HUSKER 37
All-American
I vaguely remember reading about this in the pocket instruction manual given to me durring my Son's first week. And I've tried to prepare myself for it.
But over the years, I forgot..What with all the walks in the mall with my Son grabbing for my hand every time we cross the street or sometimes just because.
Then there was the time at Parent/Teacher conference last year while he was showing me a project he'd completed on his laptop, and we could overhear the much bigger girl that had to repeat 2nd grade..and struggling with a reading assignment, and my Son whispering to me not to make fun of her because she was trying her best...(I hope he was just repeating what he was instructed to do, and didn't really think I'd make fun of her).
And then there's his constantly trying to convince me not to eat meat "Because it's cruel to critters" when we both know? he's just trying to save more room for cake.
We even seemed to have pet names for each other..I call him "Little Buddy" and he just calls me "Dad".
We went to see the Rattlers play Friday, and left just before halftime so we could explore downtown Phoenix..Again, noticing him grabbing my hand in the middle of the block just as a sign of affection.
The next afternoon, we're looking for a Birthday present for a girl classmate of his..I'm trying to steer him toward the tie-dye kits, but he zeros in on this fist-sized glass diamond paperweight? and won't budge..We're almost late for the party, so I just say, "sure"..and on the way to the karate studio where the party was, I jokingly tell him he might need to ask her Dad's permission to give her a diamond like that...No reaction...Later he gets to punch a board in half, and we discuss gluing and clamping it back together before his Mom sees it...Still nothing (Is this thing on?).
We grab a bite to eat at Arbys..tough to feed a kid that is tired of Pizza and Cheeseburgers, and hates Hotdogs, but we make it home in time to watch a replay of the Big-12 Championship game.
I open up Huskerboard and skim the topics I've posted in and notice he hasn't snatched the remote yet to watch cartoons..just sitting there on the couch pretending to finally be interested in Husker Football, so I jump on the couch next to him..He grabs my arm and pulls it around him and leans his head into my chest.
He starts hollering at a long run by Roy Helu, and informs me that we're gonna win this thing.
I keep telling him, "Naw..We're going to lose this by one point in the last second".
Finally he says, "What if you're wrong?".."What if Nebraska wins?"..He'd already learned to hate the shorthorns..Seeing them beat up on his Mom's Buckeyes at the Fiesta Bowl a year or two ago...I just repeated a line from a Ghostbusters movie he hasn't seen.."Dogs and Cats living together"..Finally get a little chuckle out of the boy.
We see Suh toss Colt around like a rag-doll, and my Son says there's no way we're going to lose this thing..and I say.."I'm still pretty sure UT wins this by one"..
Then he still won't back down..and I say.."You wanna Bet?"
I say, "Hundred Bucks"..He counters with $5...and grabs my hand again..this time to shake.
(I'm thinking.."He really doesn't remember this game, or didn't see it"..I'd forgotten that I had to watch that one by myself..I guess I just figured he watched it at his Mom's).
Anyway..We get to that last play where time ran out when Colt threw it out of bounds..We see the clock read, "00:00" and he turns to me and says, "Pay up".
I do my best Lee Corso and say, "Not so fast my friend..Watch them put another second on the clock and watch Bo try to ice the kicker..then watch him split the uprights".
Afterward..He said, "How'd you know"?
I said, "Don't you remember? around 5 months ago..when they played this game live"?
I'm laughing..And telling him I wasn't going to take his money..And what he said next will probably always stay with me..
I never dared to say it to MY Dad..He would've probably knocked out most of my teeth...I can't even remember getting that mad at my Dad..Or even touching him before that one time a few months before he died and a tree we were cutting down made him fly a few yards while he was holding the rope as I was cutting.
I guess everybody wants to do things better than their parents did..I made a conscious effort to not get mad if I can help it..To always be a source of strength, but also not be afraid to hug the kid whenever I could..
My adorable Son just said, "YOU a$$!!!"
Twice
I'm still laughing.
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