Chapter 239

July 5, 2018 (Thursday)

Dear Ms. Diary,

After warmups, laps, and rondo, Coach sat us and said, “The locker-room discussion at Baskerville had a couple of thought-provoking aspects for me, one of which truly hit me only last night. I’ll come back to that, but I wanted to start with scoring. With Smythe getting her lovely goal off an excellent run, all 23 team members have scored this season, something I’ve never seen in my long experience in soccer. Yes, we’ve tried for that distinction, but only after we were well on our way to what became a goal. With the 16 goals on Tuesday, we’re now averaging about 11.5 goals per game and nearly 10.5 assists per game, both statistics being absolutely crazy!

“With her brace of goals on Tuesday, Tonda now stands atop the league table with 17 goals, followed closely by Char with 16 and Rhee with 15. Springfield’s Denison got a brace yesterday, putting her in fourth place with 13, and Mia and Heather follow with 12 and 11, respectively. Patterson on Watermelon joined the double-digit crowd this week and has 10. However, you may recall that she missed a few games early in the season, including their first game against us. Finally in goals, Heather’s PK goal on Tuesday was her first using her outside left, meaning that she’s now scored goals this year with both sides of both feet. Think about that, and the skill it requires. Yes, she’s not our most prolific scorer and she’s also not our most proficient ballhandler, nor does she have a consistent rocket. What she is is a highly skilled and very accurate shooter. She doesn’t have Rhee’s strength, but she uses what she has to the utmost, and that’s all any coach ... or anyone ... can ask of any soccer player ... or anyone, and my hat is off to her. Thanks, Heather.”

Heather’s face went red, and those around her patted her back or a shoulder.

“As for assists, Beth has an incredible 30 and is leading the league by 11 assists ... over Lissa.”

There was much cheering and whistling, after which Coach said, “Lissa has a six-assist lead over Nagl on Watermelon, and Rhee is tied for fifth with nine. Beth has assisted on 39 percent of Krypton’s 76 league goals and Lissa on 37 percent of Argon’s 51 league goals. While the disparity of lineup goals is, overall, 25 goals, 21 of those came in the first round of eight games. In the second round, the disparity is much smaller, at least so far, being 22-18 in three games. Also, much of that first-round disparity was due to the first half of the games, with Krypton outscoring Argon 27-14; in the second half, the tally was 27-19. Argon is certainly becoming more proficient, more capable as they’ve focused on ball control. I haven’t had the chance to put together the numbers on that, but Argon has been increasing the percentage of their time on the pitch in which they have the ball. Lissa has gotten more comfortable and more skilled in her role. Another of the differences on the game pitch has been Dakota. We’ve learned that she can play a mean right wing as well as a tough and dependable midfield position. I’m so proud of Argon for bearing down and getting more skilled. I’m beginning to think Argon, by itself, would do very well in the state tournament, but we’ll see what happens. Thanks, Argon!”

There was much rejoicing by Krypton.

When the hullaballoo died down, Coach said, “The other bit I want to discuss is Dakota’s comment about this team becoming a family. I’ve been quite pleased with how this team has come together this year, something that was helped along by losing only three members from last year’s team. With that strong continuity from last year’s squad, and with Char’s and Civia’s existing familiarity with the team and Crewe’s existing familiarity with some of the team and all of the staff, we started the season with a closer-knit team relative to last year’s. As Dakota noted, the team has become even tighter as the season has unfolded, something that Beth obviously picked up on a few weeks back when she changed the huddle-break cheer. This team is feeling more like family than a somewhat random selection of 12- to 15-year-old girls would suggest. Keep playing, again as Dakota mentioned, for each other, for the team, and we’ll be all but unstoppable.”

There was much cheering, but Coach held up a hand, and continued with, “But don’t get cocky! In the next few weeks, we’ll be playing some very good, non-league teams. Don’t go into those games blithely expecting to win, but do go into them with strong confidence in your teammates, in how the team works together.”

She slowly looked around the team sitting around her for nearly a minute, then said, “Liya, what’s our schedule for this week and next?”

“Practice tomorrow at 8:00, game on Saturday here against Petaluma at 9:30; be at the game pitch no later than 8:30 with stretches completed. The Petaluma High School team was very good last year, although their star wing, and league scoring champ, was a senior. We don’t know who from that team will be on the premier team we’ll meet Saturday, but that premier team was probably the source of many or most of the high school team, so we can expect it to be solid.

“Next week is busy, with three games, one each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Monday’s game is here at 9:30 against Paradise, and we’ll strategize for that team tomorrow. On Wednesday, we’ll play at St. Lucia, another non-league team, and one whose high-school team was in the state tournament last fall, so which could be another solid team. Finally, Grass Valley makes a visit on Friday at 9:30, and we’ll strategize for that game on Thursday.”

Coach took the floor back, saying, “Thanks, everyone, for making your decisions on roommates and bedmates in a timely fashion. I’ll be finalizing with the hotel today. If any of your parents or families are planning on attending and want one or more of the rooms we’ve got on hold, please have them contact me ASAP. I’ve already heard from many parents, and with the strength of the response, I’ve had to add three rooms to our hold. Also, with that response and the parents and families wishing to join us at dinner on Friday, we’ve had to find a restaurant with a large banquet room, but we managed it.

“Are there any questions about the trip to Santa Fe?” When no one had any, she continued with, “The discussion about the ATB corner kick is now in session. Does anyone have a wrinkle she’d liked to propose?”

We spent a bit more than a half-hour on the ATB corner kick, then Coach sent us home a bit early. Katie and Raven were working, Jim was spending the morning with various medical appointments, and Brett went with Steph to pick Matt up at the airport, so even the young girls got to skinny dip.

