| |
Cheryl and Darcy had concluded an easy run and were sitting on a stone fence in the sun at the edge of the campus. Cheryl was making grooves in the dirt with the toes of her running shoes. Darcy's heels didn't reach that far, but she was lightly tapping them against the wall.
"That muscle feels a lot better. In another day or two, I think it'll be back to normal."
"That's good news."
"Yeah, man! Hey, Darcy, you thought any more about trying out for the team?"
"And competing, you mean?"
"Yeah. You'd be a natural."
"Yes, I've thought about it. I might be interested. But I don't think I want to enroll for school. I already have a degree."
"Oh, I didn't know that."
She drew some more grooves with her toes.
"But actually, you don't have to be a student to try out for the Olympics. I have a meeting in a few days with a guy from Barbados who’s agreed to help me get things arranged to run for them. That's where I'm from, you know. You don't have to be from there to run for them. Why don't you come with me and talk to him? If you win a medal for Barbados, they’ll be happy to pay your training expenses!"
"They would? Really? How can they pay ahead of time for something that might not happen?"
"Because I'd vouch for you! I just know you'd win some kind of medal. I know this gent from way back. He's why I got this far. Him and me, we’re pals."
"Hmm. And you're meeting him soon?"
"Yeah, get this: he’s a lawyer, some kind of import-export lawyer with a big law firm in Miami. That's in Florida. The whole law firm is sponsoring me. They’re gonna send a plane to pick me up and take me to Miami for the meeting! Plenty of room on that plane, Darcy. Just let me tell him I got another hot prospect for a medal. What’s it gonna cost them to talk to you? Nothin', that's what. C'mon, Darcy! Let's fly to Miami!"
"That's tempting, Cheryl, very tempting. You mean, if you win a medal, you’ll be famous?"
“Yeah! Well, not like a rock star or the Pope, but famous enough to get hired somewhere, or make guest appearances, like that. Come with me to Miami! You gotta do it, girl! You'll like this guy. His name’s Hartley Braithwaite (she pronounced it ‘Braffit’), and he isn’t a rich lawyer like most of them. He put himself through school by working in the cane fields and he really respects hard work and ability, no lie. He’s a big lawyer now, but man, he can still cuss like a cane cutter!"
"Next week, huh? Well, I don't have much else to do. OK, Cheryl, I'll go with you, if he'll have me."
"All right girl! I’ll call him tonight. You'll see! Good things are gonna happen!"
