The following is an excerpt from a work in-progress. Click here to read part 2. 

Monday, October 25, 2021: Landmark College. Nighttime. Tim’s dorm room.

Enter Tim. He sits down at his desk. He texts Nana Schoenfeld on his phone: We spent all of Sunday talking about the Bucs-Bears game. Since you guys are going down to Butler this coming weekend to spread your mother-in-law’s ashes, I said if I came, I would have brought my Steelers hat and Terrible Towels with me (no disrespect to Great Grandma Toots). Thinking about it, it’s like that episode of Coach where Hayden and Luther go to Memphis and Luther buys a lot of Elvis souvenirs.

A little while later…

Nana: Luther was a loveable character for sure.

Tim responds: I’d love to go to Steelerland, but it’d be kind of much to miss school.

A little while later, Tim texts Mom: On a side note, I’m thinking about going to Butler with Nana and Poppy. The only concern I have would be missing school. Going down to Steelerland; I might actually get the Penguins game on Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils (at home).

Tim heads outside to go on a walk. As he is about to call Poppy Schoenfeld, Mom texts him back: Have you talked to them about that?

Tim: About to call Poppy.

He calls Poppy

Poppy: Hello?

Tim: Hey Poppy. You get the text I sent Nana?

Poppy: Is it about anything sports related?

Tim: I’d like to come down to Butler. Down to Steelerland.

Poppy: I’m afraid we can’t take you with us.

Tim groans

Poppy: We’re going at 5:00 Friday morning and we don’t come back until Monday night. We gotta pick up Dad early and we have to be there at 5:00. We don’t have time to come down to pick you up.

Tim: Ohhh!

Poppy: It would have been nice to take you where all the Schoenfelds were born. Except for Mary, who was born up here in Vermont.

Tim: I’m just bummed out that I can’t go to Steelerland. I know we’re down there for your mom.

Poppy: Yeah. Bye, Tim.

Tim: Bye, bye.

Tim hangs up, looks at his phone. Mom says: We could think about a trip and a game as a graduation celebration. When the time comes. I guess the point is, if you can’t go now, we’ll make it happen someday.

To which Tim responds: Can’t go. They’re on a very tight schedule.

Mom: Well, let’s plan a trip for your graduation! We can make a Steelers land pilgrimage at some point.

Tim: Long way away. Could have been able to text Will saying I got the Penguins game on TV.

Mom: Well, you’ll have to find something else to tease him about.

Tim gets back to his room. He texts Nana: Started a new episode of The Timothy Dyer Show about all this.