Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The Boy Who Ran Faster Than A Rabbit

I put the equipment away from my fitness class in the old gym, seldom used now except for my class. I spied a lone basketball under the bleachers. I bounced it across the silent hardwood and imagined what it was like when this gym was full of people, cheering themselves hoarse. I closed my eyes and called up a time when the crowd shouted for one player in particular, a brown skinned boy who ran faster than a rabbit.

Manny was born to run. He ran everywhere, down caliche roads, through pastures, to school, home from school- it didn't matter. The boy was built for speed. He earned the nickname El Conejo, the rabbit, from the older folks, who wondered why in the world he had to be in such a hurry.

Manny's school was small. There was one school for the brown skinned, Mexican American kids like him, and another school for the white kids who lived nearby. Those schools stood on the same lot, but Manny's school ended at the 8th grade. Most Mexican American kids didn't go to school beyond that. There was just one high school for the district, but the school officials made it clear they didn't want Mexican American boys and girls going there. There was another high school, 30 miles distant, for students of color. They could go there, but they'd have to find their own transportation or a family to board with. For most of the kids like Manny, it was easier just to get a job and start working.

One day towards the end of his 8th grade year the new high school coach saw Manny zip past  after school and literally rubbed his eyes to make sure this kid was actually as fast as what his brain told him. Manny's speed filled the coach with a vision of a winning basketball team, something the district hadn't had in many years.

In Manny and in some of his athletic, brown skinned friends, the coach saw a chance to bring the glory days of sports back to the district, bring some pride back to the community.

It was a hard sell, but the school board eventually agreed, for the sake of the sports program, to allow those students in, IF they upheld high grades, didn't pose any moral problems, and actually helped the basketball team win. Manny's father had his private concerns about how his son would be treated, as did the fathers of the other two boys, but they kept them to themselves when they saw how excited their sons were to play ball.

A few of the teachers were rough on the boys, thinly disguising their contempt that these boys were now in the classrooms that had been the domain of the white kids. On the basketball court, though, Manny reigned. Barely 5'6", his speed, agility, and dexterity made him a point guard other schools longed for when he ripped their defenses to shreds. His two brown skinned friends also proved their worth on the court, and soon skin color was not even thought of anymore.

Manny's senior year saw his team claw their way to the district championship game. The gym was packed and even more people stood outside the tall gym windows, some stretching up on chairs, trying to get a view. It came down to the final 22 seconds. The other team was ahead by one when the ball was inbounded to Manny. His coach had already warned him the other team would try to foul him.

Mexican Americans and whites alike chanted, "El Conejo, El Conejo" as he he worked to take the ball the length of the court. He twirled, sidestepped, and feinted to avoid the reaching hands that slapped desperately to strip him of the ball, to foul him. His speed was too much and he was alone at his end of the court when he gently laid the ball in. It circled the rim once and dropped through. The crowd was only quiet for a split second before it exploded in a frenzy of noise and celebration.

Manny graduated from high school the same year the U.S. entered into war in Korea. He was quick to enlist. A few short months removed from the dusty fields of South Texas found Manny with a squad of seasoned soldiers. They had orders to take a hill held by the insurgents.

It wasn't long before the squad leader and the men knew they'd been lured into a crafty trap, an ambush. Their small force was no match against the larger numbers of the entrenched Communists. Manny's squad was pinned down in a small outcropping of rocks halfway up the hill. If they could take out the enemy machine gunner's nest that stood between them and the top of the hill, they might stand a chance. One thing was sure. To stay where they were would mean certain death or capture.

The squad leader ached inside as he outlined his plan to the men. One man would make a run for the top, under the covering fire of his fellow soldiers. He would lob a grenade into the nest, keep running to a stand of trees for cover, and when the grenade did its work, the squad would move forward and take the top of the hill.

Who would that one man be, for it was almost surely a suicide mission. The squad leader didn't have to make the choice. Manny volunteered. The squad leader later said he'd never met a braver man.

With a deep breath, Manny was off. His buddies worked feverishly, providing cover fire and more than one prayer for him.

The North Korean machine gunner got him in his sights almost immediately, but try as he might, he couldn't keep him there. This American was like a crazed person, darting first this way, and then ducking that way.

