Junior Year Box Set

When we got back to the Budweiser Patio, the major donors all wanted signed jerseys, so the crowd thinned out. Bev was the hit of the party, and she bragged that I had bought it for her.

That was when the State Troopers entered the party. Governor Higgins and his wife Betty followed them a moment later. While the governor pressed the flesh, I found Tracy and Brook.

“Let’s grab our seats for the game,” I said.

These were not your typical bleacher seats. In front of them was a table where you could put your beer and food. We were seated in the front row, so we had an unobstructed view of the field. I saw Brook had some nasty-looking nachos.

“Where’d you get the food?” I asked.

“Get me a Chicago Dog when you go up,” Tracy blurted.

I guess they weren’t on their first beer. Brook made a general pointing motion towards the back of the patio. The good news was the food was free. I think you got what you paid for. They gave me a drink tray, and I piled hot dogs on it, along with three beers. I figured it was a special day and I would enjoy one while watching the game. I had settled in, eaten one of my hot dogs, and downed half a beer when a shadow fell over me.

“Are you sure you’re old enough to be drinking?” asked a female voice.

I turned and saw Betty Higgins and the governor standing next to us.

“I think it’s okay for something like this,” Governor Higgins said, shaking my hand.

“Governor, Betty,” I said as I stood and shook their hands. “These are my friends Tracy Dole and Brook Davis.”

The governor sat down next to me, and one of his aides brought him a beer and an Italian beef sandwich with sweet and hot peppers on it.

“Where’d he get that?” I asked.

“Peter, bring us five sandwiches,” Governor Higgins said.

“If you feed him, you’ll have to take him home,” Tracy said. “I think that’s why my mom cooks for him. I heard he took his shirt off for Bev Mass. I wonder what she fed him.”

“David, take your shirt off,” Brook teased me.

“Governor, I’ll have to apologize for my friends’ behavior. I think they’ve had a beer too many,” I said.

Luckily, the governor was a good sport. He and I talked football, and I caught him up on my season. The governor then wanted to hear about my recruiting trips. I found him easy to talk to and that I liked him as a person. His wife was funny and told stories on Kurt. Yep, we were now on a first-name basis. I got really interested when they told me funny stories about my grandpa. I hadn’t known that my grandpa had taken Kurt under his wing and mentored him when he first got started. Then the conversation got serious.

“David, your grandfather meant the world to me. I’ve had conversations with your grandmother, and if you ever need anything, I want you to call me. Even if I can’t help you directly, I might know who to get you in touch with. I’m not just saying this, I mean it. I would never have gotten to where I am today without Davey Dawson’s help. I hope you feel the same way because I might need you to help me on the campaign trail,” Kurt said with a smile.

“I don’t know what good I would do, but all you have to do is ask,” I said.

We settled in and watched the game. The good news about having the governor sit next to you was that we were actually served, instead of having to run down drinks or food. I switched to Coke, but the girls continued to drink free beer. I was glad to see they didn’t go overboard but were having a good time.

In the second inning, the Cubs hit a home run to take a 1–0 lead. There was a seventeen-mile-per-hour wind blowing out, and anything hit towards the outfield just seemed to hang forever. The Cardinals answered in the fourth by putting up two runs, but their lead was short-lived. The good guys hit three homers to take a 5–2 lead. In the sixth, the Cards stormed back with the long ball to come within a run at 5–4. The Cubs hit two more home runs to take a commanding 8–4 lead into the ninth. The Cardinals showed why they had won the division and with a swing of the bat added two more runs.

The game ended 8–6 in a long-ball fest. The Cubs were built with Wrigley Field in mind. If they could continue to hit home runs, they would win the series.

There was no hurry to get out because everyone had stayed until the end. They had a photographer, so we had him snap some pictures. I had one taken with Governor Higgins, Bev Mass, and Senators Dixon and Caster. The senators had attended my uncle’s wedding. I gave the photographer my email address so I could save the photo.

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After the game, I was hungry and asked Jack Mass for a recommendation. Jack invited us back to his house. He called in an order for Chinese as we left the ballpark. Traffic was nuts, but we followed Bev and Jack, who knew the shortcuts, so we were soon at their Lincoln Park home. I’d seen it before, but Brook and Tracy wanted the tour. The Mass home was as spectacular as I remembered. It was a credit to his company, which had built it.

“How do you know David?” Brook asked as we sat down to eat.