Carpe Diem
by
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Bubba Brown sat in the dark, just as he had done for the past three weeks almost every night. Candles flickered in front of the pictures, plaques, and helmets. The reflection and shadows shot an eerie, almost devilish, silhouette on the ceiling. The “Shrine” did that to him every night.
Bubba relished this time alone. It was all he had left. This vigil would normally last an hour, just like all the others since he marked his calendar for this very night three weeks ago.
Somebody had to pay…had to pay for his predicament…for his loss…of his son…of his wife…of his house…of everything he had worked for. Somebody had to pay the price that Bubba had to pay.
He leaned forward in his chair and scanned the display. Every award Brad had achieved….every newspaper article about him that Bubba and his wife had laminated….every trophy he had won all the way back to his junior football days…even his helmets, except for the one from Hillsdale…no way would that piece of crap be there….everything his son had ever done football-wise was in perfect order on that display. Right in the middle was Brad’s picture in full uniform…in full Valley Forge uniform….no way would he have a picture of that worthless Hillsdale jersey!!!!! Bubba nodded as he approved of what he saw.
The apartment in Valley Forge was pretty stark, other than that display. Just a chair and a radio in the living area. Everything else was gone from the days when he and Brad lived there earlier that summer and early fall. She took it all…even the beds he had bought for him and Brad.
Bubba hadn’t spoken to his wife Helen since the divorce had gone through four weeks ago. Hadn’t heard from her. That episode at The Cabin after the first game against Hillsdale back in August was too much for her to take. She came to the jail that night and told him she never wanted to see him again. And, just like that, Helen was out of his life. The only other time he had seen her since that night was at the divorce proceedings. She never looked at him….not even once…not even when he pled with her to forgive him as she left the courtroom.
He hadn’t seen Brad since that night either. His son had never been happy about moving to Valley Forge to begin with; Bubba never thought his son forgave him from taking him away from his senior year at Hillsdale. He had heard Helen and Brad had gotten an apartment somewhere on the other side of Valley Forge, but he knew better than to intrude. “But I was right, Brad!” he said aloud to the picture. “That sonuvabitch Reynolds…..you should have been CAPTAIN! Damn him! Damn him!” He pounded his fist into his fist again and again until he could feel the blood ooze from his knuckles.
Somebody had to pay. He stood up, grabbed his coat and hat, and blew out the candles.
It was time. Time for payback. He headed out into the night. He had a rendezvous in Hillsdale.
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About the Book
With the prospect of a career-changing opportunity looming, along with a series of other challenges that pop up during the week, Coach Ben Reynolds zeroes in on preparing his Hillmen squad for trying to pull off one of the greatest upsets in his coaching career and a berth in the State Championship game. However…
· Bubba Brown is back--vengeful, desperate, and determined to ruin the man he feels responsible for his demise, Hillsdale High School football coach Ben Reynolds.
· Jeremy Johnson, once a part-time starter for the Hillmen early in the season, has other goals on his mind, primarily head varsity manager Jennifer Kirby. Yet, his recklessness and audacity create another threat to the squad as they prepare for their ultimate challenge.
· Running back and linebacker Matt Gerard, a steadying influence both on and off the field for Hillsdale, must choose what’s best for him or what’s best for his team, as they face a semi-final opponent like no other.
The Hillsdale Hillmen’s team slogan for the season, Carpe Diem (Seize the Day), provides the backdrop for this third and final installment of the Hillsdale trilogy. When opportunity beckons, people become judged as to how they respond at that moment. It’s no different in Hillsdale, with the chance to be the first team in school history to play for the State Title staring at them right in their faces. How will they respond?
About the Author
Mick Peterson resides in
His career began at Flora (IL) High School (1974-84) where he taught English and was an assistant coach in both football and basketball. In 1984, he moved to Walnut (IL) High School, where he taught both English and PE and served as head football coach, assistant boys basketball coach, and head girls track coach. His football teams in Walnut won four conference championships and advanced to the quarterfinal round in the Class 1A State Tournament, compiling a five-year overall record of 50-9.
The Petersons finally settled in
Carpe Diem completes the Hillsdale Trilogy, following the release of Homecoming in 2008, and Once a Coach in 2007.