Page 128 of The Legend
Thestrangest part for me was not racing. I was just as comfortable holding mymom’s hand while she finally cried. My dad passed away nearly three months tothe day and the night of his memorial was the night shefinallycriedfor him.
And I wasthere to hold her.
Sometimesyou have to disengage from reality just do deal with the pain because the lossis that great. Eventually though, you realize that your family, your safety netand arm restraints are there for you, holding you together when you leastexpected it.
23.Jumping the Start – Sway
Jumpingthe Start – This is when a driver anticipates the start (green flag) too early.This will cause a complete restart. Continued violations will result in apenalty.
I neverimagined that the day Jameson spent outside in the sprint car shop that hewould have the inclination that his car had been tampered with. But Jameson isa lot smarter than most give him credit for.
Themorning all hell broke loose was the night we were set to have our JAR Racingand Riley-Simplex Racing dinner. Alley had decided it was a good way to showour respect for everyone who stood behind us throughout the recovery. Jamesonagreed.
Everythinghad been arranged and even Nancy got into the event planning of it. Honestly,it truly felt like our family was doing better. We were pulling together.Things were coming along and Jameson was recovering. He was in his final weekof physical therapy and soon he would be taking his clearance exams withNASCAR.
So thatmorning, I stopped by the shop before heading to the banquet hall to helpprepare. Easton was there, which wasn’t unusual because he was working withJameson a lot and his sprint car team. Since the accident, he and Arie had beenspending a lot of time together too since Arie and Lexi had been helping Alleyso often.
Eastonsmiled when he saw me, his eye swollen and his lips bleeding with Arie standingnext to him. The shop was a disaster. Tools, parts and boxes were scatteredeverywhere with a bat lying in the middle of the floor. The door to Jameson’soffice was closed. The blinds have on the door, half not.
That’swhen I knew that he either knew about Grady, or something else happened.
Arieshrugged and handed Easton an ice pack, he immediately placed it against hisswollen eye.
I wasalmost afraid to go into the office but I did. He was in there, sitting in hisoffice chair staring at the wall. In deep concentration, Jameson bit the cornerof his bottom lip with his hands fumbling with a wrench. It was a strangefamiliar sight.
“How didyou find out?”
“I’m notstupid.” He said slowly speaking the truth of a weight too big to carry. “I sawthe car the day of his funeral.”
Anunnerving quiet spread over the office, his callous eyes met mine. My throathurt from constraining tears so often these days. “When did you find out?”
“Van told mea few nights before Jimi’s funeral.” I explained. “I told him not to sayanything until afterward.”
He noddedhis face expressionless but he eyes tell his story. “I’m not upset with you.”
“We didn’tmean to keep it from you.”
Again, henodded. “I know.”
Williecame inside the office, well not actually. He stuck his head inside. “Hey man,uh...” he seemed to dance around what he wanted tosay before Jameson interrupted.
“Get inhere Willie.” He wasn’t asking, he was demanding.
“I uh...we...meantto tell you. I swear.”
“Don’tbullshit me right now Willie. Who is he?”
“Areyou—?”
Jamesoncut him off. “If you know what’s good for you, you will tell me the fuckingtruth right now.”
“He’sDarrin’s son.”
Jameson’sbreath caught in his throat, his eyes immediately darkened and looked at me,the guilt still heavy and oppressing in his tone. “Did you know about this?”
I nodded.There was no sense in denying it now. Perhaps it was wrong of us but we had ourreasoning.
“Tell Arieto come in here.”
