Save Me, Sinners

“Eh, whatever,” he shrugs. “Anyway, about that article, has Max explained it all to you?”

Max. I can’t even recall the last time I spoke to him. He’s still away with Katherine and no one knows when he’ll be back. Sure, thinking about him still torments me but I have bigger problems to solve. There’s only one solution to those problems — put my head down and get to work.

“What do you mean?” I reply to Scott who grunts in frustration.

“I don’t know why Shauna insisted on getting you for this job. You're obviously totally green and have no clue what you're doing.” He shakes his head and pulls out a pack of cigarettes, but then quickly pops it back in his pocket as he realizes he’s in a non-smoking zone.

“Okay, look. This is how

it works with these things. You follow David around, you see what you gotta see and in the end you write a piece that paints him in a saintly light. You make him look so good that they want to award him the Nobel Prize. Capiche?” He raises his eyebrows as if he’s talking to a five-year-old child. His condescending attitude is starting to piss me off.

“Sure,” I say, choosing not to engage him in an argument when I can silently seethe.

An hour or so later, when the training session finally comes to a conclusion, Scott rushes to greet David and say his goodbyes. The way he speaks, the way his demeanor is, it all reminds me of Max. Men who will do and say anything to get what they want. The reality of who Max is may be hard for to swallow. But I have to.

The reality of what David Adams really is, is slowly revealing itself too. I can’t help but smile as I watch him giving autographs to a bunch of kids, ruffling their heads and cracking jokes with them.

“And you, Joel, are you eating your greens? You doing as your mum tells you?” I hear him say to one little boy as I climb off the bleachers.

“Yes I am!” the boy says proudly. “I can’t wait till I have muscles like yours!”

“If you do what I say, I promise that you'll have them soon.” He kneels down to the boy’s height. “Now how many of you little ones are going to come see me play at the next match?” All the kids raise their hands.

“And how many of you'll do your homework everyday before you play video games?” Again, all hands go in the air. “Now give me some high fives before you go!” David reaches out and starts high fiving all the little hands that leap up.

“I see you've a little party of your own going here,” I say to him. “Hey, kids!”

He smiles a warm, happy smile as he turns toward me.

“Kids, say hi to Carrie.”

“Hi Carrie!” All the kids crow in unison.

“Aww. You guys are so sweet.” I love kids and seeing these little ones dressed in their soccer uniforms is making me wish I had a few of my own.

“Who is she?” Joel, the boy David had been talking to, asks. “Is she your girlfriend?”

“What do you think?”

“I think she is your girlfriend,” a little girl with curly hair says in a shy manner.

“Maybe,” David grins at them.

“David!” I punch him the arm, making all the kids laugh.

“Are you gonna get married?” Another boy asks. The kids are having a tough time stifling their giggles.

“Yes. Next week! Will you all come?” He raises his eyebrows.

“Yes!” They all answer in unison.

“But not if the green monster gets you first,” David makes his fingers into claws and suddenly rushes the kids and they all run off screaming and laughing with delight.

“Well that was quite the show,” I say when they’re gone.

“Kids are fun. Spend some time with them and all your worries and troubles go away momentarily.” There’s happiness in his eyes.

“That is so true. I love kids.”