Chapter 5 – Give Me A Break
“Was your Mosom really a bull rider or did he get that belt buckle at Value Village?”
Jackson could tell by the twinkle in her eye that Beyonce wasn’t really trying to dis his Grandpa so he let the comment go and bent down to tie his shoe. “Y’know the bulls in the field, by our bus stop?” he asked casually, “Mosom raises rodeo bulls now. Really good ones. A couple of them have even bucked in the Stampede.”
“The Calgary Stampede?” asked Beyonce in awe.
“No, the Medicine Hat Stampede,” admitted Jackson as he tied his other shoe. What was it going to take to impress this girl? Maybe he should practice his running at recess.
Jackson could feel Beyonce’s dark eyes following him around the school track. It felt good. He didn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing him glance her way though. He just kept running and running and running. All the while hoping she would be think he was cool, he imagined he must look like an ancient hunter running down a deer. He thought he must look just like Paul Acoose winning a world record or like his Mosom Jack in the Acoose Memorial Run.
Finally the bell rang. Recess was over and all the kids filed into school while Jackson hung back a bit to catch his breath. He leaned on the wall around the corner from the door but was having a really hard time dragging enough air into his lungs. His breath sounded like someone sawing firewood. Sweat began pouring from his head and he wiped it away from his eyes with the front of his shirt.
“I hope I can get control of myself before anyone comes looking for me,” thought Jackson frantically as he surveyed the dwindling number of kids on the playground. “It sure won’t help my image any if Beyonce and Rayna see how winded I am after such a little jog around the track.”
Finally Jackson’s breath slowed down enough for him to try sauntering confidently toward the school entrance. If he was going to be a good runner, he would have to do a lot more training. Hot girls would not likely be impressed with a wimpy wheezing kid whose t-shirt was drenched with sweat.
“Jessie!” Jackson yelled in frustration. “Stop fooling around and look at the watch or I’m not going to walk you over to Luci’s birthday party.”
“If you don’t, I’ll tell mom on you, Jackson Little-Light.” said Jessie with her hands on her hips. “And you’ll be in big trouble again.”
“Just concentrate one more time, Jess and then we’ll go. Stand right there. Are you ready? OK, tell me when.”
Jackson crouched down into his starting posture while gazing up and pointing to God in exactly the same way Husain Bolt did at the Olympics. His yellowish brown runners were poised against the small hollows he had dug in the dirt. His fingertips were spread out on the ground in front of him. His body was coiled into a tight spring. “Set!” yelled Jessie in an official sounding voice.
Jackson’s hind end shot upward and he stared at the finish line.
“Bang!” yelled Jessie as Jackson exploded into a sprint.
Before he knew it Jackson had run 100 yards and his chest broke through the blue party streamer tied between two poplar trees.
“How did I do Jessie?” he asked eagerly, hoping to break his personal best time.
“Umm . . . I forgot to look at the watch,” said his little sister. “Sorry Jackson. Can we go to the party now? ”
“No! You need to time me properly first.”
“But Luci’s mom said I could help her blow up balloons if I got there early.” Jessie’s eyes began to tear up as she twisted the skirt of her little pink dress in her hands.
“Jessie, this is important,” explained Jackson as patiently as he could. “I need to practice my running.”
“But you did practice,” said Jessie tearfully. “You practiced every day after school. Why do you have to practice on Saturday too? Now I’m going to be late to the party because of all your stupid practicing!”
“OK. OK. Stop being such a crybaby. I’ll get you there on time. I have an idea. Stay right here. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Jackson took off running toward the pasture across the road. He stopped beside the fence and lifted an old riding bridle off the fencepost by the gate. He then placed two fingers into his mouth and gave a sharp whistle. His horse Cheyenne lifted her head, pointed her ears toward the sound and began trotting joyfully toward Jackson in anticipation of an adventure.
After a quick pat on Cheyenne’s sleek brown neck, Jackson slipped on the bridal and buckled it. Then he tied her to the fencepost, opened the gate and walked around to untie the bridle. In no time he and Cheyenne were trotting down the road to the place where Jessie waited.
“Give me your foot Jessie. I’ll boost you onto Cheyenne’s back.”
At that, Jessie burst into sobs and said, “I can’t ride her Jackson. She’s way too big for me and she’s not even saddled.”
“You won’t have to ride her silly. Just sit on her and grab her mane. I’ll hold the bridle and run with her to Luci’s house. That way I’ll still be able to practice my running and you won’t be late for the party.”
Jessie looked a bit worried as she bounced along on Cheyenne’s back in her pink party dress while Jackson jogged ahead of his horse carrying Luci’s birthday present in its Barbie Princess gift bag.
