The Rangers Are Coming (50 page)

              The following morning, everyone was made to rise very early to match the launch schedule.  Breakfast was served at 5 AM.  The buses took the leaders to the grandstands that were less than a mile from the launch pad at 6 AM.  Then loudspeakers ran the conversation traffic between the launch pad and mission control.  The entire launch cycle was heard by everyone. 

              At the end, came the final tense minutes while the last commands were being sent to the launch pad.  Then the final 30-second countdown began.  At the ten-second mark, the engines on the rocket were lit and huge plumes of fire began to come from the bottom of the rocket.  The last countdown was heard…5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1  “lift off, in progress.”

              The rocket shuddered on the pad, the noise was deafening.  Slowly, the rocket began to lift from the pad and climb.  Faster and faster it went as it climbed into the sky.  “Roll program, executed,” said mission control. 

              The people in the grandstand’s attention was shifted to the wide monitors that were connected to the big telescopes that were monitoring the launch.  They watched as the first stage rockets separated from the main rocket, and then the main rocket separated from the shuttle.  The shuttle engines fired and mission control reported that all systems were normal and the shuttle was moving at 18,000 miles per hour.  Earth orbit had been achieved.

              Everyone started breathing again.  The experience was thrilling for every person, American or European.

              At lunch, the Europeans mixed with flight directors from mission control and asked endless questions of how this amazement could happen.  The scientists and technicians answered every question honestly and completely.  The leaders appreciated that, even though they didn’t understand all they heard.

              One the flight back to Washington, the seat belt had barely clicked before people were travelling around the cabin and sharing their thoughts on what they’d seen.

              “As usual, the Americans have presented us with another incredible experience,” said Gladstone to a group of leaders from Prussia and Austria-Hungary.  “If I have learned one thing it’s that anything can happen here, and our lives from now on will be forever changed.”

              None disputed this great truth.

              They got back to Washington in time to rest a little in their rooms at the resort, and then Cary came to get them for dinner at 5 PM.  “We have a wonderful treat for you tonight.”

              “What’s that,” asked Henry?

              “Well, it just so happens that the national finals of the soccer championship will be played tonight and you all have wonderful seats, meaning I have a wonderful seat.  Usually, for the championship you can’t get tickets at all.”

              “You play soccer here,” asked Herbert enthusiastically?

              “It our most popular sport,” said Cary.  “It’s played in all the schools from the little kids, all the way up to the big University teams.  However, the teams who are playing tonight are professionals, who more or less play soccer a fair amount of the year.  A lot of them are Rangers, since they are usually our best athletes.”

              “I was beginning to wonder if we were going to see anything of the legendary Rangers,” said Gladstone.  “Now we find out we get to see them playing games.”

              “I can’t wait,” said Henry, “I play football at my school, and Herbert was a starting forward for Queen’s college.

              The buses came for them at 6:30 and drove them across town where there was a big stadium, all lit up, with buses and the metros coming in jammed with fans, wearing all sorts of flashy team colors and singing songs.

              The Europeans were swept into the crowds and into the stadium.  Gladstone had never seen such a big stadium, unless you counted the Coliseum in Rome.  It looked about the same size.  He and the rest of the family were given tickets by Cary and he guided them through portals and wide causeways inside the stadium, selling all sorts of souvenirs and food.  “How about some popcorn and a Coke,” said Cary?

              “Great, said the boys.”

              “Then come on along with me and help me carry everything.”

              They disappeared into a line at a snack bar and left William and Charlene alone.  “Tell me, my dear, did you have the least idea of what we were going to see and experience on this trip,” asked Charlene?

              “Not a clue,” said the Prime Minister.  In my daily work you sometimes here rumors, but you usually discount them as idle gossip.  The reality is impressively different.”

              Cary and the boys came back, loaded down with drinks, bags of popcorn, and sacks of peanuts.  He passed them out and then led the family through a portal to the stadium interior.  It was ablaze with lights that shown on a very green field with the traditional soccer markings.  The teams were warming up on the field.

              The stadium itself was an enclosed oval with seating all around.  Gladstone was surprised.  “How many people can fit in here,” he asked?

              “Oh, about 50,000 said Cary.  “You can bet that every seat will be filled tonight.”

              Cary wasn’t kidding about the seats they were in the middle of the field and along the first deck of seating.  They had a perfect view of the action.

              There was a ceremony before the game.  A gang of people spread out a huge American flag over the field, with its many stars and stripes.  The first thing was a voice asking everyone to rise for the benediction over the very clear and loud sound system.  A pastor was praying for a good game in which God let everyman do his best and play without injury.  Then another voice said, “Please remain standing while the band plays the national anthem.”  A big band was marching around the field, playing music as they performed complicated formations.  Now they stood in a big square and the Star - Spangled Banner was played.  Everyone sang it and held their hands over their hearts, usually with a hat in their hands.  Gladstone saw that everyone had taken off whatever headgear they were wearing and he nudged his family to do the same.  They snatched their baseball caps off their heads and stood reverently while the nation anthem was played.

              When it was over, the crowded roared.  Another voice said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are pleased and honored to welcome tonight the Monarchs, Royalty and their families from most of the countries in Europe, who are enjoying their first visit to the United States.  Will they please stand,  so we can welcome them.”

              There was a thunderous ovation, and all the leaders and their families stood a little taller and waved at the crowd.

