The remaining weeks of school passed quickly. After the last baseball game, Coach Krause and Assistant Coach Mason hosted a small banquet for the baseball players. They awarded letters to the players who had substantive playing time. Jeremy was pleased to get a letter.
Dean Fisher was the last player to be awarded a letter. Both coaches praised everything he had done for the team over the past three years. They further praised the job he did as the team captain that year. They concluded by saying his services would be missed the following year.
When Alicia graduated, she sent Jeremy her graduation picture. It was the first picture of her that Jeremy had.
Jeremy told his grandparents about his interest in working in Lamoni during the summer. They were supportive. He spoke with Mr. Clausen about the idea, who told Jeremy that he would get the necessary papers. Once those papers arrived, Jeremy, his grandparents, and Mr. Clausen all completed the necessary paperwork. Mr. Clausen mailed it off to Lamoni. Soon a response came back from Lamoni. Jeremy was hired.
Quickly Jeremy wrote to Alicia to tell her the news. He also told Kim Mullen. His grandparents got his forwarding address. Jeremy then packed up his belongings to take to his summer home. He made extra sure he took his picture of Alicia.
Many of the locals hoped that their team could win the Iowa Baseball League championship for the second year in a row. The only change from last year was that the Mason City team had relocated to Fort Dodge. Bruce Lane said that teams often relocated in this league. Grinnell was lucky to get a team via relocation last year. As for winning the championship again, he said team performances could change a lot too.
Interest in the Iowa Baseball League was overshadowed by the new major baseball league. While Jeremy thought he should cheer for Baltimore, he was not sure which team he wanted to support. He decided to just watch the season unfold.
Within days it was time for Jeremy to depart for Lamoni. His grandparents went with him to the train station. There, they bade Jeremy farewell when he boarded the train. He then started on that now-familiar train ride to Des Moines. In Des Moines, he transferred to a southbound train to get to Lamoni.
This train whizzed along like nothing Jeremy had experienced before. Not only was he out of Des Moines before he knew it, but the towns along the way seemed like blips. The train slowed down as it approached Lamoni, stopping at the Lamoni train station. That train had zipped about eighty miles in a little more than half an hour.
After deboarding the train, Jeremy commented that he had never traveled that fast on land before. Another passenger replied that the railroad system was one thing that was better after the dissolution.
A man standing in front of the station held a sign proclaiming, “NEW CONSTRUCTION WORKERS.”
Jeremy instinctively walked over to him, as did several other men who got off the train.
After the train pulled away, the man started speaking. “We all thank you for choosing to help our country. All of you will be helping to create the next national capital. In a few minutes, a bus will stop here to take us to the camp. From there, each of you will be given your assignments. Then you will be taken to the barracks where you will be staying while you work here.”
When the bus pulled up, the men took their baggage and boarded. The bus took them south of town toward the state border. Soon some white buildings that looked like they were not made to last came into view. Slightly further were several buildings under construction that looked much more permanent. Those too were white. There was one temporary-looking building, smaller than the others, that also was located closer than the other temporary-looking buildings.
The bus drove up to the smaller building. Once the passengers had gotten off the bus, the man who met them at the depot instructed them to go inside the building. Inside were three men who were sitting behind desks. The men were to form three lines in front of those desks. Each man had a list of the incoming workers. Those lists included which building each worker was supposed to stay in and which project they were to work on.
Jeremy took a place in the right line, a little more than halfway back. He could hear the men up front assigning them, usually, to Iowa East, Iowa Central, or Iowa West. A few times, people were assigned to corresponding buildings in Missouri. When Jeremy got to the front of the line, he was told to go to Iowa West. The man behind the desk had a crude map that showed six housing buildings. He indicated to Jeremy which one was Iowa West. Jeremy. Jeremy took his belongings, exited the building, and walked to Iowa West.
The housing buildings looked identical: Oblong white buildings stretching out north and south but running much narrower east and west. Three stories tall. Windows neatly spaced, equidistant across each story. They looked like temporary military shelters.
Entering the north door of Iowa West, he walked into an alcove. Another man was sitting behind a desk. He asked Jeremy his name. Jeremy replied. The man flipped through a couple of papers on his desk and made a check mark. Jeremy presumed that he had flipped his papers back to the Vs and checked his name off. Then the man showed Jeremy three other sheets of paper. Each paper had two columns of squares separated by a long rectangle. Each square had a three-digit number on it. On one sheet, every number started with a one, the next one with a two, with threes for the first digit on the last page.
