When Gary had asked Eli about college, Eli, while not knowing the answer Gary needed, had done his best to guide Gary. What Eli had not been prepared for was how much Gary’s questions about Eli returning to college would effect him.
When Eli had originally gone to college, he had joined the football team and loved every minute being one of the players. However, Eli had not been one of the first stringers. Eli was too short and had not had enough muscle mass at the time. Now standing in his bathroom before the mirror, Eli saw that he could actually be a starting player. Unfortunately, returning to college would mean quitting his teaching job.
It had been three days since his conversation with Gary, and Eli was thrilled to see that he was again gaining muscle mass. He also had come to realize over the last few days just how much he wanted to go back to college and be a player again. The only problem was how much he loved his job. Eli was at an impasse.
Posing in a mirror in the school weight room after an intensive routine, Eli had removed his shirt in order to examen his abs and pecs. After a few moments, Eli noticed some of his players had come into the weight room.
“Hey guys. How’s it hanging?” Eli called out still focusing on his muscle definition.
“Great coach.” Max, one of the team offensive guards, replied and laughing asked, “Hey, would you mind spotting me? Nick has Tim to help him, but I need someone so I don’t get myself killed.”
“Sure man. Just let me put on a shirt.”
Eli realized that he might be acting a little too informal with the students, but he just could not bring himself to not almost treat them as peers. For the next few hours, as more of the team joined the four for weight training with the end of the school day, Eli continued to act more like a fellow student than the coach of the team.
That afternoon, Eli talked with the guys about girls, homework, and other things everyone was dealing with. When Devin complained about having to get an entire new wardrobe, many of the boys laughed saying, ‘Welcome to the club’.
When Pete mentions the trouble that he was having with a girl he had started to date after his initial transformation, Eli could not help but call out jokingly, “Why don’t you ask the soon to be daddy.” With only a moments pause, the players all started to laugh, joining in on the teasing Gary. Gary for his part just shrugged his massive shoulders. By the end of practice, some of the players would calling Eli by his first name. Something that the administration would have wanted stopped, but Eli did not notice.
All of the other players had left except Gary. Gary was asking Eli what married life was like. Eli answer the questions to the best of his ability, but finally steered the conversation back to how Gary was doing.
“Have you decided what you are going to do after you graduate?”
“Still not one hundred percent sure, but I’m leaning towards college. I know that it will be hard with three ankle biters around, but I still what to have the college experience.”
“What do you mean three?”
“Oh yeah. Forgot to mention that me and Lucy are having triplets.” Gary smiled from ear to ear. “Three boys, and the doctor said they will be identical triplets. Plus from the size that Lucy already is, I have a feeling they are going to take after me.”
“That’s great.” Eli replied. After a few more minutes, Gary sad goodbye and headed home.
Eli was left deep in thought, because he was now seriously considering quitting. Before, Eli had told himself that it was not a good idea, but hearing Gary say he was going to college even with a wife and three kids in tow, Eli found that all of the reasons he had thought against going back to college seemed trivial.