End Zones
End Zones
American Giving
Thursday, November 25, 2021
Bears Lose, Bears Win, We Feast on Our Fortunes
“Yes they lost, but now they won,” Annalee Birdcount is washing dishes and digesting her Thanksgiving meal of spaghetti, spinach, cornbread, salad, and pumpkin pie and talking about the Chicago Bears.
“They somehow deciphered a way to propitiate the Football Gods and finally grab a win. They beat the Lions, 16-14. The Lions, of course, dwell in the land of Football Hell. A Shit-Show since 1958. So yes, the Bears snapped their five-game losing streak. Nagy is going to keep his job, at least through the weekend, I guess.”
Annalee washes another dish and hands it to her sister, Willow, who cares little for the Bears or anything football at all.
“But didn’t they just play another game, like, just yesterday?” Willow asks as she dries the shiny dinner plate Willow just washed. “I thought you guys said they just lost.”
“Yes, they lost just a few days ago to the Ravens, 16-13. That game sucked. Awful. They always play a bunch of games on Thanksgiving so it was a quick turnaround. At least they won this won but it doesn’t really mean anything.”
Dish washed, dish being dried, another dirty dish being soaped up.
“Why not?” Willow feigns a little more interest. “That breaks my heart!”
“Ha.” Annalee smiles. “I can feel your heart pounding.”
They each sip from their wine glasses as the rest of the family moves about the house, the last game of the NFL’s holiday tripleheader playing out on the big TV above the electric roaring fire.
“It means nothing, my dear,” Annalee says. “Because Justin Fields didn’t even play today.”
“Justin…?”
“Fields. You know, the rookie quarterback from Ohio State and the savior of all things orange and blue by the lake. Certainly you remember.”
“Oh yes, him! Forgive me!”
The wine takes more effect and Annalee gives Willow a wink.
“He’s all that matters. They’re going to have a whole new coaching staff and front office next year, anyway. So woo-hoo, boo-boo-bee-doo.”
Annalee flicks a soap bubble at her sister. Willow pops it and softly rubs the residue on Annalee’s nose.
“All Thanksgiving traditions are sacred.”
The sisters finish the dishes and take their wine into the living room and sit on the couch with Mom and Dad and their brother, Miles. On TV the Bills are pulling away from the Saints.
“So you two never did tell us who you saw last night,” their Mom says. “How was ‘Blackout Wednesday’?”
Annalee sips her wine then gulps it and winks at her Mother who raises her eyebrows. The dog, Giuseppe Zanotti, enters the room and walks in a circle before flopping down in the perfect spot to fall asleep.
A quarterback launches a deep pass high through the night, the bright lights of the stadium are reflected in a young woman’s eyes. --TK
Thursday, November 25, 2021