Over half of the squares had Xs in them, leaving plenty of blank spaces. The squares corresponded to rooms in the building. The starting digits corresponded to their respective floors. The man asked Jeremy which room he would like. Deciding he wanted a room with a view, he selected room 317.
The man reached over to a keyboard on the wall to his right and pulled off a key. He handed it to Jeremy. The key had the number 317 on it. “Once you get settled in your room, feel free to wander around. You will get a grasp on the enormity of this project. Dinner is at six. You will hear a whistle blow. Food will be served outside every housing building. You may go to any one you want.”
Taking the key and his baggage, Jeremy walked up two flights of stairs and down the hall to his room. It was a very plain-looking room, with white walls that resembled the exterior walls. The window, facing east, had dark blue curtains. The unit had a bed, complete with sheets and a blanket. A clothing rack and a modest dresser provided adequate space for clothes. It also had a toilet, a sink, and a shower; soap, towels, and other toiletries. Basic needs were all there. Jeremy just wondered how well this building would hold up in a serious storm.
Following the man in the alcove’s advice, Jeremy went back outside after he had put his belongings away. His building had a back stairway. Using that, he walked outside. It was a clear and beautiful day. Perfect for exploring.
Right away, Jeremy noticed a large edifice under construction located straight in front of him. He could not tell how tall it would be, but it certainly occupied a large area. Even if it were not going to be particularly tall, it would still have an imposing presence. Its four-column portico graced the center of the façade, flanked by two wings.
Much closer was a paved street that formed something like a semicircle around the north side of the building. It left ample space for the building’s grounds. At the end of both sides of the semicircle, the road started going in a straight line alongside another road that Jeremy surmised led to a similar semicircle around the south side of the building.
Not seeing much to the west, Jeremy started walking alongside the road, heading east. Upon reaching the end of the semicircle, Jeremy noticed a building just like Iowa West, except that it was on the opposite side of the large building. That was Missouri West. Strolling down the road, up a gentle slope, he could see another large building straight ahead. It was at the top of the hill. This one was flanked by wings on its north and south. The center of the building looked like the base of something circular. Just like at the first large building, the divided road split into two semicircles around it. Iowa Central and Missouri Central were just past the outermost part of the semicircles. The building he was assigned to, Iowa West, was slightly north and west of Iowa Central.
From the top of the hill, Jeremy could see Iowa East and Missouri East. Between them stood another impressive edifice. This building was also at the center of a circular split in the road.
Continuing eastward, Jeremy encountered another circular split, not as large as the other three but large enough to accommodate a building nonetheless. It was about midway between the east and central buildings, but it was vacant inside. Jeremy wondered what that circle was for.
After walking around the east building, Jeremy headed back west, walking alongside the south side of the divided road. Upon arriving back at Iowa West, he went up to his room, lay down on his bed, and rested, gradually nodding off to sleep.
Jeremy was awakened by a blowing whistle. His nap helped him feel better-rested. He instinctively went down to the ground floor and walked out the front door. Immediately his nostrils were filled with the appetizing scent of roast beef. Some men already had their food, sitting on the ground while dining.
Nearby was the truck that brought the food. Next to the truck was a serving line where women dished out food to the workers. Jeremy promptly got into the line. He picked up paper plates, plastic silverware, and some napkins. Then the women served him generous helpings of roast beef, mashed potatoes, and corn. He sat on the ground close to the other workers to enjoy some food.
The other workers all introduced themselves to Jeremy and told him where they were from. There were more workers from Iowa than any other state, albeit not a majority. There were a few workers from Missouri, but not as many as he thought there would be. Jeremy figured most of the Missouri workers were staying in the Missouri building. Within these men, Nebraska had the second most, though other RSNA states were also represented. There were even some men from non-RSNA states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Colorado.
Jeremy asked a man from Wisconsin why he had come so far to get work. “You gotta go where the jobs are,” the man replied. “Besides, someday this will be our national capital too.”
Another man pointed out that it hardly seemed fair that people in only fourteen states had to pay taxes for something being built for all fifty, but they all agreed this was the only thing that was feasible at the time.
