After Life (12 page)

roar of the audience and the sounds of people all around them, Jessie

surmised the gymnasium was ready to burst at its seams.

Henry's saving us seats, Bob said when he joined them in the lobby.

The junior-varsity game had already begun and was in the third quarter.

Jessie heard the cheerleaders chanting.

As they entered the gymnasium the crowd let out a roar.

We just scored, Bob explained. Tracy and he guided her to their seats,

which were right behind Lee and his team.

Lee's way over by the scorer's table, Tracy whispered. He sees us and

is waving.

Jessie lifted her hand.

He's smiling, Tracy said as they arrived at their seats. Henry Young

was waiting.

What a night, what a night, he said, his voice vibrating with

enthusiasm. We're gonna win the junior varsity game. Good omen, eh,

Bob?

Yes, sir, Bob said. Jessie sat between him and Tracy.

Glad you came, Jessie, Henry Young said, squeezing her hand. It's nice

to see wives supporting their husbands. He leaned over to whisper in

her ear. Men need to be stroked. We're all very vulnerable and very

helpless, you know. His breath was hot on her ear.

Yes, she said, smiling. I know. She leaned toward Tracy. Is Marjorie

here? she asked.

No way. She never came to a game, even before her breakdown, Tracy

said. Lee came to their seats before the junior-varsity game ended and

kissed Jessie. This is one helluva crowd, he said, his voice revealing

how impressed he was. Got to get into the locker room and give the boys

their pep talk. Tell them to give 'em hell, Henry advised. Good luck,

honey, Jessie said, squeezing her husband's hands. She felt his sweat

and knew how nervous he was. Her heart pounded in anticipation and she

wished more than ever that she could see. Lee must have gotten to them.

The boys look up for it, Bob began when the team entered the court,

accompanied by a thunderous cheer. Jessie felt the stands rattle and

the floor shake. Ooo, this is exciting, Tracy said.

Lee is talking with the referees. He looks very calm and very handsome.

A good-looking jock, Bob said. He's got that jock arrogance. Look at

how he holds his head. Lee's far from arrogant, Jessie said. Well,

he's swaggering over here, he said when the buzzer sounded. Our varsity

cheerleaders are taking the court. Those are cute uniforms, aren't

they, Trace? Um, she replied quickly. Could you describe them to me?

Jessie asked. I guess they're something like Playboy bunnies with a

ball of black-and-gold cotton on their tight rear ends, eh, Trace? I

guess that's the best way to describe it, Tracy said dryly. I'm

surprised these uniforms were approved she said, loud enough for Henry

Young to hear. But if he had heard her, he didn't respond.

Easy, Trace, Bob said, his voice testy. Jessie sensed a veiled warning.

If Tracy was so prudish she thought, why did she permit such disturbing

decor in her home? I'm only expressing an opinion. I can still do

that, can't I? Tracy asked. Bob ignored her question. The team's

gathered around Lee, Jessie, and he's giving them some last minute

instructions. The boys look fierce, don't they, honey? Like they want

to tear their opponents to pieces, Tracy said. The cheerleaders

introduced the players, ending each introduction with the phrase, He's

our man. If he can't do it, no one can. There was another roar from

the crowd as the players took the court. The referee is tossing the

ball, Bob said. Oh, damn, he exclaimed when the whistle was blown

immediately again. What? Jessie heard the crowd groan. They claim

Hodes pushed his opponent off as he jumped. Can you believe it? They

start the game by giving them a free shot. Jesus. The game continued

and Bob did his play-by-play, priding himself on the accuracy of his

descriptions. Rather quickly, however, the game degenerated into a

shoving match. In the first quarter alone, two of Lee's players and two

of the opponents were ejected for fighting. Then the refs began to call

foul after foul, mostly on Lee's team.

By the end of the first quarter, two more of his starting five were on

the verge of fouling out. Jessie knew enough about the game and Lee's

philosophy of sports to be sure that he was furious with his players. He

began making blanket substitutions, and the team's opponents took a

hefty lead in the second quarter. The crowd began to call for the

starting players again. Even Henry Young chanted names like Benson,

Hodes, Gilmore. Finally, with two minutes left in the second quarter,

Bob put the starters back in, and almost immediately a foul was called

on Gilmore. It was an obvious foul, Gilmore jabbing a boy in the ribs

as he went up for a shot. This time Gilmore turned on the ref. Jessie

was shocked to hear Henry Young booing. A principal, booing the refs?

Moments later Bob said, Gilmore has been booted out, but he's not

getting off the court. Lee's going out there.

Benson has just pushed the refIt's becoming bedlam.

The sight of the ball players losing their tempers appeared to rile up

the crowd even more. Jessie heard spectators jumping off the stands and

onto the court.

Oh no, Tracy said. What's happening? Jessie cried, and seized her arm.

A bit of a riot, Bob said casually. Some of the opponent's team members

are fighting with ours. Lee and a few others are breaking it up.

After what seemed an interminable amount of time, the court was cleared

again. The refs went into a conference with the two coaches and then an

announcement was made declaring the game a forfeit. The booing became

so loud Jessie's ears began to hum. She heard people scrambling madly

all around her.

Oh boy. What a way to lose your first game, Bob said. I'd better lend

a hand. He stepped off the bleachers.

Security had to protect the opposing players from the crowd. Where's

Lee? Jessie asked frantically.

He's going into the locker room with his players, Tracy said, and he

looks furious.