Manny zigged and zagged just like his days on the courts, only now it was a grenade he was handling instead of a basketball. One of his squad members, invigorated at Manny's show of speed and agility, yelled at the top of his lungs, "El Conejo!" The others took up the cry as they struggled to keep their buddy safe.

Manny neared the machine gunner's nest, bullets ripping the ground around him. His powerful legs pumped like pistons as he pulled the pin on the grenade. He laid it almost gently into the nest as he sped past. It dropped through and for a split second all the noise on the hillside quieted. It erupted again in a fury as the grenade did its work.

Manny was already sprinting for the trees. He was just 20 yards from them when a bullet tore through his spine.

He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart posthumously. His family took some consolation that in his death, he saved the lives of his squad members.

With my eyes still closed, I took a deep breath on that basketball court. Those long ago voices still roared. "El Conejo, El Conejo!"

37 comments:

  1. What a powerful story and you have done a wonderful job of telling it. I felt like I was right there in the gym with you, first hearing the echos of the basketball as you dribbled it in the empty gym, then I could hear the screams of the crowds and see flashbacks of Manny's life playing on a screen before my eyes and now I have tears streaming down my face as I type this. Manny was truly a hero. Thank you for sharing his story with the rest of us, Shelly. Wow, I just think his life story would make an amazing movie and I bet it would win Oscars.

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    1. Jenn June: His story has always fascinated me. His elderly sister works in our cafeteria part time, and although it's still painful for her to talk about, she has a couple of times and my heart just swells with love for bravery like that.

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  2. This is another great story and you're a marvelous storyteller, Shelly. I played basketball in elementary school and junior high. In senior high I switched to my church's basketball league where I could be a starter rather than primarily a bench warmer. Over the years I played alongside a few athletes like Manny who were short and slender, lightning fast and agile. I'm 6' 1.5 inches tall and always wanted to be about six inches taller so that I could be a better player and dunk the ball. Kids like Manny who were much shorter could jump up and grab the rim, stuff the ball, perform tricks with it - all the things I wished that I could do but couldn't.

    The sad ending to your story reminds me of the scene in The Dirty Dozen in which pro football player turned actor Jim Brown ran down the line at top speed dropping grenades into the air vents of underground bunkers. The moment he completed his mission he was gunned down.

    Thank you for another moving story, dear friend!

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    1. Shady: You are still pretty tall, my friend! There are just some people who are born for that, and unfortunately, I will never be fast.

      I haven't seen the Dirty Dozen, but now I want to. As I mentioned in my reply to Jenn June, Manny's sister works in our cafeteria and one day brought his medals, other awards, and even the letter from the government with condolences about his death. It's still very real to her, even after all these years.

      Bravery like his always, always moves me. Thank you for stopping by, my friend!

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  3. Hi Shelly. I so agree with our friend Shady that you really do tell a beautiful story. I can imagine that it must still be very painful for Manny's sister, but how proud she must be of him, and what a very brave man he was at the end. Thanks for helping to keep Manny's bravery alive.

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    1. Thisisme: Thank you for your always kind comments. I hope that his bravery will always be remembered here at our school, even after I am long gone.

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  4. Shelly,
    That story was so beautiful,and you told it with such skill and reverence. I literally got goosebumps.

    And if I have never told you, I so admire the TITLES you come up with for your posts. How talented you are, my friend.
    Blessings to you - Marsha

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    1. Marsha: His is a story that has moved me every time I've heard it. There's just something about folks who make that ultimate sacrifice that really gets me.

      Thank you for your sweet words!

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  5. I don't think I will ever look at a rabbit the same way again Shelly. That was a truly wonderful story of such a brave man. I am glad you were able to share it with us and I know many will read this and feel as I do swelling with gratitude for his ultimate act of service. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Odie: People like you who serve in our military have the highest respect from me. I don't know if I've told you, but thank you for that, my friend!

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  6. What a beautiful story. Manny is a true hero; I shall remember him, thanks to you, Shelly.

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  7. vanilla: He is the very definition of a hero- thank you for remembering him!

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  8. BEautifully written story about Manny. I'm sure he would be proud to be remembered by your words. Thank you for sharing this. I am touched deeply.

