The Football Game pt. 5

Heading For The Field



I tossed the ball up in the air and caught it a few times, without dropping. And when I was looking ahead and trying to see the next motion we needed to take, Aaron interrupted.

He asked, "What are we going to score in?"
And then corrected himself, resaying differently.

"I mean," he said. "What are the endzones?"

I threw my finger in the air, while telling him.

"Past the rose bush," I said,
"Annnnnd," proceeding further,
"Past the dirt patch here."

This was also known as home plate.

I then went on to tell him, how the row of Christmas trees made a perfect sideline for the home team. And explained how the edge of Bo's area, going straight down from yard to yard, would suit the opposing team just fine. They were the two, unmarked sides of our fixed, green playing field.

Looking past that game, and through playing with other kids from other neighborhoods, I learned my position was actually called the 'all time' quarterback, instead of just quarterback. It's interesting how catchphrases stick, and then everybody uses them. But what's even more neat is how the three of us, developed a kind of wording ourselves.

What was once, "Let's play a football game," grew into, "Let's play a game."

John pushed off the picnic table, and was giving his shoes a good look over, while Aaron was tracing toward us both, on a grass cut days before. I was rolling the halfly softened football, back and forth between my palms. But mostly, I was rotating the warmer side to my cooler hands.

And the two of them were about to flip a coin.