Chapter 210: Forty-Two

Friday, January 20th, Late Morning

Ashlyn checked her watch, and it was lunchtime. She reached over and grabbed her lunch. Next, Ashlyn unpacked her food and looked it over. Her lunch looked more appealing when she packed it this morning. It was also time for the video to post.

She sighed and dug out her earbuds from her desk drawer. Setting the earbuds into her ears, Ashlyn started the internet browser on her computer. As she ate her sandwich, Ashlyn surfed to the school's website. She found the new video and started the video.

The usual opening filled the computer's media player. Ashlyn listened to the same music and watched the opening again. One comment she'll make to the student production team would be to make at least a second opening just so it was different, change it up a little.

I

Will

Be

I Will Be Heard

The final logo filled the screen and started to fade. The sub-title today was forty-two, typically another number for an episode title. The usual scene of Trey behind the desk filled the screen. Ashlyn noted that Trey is wearing a different shirt. They did do more than one day of recording Trey's part, at least.

"Hello, I'm Trey Terthero, and this is Be Heard: A Championship Defined. Today we're covering one of the holdovers from the previously unsuccessful team. As the backup center, she had the task of supporting an all-state team. She was also one of the few known players on the bench, becoming a reliable substitute. How would a young junior handle this? We'll tell you in their own words, today, on forty-two," he said.

The woman in European Sports Livery filled the screen. "Eva," she said.

The Doctor in her office was next. "Eva," she said.

Devyn was on screen in her living room. "Eva," she said.

Angela sitting in her hotel room, was on the screen. "Eva," she said.

Ashlyn saw herself on the computer screen. It was like looking into a mirror since they filmed her in this office. "Eva," The Computer Ashlyn said.

The screen changed to Coach Scott overlooking practice. The audio allows the viewer to hear every so often him yelling out of instructions to the scrimmage. He nodded and blew the whistle.

The screen changed to the black-haired woman at the River Court. "Eva," she said.

The brown-haired basketball coach was next. "Eva," she said.

Next, the screen dissolved to a corporate office. A tall, black-haired woman sat behind the desk. She was on the phone, talking and going over several things. Once she finished the phone conversation, she hung up the phone and turned to the camera, all she did was nod.

Coach Scott returned to the screen. "The bench is as important to construct as your starter. We got lucky when these two sophomores walked into the field house. I couldn't believe my eyes, two tall girls, both of who could play center, one could even be a power forward. The plus was they complimented each other's skills and were good friends, on top of it. One became the starter, and the other I could plug and play as I needed. Eva was one of the few question marks I didn't have entering the season," he said.

Coach Sinclair was next on the computer screen. "We had a solid forecourt returning with Ashlyn, Ashton, Devyn, Mack, and Eva. But we were thin beyond that, but Eva could hold her own," she said.

The businesswoman returned to the screen. "There's nothing wrong with being a role player. My job was to give Mack a break, maybe go in for the alpine set; be ready to do my job. My only regret was I missed two weeks that season with a bad ankle," she said and nodded. After a pause, she looked at the camera, "I'm Evangeline Bekker, back then I was known as Evangeline Anamarie Sophia Lopez-Dillon, I played center and power forward, and wore number forty-two."

"Eva, in a few words as possible?" Computer Ashlyn asked, "Tough."

The woman in European Sports Livery nodded, "She wasn't much of a scorer, but you want to jam up the point that was her job. She was good at the job. Eva was a stopper," she said.

Eva returned to the screen. "Of course you could consider it a disadvantage being the same age and playing the same position as Mack. I didn't, in Summer Ball, myself, Mack, and Devyn usually played on the same team, and all three of us started," she said, and the screen changed to a still of Eva, Devyn, and a tall girl on the court all wearing the same uniform. Eva returned to the screen. "I was a hyper child with two working parents. My Abuela would watch me, but I was too much, so she would take me down to park rec and sign me up for stuff to do. Mainly, she wanted me to burn off my extra energy. I've probably played every organized sport out there. One day, the light went on, and I just stuck with basketball. Through that sport, I met Dev and Mack, and eventually the A's," she paused again, "Every once and a while when I was on the court, I could hear my Abuela cheering me on."

The screen changed to the black-hair woman at the River Court. "When I arrived on the team, Eva set me assigned to work with her. When we would run together as a team most mornings, Eva would run behind me and yell at me in Spanish," she said.

Angela was on the screen trying to say something, but it came out as gibberish, she laughed. "No matter what conditioning we were doing, all I could hear was Eva speaking or yelling in rapid Spanish," she said.

Computer Ashlyn was on the screen now. "There was a game where nothing was working. The starters must have collectively checked out. Coach pulled us for the bench, and Eva went in as center. She earned her pay that game and set us starters straight," she said.

"Eva knew how to take charge," The brown-haired basketball coach said, "The one time in practice, I tried driving on her, and bam! We collided; she went down like a ton of bricks. I felt like I hit that wall made of those bricks," she said.

Coach Scott returned to the screen. He was sitting on the bleachers. "I know we should try to limit to the championship season, but Eva's best season was the next season when we used more of the alpine set. Anyway, Eva, was one of my favorite players, and her senior year in the charity game, Eva was the student coach, which I appointed to the most deserving senior," he said.

Angela filled the screen. "Legacy, no, I don't think her legacy was as a backup. Eva's legacy is that she's tough and did the tough jobs, for no credit," she said.

Eva came on screen and seen fiddling with something on her desk. Slowly, she put down the item and looked at the camera. "I don't know how to answer that. I've not thought about it. Life took me to college, and after college, I ended up in the business world. Now, if you asked me what playing basketball has done for me, I could answer," Eva said, she listened and nodded, "It taught me life lessons, how to be humble, how to be part of a team, how to lead, and how to be led."

The screen changed to some clips of Eva playing in games. Some of them showed Eva as the center and others as a member of the alpine line up. Ashlyn nodded and smiled; she clearly remembered some of those plays. Several of the plays Ashlyn remembered being on the court for, and one Ashlyn had the critical pass to start the play.

The game clips faded away for a still of Eva holding the state championship trophy. That image faded away to another image of Eva, a taller young woman wearing jersey number four, and another black-haired woman wearing jersey number fifty-two.

It finally faded to black, and the next scene came on screen. Trey was sitting behind the studio desk. "The center position for this team was the strongest and deepest position of the team. Evangeline Dillon played her minutes and held down some key plays with her defensive play. Tomorrow, we go down the bench to one of the backcourt bench players, and sixth man of the team. I'm Trey Terthero, and I'll see you tomorrow with Thirty," he said.

Ashlyn ended the video and closed her browser.