Second Became First

The final university track and field sprint was close. It could be measured by a hairline, and only the photo-finish camera could catch it. All the sprinters circled around as the intercom announced the winners: Joe Spitzer, first place; Dwayne Riley, second place; and Michael Roland, third place. Dwayne’s face became flaccid, and his eyes settled into a vacant gaze. His whole life could be summed up to this moment—second place.

Dwayne was a dreamer since childhood. In the fifth grade, the students in his physical science class had to compete in the county Invention Convention. He set his mind on winning from the onset of the competition. Growing life on Mars was an idea his ten year-old mind thought would be a cinch to win. That planet didn’t have an atmosphere or the right environment for vegetation, but there was always a beginning for something. He managed to convince his dad to take him to the desert, but only after his dad first helped his brother with his project. Living in Texas had its perks, and one of them was not being far from a desert. Dwayne collected the desert sand that was similar in composition to Martian soil with the exception of lacking the toxicity and some life minerals. Using a terrarium, the desert sand, a filtering system, fertilizer, and a plant seed, he created a miniature greenhouse that he thought could be installed in Mars, building-size. In his paper, he explained how spreading these throughout Mars would help it develop an atmosphere and turned his project in. It was a tough sell, especially knowing his competition was getting help from their parents. At the end, he got second place, but he had the satisfaction of having solely done it. It still wasn’t until later that second places would begin eating at his soul.

While in high school, he planned on graduating as valedictorian. During that time, his drive to compete made him enter the National History Bee and the National Speech & Debate Tournament. He had stellar results by receiving second place nationwide in both. However, his resolve didn’t become personal until he had a clash with a fellow student. He had never been so deceived.

Dwayne’s computer science class was having a timed programming test after lunch, and he thought he had it in the bag. Billy, Dwayne’s main academic competitor, came up to him right before the bell rang at the end of lunch and told him the comp sci teacher, Mr. Wright, wanted him to get the results of a program that he left running on a computer in his office at the other end of the school. This was an odd request and Dwayne knew it, but he figured it must be something very important, so he hastened almost racewalking to the office. He knocked on the door, and Mrs. Taylor, a school staff assistant, opened the door. “Hi Dwayne, why aren’t you in class?”

“Wasn’t I supposed to pick up the results of a program for Mr. Wright?”

“Yes, but after school. It wasn’t urgent, and you should be taking a test right now!”

Dwayne’s face turned red. He ran through the halls and got reprimanded with a detention slip for running and being out of class. When he arrived at the computer science class, he decided to keep quiet out of embarrassment and just took the programming test late and managed to finish on time, but he ended up with a mediocre grade thanks to Billy.

Hate and anger can bring out a strong competitive edge, and Dwayne had his ever since Billy's ruse. The senior students competing for top honors had grades that were razor thin close, with Dwayne and Billy at the head. The final decision-making point was Billy’s score in computer science, being slightly higher than Dwayne’s due to one test score. Dwayne graduated as salutatorian, and being second for the hundredth time didn’t feel gradual but like he had been hit by a ton of bricks.

In University, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being a second-rate person. And getting second place in the sprint was the final blow. He had trained like his life depended on it; he wanted to prove to himself he was capable of winning. Sandy had even told him there was no point in him calling her if he lost. He had been competing against Joe Spitzer, the brother of Sandy’s arch-rival. He had been dating her for a year, and she seemed mostly interested in him beating Joe on the track, just to spite his sister.

Dwayne skipped getting on the university bus and called an Uber. He didn’t want to talk to anyone or be congratulated. An isolated place where he could mull life over was the best idea he could think of. The Uber driver asked him for the third time during the twenty-minute drive if he really wanted to go to Roscoe Creek, aware it would be somewhat flooded from the weekend rains. Dwayne would only icily affirm in a neutral tone. He now had plans he wanted to keep to himself.

He tipped the Uber driver well, without a care, and stepped into the woods that led to the creek. Walking alongside the overrun rapidly moving creek, he came to the railroad bridge and trestles. He was knee deep in water, but he wanted to climb to the top of the trestles that held the bridge in place. He was in good shape and went up the foundation of the bridge and then above the trestles holding the bridge together with a casual ease that comes only from a set determination and focus. As he stood fifty feet above the creek on the edge of a metal beam, he spread his arms out and thought that all his life effort had led to this. He had gained nothing. All his efforts were wasted. He saw his memories in the rushing waters below him, and his efforts were a running theme in them all. But wait, he thought! So few people had put in as much effort as he had, and he knew it. A question went through his mind: Is a first place award better than the experience of having striven that no one can take from you? He found that his efforts made him into who he is, not his second places or awards. A smile appeared and brightened Dwayne’s countenance.

It was difficult getting down from the trestles safely and away from the rushing waters of the creek. He called his girlfriend first when he was out of the woods. According to her last words, he wasn’t even supposed to call her, since he lost the race. But there was something he wanted to say.

Sandy answered, “Well, you lost! I should have guessed. You’re a bit embarrassing, but I’ll keep dating you for now.”

Dwayne lifted his chin up and said, “You’ve got to be kidding. I’m not dating you anymore. Goodbye and so long!”

He turned off his phone and took a deep breath. Dwayne was now a first-place winner in his heart.