Uncle Champion I: “The World Beyond the Fence”

By Joseph I. Rosselli

Uncle Champion was created one evening in 1980 while the author was running past Jean Gordon Grammar School located along his usual training route in Gentilly. The story was originally named For the Love of Sara. The title was chosen from the authors favorite song at the time. The original Uncle Champion creation was actually a combination of Uncle Champion I and Uncle Champion IV, but to follow the journey and fully understand the story, II and III were added and I and IV were split into two separate stories. The story begins with our runner, Christopher Uncle who decided to start running as a form of exercise. He was raised by a very good mother and father who taught him to always help others. While out training for the big race, his life and the lives of everyone involved changed. He found himself on a mission to save the life of an orphan named Julia. She is a very special and powerful young girl who leads the thirty-six other children of the orphanage beyond the fence. Chris meets Sara Harmony and discovers he needs her to get to Julia. He ends up saving both of them from their depressed state. At the end of each volume, a telegram arrives with Chris next clue to the ultimate riddle, the ultimate riddle from above. In Uncle Champion II Gentilly plays a major role. It is the location of the new and modern facility designed by Christopher. Uncle Champion was named by one of the children of the orphanage and was Chris celebrity name. All the way through Uncle Champion III you witness the relationship of Chris and Sara as it grows.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503579583

Joseph I. Rosselli

The author, Joseph I. Rosselli, was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the suburb known as Gentilly. Joseph was born on March 22, 1955, and was the fourth of four children. He is the son of Dominick F. Rosselli, Sr. and Ann Rosselli. He graduated from a local New Orleans High School, Ecole Classique, in 1973. Joseph was married to his beautiful wife, Victoria, in 2000. They both reside in the Jefferson Parish city of Kenner, Louisiana. He is the author of a total of five books, four of which are the Uncle Champion series and the other is Girl with a Purpose. He was a runner and triathlete, which prompted him to write the story of Uncle Champion. The story was created thirty-five years ago and has been nothing more than a dream until now. Joseph's father once told him, “The goodness of the world comes from those who help others.” You will find that sentiment throughout the Uncle Champion series. Joseph's reason for writing about orphanages comes from his belief that he had the greatest parents ever created. It is even explained fully in Girl with a Purpose.

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Copyright © 2015 by Joseph I. Rosselli.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-5035-7959-0

                eBook           978-1-5035-7958-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Rev. date: 06/19/2015

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1 In The Beginning

Chapter 2 The Meeting

Chapter 3 Begin Training/The Courtship

Chapter 4 The Move/The Grant

Chapter 5 Qualifying Races/Discovery

Chapter 6 The Race/The Prize

CHAPTER 1

In The Beginning

Chris Uncle started running as a form of exercise totally unaware his efforts would forever change his life and the lives of the people he would meet. His strong belief in helping people would make an everlasting difference for the good of the entire community.

New Orleans, Louisiana, Sunday morning approximately 9:30 a.m., it is opening day for this year’s running season. The weather was perfect for the runners to open their season and do their best. Chris was in his first race. He was dressed in his usual running attire of lycra shorts and a tank top. Chris was wearing the inexpensive shoes he bought when he decided to take up running. As he approached the finish line all you heard were the scraping of his running shoes on the pavement. The crowd was at a distance cheering the runners as they passed the finish line. He finally reached the finish line. Chris was last. You can hear the announcer over the PA. And in last place, number 537. Oh, come on, can you hurry up? You’re making me miss my favorite cartoons. Do you know three women crossed way before you did and they looked like they were in their eighties? There’s a hook right over there if you’d like to just hang it up. The announcer entertained the crowd who laughed at his antics. They probably felt a little sorry for Chris.

Chris was exhausted and knew in his heart he had to do better next time. He walked past the announcer who simply looked at Chris and shook his head. The announcer said, Maybe some better running shoes would be the magic you need to win next time. Little did the announcer know he was right.

Chris went to the refreshment table to collect his souvenir t-shirt and to grab some water. It was not very hot in early spring on this 22nd day of March, but he needed something to quench his thirst. He sadly walked back to his old car which was still barely running and said to himself, I need to do better than this. I can do it. I need a little practice. I know I can’t do any worse. I was last, shoot. I can only go one way. He started his car on the second try to proceed home. He was about to face his co-workers who have been entering these races for years. He thought to himself, Maybe the announcer was right. Maybe I should try some better shoes. His plans were to shop for some shoes the following day. He took some ribbing from his co-workers as they drove off the same time he did.

