Why Nine?

Why Nine?

“You get nine tries, we use your best time. Then that’s your starting point. Are you ready?” Coach Merit asked.

“Why nine?”

“It’s in the book,” she held up the official book.

“But... nine? Why not eight, or ten?”

“Why do you care? I didn’t write the rules. It’s always been nine. I don’t know why. Knowing why isn’t going to help you any, let’s get started!”

“Fine, but that’s a little wacked, nine...” he got ready to jump in the pool at the coach’s whistle.

Jean Merit looked calm, but she was shaken. She suddenly felt really foolish for never wondering why herself? Twelve years ago, when she got this job, why hadn’t she asked, why nine? Was she so shallow that everything authorities said were accepted at face value? Well, maybe then, she had really needed this job. But now, her reputation kept this place in business! Rules schrules! She could rewrite the whole “official” rule book, she was the head coach now! Suddenly she was determined to find out why nine.

It took months. Nobody knew anything, plus, nobody else had ever questioned it either! Finally, she had to track down the last person who might know something, long retired Head Coach, Randal Kates who had been here twenty-five years ago when the book was first written. Interviewing him at his nursing home was hard, but Jean hung on his every word.

Randal thought a while, then, “I remember! There were several numbers that had to be recorded together, three lines worth, and you had to scribble in the figures quickly. We kept the pages on our clipboards, one page per student. Well, that’s what fit.

Jean looked confused... “fit?”

“You could only see nine sets of figures once you stuck the pages in the clipboard!