We were eating lunch when Jim returned, so the young girls donned their skimpy attire, while Meka went upstairs with her dad. As we finished cleanup and during a lull in conversation, I could hear Meka crying, and my heart dropped into my stomach. I had been dreading Jim’s doctor visits, as he’d been getting around less easily recently and had taken more time to himself.

Civ quietly said with something of a hesitant aspect, “Be-eth?”

“I don’t know, Civ, but I’m scared.”

Meka came down to our bedroom and said, “Full LA meeting in the living room, now.”

Even though I knew she was looking right at me, I closed my eyes in pain for a few moments, then said, “Let’s go, girls.”

Civ was already whimpering a little, so I fell back to put my arm around her as we went up the stairs.

Once we were all seated, Jim said, “Everyone can probably guess, but the recent results are ... grim ... in that I might not have even a month.”

Everyone was crying, but Civ, Brit, Cera, Char, Kim, Rache, and, of course, Meka had broken down. I had tears streaming down my cheeks, and I could see the same on others. Brett, with tears on his face, walked to me from the other side of the room, pulled me to my feet, sat in my place, then pulled me into his lap. I twirled on the way down, straddled him, mashed my torso into his, and put my forehead on his left shoulder as he pulled me tightly into him.

It took at least 15 minutes for everyone to have enough focus to allow Jim to continue with, “I got something of a reprieve early this year, probably from the treatments I was receiving. I was supposed to be gone by spring. Instead, I got to enjoy three of the best months of my life here among the LA, then as part of the LA. You girls are incredible in so many ways. You love so readily, and all of you took me into your hearts. I’ve taken all of you into my heart and I thank you for what you’ve done for me, but not nearly as much as I thank you for rescuing my Meka. You will all have my love for the rest of my life ... and the rest of yours.

“Beth and the Go6, you are even more dear to me, because even before you had gathered everyone here in this house, even before you had the house, you stepped up for my girl and saved her sanity, perhaps her life. I would do something for you, and Meka has agreed. I’ll be taking a portion of my estate and putting it into a trust for the LA to be used for two things. I was going to make part of the focus of the trust for maintenance here such as food and the physical plant, but Meka told me that the Go5 parents are already covering that in a trust they’re establishing. So, the first focus of the trust will be covering the costs of rescuing girls who need rescuing, like Kai and Padme, or keeping girls safe, like you did for Brit. While those costs were not high, who knows what you’ll encounter. However, I’d greatly prefer you not endanger your own lives to save others’; you can do more good saving more girls than losing your lives saving one high-risk girl.

“The other part of the trust will enable you to assist girls with education and sports, and most of the funds would be allocated to that focus, as I imagine that there are many more girls that simply need financial assistance than need actual rescue. I understand that there is already a fund for that here, but it’s a local fund. I expect you girls, particularly once the 15-year-olds graduate, will have much greater reach, and there will be no jurisdictional limit on where the funds can be used, whether here in this state or in Nevada, Ontario, or Timbuktu.

“If you let the funds accumulate for a while, you’ll have much more impact over the long haul, but, please, if you run across a girl next year that really needs the help, don’t hesitate. Be aware that you would be able to use that to fund the education of LA members. I’m thinking particularly of girls like Brit who don’t have access to college-education amounts of money. Much of the money to fund the trust will come from payments for my two patents, one of which brings in a lot of money.

“Finally, please don’t worry about Meka, at least financially. Her mother and I began putting money away for her before she was born. If she goes to school here, she’ll get faculty-progeny rates, and I’ve suggested to her that taking a gap year this year and doing what she wants, and then spending your junior and senior years in high school matriculating here at the university, so she’ll be here with you.”

Meka cut in with, “And I’ve already decided that Dad’s right, so I’ll be telling Coach Markov that I won’t be on her team this year. That will allow me to be an assistant for Coach on the high-school team.”

Rhee stepped over to Meka who was plastered against Jim’s left side and on the edge of the Semi-super Monstrosity and hugged her, then said, “I’m glad. I know that you won’t always be there, but it would have felt weird on that team this fall if you weren’t there.”

During the discussion about the trust, we managed to stay focused on that, but once over, sorrow returned, and various of us spent time either crying, hugging Jim, or both.

Dad sent a text when the new vehicle arrived, a Challenger Ford E series, from what he said. We piled out of the house, most of us naked, to inspect it. We were elated at the U of seating and that there were seats right behind the driver rather than having the storage shelving there.

Char stepped to Dad and put her arms around him, then reached up to kiss him, a kiss not at all chaste, but also not threatening to spill over into sex, although Dad’s hands did move around a bit on her bare back.

“Charlie, I don’t say this often enough, but thanks for taking me in and allowing me ... all I have here.”

“You’re very welcome, but how could we turn you away? Look at yourself and see what we see: A girl who’s happier and much more outgoing than she was when she was so unhappy. That’s why we did what we’ve done. Oh, I don’t at all mind the sex, but what we get most out of all this is the number of very happy girls here, most of whom were not happy previously. I understand that there’s a shadow on your happiness now, as there is on ours, but that shadow will eventually lighten.”

She reached up and kissed him again, this one getting a bit more amorous.

When they separated slightly, Civ stepped up to them and wriggled her way into a mutual hug, then said, “Charlie-Dad, thanks for everything you do for us, but also thanks for ... loving my sister-wives. I want you to know, Dad, that when I turn 14, I’ll want a relationship with you that my sisters have. I know that you’ve always treated me like a favored daughter, but I will want to find myself naked in your arms like Char is. I will want us to be l-lovers. But I will also want you to continue being my second dad.”