Todays Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul

[Guest guest]

The Competition

By Lori Bottoms

Me, again?

The band director looked sympathetic when he came to me. " Lori, I am

sorry

to ask you again, especially since you spent so much time making these new

flags

for us, but I need someone to pick up the flags during finals competition

tonight. "

" Aw, Tom, I really wanted to see the new flags from the stands today.

I

worked the preliminary competition. Isn't there anyone else? "

Tom looked around and saw the backs of the other parents as they wound

their way into the football stadium seats. " You know how it is, Lori. I'd

really love to tell you I can find someone else, but I'll be honest. I've

already asked several of the parents and they all said they couldn't do it.

I

know it's unfair for me to ask you, but.... "

I smiled at the distraught band director and patted my old friend's

arm,

" It's okay, I'll see them on the videotape. I'll do it. "

He looked so relieved I had to laugh. " Now, go get your band ready,

Mr.

Stout. I'll see you later. "

Knowing the routine well, I walked toward the pit crew to wait with

them

until we were told to take the field for competition. While I waited, I

glared

up into the stadium seats at the other parents as they greeted each other

and

took their seats. My eyes narrowed as I stared up at them and I certainly

was

enjoying the pity party I was throwing myself. 'How dare they?' I thought.

'Why do they think they never have to do the work and that I'm always so

happy

to do it?'

I felt a tug on my sleeve and glanced over to see one of the drummers

hesitate beside me. " We've been told to take the field, Mrs. Bottoms, " he

said

quietly. " It's time to go. "

Shaking myself out of my pity party, I patted the drummer on the back,

whispered, " Let's get 'em! "

He smiled, the tension disappeared and I followed him onto the field

with

the band.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of my daughter as she

carried her armload of flags onto the field. Her color-guard uniform shone

gold

under the stadium lights as she set her flags in their waiting position,

then

turned and took her first flag with her to her starting position.

The announcer's voice boomed over the loudspeaker, " The Pride of

Broken

Arrow - you may take the field! "

The drum major's whistle sounded, and the band began to thrill the

crowd.

Together, as if all 200 kids were one unit, they swayed with military

precision,

first this way, then that, each student knowing exactly where he needed to

be.

Even from the sidelines, the perfect cadences amazed me. Their music was

astounding and flawless.

I was shaken out of my revelry as the first song ended, and the color

guard

rushed to the front lines to drop their flags, crouched to pick up their

rifles

and waited for their cue. I knew what to do. I bent low and began to run

from

one end of the line to the other, picking up the discarded flags as I went.

I

lost track of where I was and concentrated on picking up each flag as I

ran.

Suddenly, I was at the end of the line and I quietly laid the flags in

a

pile to be picked up as we left the field. A pause in the playing helped

me

hear the whisper. The little voice reached me and it sounded like, " I love

you,

Mom. " It was then that I realized I was bending very near my daughter. I

looked around, and my eyes locked with hers. Her smile told me it was her

words

that had reached me. She winked, heard her cue and moved back onto the

field

without missing a beat.

The rest of the evening went by quickly, and soon it was time for the

awards ceremony. All ten finals bands marched proudly onto the field to

await

the competition's results. My work was done, so I started to fade away

into the

crowd, but as I was walking away, the band director caught my arm and said,

" Come on, you are going onto the field with us. "

I was surprised, but I understood he was trying to make up for my

missing

the show from the stands. Smiling, I followed the band and proudly stood

with

the directors at the back of the field.

We took our share of awards that night, but we still held our breath

as the

announcer boomed over the intercom, " And the winner for this competition is

....

The Pride of Broken Arrow! "

As the drum major accepted the award, the band was near to bursting

with

excitement. I could feel the electricity in the air while the kids stood

at

attention waiting for the director to dismiss them.

The announcer once more, " Congratulations to all of tonight's bands.

This

concludes the ceremonies. "

Tom turned to his band and said, " Way to go, kids! "

Then he nodded at the drum major who said, " Band dismissed! "

Pandemonium. The kids screamed, they hugged, they jumped in the air.

I

spotted my daughter across the sea of band members and watched as she made

her

way toward me. She threw her arms around my neck and noisily kissed my

cheek.

We looked into each other's eyes and shared a precious moment that required

no

words.

As she spotted her friend and ran from my side, I looked up at the

parents

in the stadium stands. I watched them applauding with excitement and

thought

with a smile, 'I don't think I'll tell them how much they've missed

tonight.'