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Chapter 2 part 1
Isaac Winters and Paul Graveley believed they were kindred spirits, both born in August 1965 in Wausau, Wisconsin. Isaac had light brown hair, while Paul had dark hair. They both enjoyed sports and comic books. Often they visited each other's houses or went to the park to play with other kids in the neighbourhood.
When Isaac was young, he told Paul that he was going to be somebody when he grew up. He was proud of all the A's on his report cards and the pat on the head from his father when he did well in school. After class, he and Paul would play soccer in the grassy backyard. Paul was taller than stocky Isaac, but he knew they were equally matched.
Always, Isaac said that he wanted to play the goalie. He would pull out two paint cans from the garage that acted as goalposts. Triumphantly, he repeatedly made great saves, diving for the ball when Paul tried to score. However, by kicking the ball high in the right corner, Paul found his weak spot. After several goals, Isaac caught on and prevented Paul from scoring that way. They would switch positions and play until dinnertime.
Garth and Emily Winters were proud of their only child, Isaac, and expected him to follow the conservative traditions of their family.
Len and Carol Graveley tried for another child after Paul. With anticipation, they made plans and furnished a room for the new baby with a crib, toys and a supply of cloth diapers. They painted the walls yellow and Carol sewed new curtains for the window. When she went into labour, Len excitedly drove her to the hospital. He paced in the corridor, while she was in the delivery room, looking forward to hearing good news. However, when the baby was delivered, she was stillborn. Carol wailed.
Len tried to comfort her but she just kept crying. He went to Paul's school and the principal asked Paul to come to the office. There, his father gave him the bad news. Paul was shocked and too overwhelmed to return to class for the rest of the afternoon. They named the baby "Felicia" and buried her at the family plot. The Winters were present at the funeral. Paul and Isaac stood solemnly as the small coffin was lowered into the grave.
After the loss, Carol became very depressed and they decided not to try again, despite the urging of their friends. She treasured her son all the more. She wanted to protect him but also hoped he would succeed and make the family proud. Paul talked about how different life would have been with a sister. To have a sibling would have meant the world to him. The loss affected him deeply. He bottled up his emotions. Isaac knew his friend well enough not to ask him how he felt. Instead they played sports and watched television together.
While their parents visited and talked about politics, Paul and Isaac read comic books and played catch. At Isaac's ninth birthday party, he invited five boys from school. They roughhoused and played in the backyard. Isaac's mother made a marble cake -- Isaac's favourite. Before he blew out the candles, he made a silent wish for good fortune for Paul and himself.
After they polished off the cake, Isaac unwrapped his presents, including a book, a baseball cap, and two shirts. He opened Paul's gift and held it up for everyone to see. The boys admired the brand new football. Isaac threw it to Paul across the dining room table. Paul caught it just before it hit the window. Fearing damage to her house, Emily ordered them outside. The boys raced out the door, leaving cake crumbs and empty glasses. They let out hoots, tossing the football back and forth in the yard.
In the summer when they turned ten, Isaac and Paul often dove and swam at the falls. The water was so cold it took their breath away. One day, Isaac got caught by the current and went under. Paul yelled for help but no one was near enough to hear him. Quickly, Paul dove in after Isaac. Underwater, he swam toward Isaac, and grabbed him under the arms. They rose to the surface. Paul took in air, but Isaac was limp and lifeless.
Paul swam toward the nearest shore with his left arm around Isaac's neck. He heaved him back onto safe ground. Still, Isaac was unresponsive. Anxiously, Paul pumped his chest with his hands and gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Isaac spewed water out of his lungs, gasping for air. Paul was relieved when Isaac coughed and opened his eyes. His forehead was bruised and bleeding.
"That's quite the bump you've got. Maybe you should stick to fishing," Paul jested.
Isaac grinned. "I owe you. Whatever happens, we're friends for life." They spat on their hands and shook on it, which was as good as a signed contract.
Paul suggested they swim in the lower falls where the current wasn't as strong, but Isaac was stubborn. He stayed at the upper falls, diving repeatedly without further incident. In the eyes of Paul, Isaac didn’t want to show he was scared of anything.
"Don't be a chicken. Let's jump together. Hold my hand," coaxed Isaac. They held hands and jumped in unison into the freezing water. When they came up for air, Isaac exclaimed, "I think I touched the bottom!"
