Political Science 101

Chapter Fifty-Four

WITH A GRIN, Mitch quietly sang a song under his breath as he stood in the parking lot of his townhome. "School's out . . . for summer," he mumbled, singing quietly. Actually, school for Mitch and the college courses he taught had been finished for several weeks, but today was the last day of school for Ashlynn, and Mitch was in a particularly good mood. He decided to welcome his daughter home from the last day of her sophomore year. Around this time every day, she was dropped off by her friend Kelli.

"No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks," Mitch said, this time impersonating Jack Nicholson when he spoke those lines in the film The Departed. His smile grew. Yes, today was Ashlynn's last day of school, but it was also her birthday — her sixteenth birthday — and when she got home, she would be greeted by her father, a cheesy birthday card, and the keys to her new (well, new-to-her) Mustang convertible. He leaned gently on the hood, careful not to scuff or smear the wax he'd spent the last hour applying.

He was so excited to give it to her; he wanted so much to see her reaction, to see her smile, and to give his daughter the bear hug only a father can give. Just the thought of how she might react made Mitch smile.

As Mitch stood there awaiting Ashlynn's arrival, he also thought about Marie. Actually, he thought about her constantly, but specifically, he thought about how much he wished she could have been there to give their daughter her sweet-sixteen present.

Less than a year after Mitch and Marie were married, and only months after Ashlynn was born, Marie's father passed away — and it broke her heart.

Marie's mother died very young and with the passing of her father, she told Mitch that he and Ashlynn were pretty much all she had left. So, a few months later, on Marie's birthday, Mitch decided to give her a gift she would always remember.

Marie's father was once a high school football star in western Kansas and earned his way to playing college football for the Jayhawks of the University of Kansas. Thus, on Marie's birthday — her first birthday without her father — Mitch put together something special. In an old box of Marie's father's Mitch managed to find a few old football pictures of him in his KU uniform. And at her birthday party — a surprise birthday party at a popular Chicago-style pizza restaurant (with many of her friends and family in attendance) — Mitch gave his wife three gifts.

First, he gave her a 5x7 framed color photograph of her father standing on the sidelines during a football game.

Second, he gave her an 8x10 framed black & white photograph of her dad's official individual team picture, wearing his uniform and kneeling on one knee with the stadium's press box over his shoulder, "UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS" across the face of the building.

The third and final gift — the finale gift — was the one Mitch was most excited to give her. From the neatly packed gift bag (since Mitch had never been able to sufficiently wrap a present), Marie pulled a blue a brand new custom replica football jersey and held it up, looking at the back. Across the top of the jersey's back side was her father's last name, and large in the center was her father's football number. And on the front in the customary place, KANSAS was printed in KU's signature font. And, of course, the jersey was made in her slim and petite size.

Marie broke down and cried in Mitch's arms. She cried tears of joy, tears of sadness, tears of remembrance, and tears of love. She cried in front of all her friends and family, and many in attendance couldn't help but shed tears with her; Mitch had his own tears as well.

Mitch knew deep down, this was the best gift he could have ever give to anyone, but now, he hoped this convertible Mustang on which he delicately leaned would be a solid second best.