The Ovation - Flash Fiction

On a cool Friday night, the high school football game bleachers were filled with local people from town, there for the ceremony of the various individuals at halftime as much as the game itself.

The football team was not that good, so there is no reason for the stands to be filled on a night like tonight, aside from honoring those before the game.

The new field, a turf field, was the best part of the facility. As you walked into the place via a gate that connected to the street, you couldn’t help but comment on the nice view of the field. This was the first reaction I had as I entered the place. The school is off in the distance, so all you see when you walk in is this large turf field, and the appearance of cleanliness that turf gives makes all take a second to appreciate the view.

I read somewhere that in Huckleberry Finn, the river was as much of a character as any of the people in the novel, and on a cool fall night, the same can be made of the air. It was inviting and not too cold as to have you complain about it, but you still had to bundle up so as not to get cold. There were a few in the crowd who did not get the memo that fall time can be cold, and those people shivered during the entire ceremony.

The air wants you to know that something is going on, and is inviting you to be there for the event, but it is warning you that if you stay too long, you will start to freeze.

It wasn’t too windy either, so you did not have any commenting on the wind hitting them in the face. No, it was a nice night for a football game, and that only added to the occasion, for surely if this had taken place in the rain, the feel of the moment would have been different. I also would not have been there.

The stands, as I said, were filled with many people, and rather than fighting for a spot among the crowd, I chose to stand by 30 yard line of the field. I could see the cheerleaders with a few signs ready to hold up for the event. I supposed that they made one for each person being honored.

Despite my closeness to the field, I could barely hear the announcer give the names of those that were being celebrated on that day, but one name caught my attention, Redman.

I don’t know this man. I could not tell you much about him, even now, but I noticed that he got an unusually large reception from the crowd as compared to the others. People called out his name a few times and they celebrated as though he brokered a treaty. We have not gotten to the actual ceremony and this guy is already getting a large ovation.

This guy must have been the best athlete this town had ever seen, sort of a Bo Jackson of the neighborhood, I thought. That would explain why all those in the crowd love. He impacted the neighborhood by being the best athlete they ever saw. Perhaps the reason I don’t know him is because he got injured at the college level.

I started to put the various sports he played in my head and give the guy a backstory.

Baseball, basketball, football, and he may have even played another sport that he was really good in too, something like track and field.

Yeah, this Redman guy must have been the best athlete around. That makes sense; I thought to myself as I stared at the field, waiting for the ceremony to commence.

As each nominee was chosen, he walked on the field, and the announcer spoke of his success. The cheerleaders, who were within a few feet of me, held up a sign they had for the person.

Walter (something- I missed his last name) was the first guy up. He played for the football team when he was younger. He gave a speech about continuing the legacy of the program.

And then there was Patrick Nox. He was a great pitcher when he was a kid and played in the pros. He said something about his journey beginning here.

For a second, I thought that my theory that the Redman guy being the best ever may not be true, for how does that make sense, if this guy was the best pitcher the school ever had? Doesn’t that get rid of the possibility of Redman being so great?

Before I could think too much of that, the announcer, who I could hear better than when it began, gave the next name, Newson Parker. This man did the same as the other two and walked to the middle of the field and gave a brief speech of his life. I was impressed that he was successful at multiple sports, even more than the other guy, and not only was he a great athlete, but he was a marine in his life as well.

Now, I was truly puzzled as to who this Redman guy was. I know that I think he was the best ever this school ever saw, but can he really be better than a guy who pitched in the pros and a former marine? My god, this guy Redman must have been so good they have stories about him still being told today. That is why so many applauded him when they heard his name.

Despite the accolades of the three, which were an impressive list in their own right, none of them had the same crowd reaction as the one guy. In fact, you can combine the first three, and it still wouldn’t add up to this Redman guy’s applause.

He must have scored a crazy amount of points in a basketball game or thrown a bunch of no-hitters in baseball. Maybe he even competed in wrestling and basketball at the same time, for some reason, because it was allowed back then. Whatever this guy did must have defied reality, for why else would a person get so much of an ovation?

