'That's Orley Short,' Paul said, finally putting a name with a face.'Late seventies.'
'I remember him,' Neely said.'Slowest linebacker in history.'
'And the meanest.All-conference, I think. Played one year at a juco then quit to cut timber for the rest of his life.'
'Rake loved the loggers, didn't he?'
'Didn't we all? Four loggers on defense and a conference titlewas automatic.'
Another pickup stopped near the first, another hefty gentleman in overalls and denim lumbered his way to the bleachers where he greeted Orley Short and sat beside him. Their meeting did not appear to be planned.
'Can't place him,' Paul said, struggling to identify the second man and frustrated that he could not. In three and a half decades Rake had coached hundreds of boys from Messina and the county. Most of them had never left. Rake's players knew each other. They were members of a small fraternity whose membership was forever closed.
'You should get back more often,' Paul said when it was time to talk again.
'Why?'
'Folks would like to see you.'
'Maybe I don't want to see them.'
'Why not?'
'I don't know.'
'You think people here still hold a grudge because you didn't win the Heisman?'
'No.'
'They'll remember you all right, but you're history. You're still their all-American, but that was a long time ago. Walk in Renfrow's Cafe and Maggie still has that huge photo of you above the cash register. I go there for breakfast every Thursday and sooner or later two old-timers will start debatingwho was the greatest Messina quarterback, Neely Crenshaw or Wally Webb . Webb started for four years, won forty-six in a row, never lost, etc., etc. But Crenshaw played against black kids and the game was faster and tougher. Crenshaw signed with Tech but Webb was too small for the big-time. They'll argue forever. They still love you,Neely .'
'Thanks, but I'll skip it.'
'Whatever.'
'It was another life.'
'Come on, give it up. Enjoy the memories.'
'I can't. Rake's back there.'
'Then why are you here?'
'I don't know.'
A telephone buzzed from somewhere deep in Paul's nice dark suit. He found it and said, 'Curry.'A pause. 'I'm at the field, with Crenshaw.'A pause. 'Yep, he's here. I swear. Okay.' Paul slapped the phone shut and tucked it into a pocket.
'That was Silo,' he said. 'I told him you might be coming.'
Neely smiled and shook his head at the thought of Silo Mooney. 'I haven't seen him since we graduated.'
'He didn't graduate, if you recall.'
'Oh, yeah.I forgot.'
'Had that little problem with the police.ScheduleFour controlled substances. His father kicked him out of the