              Then they sat down for the serious business of the soccer game.  The teams came marching out onto the field and stood in a line facing the audience.  President Gallagher came out of the runway to a huge round of applause and went down the rows of both teams, separated by the officials and shook hands with them all.

              The announcer said, “Tonight we have the pleasure of presenting the champions of the National League, represented by the Sioux Warriors and American league, Atlanta Falcons, playing for the National Championship, and the Washington Cup.

              “The Falcons are the defending champions,” said Cary, “They always have a good team, but the Warriors are great this year.  It should be quite a match.

              It was.  All of the leaders of Europe had seen soccer played in their own countries, especially the British, who invented the game and had made the official rules just a few years before.  Gladstone wondered if that was how the game would be played.  It took him about two minutes to realize he was watching the best soccer he’d ever seen.  He was particularly impressed with the big jumbotron on one end of the field that allowed them to see exciting plays replayed to enjoy again.  Atlanta scored two goals in the first 15 minutes, and the Gladstone’s started rooting for the underdogs.  They jumped up and cheered when the Warriors scored on what looked like an impossible goal in the 35
^th
minute.

              Halftime came with score still 2 to 1.  “How about some hot dogs and more Cokes,” said Cary?  The whole family went with him to use the restrooms.  Gladstone was surprised and how clean and efficient they were.  He reminded the boys to wash their hands before they left.

              Meanwhile, Charlene visited the ladies room, while Cary was standing in line for the food and drinks.  The Gladstone’s joined him and looked curiously at the hot dogs, since they’d never seen one.  Cary showed them how to remove the cover and put on mustard, ketchup, onions, relish, or cheese.  The boys loaded up while Gladstone just added some mustard, cheese and onions.  He gave one to Charlene without the onions.  They went back to their seats and saw a lot of their group had done the same, plus adding more popcorn and pretzels.

              The boys gobbled down their hot dogs and ran back for more before the second half began.  This time they both came back with two hot dogs each.

              The second half was very exciting.  The Warriors tied the game in the first five minutes and then scored again on a beautiful three on two a few minutes later.  The teams battled each other hard.  The Falcons tied the game in the twenty-third minute.  Then there were a bunch of near misses, a few fouls, and a couple of yellow cards as the referee labored to keep the game under control. 

              All the Europeans were cheering as loudly as the Americans at the wonderful game, they were witnessing.  In the final minute, the Warriors mounted a final offensive and scored with a kick in which the player had his back to the goal and threw his legs over his back and shot the ball into the goal.  Gladstone jumped up and cheered.  He was certainly not alone.

              It was a splendid experience.  The buses were buzzing all the way back to the resort.  Some of them had acquired team banners and some team scarves.  Cary escorted the family back to their rooms.  “Tomorrow is the Sabbath.  There’s no work.  Church is at 10:30 for you at the Good Shepherd Assembly of God.  It’s a protestant service I think you will like.  The Catholics will go to St. Paul’s.  You don’t have to dress any different than you did tonight.  We don’t dress much for church.  The Lord loves us from the inside out.  Besides, most of us don’t want the inconvenience of having to go home and change.  We would miss too much fun.  See you for breakfast.”

              The family was surprised to find their beds had been changed and all their clothes had been cleaned, pressed and were hanging neatly in the closet.  Their rooms were spotless.  As Gladstone stepped into the shower he wondered if the perfect showers were causing him to shower more or if it was him changing.  In England, a weekly bath had seemed plenty.  Charlene was showering twice a day.

              They went to bed and had another perfect night’s sleep.

              After the usual banquet breakfast, the Gladstone’s boarded the bus for the drive to the Good Shepherd Assembly of God.  Cary was right. Nobody was dressed up.  The service was lively as they mixed with the Americans, who filled the big church, and all of whom seemed eager to greet the family.  The message was a video sermon given by the legendary Arcadia, many, many years before.  It was a tremendous sermon. Gladstone considered it to be very inspirational, and he realized why the country regarded Arcadia as the “Mother of the Country.”

              After church the buses took them to the big Mall near the Capitol.  It was filling up fast with families who had an assortment of games, food baskets, and their pets.  Cary had a big blanket open under a tree and a big basket of food.  For the remainder of the day, the people engaged in impromptu soccer matches, with both Henry and Herbert taking part.  Gladstone went over and learned the fine art of horseshoe pitching, and Charlene played croquet with a mixture of American and European woman and girls.  Later, there was a fine meal of sandwiches and fried chicken, with sweet tea.  Then quite a few people settled down for naps, while small groups of men and women visited about life, God, children, home, work, and play.  Some of the older boys and girls were spending time getting better acquainted.  Herbert, as the older, seemed to be smitten by a green-eyed beauty from Washington.  They talked for a couple of hours, laughing a lot.

              Gladstone looked up from a group with who he’d been visiting, and realized there were many such groups of men and women, and it was almost impossible to separate the Americans from the Europeans, except for the black people, of which there were quite a few.  They fit right in with everyone else.  Gladstone may not have realized it, but it was at that moment that his world-view changed.  This was the way people should live.

              The family went back to the resort at dark and turned on the monitors to get an update on the mission to the moon.  The shuttle was over half way there, and there were pictures and comments from the very men they had met at Cape Canaveral.  An announcer showed with a slick graphic how the mission to land would be completed.

              Everyone showered before they turned in for bed.  Gladstone spent a few minutes alone on the balcony looking at the lights of Washington, before coming to bed.

         
45

On the Road to Three Rivers, Pennsylvania