the end, we all felt better. My time with them was the high point of my week, like a drug I needed to keep me afloat.
I’m desperate for that. After this week, I might only bump into Haley here and there, but I’ll still need this in my life, no matter what kind of paying job I find. If I stay.
I knock on the office door. I’m dressed in the best clothes I have, which consists of a pair of khakis and a button-up blue shirt. I threw them in my suitcase at the last second, knowing I might eventually go through some kind of interview process.
“Come in.”
I open the door, wiping my sweaty palms on my pants.
“Hi. I’m Mandy.” She stands. Her reddish hair falls to her chin. She’s sharp. Her elbows, her chin, her nose, her shoulders remind me of sharp angles, but her smile makes me breathe easier. “You must be Seth?”
I nod. “Yes, Ma’am.”
She points to a chair, then leans back in her own, her full attention on me. “Tell me about yourself.”
I clear my throat and sit straighter. “For the past year I’ve worked on a ranch out west and volunteered for the Club. I love the work and would like to continue it here.”
She studies me, not saying a word. Her eyes are a hazel, nothing special, but she seems to see right through me to my past. I want to look away but I don’t.
“What’s the real reason, Seth?”
I stare at her, trying to keep my composure. “Excuse me?”
She waves her hand. “Never mind. We’ll get to that later.” She studies my resume and the letter of recommendation I slid across her desk. “Why don’t you spend some time on the court, get to know the boys while I read these papers. Then come back and we’ll talk.”
“Sure.” I eagerly leave the cramped office, cross the empty gym, and head to the basketball courts. This is my safe place. I saunter up to the younger high school boys playing.
“Hey, can I play?” I ask.
A boy with a mass of curly hair gives me the once-over. “You play before?”
“Yep. I’m Seth.”
“I’m Chris. And that’s Joe and Davey. The others aren’t important.” Joe and Davey stand nearby. They dress similar to Chris with their shorts low on their hips and old T-shirts hanging off their bodies.
Joe has black hair and a scowl on his face, and Davey has dirty blond hair that falls over his ears. He wears a frown too. But I get it. I have to earn trust first.
We start playing, and I fall into an easy rhythm. I don’t play too hard and let them steal the ball every once in a while. At the same time, as a stranger I need to earn their respect too. I make my fair number of shots and passes, but I steal the ball from them too. It’s easy for the encouraging words to slip out. It’s easy to connect, and I feel better than I have since I came back.
Thirty minutes later we’re sweaty, my shirt is on the ground, and the kids are breathing a little harder than when I came. The boys have loosened up and are talking about all sorts of things. Not the hurtful stuff, not the scars that I’m sure lay beneath the surface. They’re very excited about the ice cream bar the next day with an afternoon of games and competition.
“Sounds like fun.”
Chris pauses, then says. “You should come.”
“I’ll try.” I wipe the sweat off my forehead. “I’ll ask Mandy, okay?”
They nod and go back to their game. I head inside the club and return to Mandy’s office. My boss out west had called her with glowing recommendations for me, along with sending an email. Working with the kids this past year saved my life. If I stick around here I have to keep it up.
Mandy sits behind her desk, pouring over paperwork but stops when I knock at the door. She motions me inside and points to the same plastic chair across from her desk.
“I can see you needed that as much as them.” She taps a pencil on the papers in front of her.
I flop down in the chair and can’t hold back the grin. “I’ve missed it.”
She hesitates, and drums her fingers against my resume. I know what she wants, the questions she needs to ask. I’m ready. “You know what’s coming, don’t you?”
I nod.
“Alright then. If you want to work with the kids here