Status: In Progress (Comments/Suggestions Welcomed)
Rikers Island Jail Football Program
Perplexed
Connie blew the whistle officially ending the final practice before Rikers Island's game against Bowling Green. The players trudged off the field, tired from another grueling practice. They made their way towards the showers, and the field was soon empty.
Connie gazed across the empty field. She realized how lonely it looked when all of the seats were vacant. Slowly, she made her way towards midfield. Realizing how quiet it was, Connie sighed loudly, trying to see if she could hear echoes in the lonely dome. She heard a faint one in the distance.
She stopped as she made it to midfield. Gazing off in all directions, Connie wondered if things would ever improve. This season had gone so poorly and it only looked worse as the days went by.
As she pondered these questions silently, she slowly sat directly on the Rikers Island logo on midfield. She stared blankly at the scoreboard as thoughts began jumbling up in her mind.
How could she ever turn this team around? What was the secret of last week's touchdown? Why would none of the inmates tell her what had happened, or who had called all of the plays?
She became slightly dizzy from all of the thinking, and she laid down on the field. The perplexity of her situation annoyed her because nothing at practice this week gave Connie the feeling that they could score on anyone. However, whoever had called in the play had apparently figured out how to score on Air Force's defense.
Connie laid at midfield for what seemed like hours. She actually began to enjoy being alone in there. It gave her time to think, and sort things out in her mind. She smiled as she began to make peace with herself.
Suddenly, Connie heard a loud burp from the sideline....
Connie was shocked. She had thought that she was the only one left in the dome, but apparently she wasn't alone. She shot up to her feet only to see Claude Newman plopped down on the sideline bench.
Claude was smugly sipping on his canister of 'Special Gatorade' and eating a ham sandwich that he had brought in a lunch pale.
"Howdy coach. I don't mean to rush you. Take your time, but is it cool if I cut out? A few of the boys are meeting at Skully's Pub in a few for a keg or two. I'd like to be a part of that, so I'm heading on out. I'll holler at you tomorrow for the big game!"
Connie was slightly embarrassed. Claude had apparently watched her wonder out onto the field and lay down for hours. However, Connie also knew that Claude was likely nowhere near sober, so he probably hadn't judged her one bit.
"That's fine, Claude...."
Connie watched as joy came over Claude's face and he slammed down the rest of his 'Special Gatorade.' Claude let out one last burp and began packing up his things into his lunch pale and made his way out of the dome.
As the door slammed behind Claude, Connie once again stared off at the empty dome. She could no longer find peace with herself since all she could think about was how horrible Claude's burp had been which disturbed her rare moment of peace.
Disgusted with Claude's antics, she began gathering her things and making her way out as well.
Connie promised herself that she would pour herself a nice glass of red wine, draw a warm bath, and watch some of her favorite movies tonight, and hope and pray that tomorrow's game didn't go as badly as she thought it would....
Connie gazed across the empty field. She realized how lonely it looked when all of the seats were vacant. Slowly, she made her way towards midfield. Realizing how quiet it was, Connie sighed loudly, trying to see if she could hear echoes in the lonely dome. She heard a faint one in the distance.
She stopped as she made it to midfield. Gazing off in all directions, Connie wondered if things would ever improve. This season had gone so poorly and it only looked worse as the days went by.
As she pondered these questions silently, she slowly sat directly on the Rikers Island logo on midfield. She stared blankly at the scoreboard as thoughts began jumbling up in her mind.
How could she ever turn this team around? What was the secret of last week's touchdown? Why would none of the inmates tell her what had happened, or who had called all of the plays?
She became slightly dizzy from all of the thinking, and she laid down on the field. The perplexity of her situation annoyed her because nothing at practice this week gave Connie the feeling that they could score on anyone. However, whoever had called in the play had apparently figured out how to score on Air Force's defense.
Connie laid at midfield for what seemed like hours. She actually began to enjoy being alone in there. It gave her time to think, and sort things out in her mind. She smiled as she began to make peace with herself.
Suddenly, Connie heard a loud burp from the sideline....
Connie was shocked. She had thought that she was the only one left in the dome, but apparently she wasn't alone. She shot up to her feet only to see Claude Newman plopped down on the sideline bench.
Claude was smugly sipping on his canister of 'Special Gatorade' and eating a ham sandwich that he had brought in a lunch pale.
"Howdy coach. I don't mean to rush you. Take your time, but is it cool if I cut out? A few of the boys are meeting at Skully's Pub in a few for a keg or two. I'd like to be a part of that, so I'm heading on out. I'll holler at you tomorrow for the big game!"
Connie was slightly embarrassed. Claude had apparently watched her wonder out onto the field and lay down for hours. However, Connie also knew that Claude was likely nowhere near sober, so he probably hadn't judged her one bit.
"That's fine, Claude...."
Connie watched as joy came over Claude's face and he slammed down the rest of his 'Special Gatorade.' Claude let out one last burp and began packing up his things into his lunch pale and made his way out of the dome.
As the door slammed behind Claude, Connie once again stared off at the empty dome. She could no longer find peace with herself since all she could think about was how horrible Claude's burp had been which disturbed her rare moment of peace.
Disgusted with Claude's antics, she began gathering her things and making her way out as well.
Connie promised herself that she would pour herself a nice glass of red wine, draw a warm bath, and watch some of her favorite movies tonight, and hope and pray that tomorrow's game didn't go as badly as she thought it would....