The next day at Chris’ office his three prankster co-workers, Tommy, Mike and Dean couldn’t wait to see him. As Chris entered his office, they were waiting for him. They are all professional architects and enjoy keeping in shape. They invited Chris to join them and they were going to tease him until he could maintain their level of speed. Tommy could not wait and yelled out, Hey Chris, did that old lady knock you down when she passed you? I think there were three. Dean added, Yeah he was blazing along and didn’t realize they even passed him. Chris replied, That’s ok, you had to start somewhere yourself. How did you do in your first race? The three pranksters walked off to their office making sounds like they were drag racing in an attempt to tease Chris even more. Chris simply shook his head and thought to himself, I will show them one day what I can do when I put my mind to it.

That evening after work came the big change. Chris went to the runner’s specialty store to inquire about some better equipment and shoes. He picked out a pair of shoes as a new salesman approached. The salesman said, I would guess you need a pair of running shoes that will improve your time. Chris replied, Yeah, the pair I have now must be made of lead. I don’t want to tell you how badly I did in the last race. It was my first race, but not my last. I am not a quitter and I will win a race one day. The salesman chuckled and said, You will win a race one day and races after that with the shoes I have here, instead of the ones you picked out. You will be the champion. Chris just laughed and said, Practice makes perfect. The salesman said, Well, just make sure you practice in the right direction where you are needed. Chris didn’t get it and just shrugged it off. Chris purchased the shoes the salesman recommended and left the store. He did not understand what the salesman was trying to tell him.

The next evening after work Chris went out for his training run wearing his new shoes. He somehow felt like he could run better, but said to himself he was just imagining things. He finished his workout and felt good about his sudden burst of energy. He returned home and knew he’d have something to tell the pranksters when he got to his office.

The next day at his office the three pranksters approached. Chris said, I have some new shoes and I was told by the salesman they would make me run faster and I would be the winner one day. Mike said, I hope you didn’t fall for that gag they tell everyone? Chris replied, We’ll see. I felt the difference when I wore them to train yesterday. I should have timed myself to see if I had any improvement. The three pranksters walked off laughing.

That evening, Chris decided to map a course he could use to train and measured the distance with his car, so he could practice improving his time. He ran the course for a few days and was getting very familiar with the planned course he laid out for himself.

After the first week of his new and extended training, Chris was driving home. There was a song contest on the radio. The DJ announced, The third caller who can correctly name these two songs will win dinner for two at the finest restaurant in town. The two songs were Sara and Harmony. Chris reached for his phone to call the radio station. He said, I need to win something some time. I know those two songs. I just need to be the third caller. Chris repeated to himself, Sara, Harmony, Sara, Harmony. The DJ answered the phone and told Chris he was in fact the third caller. Chris shouted out, The two songs are Sara and Harmony. The DJ said, Can you repeat that! Chris said, Sara, Harmony!" The DJ announced he was the winner of dinner for two at the finest place in town. Chris told the DJ he had never won anything his whole life and felt winning the song contest may change things. The DJ remarked it will change more than you’ll ever know.

Chris continued his efforts to improve his life and thought about it for a minute. He said to himself, Maybe I should get a new car. The car is probably the thing that’s holding me back. One of those sleek GT models would get me noticed in a heartbeat. Chris drove to the local Ford dealer to look into getting a sleek sports model Mustang. He even thought to himself, A convertible would really be the coolest thing ever. The owner was out on the floor and introduced himself as Don Watson. He told Chris he was the owner of the dealership and was glad to meet him. Chris told the dealer he needed a GT model so he could be noticed. The dealer told Chris he has just the car for him. After giving Chris the price and terms, Chris told the dealer that was a lot of money. Mr. Watson told Chris he had an idea that would help Chris obtain the car of his dreams. That was when Chris’ life changed forever. Mr. Watson suggested that Chris enter the Big City Race because the prize was $25,000.00 which would cover most of the cost of the car. Chris said, It must be fate because I am new at running and just purchased some shoes that have helped me run faster and more efficiently. With your inspiration and my shoes, I am going to win that race and drive off with the car of my dreams. Mr. Watson told Chris that was the spirit and with that attitude he would win. He told Chris the car will be waiting for him.

