The Sound Of Boots (cont.) Part 2
The girl skipped down the stairs into the tunnel, hummed an Emmylou Harris tune while she waited for her change at the stadium, clambered up the bleachers to the top, settled herself and spotted Gabriel Raul immediately by his dark skin and pony tail. Most of the seats were empty and Savannah slipped into the first row. He was not the same boy she had been with last night. The dimples were gone and just before he tossed the ball, he stared into his own world with such intensity that his eyes crossed. Gabriel Raul won his match with ease.
___
Savannah’s hand trembled when she knocked on his door that night. The Plan did not include reruns.
“Are you dangerous Gabriel Raul?”
“Only on the tennis court.”
“Yeah, I could tell.”
Later, Savannah took a strand of the boy’s hair that had come loose from his pony tail, rubbed it between her fingers, scrutinizing it. “Promise you won’t be shocked,” she said and before Gabe could respond, went on, “One morning early, this older man and I made out in the back of his pick-up truck and he said we had to quit because I was too young and it really pissed me off and I jumped off the truck and paced around the empty field yelling at him. He said only someone my age could walk naked in the morning light and not be ruined by it so we hung out for a few more weeks.”
Shocked, Gabriel paused. “What finally happened?”
“Oh, he got himself engaged to an aerobics instructor and I made up my mind to see the world while I was still young.”
“And all the men in it?”
“Well…yes.”
“And when you are not ‘seeing the world’ what will you be doing?”
“I’m going to be an actress.”
“All beautiful American girls want to be actresses. And when is it that you will stop being young?”
“When I’m twenty-five.”
“I see.”
“And what will you be doing when you are twenty-five, Gabriel Raul?”
“I want to be the best tennis player ever.”
Savannah crossed her knees. “Will you ever marry?”
“Of course, but not ‘till I’m 30. Perhaps later.”
“To a nice Argentine girl, I suppose.”
“That is likely. Perhaps, a friend of the family.”
Well, thought Savannah, that’s pretty much my idea of hell.
___
Raul made it to the Quarter Finals, a rising star coming out of nowhere. He had stayed with Savannah every night for many hours and it did not seem to hurt his game. He and his family and coach spent a long night celebrating before they left New York the next day and there was no reason for Savannah to stick around. On the train, she wore her big dark glasses all the way home to hide her tears.
Story to be continued on Friday, December 9th.
