People on the Journey/ Jack and Quin get re-aquainted

One thing that I found interesting as I wrote were the secondary characters who shared this story with Quin. I ended up liking most of them more than Quin and this was certainly true of Jack Preston...


He had been in his office for perhaps a little more than half an hour after his final class of the day.  He had been trying to sit and not think when the knock on the door startled him out of his trance. He jumped and said, “It’s open,” with an edginess that surprised him. Immediately he felt like a moron, “Who responds that way to a knock on their office door?”
“Rough first day Holsten?”  a gravelly male voice boomed.
Quin jumped to his feet and laughed, “Well, well Jack Preston, Mr. Presto, how long has it been?” He laughed again grabbed Jack Preston’s hand. His grip like everything else about Jack was strong and enthusiastic.
“Too long my friend. It’s good to see you. I can’t believe it, Quin the Eskimo has returned.” Jack nicknamed Quin that in high school, because he appeared so cool on the pitching mound, plus he loved the Manfred Mann song. Jack was shorter than Quin but very strong and athletic looking still. Quin had much more of a former athlete look with a slowly but ever growing pot-belly and the pasty white skin of someone who rarely if ever gets outside.
“So Professor how many young Hemingways you got in your Intro to Lit. Classes?”
“Probably about as many as you’ve got Nolan Ryan arms on your baseball team.”
Preston laughed. Jack Preston. Quin knew when he took the position that this time would come. Jack Preston had been one of his better friends at Appendix High School. Jack was his catcher and a very good hitter in high school.  He didn’t have much speed, but he hustled and had played his guts out during every game. Jack talked, slept and ate baseball. He was a decent student, but not naturally gifted like Quin. But, he worked hard at being a student also, and he had made grades good enough to put him on the honor roll. He also used his determination to pry himself into Notre Dame with much help from the local priest.
After four years at Notre Dame as a walk on with the Baseball team, Jack had spent four years as a graduate assistant, while he earned his Masters in Business Administration. He had jumped at the opportunity to move back to Appendix when the opening came up at St. Christopher’s as Athletic Director and baseball Coach.   The season before he took over, the St. Christopher Travelers had won only one game, but since he had been at the helm they had consistently been making progress. Last season they had been around .400 and he vowed that one season they would break the .500 barrier.
“Sorry it took me so long to come see you, Quin, but I wanted to give you a chance to get settled, and get used to your surroundings. Besides that I had to get my players squared away with classes. This place is a ways from Stanford, ain’t it?”
“That it is, Jack, but it’s good to be here and good to be back around home.” Quin lied blandly.
“You don’t seem very convincing. Hey how about I buy you a few drinks and a big fat juicy steak and we’ll get reacquainted?”
“Maybe another time, I’m still settling in trying to prep for my classes.”
“Come on man, you look like you could use a drink.”
“That’s more true than you know.” Quin thought, but said “Maybe another time.”
“Come on let’s go, just a couple of drinks if you don’t have time for supper.”
Quin replied flatly, “Listen Jack, I got out of rehab 4 years ago, so I’m going to have to pass on the drinks.”
Jacks voice and face fell a little, “No kidding? Man I’m sorry. I had no idea. I’m really sorry. I feel like an ass”
Quin chuckled slightly and was beginning already to feel better just from having Jack around. Jack emitted a contagious nervous energy, and Quin found it rather amusing that his old friend was uncomfortable. “Don’t sweat it Jack, it wasn’t your fault.” Quin laughed slightly at his own little lame joke and continued, “And besides I didn’t die I just detoxed. And I think maybe I will take you up on that steak. I didn’t give up eating.”
“That’s great. Quin the Eskimo in the flesh, dinner’s on me man. You know as a Coach  and AD here I’m pulling down the big bucks.”