Chris left the dealership ready to take on the world. Driving home he realized it was going to take some serious training and concentration to even get close to the winners circle. He drove to his training course to map out an even longer course since the Big City Race was a 10k race instead of the usual 5k distance. The next evening after work, Chris set out to begin his training. He did not breathe a word to the pranksters because he did not want to hear any of their ridicule. He had his shoes on and said to himself, Let’s go get ’em. Concentrate, work hard and you know if you do your best, it is all you can expect. He began running the newly mapped out course and was serious about what he was doing. Day one, day two, day three passed and Chris was determined to prevail. Day four, day five, day six and Chris was at it even harder. It seemed his times were improving and he felt he really had a shot at the title.

The next week when Chris went to run his course he found halfway through, some construction was beginning and he would have to change his course until they were finished. As he proceeded through the course he decided to turn onto 3rd Street to avoid the mess they made of his planned route. He ran on the opposite side of the street and completed his training for the day. The next day he had to plan a different route to take and mapped out an alternate route. It did not occur to him he was routing himself along 3rd Street past the St. Joseph Orphanage. The construction appeared to be street repairs. Little did he know he was on his way to a whole new world.

The orphanage was located approximately five miles into his training route. It was a rundown neighborhood and the orphanage looked as if it needed some work. The yard was full of crabgrass and looked as if wheat was growing. The walkways were broken and in need of repair and the fence and gate had to be tied with wire to hold it closed.

In the yard, Ms. Rella and Miss Sara were talking about the condition of the orphanage and what it needed. They agreed it needed some paint and repairs so they could pass the governmental inspection. If they couldn’t pass the inspection this year there was a chance they would be shutdown. Ms. Rella and Sara both had been there for some time and were afraid of the fate of the children who lived there. They had a special interest in one young child, Julia, who seemed to be so down all the time. They knew orphanage life was not pleasant and tried all they could to help Julia. All Julia wanted to do is sit in the grass by the fence and read her prince and princess book. She dreamed of the day a prince would arrive to save her life. After sitting and reading awhile, Julia would simply return to the building with hopes the next day would bring her prince. As Julia passed by Ms. Rella and Sara, they asked her how she was feeling. All they got from Julia was a serious frown.

As Julia went into the building Ms. Rella remarked to Sara, That child is way too young to be that depressed. We need to do something for her and soon. Sara replied, I can feel for her. I love that little girl and wish I could help her, but how? Ms. Rella replied, All she ever does is read her prince and princess book and daydream. That child needs some help. Sara replied, We are all going to need help if we don’t find some money to repair this place before the inspection. If they shut us down, who will take care of Julia? We can only pray for what’s best for all of us. Maybe there is someone out there who can be the miracle we need.

Julia is six years old. She is a slim, brown haired, pretty girl, who seemed to have a sad start in life. She never knew what it was like to live in a home and have a mother and father. The closest to her was Sara. When Julia was first brought there, Sara used to feed her with a bottle and took special care of her. Sara has never had a serious boyfriend or anyone interested in her for years. Sara is a very pretty girl, blond hair, slim figure and an easy going personality, who just spends her time at the orphanage taking what care she can of Julia.

Ms. Rella and Sara are supervisors and are responsible for half of the thirty-seven children at the location. Ms. Rella has been employed there for years and has seen children come and go. Plenty of the children grow up and leave on their own. Sara and Ms. Rella have been close ever since Sara began working there and she praised Sara for her special interest in the children, especially Julia.

The director of the orphanage, Ms. Jean Smith, called Ms. Rella and Sara to a meeting and had to give them the news. She explained they need repairs done to their location or else the city was definitely shutting them down. She asked Ms. Rella and Sara if they had any ideas. Sara said, Please don’t let them shut us down. Julia is getting worse by the day and I hate to see her brought to some other location. I took care of her since she got here and I can’t sit back and let them take her. Ms. Rella added, Yeah, and it’s not as if I just met the child. Something has to be done. I can’t let them take these children somewhere, especially Julia. All she does is read her little book and hope. It’s all I can do as well. Ms. Smith replied, Well, I know how you feel, but I am in charge of this orphanage and not the whole city. You would think someone would care enough to find some city money to help us. I guess the politicians just want to line their pockets and have no idea the terrible life these children have.

