Chapter 1
Levi
You know the funniest of guys are usually the ones with a lot of skeletons to hide, and a lot of demons that scream to get out. With laughter and sarcasm as a coping mechanism, only the ones that pay very close attention get to see behind the walls that have been erected over the years.
I saw a quote once. “I grew to understand that people don’t always build walls to keep others out. It’s done out of necessity to protect whatever is left within.”
That can pretty much sum me up. That’s me, Levi James. I’m the jokester. I’m the free spirit. I have a lot of demons and a whole lot of baggage. Many have no idea about it, though. I like it that way.
Growing up wasn’t easy for me. Without my friends, whom I call family, I wouldn’t be here. All the nightmares during the day would have given me many reasons not to fight for the light and to die in the dark.
But… my family.
The people that I’ve chosen to be my parents. The people that chose me and I chose right back to be my sisters and brothers. Also, the people that I met later that encouraged me to follow God. Those people are my heroes.
Daily.
They are the ones that give me the best life. They are the ones that keep me in the light.
“Levi, what time are you leaving?” Ron says as he stands in the doorway of my office.
“I’m wrapping up now, man. I didn’t think this contract would take this long.”
Ron Sparks is my business partner. He helps me keep all the contracts and finances straight through my racing name. We startedClover Racingseveral years ago. Being fifteen years older than me and having a dad that ran a company his whole life, he knew a few things about what it would take to help me in this part of my career. All I knew in the beginning was that I could go fast. On a bike, in a car, on my feet, whatever. I like speed. Speed is my way out.
It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I was always running from something. Well someone. My father wasn’t someone you would call daddy. I have called him by his name since the day I started talking. That was at five years old. There wasn’t any reason to talk before that, and if I did, I’m sure my teeth would have come out sooner than they did. My mother had the back hand of Satan. She’d knock the spit out of your mouth even after you swallowed it all.
“It has a lot of words, that’s for sure.” I look up to see humor on his face. He knows I hate to read over these things. I trust his judgement, but he makes me read every word before I sign them. He said, “Never sign anything, Levi, until you know every word that it says.”I haven’t been screwed over yet, but that isn’t because no one has tried. It is because Ron reads them then makes me read them. He catches the things that I won’t go for and then makes me find them. 99 percent of the time, we agree on what isn’t going to fly.
“Come on dude. Read the thing. Sign it if you agree with everything and then let’s get on the road. We need to look at the track before you get on it.”
I have a small street race tonight. I got roped into this race by a guy here in town that thinks he has something to prove. I should have walked away. I did walk away, but then he started talking about issues that don’t sit well with me and now… I need to shut him up. He isn’t the rider. He hired someone for that. He’s just the one with the deep pockets that wants to take my money and slander my name.
“We already know what the track looks like Ron.”
“I know that. You know I need to make sure this jackass hasn’t put anything on it or something though. He’s got a grudge against you. I won’t put anything past him.”
“I know. Give me five minutes, and I’ll be ready to go.”
He walks back to his office, and I go back to reading the contract.
Fifteen minutes later, we are at my house, getting everything loaded up. Dale Johnson comes around the end of the trailer, and I stick my hand out to shake his.
“Everything good to go, Dale?”
“Yea man. The bike is in tip top shape. You shouldn’t have any problems smoking this guy tonight.”
“That’s what I like to hear, brother. Thanks for everything.”
“You know it. I’ll see y’all there.”
I nod, he climbs into his truck, and backs out of the driveway. Dale is the best mechanic that I know. I’m biased, but who cares. He’s been with me from the beginning, just like Ron. Dale is a couple years older than me and this business saved us both.
He didn’t come from a very good family either. While it wasn’t as bad as mine, it wasn’t all that great either. Ron pretty much saved us both. He gave us something to work toward. He gave us a purpose to keep going.
I ride.
Dale works on what I ride.
