Lani is a concert-level soprano 1 who passed on continuing her music career to start her family with Rob, a Coast Guard lifer. The young man’s mother has known Lani since childhood, and through quirks of circumstance–the Coast Guard for Lani and Dad’s law practice for Barbara–the two women are in the same congregation inContinue reading “The High C”
Tag Archives: Friends
Hostage Rescue
The man’s oldest son has turned twelve, and today is his birthday party. Their new house has more than one hundred acres of woods behind them. They have allowed him to invite a bunch of friends for a party, and Lauren has turned over the activities to the man while she handles food. “Don’t worry,”Continue reading “Hostage Rescue”
The Death Trap
It is late August in Texas, and they have been in two-a-days for a week. It’s Saturday night, so there will be no practice Sunday. Ted wants to hang out and later watch the preseason football game that is on that night. First, Ted agrees to join the young man at a church dance. They’reContinue reading “The Death Trap”
Medflight
Dusk in Glendale, California, and they stand on an old wooden porch. The door is partially open, and the young man knocks hard on the screen door. Traffic flies by at the intersection to their right, but there is traffic everywhere in California–it is the background noise to life out here. A tall Latina womanContinue reading “Medflight”
Kickoff Return
The young man plays tight end on offense and goes with the linemen during offense. They are in position groups, but drills haven’t started. Coach Bubba Arledge is leaning on the sled nearby and sees Sean, Roger, and the young man together. Arledge was an all-state guard on a state championship team. “How you doing,Continue reading “Kickoff Return”
Dude, You’re in Zimbabwe
The game was close for two and a half quarters, but midway through the third, the Carroll High jv pulled away from Victoria Stroman to win, 49-28. The young man had played tight end on offense and free safety on defense, and now they are at a Golden Corral in Victoria, Texas, feasting before theContinue reading “Dude, You’re in Zimbabwe”
Your Mom’s the Coolest
The girl lives on the corner of a street in one of the newer neighborhoods south of his. Her street T heads another street, and across that street is a large drainage ditch. The young man, Ted, and Greg are all riding in the ice-blue minivan; the young man’s mom is driving. They turn downContinue reading “Your Mom’s the Coolest”
That’s an Auspicious Beginning
They are playing the middle school city championship at Buc Stadium, which can hold fifteen thousand fans and is home to most of the city’s weekly high school football games on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. They are used to playing on dirt fields surrounded by a fence that parents stand behind. Most of theContinue reading “That’s an Auspicious Beginning”
Blood In
The young man is a freshman at Carroll High School. He has finished lunch and has gone up to his locker. Carroll has an outdoor hall system, and the lockers are in un-air-conditioned rooms at the ends of each of the five wings. His locker is on the first wing upstairs. The young man isContinue reading “Blood In”
As Long as You Didn’t Start It
He is in sixth grade now. Few things have changed for him at Sanders Elementary. He still wears corduroy pants and khaki button-down shirts. On one arm, he has two bracelets, names of men missing in action from Vietnam. On the other arm, he has one bracelet with the name of a man missing inContinue reading “As Long as You Didn’t Start It”
His Smile Lit Up a Room and Other Things to Say at My Funeral 