Then someone pointed out that the main reason why the RSNA had even achieved its success so far was that Michigan entered it so soon after it started. Michigan had the most success getting its act together after the dissolution, thanks mainly to Secretary Fields. When Michigan joined the reunion, Fields right away became the RSNA’s treasury secretary. His management of the money probably was making this new construction possible.
Some men speculated about if Secretary Fields had made himself rich by using money so well. Most agreed that he had. He just did not show it.
The new version of Major League Baseball was also talked about. The season had just started. It was hard to say which teams would do the best. The men from Iowa typically wanted either the St. Louis Cardinals or the Kansas City Royals to win. The men from the eastern part of the RSNA spread their loyalties among the six teams east of the Mississippi River.
Jeremy began his work the next day. Because he had no prior construction experience, he had to haul building materials to where they were needed in new presidential mansion. It was grueling work. He was often hot and soaked with sweat by noon. By the end of the workday, he was totally exhausted. He would always shower right after he got back to his room. At least that made him feel fresher, but not much less exhausted. But the food was delicious and ample.
The first weekend was boring. There were not enough activities in Lamoni to serve so many men. Many men passed the time while playing card games and horseshoes. Others went into the town to go shopping, attend a movie, or go to the local library. He decided to walk to the town. He bought a deck of cards and a picture book about Washington, DC
Back in his room, he leafed through the picture book. It showed pictures of the grand buildings, statues, and monuments that used to be there. He wondered how the buildings now under construction would look. Would they look like their Washington, DC, counterparts? Or would they have a newer, more modern-looking appearance?
He saw a picture of the Washington Monument. He vaguely recalled seeing it when he was a little boy. Then he thought about the remains of a toppled white tower he and Vince Blake had seen. Jeremy wondered if that was the Washington Monument.
Later he saw a picture of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He thought about the remains of the black marble wall. It had names on it, just like the memorial. Jeremy felt sure that it was the remains of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Would the new capital have something like that?
Early in his second week of work, Jeremy got the most pleasant surprise of the summer. He was going through the lunch line one day. Suddenly he noticed that Alicia was one of the servers! Expressing his surprise, he reached across the table and touched Alicia. She told Jeremy that when he informed her that he would be working in Lamoni for the summer, she found a job as a server. Not only would she get to spend more time with Jeremy, but this would be an ideal place for someone who wanted to study urban planning.
Alicia’s presence lifted Jeremy’s spirits considerably. Somehow, the tedious work became less difficult. Every night after dinner, he and Alicia walked around the construction area, observing the progress. Wondering what it would look like when it was finished, Jeremy asked Alicia what she thought. She replied that the capitol, the presidential mansion, and the supreme court building were designed to look like their Washington, DC, counterparts from the outside. The interiors of the buildings would be changed.
They soon found John Humpert and Randy Flagler. They both boarded at Iowa Central so they could work on the capitol. The four of them chatted for a while, deciding to see one another over the summer.
A few nights later, Jeremy and Alicia encountered Dean Fisher, who was boarding at Iowa East while helping build the new supreme court building. Jeremy could understand Dean doing this kind of work. His brawn was ideal for it.
As the summer progressed, Jeremy started learning basic carpentry. He could them help assemble parts of the building.
Late one afternoon, the foreman ordered the workers to go into the basement of the presidential mansion. When Jeremy asked what was going on, a coworker told him a tornado had been spotted in the area. They all went back to work when the “all clear” signal was given.
During light rains or in windy conditions, most of the work was done inside. But sometimes the area would get a heavy rain. On those days, work was called off. Instead, buses were provided for those workers who wanted to spend the day in town. Jeremy always went to Graceland College, where all the women who were working in Lamoni during the summer stayed. He always wanted to be with Alicia. Often, the two of them would socialize with other people.
While working, Jeremy became friends with many coworkers. He was always most interested in where they lived. The men who lived in the Iowa buildings were most likely from Northern locations, while the men who lived in the Missouri buildings more likely lived in Southern locations. He met people from Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, and even Florida.
Nobody there showed any interest in the Iowa Baseball League. But the new Major League Baseball was talked about frequently. Even though Jeremy felt like he should root for Baltimore, the feeling would not take hold. For the time being, he watched the standings, not backing any team. In the East, Pittsburgh opened a wide lead, leaving Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Cleveland battling for second place. The West was basically the opposite, with Detroit, Cincinnati, and Kansas City in a tight race for first place and St. Louis way behind in last place. The championship playoff would be between Pittsburgh and whichever team won the West.
