Excerpt

The man was sitting quietly in the uppermost regions of the gymnasium watching the closing moments of the Eighth Grade tourney for Wagner County. The score is tied and, as expected, the game has been a see saw battle from the start. The clock shows just 45 seconds left in regulation and the possession arrow points to Lincoln. Patience is being emphasized by the coach of Lincoln, as the team passed the ball around the perimeter. With only 12 seconds left, Mooreland begins to move toward the basket to create either a shot opportunity or get fouled. He feints to the left and then moves toward his right. He releases the shot just before the buzzer sounded. The loyal followers of the Deacons erupt as the ball begins its downward journey through the net. The game is over. The final score is 66 to 64. The man takes out a notebook and writes several notations in the blank pages below. He lets a brief smile escape as he realizes that the entire section has deserted him and are now down on the floor in celebration of the victory. He finishes the task at hand and makes his way out of the building. He has seen all he has come to see. The parking lot is still full of a various assortment of cars resulting from the continuing celebration going on inside. The sky is just now beginning to announce the end of another day and the beginning of another night. The reddish tint of the horizon signals the promise of a clear night, even in early March. The temperature for the most part is, as expected, in the low 50's. The weather for tomorrow is reported to be more of the same, according to information he had seen on the weather reports earlier that day. He would be sleeping in the next day. He felt he was overdue for this. He had attended 8 games in the past 10 days. The fact that tomorrow was Saturday gave him special permission to do just that. Later that morning, he knew he would also receive a much needed haircut. He had neglected to do this for well over a week and knew this was something that couldn't wait much longer. Besides, it would give him a chance to catch up on the available gossip about the local basketball teams. The local residents were not aware of the role he would play in the days to come and this would give him an opportunity to listen in without needing to offer anything in return. He felt this was a good way to learn.

The meeting had just been concluded. The long awaited consolidation of the four junior high schools had finally become a reality. The completion of the newest high school changed the structure within the boundaries of Wagner County. The fact that the old high school had burned to the ground just three years ago made it necessary for the junior high schools to be relocated to schools in the surrounding counties until the new school could be built. The vote had been unanimous, with regard to the signing of the new coach for the basketball team that would be representing Magic City in just a few short months. His credentials had been the deciding factor and the fact that the leading candidate had withdrawn just a few weeks before the end of the previous school year may have added to the decision. There had been other inquiries, but salary was also a consideration. The persuasive dialogue of the principal had erased all doubts. The only thing remaining with regard to the business at hand was to obtain the signature on the contract. The details of the arrangement had been ironed out and there was a great deal of optimism that comes with the arrival of a new school. The number of students from the four junior high schools should provide a wealth of talent coming into the freshly painted halls of Magic City High School. The school board had reviewed the names that had been sent in by parents, students and media for the name to represent the high school. It was decided that the name of Magicians would be used for the various athletic teams.

September 4th

The doors opened for the first time at exactly 8:00 A.M. The principal was positioned on the steps counting down the final seconds. At the precise moment the doors of the school buses lined up in the driveway opened simultaneously. The throng of would-be captives began to ascend up the newly paved sidewalk toward the halls of learning and their destiny. The walk-ins and those driving were entering through the west end adjacent to the parking lot at that end that extended all the way out the fence next to the highway. The logistics had been worked out with regard to the upper class students. All the freshmen and sophomores would be attending the new school, but the juniors and seniors that had been attending various other schools were allowed the option of staying where they were or transferring here for the remaining time of their educational journey. They were responsible for their own transportation, but some of the schools had provided some assistance to ease the burden. By the end of July, all the forms had been received and processed accordingly. A few students in this academic grouping had opted to attend the newly created school. On September 1st, the principal had received the updated list from the superintendent's office. The number of incoming seniors totaled 92 and the number of juniors had risen to 171. The bulk of the student body would be supplied by the sophomore and freshmen classes with 612 and 742, respectively. The usually serious man smiled as he thought how the teachers and administration had worked so hard to make the transition as smooth as possible. There had been a few problems, but these had been solved in rather quick fashion.