Page 128 of The Champion
That did it for me. I lost it right then and there. Onlyproblem was, my wife and son were watching.
I turned to the report and stepped forward. “Everygoddamn time I get tangled with someone, you guys make it out to be way morethan it really is. And every year, it’s the same bullshit! It doesn’t matter whatI say to you to defend my actions on the track. They are, and always will be,irrelevant and twisted to your advantage.”
I then proceeded to push his microphone out of my faceforcefully to which he dropped it. Now it wasn’t my most graceful moment in thehistory of sports broadcasting but then again, I’ve said and done worse. Mychoice of words wasn’t perfect but I was mad. At least I was honest.
Sway caught up with me with Axel close to her side.
“Jameson, calm down.” She whispered softly, her eyesdarting to Axel.
We were beside my hauler by now so I ducked inside withthem to avoid any more media interactions and to calm myself down.
Axel eyed me carefully before smiling.
“You almost won.” He offered in his adorable timid voicehe had when he was trying to calm me.
It took me a moment but I eventually smiled and reacheddown to pull him into a hug.
“I know little buddy.”
You have to understand where I was coming from before youthink, “Jesus, pull yourself together in front of your kids.”
In my mind, between Darrin, Colin, and now with Shelbyand Nadia, it was the same shit every year and it got old real fast. I keptwaiting for a year when they would forget. But just like me, they couldn’t.
In that interview when they compared this to a rival theyknew I harbored ill feelings for, that pissed me off and hurt. Yeah, it’s beennearly six years since the incident with him but it was still very real to meand still hurt. I was simply expressing my pain. I never wanted all of this, Ionly wanted to race. But with that, came rivalry with other drivers and thatrivalry was fed by the media, like it or not.
You see, in our sport, you’re allowed one angle, oneimage and like it or not, everything you say and do, on or off the track mustfit into that angle.
The following weekend in Talladega, Shelby had apparentlylearned a lesson about drafting and dealing with me. Never saw him the entirerace. That might have been because my car was awesome and it was difficult for anyoneto pass me, let alone a rookie who had no clue how to cut through the draft.
For now, Shelby and I agreed to disagree, much like Colinand me. But the difference came when after the Talladega race Shelby stopped bymy motor coach to apologize for Phoenix. I thought that was pretty coolconsidering he was an eighteen-year old kid. Either way, he scored points withme that day.
The thing with Nadia simmered down but she made it knownwe didn’t exactly get along and tried to paint the picture that I was some sortof biased driver and felt threatened by a female driver.
That couldn’t have been further than the truth than thewords spoken by that reporter who said the rival with me and Shelby was justthe same as me and Darrin.
Sway and I were adamant that we wouldn’t go more than afew weeks without seeing each other. Physically I got extremely cranky as youcan imagine and emotionally, my little spaz family kept me grounded. AfterLoudon in late June, it had been nearly two weeks since I’d seen Sway. ThoughAxel had traveled with me much of the time, Sway had stayed home with Arie andCasten.
I stayed in Loudon Sunday night and finished pressinterviews from the win followed by an appearance in Charlotte Monday morningand then I was on my way home that afternoon.
The sight before me when I got home made miss being hereevery day.
Sway had all three of the kids outside, spraying themdown with water.
“What are you doing?” I asked with a chuckle.
“Mama’s hosing us,” said Arie, her bright emerald greeneyes wide with excitement.
“Well that just sounds...weird.Don’t say it like that.” Sway told her.
I chuckled at them and leaned against the sliding glassdoorframe.
“No child should ever go through life without showeringoutside.” Sway said looking back at me. “It’s inconceivable.”
“Why are they red?” They had spots of red and black paintcovering their entire bodies.
She shrugged poring soap on Arie’s head. “We painted themovie room, now grab some soap and help me out.”
While laughing at my ridiculous wife, I rolled my sleevesup and got to work washing the boys. Axel thought it was funny when I scrubbedtheir heads like dogs and Casten soon thought it was funny as well. AnythingAxel liked, Casten liked.