The Fourth of July celebration was unlike anything Jeremy had seen before. He vaguely remembered seeing fireworks displays when he was little, but those all stopped after the dissolution. Virginia did not celebrate this holiday. Sitting on the ground with Alicia, he watched dazzling displays of red, white, blue, orange, and yellow burst in midair.
Alicia could tell that Jeremy was not used to seeing this. It was another thing he did not get to see in Virginia. When the final display created a likeness of the American flag, Jeremy yelled, “Wow!” Alicia turned to Jeremy and smiled.
Late in the summer, an announcement was made that caused a huge cheer. Tennessee had approved the Iowa Articles of Reunification. The RSNA now consisted of fifteen states. The reunification was gaining momentum.
As the summer progressed, the capitol and the presidential mansion both increasingly looked like their counterparts in Jeremy’s picture book.
When the summer work was over, Jeremy sat next to Alicia on the bullet train ride back to Des Moines. Alicia talked about what she had learned about the plans for building the new capital city. Fifty diagonal streets would be created and named after each of the fifty states. Streets would also be named after each president of the original United States.
Alicia also told Jeremy that in another week, she would pack her belongings to go up to Iowa State. Meanwhile, Jeremy would head back to Grinnell for his senior year in high school.
After parting ways with Alicia in Des Moines, Jeremy boarded the train for Grinnell when it arrived. He sat next to Dean Fisher on that train. Dean talked about his plans to attend the University of Iowa to play for their baseball team. Jeremy told him about his plans to enroll in ROTC once he finished high school. Dean complemented Jeremy for his interest in serving the country.
Once Jeremy got home, he thought about the summer and his current situation. He realized that in many ways, his life was good. The work he did over the summer may have been strenuous, but he was well compensated for it. On top of that, he got free lodging, free food, and free transportation between Lamoni and Grinnell. He had many friends and a very desirable girl on top of that. His grandparents were providing him with a good home, so willing to help him finish growing up.
Nonetheless, he had serious issues, not the least of which was knowing that General Krakowski’s spies wanted to catch him. If he got caught by them, his life could end quickly. Being separated from his immediate family was another adverse situation.
One of the first things Jeremy did with the money he earned was to purchase a new bicycle. Because he had never ridden a bike before, he was a bit awkward at first. Kim Mullen helped him learn. While he took his share of spills, he determinedly kept trying until finally he could maintain his balance so he could ride normally. Bicycling helped him get around town more quickly.
Jeremy continued to follow the Iowa Baseball League. But Grinnell was not doing as well this year. As a result, attendance was slipping too. They finished third in the Eastern division. Davenport won the East, while Sioux City won the West. Davenport won the playoff. He felt that it seemed like Davenport always excelled at sports.
But Jeremy, like nearly everybody else, was more focused on Major League Baseball. Pittsburgh won the East easily. Kansas City finally pulled out the West. Then Pittsburgh won the best-of-seven playoff in five games. At least every team made a profit. The new league was considered a success.
With the addition of Tennessee and Arkansas colleges, college football drew more interest than it had the year before. Jeremy and most of his friends were hoping Drake would make another run at the championship. While the team had a successful year, they finished second in the conference, behind Nebraska. But the big surprise of the year was Tennessee, who won every game on its way to winning the national championship. People began to speculate about how college football would look once all fifty states were reunited.
While Jeremy followed college football with interest, he did not try out for Grinnell’s football team. Instead, he and some of his fellow baseball players worked out at the baseball field after school. While Dean Fisher’s services would certainly be missed, he liked what he saw in his fellow players. Meanwhile, the football team won three games and lost six, a disappointing but nonetheless enjoyable season.
At school, Jeremy continued to draw praise from his teachers for both his grades and his conduct. People told him that they believed he would go on to do great things. While such compliments pleased Jeremy, he knew he still faced a heavy load of challenges.
