Hey, Coach! ch. 3

It was what became known to Scotty for the rest of his life as Recruitment Day.  Scotty set his alarm for ten minutes early so he could shower and get properly dressed.  He slipped on a favorite pair of khaki pants and a blue collared sports shirt.  He combed his hair with a little care to create a part over on the side just slightly.  Normally mornings were "each man for himself," as dad would put it, his mom, over time, had decided that making an attempt at a pleasant sit down breakfast wasn't really an efficient use of time.  Clothes would be put out for Little Brother, but he could dress himself and head down to the table for a quick bowl of Frosted Flakes where he might try to steal mom's phone to play some kind of subway app game.  Pretty soon the Frosted Flakes became mush and one hand turned to two hands on the phone and little concentrated sounds started to slip out of his mouth.  "I need to leave just a little bit early to school," he said to mom as he picked up the random dishes off the table and started to rinse them for the dishwasher.  "There are a couple of boys in my class that I want to talk to before first recess." He didn't want to reveal too much.  This was, he knew, a secret project, and he wouldn't have any adults messing it all up with a bunch of concerns and questions.  He knew for sure Matt and Tyler would be there as early as he would be.  If he could just get a couple of the guys who were actually good sports players to commit, then he knew the rest of the classmates would follow and they could have their team after all.  He already knew that Matt and Tyler would ask who was going to coach the team.  That part Scotty was going to leave up to chance.  Get the team first, then drop it on them that, well, he would coach the team.  They all knew that none of the parents were in much of a position to do it, so why not him? He had experience coaching Little Brother, no problem.  He would be the youngest player coach in the history of all schools.  He slipped on a fleece coat, packed his lunch that he made the night before into this back pack, then started for the garage door until he could see that mom was a bit slower than usual as though stalling.  "Scotty, there was one thing that I thought I'd say this morning before we left for school though..." This seemed abrupt.  Usually it was all business as usual.  Eat, brush teeth, pack up, get going, the earlier the better.  She leaned over the side of the kitchen island.  Scotty didn't really have his listening ears dialed in, so hoped it was about another plan for another lesson or play time for later that night.  "You know with dad gone as often as he is I have been getting a little restless.  Right? I mean you know that too, don't you." He gave a quick nod to register.  "I have decided to take a part-time job with Gretchen at her place." He couldn't remember exactly what Gretchen did only that she was mom's friend, not her best, necessarily, as she herself admitted, but mom always spoke of her wish to do something similar.  "Well, ok, this is where I will really need your help.  The only time available is in the evenings. Now, I talked to Gretchen, and she said that for sure as soon as one person moved on at the same job, I could fill in during days.  That would be the perfect fit, you know, with you two and all.  But for now, I will need you to take care of Little Brother after school.  I know you can do it, because you already do do it."  Scotty opened his eyes very wide.  Scotty did not jump for joy, or raise a great smile in glee.  What about his Recruitment Day? The team would need a coach.  He was, as he knew, the best player on the team. So this was how it happened: no fifth grade basketball. It fizzled up like a tiny little dream, poof, as quick as that.