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“Don’t be," he says, with a sardonic smile. “You were right. The other parents on the other teams were enraged about the whole thing. There were too many reports.”
"But it’s a first offense,” I say. “It’s supposed to end with a warning and a fine.”
“Apparently, due to the ‘severity of my offense’, they have to disband the team or the other parents are threatening to start talking to the press. The head of the district is an elected official and with elections coming up, he can’t afford to tarnish his reputation.” He releases a breath. “I can’t say I don’t understand the man, and I appreciate that he had a hard choice to make. Difficult decision. It just sucks because it’s the kids who are going to suffer for it.”
And it’s my fault. I could try and preach all day about how I only wanted things to be fair, but the truth is that a part of me only made that report because I was upset that my son lost a game. And I felt like I lost too, to Luke. And now because of my hasty actions, I’ve ruined it for a bunch of innocent children who haven't done anything wrong.
“Don’t be upset,” he says, smiling weakly. It’s as if he can read my mind and he reaches out and ruffles my hair a little, the way he used to when I was a teenager. The move used to annoy me so much because I felt infantilized. Yes, I was sixteen at the time, but he was only twenty-four. I hated the fact that he saw me as a kid when that was exactly what I was.
I brush off the thoughts and say, “So then there's really nothing that can be done?”
“Doesn’t sound like there is,” he responds. “It’s my fault anyway. I shamelessly flouted the rules, as you so eloquently put it. I should have known this was coming.”
Yes, but he did that so that his child could be on a team, so Mikey could make friends. He didn’t do it to rub it in anyone's face, as I initially thought.
He releases a breath. “Now comes the hard part. Telling Mikey and all the other parents about the decision.”
"What will they do?” I ask.
“I don’t know,” he says. “After cussing me out, they’ll probably try to get their kids on other teams if there are openings, or they’ll form a brand-new team without me. Who knows? I’m not really sure how disbandment works. But it’ll be difficult for Mikey to get on a new team.”
I can see how much he hates to admit it but I know he’s right. I recall watching Mikey’s few minutes of play at the last game, with the awkward uncoordinated way he skated and handled the puck. He wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t good either.
“Dad.” A calm voice comes from the door and we both spin around to see Mikey standing there. It’s the first time I’ve heard the boy speak and I’m a little in shock but then Luke is instantly in motion moving to his son.
“What’s up Mikey?” he asks, kneeling as he gives him his full attention. “Do you need something?”
Mikey’s eyes trail the path that Luke walked. He seems to want to say something else, but he’s finding trouble getting it out.
But Luke instantly seems to understand what Mikey wants to say. “You overheard what we were talking about didn’t you?”
Mikey nods.
“I’m sorry buddy. This is my fault. I never should’ve pushed my luck."
“No, it’s my fault,” I say, not willing to let Luke take all the fall for it. I feel so bad because he’s been helping me out the whole day, and here I’ve just ruined his son’s favorite pastime.
I don’t approach because I have a feeling Mikey wouldn’t be comfortable with that, but I do squat as I say. “I’m sorry Mikey. I was the one who made the report, but I swear I didn’t mean to get the team shut down. I only wanted everything to be fair.” The excuse feels hollow, and so I add. “And I suppose a part of me was jealous about your win last time. I’m sorry.”
Mikey doesn’t say anything, but there’s a little shrug on his left shoulder. I suppose that means I’m forgiven. But I still keep going, “But I swear I’ll make it up to you. I’ll try and find a way to get you guys back on the team if I have to talk to the district head myself.”
Mikey’s expression doesn’t change, and I get the strange sense that he's not as happy about that as he could be.
Maybe he senses how hopeless the whole thing is.
* * *
The callto the district head doesn’t work.
She’s confused as to why I’m calling in the first place. “Aren’t you the one who made the report?”
“Yes but…I truly think a disbandment is too extreme a punishment for the crime.”
“You yourself said that you and other parents observed blatant cheating?” Grace Jones says.
“Yes, but that’s because…”Well because I didn’t think you’d take me seriously.I was mad and the other parents were mad too, because we believed that Luke had bought off the district head or at least had someone over there willing to overlook all his crimes. That was a lot of where the initial anger was from; we thought we were being taken for a ride. We also felt unable to stop Luke, inadequate in comparison to him. Like he's better than us.
And so, we wanted to prove a point and get a sick satisfaction from taking him down.