Mr. Clausen asked Jeremy what he wanted to do after graduation. Jeremy replied that he wanted to attend the RSNA Military Academy in New Salem. Mr. Clausen replied that being accepted to New Salem was extremely difficult. That difficulty was worsened by the fact that the politicians who made the appointments wanted to appoint graduates who had deeper roots in their home states. On top of that, New Salem always got many more applicants than it could accept. But he promised Jeremy that he would try to help him.
Meanwhile, Jeremy kept on enjoying his senior year. His favorite activities were bicycling and practicing baseball. When the weather got too cold to practice outside, they followed Dean Fisher’s strategy of practicing in the weight room.
Quite often he would bicycle with Kim Mullen. Jeremy could tell he was being drawn closer to Kim, though he still longed for Alicia. He even began taking Kim to some movies. He used some of his money to make two visits to Ames, where he much enjoyed his time with Alicia. But he could see Kim much more often.
The RSNA held a presidential election in November. Jeremy did not even realize it until about a week beforehand. When he mentioned it to his grandparents, his grandfather replied that President Adair was almost certain to win, meaning there was not the campaigning or publicity that usually happened before the dissolution. President Adair would not seek a third term by law. The next presidential election would likely get more publicity.
As expected, President Adair won reelection easily, with 77 percent of the vote. The next-highest vote getter, a senator from Maryland, got only 15 percent. Vice President Marshall also won easily, with 71 percent of the vote. The next-highest vote getter was Governor Mike Friend of Pennsylvania, with 8 percent of the vote. Governor Friend was surprised that he had gotten any votes. He had not declared himself a candidate, nor did he campaign at all. After that, Vice President Marshall and Governor Friend became good buddies.
Basketball season brought good news for Grinnell. The team won its first seven contests before a loss to Iowa City, West, ended their winning streak. The success raised the morale of the entire student body. Jeremy and Kim went to many of the games together. One time the school chartered a bus to a game in Pella. Jeremy and Kim went there together.
Thanksgiving and Christmas were both happy holidays. Jeremy was a little disappointed that he could not see any of his aunts, uncles, or cousins on either day, but he understood why.
Jeremy was also glad that Vincent Black started getting along better. Vincent was making more friends and feeling more comfortable in his new environment. Sometimes Jeremy would bicycle over to the Lanes’ house to see Vincent. He was always welcome at the Lanes’.
Early in the new year, Mr. Clausen told Jeremy that he had good news and bad news. The bad news was that he could not get an appointment to New Salem. The ROTC programs at Iowa and Iowa State had also turned him down. But the ROTC program at Creighton University seemed particularly interested in him.
Mr. Clausen asked Jeremy if he knew anybody at Creighton. Jeremy replied that he did not. While he had met a few people from Omaha while working in Lamoni, he doubted any of them would have a connection to Creighton University, let alone the ROTC program there.
Mr. Clausen claimed that he did not know anybody at Creighton either. This interest seemed puzzling. But when Mr. Clausen asked if Jeremy would like to apply to the Creighton ROTC program, Jeremy emphatically replied, “Certainly.”
Less than two weeks later, Jeremy got a letter from the Creighton ROTC program inviting him to visit the campus. Jeremy quickly wrote back and told them of his interest. Within another week, he received a round-trip train ticket to Omaha. Somebody would pick him up at the train station there and take him to the campus.
Both of Jeremy’s grandparents were overjoyed about the good news. So were Kim and Mr. Clausen. Right away, he sent a letter to Alicia telling her about his upcoming trip. She was also very happy for him.
The first leg of Jeremy’s trip was the familiar ride to Des Moines, stopping at all towns along the way. In Des Moines, he transferred to a bullet train, like the one he rode between Des Moines and Lamoni. As the train whipped through western Iowa, Jeremy paid little attention to the little towns along the way. But about halfway, one town caught his attention. It was Wiota, David Grove’s hometown. Jeremy thought about David Grove the rest of the way to Omaha.
Jeremy enjoyed his visit to Creighton. He was impressed by the sharp cleanliness of the facilities. His escort, Major Kendall, showed him the armory, barracks, and training grounds. The highlight of the visit was when Jeremy was introduced to Colonel Brown, the head of the ROTC program. Colonel Brown talked about the good team spirit of his unit and how much people liked the program.
When Jeremy and Major Kendall parted ways back at the Omaha train depot, he told the major how interested he was in attending Creighton and participating in its ROTC program. Major Kendall informed Jeremy that he came highly recommended to them and that they were most interested in having him come there.
