Business chilled and with one course I spent most of my time sleeping. Paul and Donna watched the café. I simply slept 18 hours a day for three weeks. I was worn out and tired I got bored and sleeping was a way out. Donna and Paul held down the café. I spent the time at college for a good three weeks.  Looking back it was probably a thing that healed me how many times I had survived on six or less hours of sleep.  As I was wandering through desert it would surprise me how quickly the promised land would greet me.

Winter's hiatus ended in spring. Things were increasing in tempo in my life. Most notably my English class had a wild haired loving English Professor who started asking about the café two weeks in the semester we were to meet at the café for an evening class. The day of the class I headed to the computer lab and started working on an essay about a run.

The riff rubs a nerve raw. The song belts out of a story of a man possessed, possessed by a vision of world that once was pretty and glorious and how it had become a nightmare. I had broken lose only partially from that world. It was a reminder of why I must run hard smooth and strong. The vision now clear emotions ripe. The intenstity level was at its peak. I do a couple accelerations mind set heart set. My mind was now set to process range speed power rate of closure course line and the like. It was a fine computer operating at max speed.

I walk to the line it is now time to chase a dream. The gun goes off. Instincts now razor sharp took over. The acceleration was slow yet deliberate as the stride was lengthened and rate increased over 100 yards. I was not at moderate cruise for the first mile. I was last place but that is where I had wanted to be. A first climb up a hill came the stride was shortened as little as possible. The pace was steady and strong. The sun was warm but not hot. This course was a stranger to me but I had looked at the map and had a mental plan for the race. There came a hard right turn to level ground. Each instinct each reflex alive directing the smooth straight course line decisions between terrain passing all evaluated and setting up the next turn. I was flowing hunting for my first sniper victim. He was already fading and becoming hopeless. A quarter of mile on a sharp downhill he would be mine all mine. I set myself up for the pass and within seconds it was over with. I was now in the woody brushy fairly wide trail. I ran centerline cool and I got my first mile time a little too slow. I accelerated to the second mile. The next clump was sighted. I maintained my pace and just let the pass evolve. I picked off the last 2 Poteet runners. The desire was still strong and pains slowly entering the picture. The course was now in a level section. I enjoyed the longest straight away followed by a sharp right. Then another level section of course. The mile ticked away faster more action a little more pain as I was now on a mission with time to take up. I was now passing more people some of it due my increased pace some of it due to the fact they had started way too fast. It was back uphill again. I added power and shortened my stride. Near the top there was another trail. I knew it and I went on the center rut of the multi rut road. I heard my last mile time. I added a little more to my pace. The passes were fluid the emotion intense. My last mile I emerged at the top of the small hill and now I started hearing times. I was near a best made long ago. I jammed the throttle all the way. I had the gas in the tanks. My stride went out long power in all the way. I shot down the hill made a the hard right hand turn still a quarter mile left I was passing people big time now. There was now no one ahead of me. Yet I had the gas in burning up my legs heart and lungs. 18:54 I laid down a past best time. The dry heave came well I left it all on the course. A ghost had been laid to rest my best time would be run at Denton High as a Bronco not as a Unicorn.

The essay was finished I printed it out and drove to the café. Donna knew the grin on my face. She made the comment somethings never change. It was an old gag. We both laughed and savored it. I made the comment things are never fun till they are done at the last minute. The gag was ancient way back to elementary school it was innocent there unchanged. We had to laugh the gag was an element of stability something we had seen so little of.