Last but not least to be called out was this Redman guy, this character, who I knew not of before the night began, and in a manner of a few minutes, I cultivated a story as him being the greatest athlete this town ever saw, and he hurt himself while in college. It was an injury that ended careers back then, too, like an ankle injury, so once he hurt it, his career was over. I have never heard of him because I am not from the town. That is how I figured out who this man was.

I even asked my friend standing next to me of this man, as I found it strange one person would receive such an ovation. He gave me no help as he didn’t know the man either.

I didn’t ask about the former pro, or the former marine, but of this Redman guy, which to me, only meant he must have been that great of an athlete.

In high school sports, the competition can be misleading in regards to accomplishments, as a great athlete can be from a small town like this and play against bums who are only there to fill out the roster. That allows the athletes to do wonders, as not all are on the same level, competitively speaking. Then, you can get to the higher levels of competition and show your stuff there, and by then, you are already known.  In high school sports, at least the ones that I know, the best don’t always play the best, so if you are from a place where the best rarely come from and are the best, then you can really make some heads turn, as you are not only going to compete for a championship, but you are going to blowout some opponents along the way, opponents who are traditionally speaking, the school would compete against.

Redman defied all of this when he was a wrestler, winning two state titles, competing at a different weight class each year; a track star, being on the winning state team, and holding the school record for long jump; a stud outfielder for the baseball team, holding the school’s records in hits, home runs, runs and doubles that stills stand; a basketball standout, as he holds the record for most points ever by an alumni and helped the school win their only state title; and a star running back, running for more touchdowns and yards than any other player in school history, and leading the school to back to back state titles. That is who Redman was, to me, a worthy Hercules to such an ovation. If you had told me that the man won Prom King, acted in the school musical of Aladdin, and won the DECA tournament for the state, then I would not have been surprised.

Finally the announcer got to the man that everyone wanted to celebrate, the athlete that changed the local sports scene, Redman.

“And let us all give a hand for Mr. Redman, the teacher for this school for over 50 years, the coach of our lacrosse team for 35 years, and who ran the baseball team for 27 years, 14 of which were volunteer. He helped to shape so many of the lives of those in this school district, and we would truly not have been the same without him. Let’s all give him a hand. For there isn’t one of you in the crowd, who has not been touched by the great heart of Mr. Redman. I think I can speak for everyone when I say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Redman, for all you did.’”

A teacher, that is what this guy was. He gave to those around him and taught them life lessons that are worth more than any record or trophy. He never scored a touchdown, hit a home run, or did anything remotely of merit on the playing field. He helped the kids and instilled values in them that they carried with them in their lives, which is why they all know him, even today. Everyone in the crowd can go back to a time when this man gave them something to make them a better person.

All of a sudden, the ovation made a lot more sense to me. We value those who give the most to us; only later in life can we see the fruits of their labor prosper. Those who plant seeds for the trees don’t get to see the tree become its greatest. That is what Mr. Redman did.

No one remembers the points or the records or the scores, but we all remember those that took time out of their lives to mold us into who we are, and teach us those valuable lessons that shape our society.

Help those less fortunate to you. If you have some money or some clothes, give back to those who don’t have it.

Respect your mother and father. They are a part of who you are, whether you want to admit it or not. Respect the sacrifice they gave for you.

Love every day as though it were your last. You are not here forever, so make every moment count.

Learn how to love learning. There is a passion you have and want to pursue, and you know that you can read up and learn about it. Also, know that there are so many great things to learn in this world, but the first thing you must do is be able to appreciate reading.

Value your family more than your money. Love your sisters and your brothers more than your cars or objects. They mean more than any object can ever to you.

Overcome adversity. You will fail in this life, and when that happens, learn to pick yourself up and get back into the game. We all fail, but we all don’t get up. Be the one that always gets up.

Question the world. As you grow, don’t be afraid to question what is going on in your life and this world. The world needs people who are not afraid to think about the way things are. Embrace the philosopher inside of you.

That is the real story of Mr. Redman, and that is why he was celebrated on that cool fall night at the local high school football game.

Athletes never get the same ovation as teachers. We all cheer on the athletes as they play, but when we have to cheer for those we wish to honor, it is always the teacher we wish to thank for the lessons they gave us along the way.