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    1. Sweet Tea: Thank you for your kind words. A person like Manny deserves to be remembered in just the way you all are.

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  9. This gave me chills. Actual chills up and down my spine. You tell the most amazing stories. And you tell them so well. Stories like this inspire me to be more selfless than I am. El Conejo was a great example to us all.

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    1. Crystal: He has inspired me greatly, as well. As long as we have selfless people like him, our country still has much going for it!

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  10. What a powerful and heart-rending story, Shelley. And it's a powerful reminder of a real hero.

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    1. Dr. Kathy: It really disturbs me that so many rappers, wrestlers, and others who don't live noble lifestyles get so much adulation as heroes. I guess that's why I love stories like Manny's so much. Keeps things in perspective.

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  11. What an amazing story. The ending was such a shock. Thank you for sharing it with us.

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    1. Lydia: I so wish he had lived. He would have made such a grat contribution to this world. Thanks for stopping by!

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  12. Dearest Shelly.
    What a story and you are such a great writer and moves us the story like Manny's with really wonderful wording!!! What a heart-rending and beautiful story☆☆☆
    His family must be SO proud of him that he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Thank you for sharing the story about great man, and I agree his story is deserved for wonderful movie!!!
    Blessing to you, xoxo Miyako

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    1. Dear friend Miyako: His family, including his elderly sister who works in our cafeteria, are still so very proud of him. They've told each generation after him all about him and his bravery. He's a worthy hero, for sure.

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  13. Have I ever told you how much I love your stories? I get as excited as a little kid when I see there's a new one. This one was extra-special. Thanks for sharing it with us.

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    1. Karen: Thank you for your very kind words! I enjoyed reading about your trip, too!

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  14. I'm glad there were people who saw more than the color of Manny's skin and wanted the school to be opened up to him and others. Prejudice is such a strange, unwarranted thing.

    Manny was a true hero to give all he had to save his unit. I admire him so much. My husband knows all about Audie Murphy's deeds of heroism in WWII. He tells me about it once in awhile. I know he hopes he would have done the same thing in a war. Heroes like Manny give us something to look up to and something to strive for in our own lives.

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    1. Belle: It hurts me so much at the predjudice kids of that era like Manny and others had to endure.To do that to a child...there's no just reasoning for that.

      Men like Manny and Audie Murphy show us the best that is in us all, if we just look deeply for it.

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  15. What a wonderful story but sad ending. You are great at how you draw the reader in.

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  16. Crystal Mary: Thank you for your kind words. Manny's story has always touched my heart.

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  17. Dear Shelly,
    I love your storytelling, first because these tales are true (memoir is my favorite genre), second because you have serious skills.

    You is a writer and you is important!

    Yet behind the entertainment value of your stories, the real lesson is the example you set of noticing people and listening to stories of their lives. I love your writing because you share stories about real people which has the effect of showing us what matters to you. And that reminds your readers to remember what really matters to us as well. I come away with a more compassionate view of people. It's life changing!

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  18. Jenny: You overwhelm me with your very thoughtful and kind words! Thank you! I do think people are completely fascinating. I love to just sit and people watch at the mall. But you're right- there's so much going on behind each face, and if we can reach out or just view them with compassion instead of judgement, the world will instantly be a better place.

    Thank you, my friend- have a wonderful day! (And let me know if you ever get to see/read The Help!)

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  19. Shelly, you are such a good writer. What a great thing you are doing by not only listening to your friend's story, but sharing it with the world in such a beautiful way. I'm so glad I found your blog!

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  20. Nancy: I just can't tell you enough how good it is to see you in blogland again. Manny's family is such a warm, humble group of people. I just love them and I'm so glad more people know about all he did.

    I'm so glad to know you!

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  21. I am playing tag and you have been tagged by me go to my blog to check out the rules: http://jo-annemotherandnanna.blogspot.com/

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  22. OH, what a beautiful story of bravery and heroism. Both in life at home and life during war.

    I was not expecting that ending. You are such a great writer Shelly.

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    1. Jamie Jo: I so wish he had made it back. I think our world is a little poorer place when we lose people like him.

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