THE MORNING SUN lit the kitchen as Betty prepared the usual breakfast of oatmeal and toast for her family. The family moved when Eddie completed the seventh grade and was now living in a more modern home at 128 Sunset Boulevard. The small house was located on the outskirts of town not far from where the colored fair was held each year. Like Bill Ligon, his counterpart at Union High, Eddie Sherlin, who was now a senior, was doing well in high school. He was the star quarterback on the football team, the highest-scoring player on the basketball team, and the most popular fellow at Gallatin High. Despite being bashful and uncomfortable speaking to crowds of people, Eddie easily won the election to become senior class president. Eddie covered his shyness by immersing himself in sports. Unlike Bill, Eddie was a poor student, but not because he lacked intelligence. He simply couldn’t be bothered with schoolwork when he was preparing for an upcoming game. Yet Eddie somehow always received passing grades.
Bo had recovered from his accident, but he was confined to a wheelchair. He was Eddie’s biggest fan, and with the help of Jim and Betty, he attended every game his brother played. Living out his dreams vicariously through Eddie had become Bo’s life.
Two male voices chattered incessantly on the radio in Betty Sherlin’s kitchen. “It’s 8 a.m., and you are listening to Jesse and Al.”
Betty stirred the bubbling pot of oatmeal as Delilah and Debbie, now sixteen and fourteen, respectively, sat at the kitchen table, cutting out newspaper articles about Eddie’s sports accomplishments.
Jesse and Al enthusiastically babbled about the triumphant Gallatin High School basketball team. “And congratulations to the Gallatin High Green Wave hoopsters,” Jesse said, “who took their perfect record of twelve wins and no losses into the divisional playoffs last night and emerged victorious, defeating the Hendersonville Commandos 58–39. Quite a definitive win, wouldn’t you say, Al?”
“It certainly was, Jesse. The Green Wave looks hard to stop, especially when that Eddie Sherlin starts sinking shots from several feet outside the key.”
Delilah smiled as she trimmed around a photo of Eddie featured in the sports section of the local newspaper. The photographer had caught Eddie in the midst of a jump shot, his feet off the hardwood by more than twelve inches, his body perfectly straight in the air, his hands in complete control of the basketball. Beneath the photo, which prominently showed the number 22 on his jersey, the headline read, GREEN WAVE WINS BIG!
Debbie watched excitedly as Delilah finished cutting out the picture and carefully pasted it in the family scrapbook.
The radio show hosts continued their enthusiastic banter. “Yes, sir, Al,” Jesse jumped in, “and a win against the Springfield Yellow Jackets on Thursday night will put them smack-dab in the finals.”
“And what about the performance of that All-State guard Eddie Sherlin? Twenty-nine points! What a shooter!”
“No kidding,” Jesse agreed. “That boy just can’t be stopped.”
“He’s sure something special,” Al said.
Debbie couldn’t take it anymore. She ran to the kitchen doorway and called upstairs. “Hurry up, Eddie! They’re bragging on you on the morning radio show again!”
“Aw, that’s okay,” Eddie called back. “They’re just yakking.”
“Maybe so, but they’re yakking about you!”
Eddie stepped into the kitchen, dressed and ready for school. He took his place at the table along with his sisters. Now a handsome young man, he’d remained humble and kind despite all the accolades heaped on him for his athletic ability. He still played football, basketball, and ran track. He loved baseball too, but Gallatin High didn’t have a team. He even won a state tennis championship, even though he had never picked up a racket prior to entering the tournament. Sports and winning came naturally to Eddie.
Bo wheeled his wheelchair into the kitchen, a basketball resting in his lap. He tossed the ball to Eddie, nearly knocking over Eddie’s bowl of oatmeal, but in a last-second grab, Eddie snatched the ball away from the table. Bo ignored Delilah and Debbie’s effusive gushing over the newspaper clippings and looked directly at Eddie. “What’s the name of that forward over at Springfield? He looks pretty quick.”
“Knotts,” Eddie responded between mouthfuls of oatmeal. “Yeah, he’s quick all right. But I can keep up with him.”
“Yeah, Knotts.” Bo nodded. “He’s the guy to worry about. You guys might want to break out of the one-three-one defense and go man-to-man for a while. That way Knotts will have someone on him all the time.”
“Yep, good idea,” Eddie said, knowing full well that Coach Vradenburg was not about to run a man-to-man defense against Springfield. But Eddie also knew how much Bo enjoyed playing coach, so he didn’t contest his brother’s suggestions.
Just then, Jim Sherlin entered the kitchen and made a beeline for the coffeepot. “Mornin’, everyone.” He poured his coffee and looked over at Eddie. “How’s the knee?”
“Oh, not too bad, Dad. I just took a bad fall, that’s all.”
“Well, they should have called a technical foul on that Hendersonville boy who tripped you.” Jim Sherlin waved his full cup of coffee as he spoke. “He was way out of line on that one. I think his coach must have paid off the ref.”
“They don’t do that in high school basketball, Dad,” Bo said. “But that kid did deserve to be ejected.”
“Any pain in the knee?” Jim ignored Bo’s comment and looked back to Eddie.
“Naw, Dad. Really, I’m fine,” Eddie assured him.
“Okay, but if you feel anything different, be sure to let Coach Vradenburg know so he can rest ya,” Jim suggested.
“Sure will, Dad.”
“Ooh, look how nice this one came out,” Debbie said, fawning over her work on the scrapbook. “Eddie, if they don’t quit taking your picture so often, we’re going to have to get more scrapbooks. I just got all your football pictures glued in, and I’m already out of space. And I need to start putting in the photos from your senior year in basketball!” Debbie thumbed through numerous pages in the scrapbook, all filled with pictures of Eddie’s sports exploits.
“Time to go,” Jim Sherlin reported to his family, even though nobody seemed to be listening.
“Me too,” Betty said. “I have a list of contacts to visit today. I’ll probably not be home till dinner.”
The morning deejays continued in their irrepressible good humor. “Let’s get this morning poppin’ with the number-one song in the country,” Al said.
“You betcha!” Jesse said. “Here are The Archies performing their hit song, ‘Sugar, Sugar.’” The bouncy beat of bubblegum music filled the air, and as silly as it was, the song brought a smile to everyone’s faces as the Sherlin family set out to begin their days. Debbie blew on the last photo she had pasted in the scrapbook and hummed along to the music. “It’s going to be a great day!” she said aloud to herself.