And things might have turned out just fine if a huge black 4 by 4 hadn’t suddenly spun out of Luci’s driveway. It sprayed gravel everywhere. Cheyenne reared up in surprise. Jessie catapulted onto the road. Jackson dropped the Barbie princess gift bag and ran to rescue Jessie.
“Are you OK Jess?” asked Jackson as he helped her to her feet and tried to dust the dirt of her party dress.
“Yes, but my dress isn’t OK and Cheyenne is stepping on Luci’s birthday present!”
Jessie’s sobs got louder as Jackson led both her and the horse the rest of the way to Luci’s house.
Luci and her mom rushed to the door to see what the commotion was. “What on earth happened to Jessie’s dress?” asked Luci’s mom. She looked at the horse and then at the ragged present. “Jessie, are you sure you’re OK? You better come into the house and get cleaned up.”
As usual, Jackson got all tongue tied when he saw Luci’s mom. She was so beautiful. He just stood there with the Barbie Princess gift bag in one hand, Cheyenne’s reins in the other hand and stared at her with his mouth wide open. He wished he could think of something smart to say that would explain the state of the dress and the gift. Instead he blurted out, “Mosom Jeremy is going to pick Jessie up after the party.”
Then he turned around and he ran down the driveway with a very confused horse trotting behind him.
“I just don’t understand why my sprint times are getting worse not better,” Jackson complained to Mosom on the way to church the next morning. “I’ve practiced and trained for hours every day and I seem to be getting slower.”
Mosom adjusted his beat up cowboy hat and rubbed his hand over his face. “Maybe you need to take a break now and then. The Creator didn’t make our bodies to work all the time.”
The van pulled up to the church and everyone got out. Jackson sat with the rest of the family and restlessly went through the motions of singing worship songs. If only he didn’t have to go to Auntie Holly’s place after church. He knew he would be stuck playing Xbox all afternoon with his cousins and there would be no time to get any running practice in before dark.
Then, in the nick of time, between the announcements and the last song, Jackson had an idea.
When the kids were dismissed to go to their Sunday school classes in the basement; he went with them but hung around at the back of the room until Auntie Holly arrived to teach the class.
“Uh. . . I noticed that there are a lot of little kids here today Auntie, do you want me to check and see if they need extra help in the nursery?” Jackson tried not to shift from foot to foot but concentrated on looking innocently into Auntie’s eyes.
Auntie looked a little suspicious but ended
up saying uncertainly, “Well, it’s nice of you to offer to help. OK . . . why don’t you go ask if they need you.”
Jackson was gone in the blink of an eye. He walked down the hall toward the little kid’s play room but made a quick left turn before he got there. In a flash, he was out the back door of the church and running freely down a small path in the bush.
It was a beautiful fall morning, and Jackson thought it would feel good to run through the bush like a deer . . . but it didn’t. Jackson’s feet felt like they were weighted down with horseshoes and his lungs seemed to be too small to suck in much air. He was sure Paul Acoose would have kept on going no matter how terrible he felt so Jackson kept running too. He was slowing to a mere stagger when he finally heard Pastor Dan lead everyone in the closing song.
Somehow Jackson managed to drag his aching legs into the back door and down the hall to his classroom just as all the kids were being dismissed.
“Jackson,” exclaimed Auntie Holly. “You look completely worn out.”
“Yep,” said Jackson, panting between words, “Those little kids are a handful.”
Sometime that afternoon, Jackson developed a chough and a fever. It was a real one this time. Even Kokum believed him and sent him to bed as soon as they got home from Auntie’s.
Jackson was so worn out he didn’t even feel like playing Temple Run on his iPad. He just curled up in a ball and coughed into his covers. He didn’t even realize Kokum came into his room until he heard the clinking of the mug as she stirred honey into his tea.
“Tea and Honey,” said Kokum quietly, “That’s what my Kokum used to give me when I was sick. Do you want me to pray for you Nosisim?”
“OK.” croaked Jackson not even having enough energy to turn his head toward her.
“Creator God,” prayed Kokum as she knelt down at the edge of Jackson’s bed. “I pray that you will forgive my Nosisim for not takin’ a break when his body needed one. Forgive him for practicin’ his runnin’ instead of takin’ time to worship you. I also pray that you will forgive him for lyin’ to his Auntie.
The bed creaked a bit as Kokum got up and shuffled toward the door.
“Hey!” Jackson mustered all the strength he could to roll over and face his Grandma. “You didn’t pray for me to get better Kokum. What’s up with that? I have to get better soon. There’s a big race coming up at school. There’s a competition happening with four other reserves and I’ve been chosen to represent my class in the race. ”
“We’ll have to see ‘bout that Nosisim.” said Kokum with a frown. “You better try to get some rest now.” With that, she quietly left Jackson’s room and shut the door behind her.