Paul admired Isaac's self-assurance and cocky attitude. When Isaac bragged about a fish he caught to his class, Paul observed Isaac's ability to impress and exaggerate his story for best effect. Isaac captivated the kids at school with his stories. Even the teachers were proud of Isaac. He was a leader, a challenger and a favourite. He was often picked first to join teams in physical education class. He excelled not only in sports but also academics. Paul was envious of Isaac's popularity at school. Sometimes he wished he could be more like Isaac.
From a young age, Paul demonstrated the ability to draw with detail and accuracy. He could look at an object and duplicate it with depth and shadow. His sense of perspective was excellent for a student his age.
In art class, Isaac would look at his stiff stick figures and then glance over at Paul's drawings. He'd joke that Paul had a future as a starving artist, which caused laughter in the class. He'd rib Paul in front of their classmates to get an edge. Paul didn't mind the teasing. He knew art was one of his strengths. He was relieved to know that he was better than Isaac at something.
Soon, they were in high school, which was like a new world. Some of the senior students gave them a bad time calling them "wet behind the ears." Despite being around a lot of other students and being exposed to different subjects and new things, Isaac and Paul stayed close friends. Because of their high aptitudes and athletic abilities, they became friendly rivals, competing against each other in academics and sports. Paul found out he was very good at track and field. He held the fastest record for the one-mile in his age group in Wisconsin.
When Paul received a medal, Isaac graciously patted him on the back and congratulated him. Paul thought that despite Isaac's drive to be the best, he could still show sportsmanship.
In grade eleven, Isaac decided to try out for the high school football team. Even though most of the players had trained since grade eight, Isaac’s natural athleticism and leadership made him a candidate for quarterback. He researched football strategies and watched a lot of football on TV. He dared Paul to try out. Paul wasn't keen on playing at first, but when Isaac reminded him that Paul gave him his first football, Paul relented.
During tryouts, they practiced blocking, tackling, throwing and catching. Isaac and Paul agreed that a lot of the contenders were very good. Competition was tough. Still they made every practice and worked hard to get noticed. After the last day of tryouts, they stood in anticipation to hear who made the team from the coach.
"Isaac Winters," announced the coach, "and last but not least, Paul Graveley." When their names were called out they let out a whoop. All the chosen players cheered and shook hands. The rejected ones were encouraged to try out for the following season. Isaac was granted the coveted position of quarterback.
Isaac designed plays to utilize Paul's speed and agility as a wide receiver. Paul could reach for high throws and run faster than most of the other team players. When Paul made touchdowns the team rallied around him. When Paul missed the throw, Isaac laughed and called him "Slippery Joe." As a wide receiver, Paul was tackled constantly while Isaac took quite a few hits himself. Despite bruises and injuries, they enjoyed the game immensely.
When their team beat out rivals from other schools, Isaac was very proud. He and Paul wore their football jackets with honour. Because of their popularity and success as athletes, they attracted several female admirers. Belinda Stiles was a freckled redhead on the cheerleading squad. Paul took to her quickly in conversation. His senses tingled when she smiled at him. He fell in love with her smile and wit. When they first kissed, he was on cloud nine. It was the first time he really fell for someone.
However, Isaac had his own plans. He bragged that Belinda liked him more, which put Paul into a foul mood. Paul walked to Belinda's locker after school to ask her for a soda when he saw Isaac standing with his arm around her. Anger and jealousy rose in him.
"Belinda, I need to speak to Isaac alone," he said through clenched teeth.
"Later," said Isaac as he gave her hand a squeeze. Her heels tapped on the floor tiles as she walked away.
"What's going on here? I told you I kissed her. I saw her first. Why are you doing this?"
"What are you talking about, Paul? She's into me."
Paul lowered his voice. "Don't you know I love her?"
"Look, there's lots of fish in the sea." Isaac slung his jacket over his shoulder and headed toward the door. Belinda joined him down the hall and they left together.
Angrily, Paul watched the pair go. Once again, he wished he were Isaac, the "golden boy" as he was nicknamed by their fellow students. Isaac spent a lot of time with Belinda. Paul felt left out but knew three was a crowd. Paul didn't see much of Isaac the rest of the school year. He busied himself with track and field competitions. He wasn't interested in dating any of the other girls but spent time with his other male friends.
That was the second time he lost someone he cared about. Again, he kept his feelings inside and didn't share his pain with anyone.
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