Wanting something isn't always as nice as having it. When you're on the outside looking in it's difficult not wondering what it would be like to be accepted. Being somewhat of a self-made pariah in middle school I longed to change this before entering high school. When I was 12 I was asked to bowl in a junior bantem league. I had been practicing with unc almost everyday for over a year now. This woman named Pearl Keller came up to me and said " Excuse me son, may I talk to you for a moment?" I said "Sure, what's up?" She answered " I wondered if you would be interested in bowling in a league on Saturday morning." I looked at Unc and asked "What do you think?" She turned to unc and introduced herself to him and they shook hands. He answered "I'm in charge of taking care of him when he's here. What time is the league?" She said " It starts at 9am , but he should be here at 8 so he can register and fill out forms. He'll need a letter from his parents for permission." Unc looked at me and I was salivating like a Saint Bernard at a ski resort. I said " Unc? Please can I bowl please?" He smiled and said " It's fine with me. We need to check with your mother to see if she'll drive us here that early. Do you think you can get up? Still bouncing I said "For bowling absolutely." Pearl then smiled and said " O.k. I hope to see you saturday morning at 8am." I turn to her saying " Thanks, I'll be there." We returned to practicing and I was filled with a sense of destiny about to be fulfilled. When Mama came from her school to pick me up, I told her all about it. She said it depended if I could keep my grades up and stay out of trouble. I said" You got it Kiddo! I'll be up ready bed made and fed before 7am just like another school day." We talked about about lots of things on the way home. I asked " Mama will we have time to stop at Friendly's on the way." She smiled and said " Unc, was he a good boy and do you want to stop at Friendly's?" unc smiled and let out a small laugh "And get out of cooking dinner, hmm, I think I can fit that into my busy schedule. Why yes I think that's a great idea. What about Mr. Julius?" Frowning her mood changes when she says " He called and said he was working late again tonight and not to expect him home for dinner." An akward silence follows as we drive to Friendly's restaurant. Extra cheerfully I told one of my favotrite stories. The one about unc and the change purse. It all began one day when I ran out of quarters for the pinball machine. I ran to unc aking him for a quarter and he looks at me and says "Jody, what on earth do you need a quarter for?" Cheerfully I reply " For the pinball machine what else would I need it for?" Nodding his head he's thinking. I say "Well can I ?" Unc scrunches up his face and says " Now hold on for a minute I'm thinking." Putting my arms out to the side I start spinning around in circles saying " Come on unc , you can play with me. It'll be fun. When was the last time you played pinball? Starting to reach in his pocket I stop spinning wondering hoping he'll lend me a quarter. " He says " I ain't interested in no pinball. It's a waste of money." Spreading my fingers wide I swing both arms up in a quick flicking motion as if I was shaking water from my hands I say " Well of course it's a waste of money. Unless, however you're a pinball wizard like myself for example." Unc starts making his kikikiki laughing sound and slaps his hand on his leg saying " Boy, I bet you 4 quarters you not only don't get the high score . But, you'll be back in less than 5 minutes asking for another. Which I'm not giving you so you can just get that idea out of you head right now." Rubbing my hands to gether I quickly remember what the high score on the machine is, 4,876,992 by Buddy Banks. Suddenly coming up with a great idea I learned from Buddy I said "Sure unc , I 'll take that bet and raise you double your 4 quarters that I do get the high score." Staring at me as if he knows I'm up to something. He purses his lips and snaps his index finger at me and nods an o.k. your on gesture. I wait for what seems like an hour as unc begins the painfully long arduous task of retrieving his change purse. Now to do this discription justice you need to picture trying to squeeze a dime out of Jack Benny. Unc is generous with his time and love. When it comes to finances he runs a tight ship. So here it goes : He slowly reaches deliberately into the wrong pocket. At this point in a futile attempt to somehow speed up this geologically paced act along I say " Unc , no it's in the other pocket." He now turns his back as if I insulted him and says " Boy what are doing knowing which pocket I put my money bag in? You better stand over there , mind your own business, while I figure this out." Realizing I just added another 10 minutes I roll my head and spin around on my heels falling on the floor with my feet high in the air, like Ralph Cramden from "The Honeymooners". I groan " You're killing me here unc, please before money goes out of style." He snaps " You want this quarter you better just High-shh up." Burning with desire to get this quater now I hop back to my feet and start bouncing up and down and around in circles to keep myself from exploding. Unc finally finds his leather change purse. He unties it and starts fiddling around in his little bag looking for a quarter with his index finger like he's dialing a phone. He finds it and holds it in his fist. Now he ever so carefully draws the string tight and slowly reties the bag. By now the sun has set on the enthusiasm of the moment. I sigh and in a disgusted gesture flop my hand out while looking up at the ceiling. Unc says "Jody, don't do me any favors by taking my hard earned coin. You want it then act like man and come here and take it." Feeling a little bad for being such a brat I look him in the eye and say " I'm sorry unc, its just that I get so excited when I'm playing I want to rush back to play again as fast as possible. Does that make any sense to you?" Seeing the honesty in my eyes he says " Ahh heck I was just playing with you. It's so easy.." Now he starts laughing, but trying not to. " It's so easy making you flustered I can hardly resist." He put the coins in my hand. I look down to find four quarters and I get real happy and Jump on unc saying " Oh unc thank you, I never know what you're going to do so I.. oh never mind I love you and thanks . Come on watch me get high score. I rock at this game." We slowly walk over to the pinball machine to find Buddy Banks playing his first ball. I look at unc and say come on you want to bowl first? This is going to take all day. Smiling Unc says " Sure but we gonna bowl for a quarter a game." Feeling glad to be alive and with unc I say " How about we make it 50 cents a game. That way it won't take me so much time to take your money old man" Walking to get his bowling gear he says " We'll see, I think I'll let my bowling do the talking for me." We get a pair of lanes and start warm up. We flip to see who goes first and its me. So the bowling begins. For those of you not knowledgable about bowling I'll do my best to keep it simple. Unc bowls a 195 the first game to my 170. The second game I roll 207 to hs 160. Even now, we get ready for the final game . I turn around and there are a bunch of guys who bowl in the mens league behind us. They're betting too. Buddy says I want Gilbert(unc) for $40 Jame Gwatney who is a massive man with the heart of a kitten. At least with me he is. James bet $100 on me and say parlay that for every game after. Wondering what's going on I ask unc " Do you know what the heck they're doing? What's parlay?" Laughing unc puts his arm aroung me and says "Jody, Don't you pay them no mind . Just pay attention to what we're doing. If these fools want to throw there money away that's no business of ours o.k?" I say " Sure unc whatever you say I'm going to take your money on this game so why don't we just parlay it." Laughing he walks over and says in a quiet voice " You can't parlay just 1 game." Getting really interested in this new language and excitement with the best bowlers around I say "Unc can you make a bet with them?" He tilts his head and shrugs " I don't know let me ask." Now I feel like somebody on "Let's Make a Deal" whats behind door #1? Unc comes back and say " You're going off at 13-5 they already parlaying you. I wouldn't get your hope up." I just made a bet against you and that's going to be easy money. Go ahead and bowl." It comes down to the 10th frame and unc needs 3 strikes to beat me by 1 pin. He gets the first the crowd oohs and ahhhs. The second they're out of there chairs clapping and yelling. Unc turns around and says " Double or nothing I strike on this " They all nod . Unc dries off his hand on the blower and picks up his ball.Takes his towel with the fringes and wipes the oil off and tosses it on the ball return. Sets himslf and makes his shot. He turns around before the ball hits the pins and starts walking with his hand out to James Gwatney who is holding all the money. The ball hits leaving a 10 pin I jump then the head pins rolls around and just barely taps it over. I say Ahhh! Nooo!! How can that happen? It's not fair!" Unc is walking back from the soda machine with a coke and a welshes grape for me. He looks at me and says " You know boy you put on quite a show back there. Good bowling." I look up at unc and say " But I lost." Unc gives me a look that says this is just the beginning, you wait and see. Putting my equipment away I look at unc and he say " Boy don't you even think of asking me for a quarter." I say " How did you .." unc whips his head at me and says " Just like I know you're going to be a much better bowler than me someday." I say " Not today" He smiles "No not today, but maybe tomorrow. Now go ask Vic to make us 2 Chappaqua doubles with cheese hold the onions on mine." Happy that unc believes in me I run to tell Vic the legend of how Jody lost by only 1 pin in the match of the century!
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