As Long As He Draws Breath part 2
When Todd first met Sam, it had been sunny all day, after a cold spell of
retreating winter. Todd sat on the bleachers of his school football field,
wistfully watching the other boys practice. Most of them he knew, but he
wouldn't have called them friends. He had no friends to speak of. He was much
too shy and he couldn't have had any of them to his house to play anyway. He'd
always felt lonely, but since his mother left, it took on a new urgency and
desperation. He wanted friends. He wanted to be out there with the other boys,
laughing and crashing into each other. He wanted to hold that piece of pigskin
in his hands and run for all he was worth. He wanted a life and some fun.
But he knew his father wouldn't allow it. Ever since Todd's mother left, his
father kept an even tighter hold on him. He insisted that he come directly
home after school each day...or else. That cut out little league football
practice. The one time he'd dared to broach the subject with Peter, he'd
gotten a resounding,
"Hell no!"
"Buy why?" he'd asked, trembling with fright and frustration.
"I want you in this house right after school everyday. You have homework and
you have chores. You don't have time to be messing around, do you hear me?"
"But Daddy..." Todd shrank away from Peter's upraised hand, from his
ever-constant anger.
"Not another word about it, Todd. You think I'm going to let you out of my
sight for even a second longer than I have to? Forget it. One more word about
it and I'll pull you out of school permanently and keep you locked up in this
house all day. How would you like that, boy?"
Todd never brought it up again after that, but some days he would dare a few
minutes after school to watch some of the practice. In spite of what he said,
Peter didn't keep that close of an eye on Todd, counting on the child's fear
of him to keep him in line. In fact, he pretty much ignored Todd when he
wasn't angry at him or didn't need him for something. Still, Todd dared no
more than a few minutes every couple of days. He could explain it away if he
had to. He didn't want to push his luck in case Peter did decide to check up
on him.
This day, Todd had been watching for about ten minutes when he decided it was
enough and he had to hurry home.The tall, white-blond coach came toward him.
Todd froze, wondering what he should do annd why the coach was coming to talk
to him. He felt pretty sure that it was okay to watch practices, but a knot
formed in his stomach anyway. This was adult authority coming towards him.
Nevermind that the man wore a friendly smile that reflected in his clear, blue
eyes. Todd wanted to run, but he couldn't. He just stared, open-mouthed, until
the coach was upon him.
"Hi," said Sam, smiling wider. "I've seen you here before, watching. What's
your name?"
"Tom," then he shook his head, his father's voice ringing in it, warning him
not to use that name again. That was what his mother sometimes called him. "I
mean...Todd. Todd Manning."
"Todd, are you interested in joining the team? We could always use a few more
good players."
Todd dropped his head and his voice quavered. "I... I'm not good...at
anything."
"You're not? I don't believe that. I bet you're good at lots of things. We're
having spring tryouts in a couple of weeks. Why don't you come, Todd?"
Todd didn't answer, wide, hazel eyes dropping to his sneakers. He felt a
couple of gentle fingers lifting his chin. He flinched away from the touch,
but saw no malice in the man's eyes. Only that warm smile, slipped a bit from
worry. He offered Sam a tiny, wary smile, just let him know he was okay, and
saw at least some relief in the coach's eyes.
"Why don't you ask your parents if you can try out. I'm sure they'd--"
Todd jerked away, his smile dissolving into a pained grimace.
"I-I gotta go. I'm late getting home." He checked his watch. He was 25 minutes
late. If his father called home and he wasn't there, he would catch it for
sure. He grabbed his backpack and ran off, not looking back.
"Todd, wait!"
Todd knew that he couldn't chance going back there. He felt sad knowing that
he would probably never see the coach with the kind blue eyes again. On that
point, he would be happy to find that he was wrong.
When Todd first met Sam, it had been sunny all day, after a cold spell of
retreating winter. Todd sat on the bleachers of his school football field,
wistfully watching the other boys practice. Most of them he knew, but he
wouldn't have called them friends. He had no friends to speak of. He was much
too shy and he couldn't have had any of them to his house to play anyway. He'd
always felt lonely, but since his mother left, it took on a new urgency and
desperation. He wanted friends. He wanted to be out there with the other boys,
laughing and crashing into each other. He wanted to hold that piece of pigskin
in his hands and run for all he was worth. He wanted a life and some fun.
But he knew his father wouldn't allow it. Ever since Todd's mother left, his
father kept an even tighter hold on him. He insisted that he come directly
home after school each day...or else. That cut out little league football
practice. The one time he'd dared to broach the subject with Peter, he'd
gotten a resounding,
"Hell no!"
"Buy why?" he'd asked, trembling with fright and frustration.
"I want you in this house right after school everyday. You have homework and
you have chores. You don't have time to be messing around, do you hear me?"
"But Daddy..." Todd shrank away from Peter's upraised hand, from his
ever-constant anger.
"Not another word about it, Todd. You think I'm going to let you out of my
sight for even a second longer than I have to? Forget it. One more word about
it and I'll pull you out of school permanently and keep you locked up in this
house all day. How would you like that, boy?"
Todd never brought it up again after that, but some days he would dare a few
minutes after school to watch some of the practice. In spite of what he said,
Peter didn't keep that close of an eye on Todd, counting on the child's fear
of him to keep him in line. In fact, he pretty much ignored Todd when he
wasn't angry at him or didn't need him for something. Still, Todd dared no
more than a few minutes every couple of days. He could explain it away if he
had to. He didn't want to push his luck in case Peter did decide to check up
on him.
This day, Todd had been watching for about ten minutes when he decided it was
enough and he had to hurry home.The tall, white-blond coach came toward him.
Todd froze, wondering what he should do annd why the coach was coming to talk
to him. He felt pretty sure that it was okay to watch practices, but a knot
formed in his stomach anyway. This was adult authority coming towards him.
Nevermind that the man wore a friendly smile that reflected in his clear, blue
eyes. Todd wanted to run, but he couldn't. He just stared, open-mouthed, until
the coach was upon him.
"Hi," said Sam, smiling wider. "I've seen you here before, watching. What's
your name?"
"Tom," then he shook his head, his father's voice ringing in it, warning him
not to use that name again. That was what his mother sometimes called him. "I
mean...Todd. Todd Manning."
"Todd, are you interested in joining the team? We could always use a few more
good players."
Todd dropped his head and his voice quavered. "I... I'm not good...at
anything."
"You're not? I don't believe that. I bet you're good at lots of things. We're
having spring tryouts in a couple of weeks. Why don't you come, Todd?"
Todd didn't answer, wide, hazel eyes dropping to his sneakers. He felt a
couple of gentle fingers lifting his chin. He flinched away from the touch,
but saw no malice in the man's eyes. Only that warm smile, slipped a bit from
worry. He offered Sam a tiny, wary smile, just let him know he was okay, and
saw at least some relief in the coach's eyes.
"Why don't you ask your parents if you can try out. I'm sure they'd--"
Todd jerked away, his smile dissolving into a pained grimace.
"I-I gotta go. I'm late getting home." He checked his watch. He was 25 minutes
late. If his father called home and he wasn't there, he would catch it for
sure. He grabbed his backpack and ran off, not looking back.
"Todd, wait!"
Todd knew that he couldn't chance going back there. He felt sad knowing that
he would probably never see the coach with the kind blue eyes again. On that
point, he would be happy to find that he was wrong.