Jessie could hear Henry Young and Bob just below them, encouraging

spectators to leave the gymnasium.

Finally people began to make their way toward the exits, grumbling and

shouting as they departed.

I'll wait for Lee right here, Jessie said. He must be so upset. All

right, Tracy said. Henry Young' s going into the locker room. I'll get

him to tell Lee, she said. Don't worry. I'm sure he's okay. Almost

twenty minutes later, Lee was at her side. The gym had emptied rather

quickly once people had begun leaving. That's what I would call baptism

by fire, Bob quipped. I could have done without it. Some of these fans

were behaving like wild animals, not that I can say my team acted much

better, Lee replied. I'd say the refs here are vastly underpaid. They

should get battle-front bonuses. Bob laughed. You want to go someplace

maybe? Have a drink? he asked them. No, Lee said quickly. I just

want to go home. Sure. Hey, don't take it badly. Look at it this

way-things can only get better, Bob joked. Lee didn't respond.

Jessie felt his tension in his hand. Are you all right? she asked

softly. I will be when I get out of here, he said. What a madhouse, he

added. I told you those boys were undisciplined, he said when they got

into their car. I chewed them up and down and in and out, but they

looked at me as if I'm the one who's undisciplined. Some of them

actually think they did good. Can you imagine? But the worst part is

Henry Young didn't help. In fact, he added to it.

What do you mean? He came in there and interrupted my bawling them out

to tell them he was proud of their aggressiveness, proud of their grit,

proud they showed what they were made of.. "From now on," he said,

'you're the team to fear." Can you imagine? He and I are going to have

a big talk tomorrow. Right now I feel like resigning, he concluded.

Jessie was silent. She could feel Lee's anxiety, his insides tied into

a knot. I'm sorry, she said finally. I know how disappointed you must

be. Disappointed? I'm not disappointed. I'm terrified he said, and

suddenly she realized she was, too.

Jessie awoke to the distinct sound of someone digging, but recognized

that it was some distance away and probably imperceptible to Lee. He

was in a dead sleep any way. She heard his rhythmic breathing. The

digging continued. As quietly as she could, she slipped her legs over

the bed and found her slippers. Then she went to the open window and

listened harder. The digging seemed to get more frenzied. It was

coming from somewhere toward the rear of the cemetery. She didn't move;

she remained still, her ears attuned to the sound of the shovel lifting

and dumping dirt. And then she heard that clear clack of metal against

wood.

In her mind's eye, she envisioned that a grave was being dug up. The

image put a finger of ice on the base of her neck and sent it tracing

along her spine. She shuddered. Grave robbers? Was that it? She

thought she even heard the sound of a coffin being pried open.

She started to gasp and put her fist into her mouth. Lee stirred, but

didn't awaken. He turned on the bed and then his regular breathing

began again.

She listened. Now there were footsteps and they were coming this way,

toward the house. Instinctively she backed away from the window. Then

she walked toward the bedroom doorway and paused to listen again.

eventually she heard the front door of the house open and close, so she

moved forward and attuned her ears to every sound.

Someone was going up the stairway. Mr. Carter? This late at night?

And then there was that shuffling. She had to wake Lee. She just had

to wake him so he could hear it. She started to turn when the sound of

laughter stopped her. It wasn't coming from upstairs; it was coming

from outside. She returned to the window and listened. For a moment

there was only the sound of the wind playing on the leaves, and then . .

. laughter, but laughter that seemed caught up in the wind. It carried

over the house and was gone. All was suddenly very quiet, deadly quiet.

It was too late to wake Lee and he wouldn't believe her now if she told

him what she had heard. She made her way back to the bed. Jessie? Yes.

You all right? She hesitated.

Should she tell him anyway? I'm all right, she said.

Good. He turned over. She lay there listening. The voices were

starting again, only louder this time, sounding like a crowd of people

complaining about something.

They were frightened. She put her hands over her ears and pressed hard.

What is it? she wondered. Why doesn't it stop?

When sleep returned, it was truly an escape.

In the morning it all seemed like it had been a dream.

Lee was already up and dressed. She sat up and tried to remember every

detail. Had it been a dream or had she gotten up out of bed and gone to

that window to hear the digging and then the laughter? The answer

didn't come until she accompanied Lee to the front door after they both

had had breakfast and he was on his way to school.

He kissed her good-bye in the doorway.

I'm sure there will be lots of chatter about last night, he said. The

first thing I'm going to do is get myself an appointment with Henry

Young and let him know what I think of what he did last night. He

sighed. I guess we won't be staying here too much longer after this

year, Jess.

I don't care, Lee. I'm beginning to wish we had never come, she said

firmly. She felt his surprise, felt it travel through his fingers and

into her shoulder, where he still held her. It made him laugh. Then he

kissed her again and turned to go.

Jeez, he said just outside their doorway. She was closing the door and

stopped.

What?

You should see the mess out here. Old man Carter must have tracked in

fifty pounds of mud. I don't know when the hell he did that, Lee added.

It wasn't here when we returned from the game last night, if I can call

that farce a game.

Mud?

Don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll clean it up. He probably does

this often. Lee walked out the front door before she could tell him

about last night. She held the door open a bit longer. A moment later

she heard a door open upstairs. Its hinges squeaked. But Mr. Carter

didn't come down.

He's standing up there with his door open, she thought.

Why?

Mr. Carter? Is that you?

There was no response, but she was sure she sensed another presence . .