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Kat saw a lot of Gord that summer, he was like the social butterfly of the neighborhood. A fiercely intelligent young man and yet very affable in nature. It seemed a contradiction to Kat, but Gord was pleasantly easy to talk to. He would knock on everyone’s door asking for the kids to come play, they were all welcome. Gord was a runner. He loved track and field but running was his favorite. He carried a stop watch, a clip board, and a hundred-foot tape around and wrote down the names of everyone participating, he was very organized. Kat was delighted that this included Adam, and so she watched from the porch while he made his way out to the field. Gord would set up sticks at each end and the kids would run a 50-meter course. Each kid got 3 turns to run and Gord recorded all the times. As the kids all rested, Gord worked out the math for the average speed of each runner. Adam was not fast, but he got his turns all the same, with Gord and the others cheering him on. Once he had all his figuring done, Gord would set up a new course. Each kid had a different starting point, and they all had the same finish line. He determined the right distance so everyone would cross the finish line together, assuming everyone ran their average speed. The toddlers were wildly inconsistent and few of the fathers ever bet on them, but the rest of the kids all did quite well. Adam didn’t win any races at first but he was consistently close and loving every moment of it. All the kids improved and Gord kept track of it all, encouraging them with their stats. He stopped by one day to talk with Kat and he showed her Adams improvement. He carefully explained to her how Adam was actually the most improved runner for the whole summer. Kat was amazed as she looked at Gords records. He had graphs and colours and labels on everything, all very detailed. Gord explained that the final race would use the data from the entire summer, to determine the course. The whole street was buzzing with excitement on race day, as moms and dads set up their lawn chairs to watch. Gord had the course all laid out with names at each starting point, there were no toddlers this time, only serious runners. Kat watched Adam as he made his way out on the field. His starting point was much closer than everyone else’s but it was further back than when the summer started. One of the fathers shot a starter pistol and all the kids began running. Kat watched with pride and growing excitement as Adam ran his race. He was out front, but he was still … out front. Usually someone would be passing him by now but Adam was moving smoother than Kat had seen in a long time. She could see the determination in his face as he pushed his body as hard and as fast as it would go. Paul, a young boy from 3 doors down was making up some distance but Adam was holding on. Kat stood abruptly, sending her chair flying backwards, as she watched her brother cross the finish line still in first place. He immediately collapsed on the ground, desperately trying to regain his breath. Kat saw the biggest grin spreading from ear to ear across Adams face. He did not look like he’d be needing a wheelchair any time soon. One week before school was to start was the last time Kat and Adam saw Gord. His father showed up and there was some chaos, and then everyone left together. Kat worried about the young man, who had had such a profound effect on so many people, and hoped he was well. She didn’t worry long as Gord mailed a hand written letter to Adam detailing the move. Gord’s dad had been suddenly deployed overseas and everyone had to go this time. He said he would miss Adams friendship but he would keep writing.The other kids would still occasionally set up a course and run sometimes, but it had a lasting effect on Adam. He concentrated on distance running and, although he wasn’t fast by any means, he could run for a long time, slowly his stamina increased and his mobility improved. Kat admired his determination and she thanked fate that Gord had arrived. The summer of Gord touched a lot of lives that year but it moved Adam most of all, and maybe Kat too.&nbsp;&nbsp;The End

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The summer of Gord.

wbrooks1618

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Chapter3

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William Brooks

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