knew some of this but not to the extent of her accomplishments. It gives me new respect for her.

'Sid and Tylyn are new to this relationship and need to learn some basics too. Tylyn, please answer some questions for me. First, what has been going on in your life during the past two weeks.'

'Lots of girls drama.' She answers softly.

'Girl drama. Right please define what that means to us guys.' Ray speaks firmly to her but not unkindly.

'I was asked to turn in my uni and card on my team do to lack of commitment.' She buries her face into my chest.

'Speak up girl. You're a hockey girl you know what is said in the room stays in the room which team your ice hockey team or your field hockey team?' Ray keeps pressing her.

'Field hockey.'

'What do you do when you're stressed?' the grilling on continues.

'I run.'

'How far did you run the Sunday after they took away your uni and card?'

'Maybe 40k. I got lost and Hairy's feet got hurt.'

'Who is Harry?'

'Not Harry but H-A-I-R-Y. She's my little dog and running partner.' Ray flashes up a picture of the funniest looking dog.

'Okay so then what happened?'

'The mens' coach asked to play for them. I known some of the players since we were kids. I help them with their stick work. They really suck.'

'And last weekend where were you and what were you doing?' He's looking over his half glasses at her pacing in front of her like a TV courtroom lawyer.

'I was in Seattle. The men's field hockey team had a series of friendlies and my ice hockey team had a game. I was able to play all four games.' Ray clicks and another picture goes up on the screen.

'What is this?'

'The men's team all wore skirts to show me support. I don't like wearing shorts because they make my bottom look huge. I always wear dresses. So they wore skirts so we would be a team in uniform.' I am incredulous. There on the screen is a whole team of guys showing off their skirts and 91 laughing at them.

'How did the mens' team do?'

'Pretty good. It was three games. A loss, then a tie and finally we won.' She says proudly.

'And your ice hockey team? How did the girls do?'

'We cleaned up. 6-2.' She's smiling.

'See was that so hard. You two need to learn to communicate. Sid with some simple questions we learned a lot. Tylyn you need to share what's going on so Sid can understand. Remember he's the Captain of the Remedial class.' Ray relaxes back on to table. The team laughs. 'Tylyn has asked that none of this or her trip to visit us is spoken about to anyone. Evidently she has four older brother and numerous boy cousins ready to pound out anyone who touches her. So let's keep this quiet until Tylyn and Sid are ready to face the wrath.'

'Tylyn, would you come here. I think that the last item on your list was to shake every hand of the players that you chicked.' Mario is standing by the door. I let go of her so if she wants she can move. 91 removes Tanger's jacket then Duper's jacket. I'm so proud of her. She stands between Mario and Ray at the door. We all in turn line up to shake her hand. This time I stop Geno. I'll be the last one. When I reach her, I pick her up give a tussle, hug and a new kiss. An "Atta Tygyrl "kiss.

'