The next day, Julia was out by the fence with her book reading how the prince saved the princess and they lived happily ever after. Julia, tears in her eyes, mumbled, One day MY prince will come and save me. Ms. Rella and Sara walked out to her and sat with her. She asked them, Why am I here and why hasn’t my prince come to save me? They just looked at each other and did not have an answer for Julia. They were looking for their own princes who had enough money to pay for the repairs they needed. Their intention was to help Julia, however; they needed some financial help themselves.

Chris was starting his training for the day and set out on his revised route. He had his new runner’s watch and was out to set a personal record for himself. He began the run and started his watch. He knew in his heart he wanted that GT car and would then be the hit of his office. He only needed to show the pranksters one time what he had in him. He was running and did not look back. His time that day was his best and he felt he was going to make it. He still had a very, very long way to go before he could claim his prize. The race was months away and the rules state he must qualify by winning at least one of the three qualifying races. He was not giving up and was absolutely determined to win the race, the car and respect from his co-workers.

CHAPTER 2

The Meeting

It was a bright sunny afternoon on a very special Saturday. The air was just right for running and Chris set out to set yet another personal record. He felt the watch, the shoes and the Champion sports outfit was going to really make the difference. He set his watch to the stopwatch mode and said to himself, Let’s go my boy, today is the day. Little did Chris know today was the day. He began his run and set the personal record he was looking for. He ran so hard he had to consider walking back to his car. He was too tired to run and had to jog at a slow pace to make the return trip.

Julia was by the fence reading her book crying to herself for someone to help her and for her prince to come. Chris was jogging by at a slow pace. As fate would have it, the street workers closed off the other side of the street which meant he had to jog in front of the orphanage. As Chris was jogging past the fence where Julia was sitting, he addressed her with the same old line he uses. Chris said to Julia, Hey, is this where all the beautiful princesses live? He did not realize he was in front of the St. Joseph Orphanage and was just being routine Chris. Julia looked up from her book with her eyes the size of full moons. She got up and ran with all her might with tears of joy in her wide open eyes with her little book under her arm towards the fence. She reached Chris and yelled out, Yes, this is where all the beautiful princesses live. Are you the prince that has come to save me? I have been waiting for you all my life. Chris looked at Julia as he stopped jogging. He looked up at the engraved name on the front of the building which read, St. Joseph Orphanage. He was momentarily speechless because he did not intend to hurt the young girl’s feelings. He noticed she was holding her little book which was under her arm and he was lost for words. He said, I am a runner and…..well, yes, I am a prince and I am training to win a race. If I can win the upcoming big race, I can buy a new car. He did not know what to tell the little girl and just thought of anything he could. Julia replied, I thought you were a prince coming here to save me. I need to be saved. Chris again did not know what to do. It appeared to him he was stuck because he could not just walk off and hurt the little girl’s feelings. Julia said, Would you like to meet Ms. Rella and Miss Sara? They would like to meet you if you really are a prince. They are right over there and you can meet them. Chris replied, Well, I am training right now and I don’t know if they’d really want to meet me. Maybe tomorrow when I make my run, I can stop and say hello to them. How does that sound? Julia replied, Please don’t leave me here. They would really like to meet my prince who is going to save me. Now Chris was really stuck. Where was he to go and what was he to do? Seems he bit off a little more than he should have. He replied, Tomorrow would be better and I promise I will return to meet your friends. He began his jog again in an attempt to escape from the mess he’d made.

Julia had a smile on her face for the first time in years. She returned to the building where she saw Ms. Rella and Sara. She told them a prince came by and promised to save her. She was laughing and full of joy. Sara looked at Ms. Rella and they had no idea what transpired. Julia again told them her prince was coming back tomorrow to meet them and he was a handsome prince, too. They asked Julia who she was talking to and what she was doing talking to strangers. One of the rules of the orphanage was not to talk to strangers, considering the neighborhood. She insisted it was a prince and this was the first time she was happy her whole life. They looked at each other again thinking they either were on to something or they had a pervert they would have arrested if he tried anything. Julia said, He is coming back tomorrow. He said he was a prince and was training for some race. They see people jogging all the time and figured maybe it was just someone passing by. What concerned them specifically was the fact Julia was smiling and was happy. Considering how depressed she was, something made her happy. They wanted to see for themselves what it was. Sara asked Julia, Did he give you a name? Julia replied, No, he just agreed he was a prince and said he was training for a race so he could buy a car. Ms. Rella and Sara looked at each other and had to laugh. Ms. Rella said, Buy a car? Is that what he told you? This I got to see. Come on inside Julia, enough princes for one day. Buy a car, as if…. Julia insisted he was a prince and this was the prince that was going to save her. She also repeated she was happy for the first time in whole her life. They went into the building and simply shook their heads. Julia kept mumbling to herself, It’s true, it’s true, my prince has come for me.