The bullet train zipped Jeremy back to Des Moines just as quickly as the train he rode out. Once again, he looked at Wiota as the train charged through it. He could hardly blink before his train had passed it. He wondered if anybody there could remember David Grove.
Another town caught Jeremy’s attention on the way back. This town was called Adair. He wondered if President Adair and the town were somehow connected. After thinking about it, he decided they probably weren’t. The town would have been named long before President Adair was born.
Upon arriving back home, Jeremy excitedly told his grandparents about how well his visit to Creighton went. The following Monday, he told Kim Mullen and several of his buddies about it. Everyone was happy for Jeremy.
Baseball practice continued in the weight lifting room. Meanwhile, the basketball team continued winning. When the tournaments started, it still had lost only one game. During the tournament, the student body cheered loudly when Grinnell eliminated Newton in the third round. Two more wins qualified the team for the state tournament.
Many students boarded the bus to Des Moines for the first state tournament game. It was a rematch against still-unbeaten Iowa City, West. Jeremy sat next to Kim Mullen. They talked mainly about the game, hoping that Grinnell would win but knowing that the opponent was favored.
Iowa City, West led for most of the game but was never able to open a big lead. A strong surge in the fourth quarter enabled Grinnell to pull out the big upset. The Grinnell cheering section went wild. The students cheered on the entire bus ride back to Grinnell. Kim and Jeremy both participated in the excitement.
The next night, Grinnell went up against Jeremy’s old friends from Des Moines, Lincoln. Jeremy sat next to Kim on the bus to this game, just like the night before. They also sat together during the game. Across the floor, Jeremy saw John Humpert and Randy Flagler sitting together. Randy seemed interested in a girl who was sitting next to him.
Eventually, Jeremy saw Alicia also sitting the Lincoln cheering section. He smiled and waved at her. She smiled and waved back. But Jeremy sensed that she was uneasy about something. He thought it had something to do with Kim sitting next to him.
At halftime, Jeremy walked over to the Lincoln stands and motioned for Alicia to come down. Alicia smiled at Jeremy as she came down. Jeremy put his arm around her and began talking with her. He first asked her how she was doing. She asked Jeremy the same.
After some small talk, Jeremy spoke up, saying, “Are you nervous because I am sitting next to Kim?”
Alicia admitted that she was, and that much of her reason for attending the game was that she wanted to see Jeremy.
“At least we are seeing each other now,” Jeremy pointed out. “And I am very glad to see you.”
Alicia felt better to hear that. Then Jeremy continued by assuring her that he and Kim were not committed. Then he asked if she had met any boys at Iowa State. She admitted that she had but said that she still wanted to see him. Jeremy promised to come up to Ames on an upcoming weekend. Alicia said they could meet in Des Moines. Jeremy agreed. They spent most of the rest of halftime talking.
When Jeremy got back to his seat to start the second half, Kim asked who that girl he was talking with was. Jeremy said her name was Alicia, and they had met while he attended Des Moines, Lincoln. He assured Kim that he and Alicia were not committed and that he wanted to still spend time with her.
The small lead that Lincoln held at halftime quickly vanished in the third quarter. Grinnell went on to win the game by thirteen. Grinnell would face Storm Lake for the championship the next night.
The Grinnell fans were ecstatic on the bus ride home. The team was just one game away from winning the state championship. Everyone was looking ahead to the next night with anticipation. Nobody could think of any time that Grinnell had won the state championship in anything.
When Jeremy got home, he could not wait to tell his grandparents about the game. When he did, they told him that they had listened to the game on the radio. They also had arranged with the Lanes to attend the championship game. Jeremy surmised that a goodly part of Grinnell’s residents would go there. This would be a big event for the entire city.
The bus ride back to Des Moines was electric with anticipation. How wonderful it would be to attend a school that won the state championship.
Unfortunately, Storm Lake proved too talented for Grinnell. The opponents led by ten points during the second quarter, going into the locker room at halftime up by nine. Storm Lake finished the job in the second half, leading by as much as seventeen points. When the game ended, Storm Lake was ahead by eleven. The state championship was theirs.
The students were mostly quiet on the bus ride home. Granted, finishing second in the state was an outstanding achievement. But losing the championship game was still a big disappointment.