The next day Chris set out to make his training run and kept in mind the dilemma he created for himself. He thought he’d avoid the orphanage and forget his blunder. As he was making his run the workers were working their equipment and police were directing traffic away from the area. They directed Chris towards the orphanage, just what he didn’t want to happen. Sure enough, Julia was by the fence waiting for him to keep his promise. Chris saw her and knew he was stuck. As he jogged by, Julia cried out for him. Julia said, Prince! I am here waiting for you. Ms. Rella and Miss Sara said they want to meet you. Chris had no choice thanks to the police who directed him her way. He stopped and told Julia hello. He said, Hello beautiful princess. That lit up Julia’s eyes like fireworks. She said, Prince, I am going to tell Ms. Rella and Miss Sara you are here. Please wait, please, okay? Chris agreed to wait. He figured he could talk to some adults and get out of this mess.

Julia ran as fast as she could towards the building. As she reached Ms. Rella and Sara, she pointed to Chris who was outside the fence waiting as he promised. Julia ran back to Chris and said, They said they are anxious to meet you. Chris walked towards the gate where he entered the orphanage yard. He looked around at the yard which was rundown and full of weeds. He walked up the broken driveway towards Ms. Rella and Sara. Julia was all smiles as they noticed the difference in her outlook. Chris introduced himself as Chris Uncle. Julia immediately said, Wooo, Prince Chris, this is Ms. Rella and Miss Sara. Chris replied, I am happy to meet the two of you and would like to apologize for my unfortunate blunder. I was running past here and well, opened my big mouth when I shouldn’t have and here I am. I am training to attempt to win the Big City Race and was directed here because of the work being done to the street. I mapped out a training route and had to divert to 3rd Street from where I originally planned to train. I was happy with my results for the day’s training and well, asked this young girl if this was where all the beautiful princesses lived. I am sorry and I would like to do something to ease my exit. Ms. Rella said, Of all the things you could have said to Julia, you said princess to her. I am Ms. Rella as Julia said and this is MISS Sara Harmony. We are pleased to meet you as well. Julia seems a little unhappy and finds refuge by reading her prince and princess book. Calling her princess was like….well, need I say more. Chris thought to himself, Sara Harmony? Wasn’t that the two songs I had to guess to win that radio contest? Ha, What a laugh. He continued, Well, again, I am sorry. I must keep training. The prize for the race is $25,000.00 and I am going to get a new car. Sara said, Julia said she was talking to a man who was running by and she was so happy. We never saw her so happy. She even told us you were going to buy a car. We laughed hearing that from Julia. Apparently, it is true. Ms. Rella added, Yeah, I had no idea such a handsome prince was going to buy a car with his prize money. Chris felt a little railroading was going on. He tried to slip out by saying he had to keep training. Ms. Rella said, The orphanage could surely use that $25,000.00 to do the repairs needed to pass the government inspection or else they will close us down. She was looking Chris straight in the eyes when she said that. He turned and looked at Sara and then at Julia. He said, Oh no, I think you have the wrong guy for that job. You see, I have a life and I intend to use it for me. Good day to all of you. Ms. Rella replied, Well, some prince you turned out to be. You will break this little girl’s heart worse than it is already. You aren’t a prince. You are just some guy running his feet and mouth at the same time. Chris turned and jogged to the gate not saying anything. The three of them just stood there and let him go. Chris got as far as the gate and stopped. He thought about the radio contest, the shoes, the police directing him towards the orphanage and Julia calling him a prince with tears in her eyes. He turned around and jogged back to the three of them. He said, If you are willing to believe in me, maybe I can help you. I am sorry I almost let you down. That’s not like me. The goodness in this world comes from people who help people and I will be there for you and Julia. You have my word. I will give up the fancy car and help you and well, help Julia. She apparently really thinks I am a prince. If that makes her happy well, I will be there for her on race day, again I promise. Ms. Rella somehow knew she got through to him and he apparently had eyes for Sara. They had no idea about the radio contest, the shoes or anything else. Chris continued, I can’t guarantee I will win, but since I have a meaningful incentive instead of a fancy car, maybe with a few prayers I can help you. Sara looked at Ms. Rella with her eyes wide open and they were both full of joy. Julia said, I told you one day my prince would come. Chris, Sara and Ms. Rella looked at each other and each had a giant smile.

Chris told them starting tomorrow he will train and do what he can to keep his personal best getting better. He told them he would pass by every day and brighten Julia’s day for her. He winked at Sara when he said that. Sara thought to herself, Make my day too.

CHAPTER 3

Begin Training/The Courtship

The next day Chris started his intense training again, but this time he had a real purpose for winning this race. He felt that child needed her home saved and he had a chance to be a real winner. Nothing was going to stand in his way and nothing was going to keep him from winning that race.

He was running his training course and was recording very impressive improvements to his time. He stuck to the course and waved to Julia who was always by the fence to watch her prince pass by as he ran. Chris always had his special wave and felt he already saved Julia since she is now smiling and not frowning. Day after day he continued to train.

It was getting time to enter a Sunday 5k race wherein he would have to face his co-workers and do his best to prove to himself he had what it takes to be a winner. It was the Crawfish Run held in the uptown park where most of the races are run. He entered at the Runners World Store, which usually sponsors the races. He received his number, 322, and said to himself he was just going out there NOT to finish last. Chris also wanted to see what he had accomplished with all the training he had been doing. He, of course, could not wait to try out his alleged magic shoes. He purchased a racing outfit displaying his signature colors of white with blue trim and felt he was going to make the best showing he could in front of his co-workers.

It was Race Day, Crawfish Run, Sunday, bright and early, 8:00 a.m. and not a cloud in the sky. He had etched in the back of his mind the time of his first race which was thirty four minutes and forty-five seconds. That was an all-time disgrace and would not happen this time. There were at least six hundred runners entered in the race. He had enough confidence in himself to start on the starting line where the best runners started the race. Dean and Tommy saw him in the front and teased him. Tommy said, Hey Chris, that will be the only time you will be ahead of the pack. Enjoy it while you can. Chris knew in his heart he had a purpose for winning the big race and simply looked at Tommy and smiled. The rude comment did not even faze him. The announcer even saw Chris ahead of the pack and made a comment that one of the runners was going to make a big showing today considering his last race. The starter shot the gun and the race began.

The pack started to swallow Chris as he was running the course. Since there were at least six hundred runners in the race, he felt he had a good chance this time to finish at least 50% of the field. He kept up the pace he ran during his training and did not let up. He passed the first mile ahead of his two prankster co-workers and that shut them up the rest of the way. As he passed the second mile, an unknown runner looked at Chris and told him he was undefeated in all the races the city offered last year and this year he was going to win the Big City Race which was coming up in three months. Chris had no idea why he was telling him that. It was not like he was a threat to win this race. Chris just kept going. As Chris passed the third mile with only a tenth of a mile to go he found himself ahead of at least five hundred of the runners. The time keeper announced to the runners it was twenty-one minutes. He finished the race at his personal best of twenty-one minutes and twenty seconds. The announcer at the finish line recognized Chris and made a comment to the crowd that one of the runners must be wearing magic shoes. Chris just smiled as he finished ahead of two of the three prankster co-workers. Dean would be the only one he’d have to hear it from this time.

Chris went to the refreshment table to collect his t-shirt and to wait to see his co-workers who were behind him. He wanted to ask them what took them so long to finish. Again, Chris saw the runner wearing the number one on his tag. The runner was the one who approached Chris at mile two. He was boasting to Chris about winning the race and told Chris no one has a chance. The runner said, My name is Lee Green. Remember that name because you will see me in Running Magazine one day as the coolest winner in town. Chris had no idea what this nemesis had in mind taunting him. Chris thought to himself, Shouldn’t this guy be taunting the runner who finished second and not me who finished one hundred and sixth?"

The next day at Chris’s office he had the upper hand with the three pranksters. With the exception of Dean, the other two were just a little quiet this time. Chris of course, mentioned they should look into getting some magic shoes, maybe they could do better next time.

Chris could not wait until work was over for that day so he could train. As he started his