Baseball practice started in earnest the following Monday. At the end of practice, they voted for a new team captain. Dean Fisher had been voted in unanimously last year. Jeremy felt that the catcher, Peter Hunt, would make a good captain. When the votes were counted, Jeremy was shocked that he had won. He would be the team captain that year.
On Wednesday, the city put on a celebration to honor the basketball team. It was held at a park next to the downtown area. Everybody there was in a festive mood. Jeremy found Kim and stayed close to her. The highlight of the celebration was when Grinnell’s mayor walked up to a microphone near the edge of the park and spoke.
“It gives me great pleasure to serve as mayor to such a fine community,” he began. “We have consistently been praised for our quality of life, our good schools, and our efforts to recover from the dissolution. Now we are gathered to celebrate another achievement that Grinnell can certainly be proud of. It gives me great pleasure to honor our high school’s varsity basketball team. Out of the hundreds of high schools in Iowa, ours placed second in the entire state. This is an achievement that our whole city can be proud of. Our thanks to the players, coaches, and managers of this terrific basketball team.”
The next day, Jeremy got some good news in the mail. He had been accepted to Creighton’s ROTC program. Quickly, Jeremy informed his grandparents. They were both proud of their grandson and happy for him. He next sent letters to both Alicia and John Humpert to inform them. The next day, he told his friends at school. Kim Mullen was particularly happy to hear the news. Mr. Clausen praised him for his fine achievement. Jeremy could hardly wait to begin his college education at Creighton.
Baseball dominated Jeremy’s activity for the remainder of the school year. He quickly formed a close friendship with Peter Hunt. Jeremy felt awkward leading the team when he had lived here such a short period of time. He felt Peter knew the other players better. Peter readily assisted him in his team captain duties. Coach Krause expected much from Jeremy. He had to lead the team drills while also monitoring the performance of all the other players.
When the subject of Jeremy being elected team captain over Peter was brought up, Peter readily pointed out how well-liked Jeremy was. Being a Virginia escapee made him a hero. He was also intelligent and easy to get along with. His performance at shortstop was nearly flawless. He was also a good hitter. All of that made him a natural leader. But Peter liked it that Jeremy respected his input so much.
Because Harry Dayton had graduated, Coach Krause asked Jeremy if he would like to try out for third base. Jeremy said he would. He performed just as proficiently at third base as he did at shortstop. Coach Krause told him that the people in Virginia must have done a good job at teaching him baseball. Jeremy replied that the coaching he was getting in Grinnell was much better.
Because of the basketball team’s success, the entire baseball team had only one week of practice together before their first game. Jeremy sensed that the team had not had enough time to prepare. His concerns proved correct. The opening game was a 3–0 disappointment against Oskaloosa. While Jeremy had performed well back at third base, he felt responsible for the entire team’s performance. Coach Krause told him not to take it too hard. The whole team did not get much time to work out together, making it hard to prepare for the game. Besides that, Oskaloosa was among the best teams on their schedule.
Things quickly got better for the baseball team. In fact, Grinnell won each of its thirteen other contests. Key wins against Newton and Pella provided the high points. Jeremy helped the effort with his nearly flawless play at third base, his good hitting, and the leadership he had provided the team. Jeremy believed that while the team had a better season, his leadership was not as solid as Dean Fisher’s.
Jeremy was in for a big surprise at the postseason banquet. As anticipated, he was the last player to receive a varsity letter. The shock was that Coach Krause claimed that he had not only filled big shoes replacing Dean Fisher as team captain, he had done even better. Jeremy could not believe what he heard. How could anybody do better than Dean Fisher?
Jeremy talked with Peter Hunt about Coach Krause’s comment after the banquet. Peter replied that not only had the team been more successful with him as captain, but his approach was better. With Dean Fisher, the emphasis had been on power. Not only did Jeremy have a more tactful way of leading the team than Dean, but he also had a more balanced approach with the intricacies of each position while being mindful of the needs of every player on the team.
At graduation, Jeremy was commended for graduating seventh in a class of about 160 students. Kim Mullen was valedictorian. All of the top ten students were photographed together on stage, standing in the order in which they had placed. All ten of them felt honored. But as they were leaving the stage, Jeremy noticed Lisa Plummer alphabetically sitting back in the Ps. She was certainly not happy about something.