Bertrand stood at the edge of the field. He looked up into the stands at the cheering spectators. He smiled. The camera focused on the man’s well-toned physique and flashy smile. He waved at the crowd, and they erupted in a cacophony of cheers and jeers.
He waited for the noise to die down before he looked to his left. A short, thin man with pale skin stood and shivered. Bertrand extended his hand to his opponent.
“Name’s Bertrand. Yours?”
The frail man opened his mouth. A squeaky voice emanated from within the man. “David.”
Bertrand laughed. “I suppose you’re a worthy opponent or you wouldn’t be here.”
David grinned. “I may not be as strong or as brave as you. I may not even be as handsome or charming as you, but I can hold my own.”
Bertrand rolled his eyes. “I hope so. It would not go well if the crowd doesn’t get what they paid for.”
He smiled and waved at the people. The spectators roared. David looked at the man next to him, his body trembled. The sun shone down on the men, and the smaller man wiped away a drop of sweat from his forehead.
“What is taking so long? Can’t we just get this over with?”
Bertrand clinched his teeth under his grin. “All part of the show, got to make them think they’re getting their money’s worth.”
David glanced up at the crowd, then looked over at Bertrand. “Are you kidding me?” He pointed at the people in the stands. “Did these people really pay to watch this?”
Bertrand nodded and laughed. “Crazy, isn’t it?”
“But we don’t even know what we are doing.”
Bertrand shrugged. “So?”
David sighed and looked up. High above the stadium, a small dark dot grew larger. A bright red parachute deployed from the ever-growing spot in the sky. He tapped his opponent on the shoulder and pointed up.
Bertrand shaded his eyes and turned his gaze in the direction David indicated. “Oh good, a surprise box.”
“A what?”
“You know, a surprise box. I haven’t seen one of these in a long time. I can’t wait to see what is inside.”
David stepped aside. The box glided to the ground, and the parachute covered the box. The crowd cheered. Bertrand waved to the fans, and they screamed louder. David closed his eyes. A loud screech echoed throughout the stadium, and the crowd became silent.
“Is this thing on?” the voice echoed around the venue. “Can you hear me?”
The crowd shouted in unison. “No!”
“Very well then. I want to thank you all for being here today.” The voice paused. “We have now come to the moment you all have been waiting for. Contestants, are you ready?”
Bertrand extended his thumb upward, but David shook his head. The voice boomed over the noise of the crowd.
“Then let’s get started. We will start with our returning champion. Are you ready, Mr. Vanderschoot?”
Bertrand nodded and stood next to the box. A buzzer sounded, and he pulled the parachute off of the box. He placed his hands on the lid of the box and lifted the latch. He pushed the heavy lid back and looked inside.
The voice reverberated off the walls of the stadium. “Well, tell us, Mr. Vanderschoot, what do you see?”
Bertrand scratched his head. “The box is empty.”
“Mr. Montagu, tell us, what do you see?”
David stepped up to the box. He bent over and stuck his head inside. He reached into the box and felt around in the darkness.
Bertrand tapped him on the shoulder. “We’re waiting.”
David straightened up. He lifted his arm above his head and held a small box in his hand. “I could see nothing, but I found this box of crayons.”
The audience became silent. David looked around. Outside the venue, a car honked while tires squealed. The sound system crackled.
“It looks like we have a new winner!”
David looked around. “What just happened?”
Bertrand clapped his opponent on the shoulder. “Looks like you won. Congratulations.”
“I don’t get it. I didn’t do anything.”
“But you did. That was the challenge. You found the box of crayons.”
David looked around. The crowd cheered loudly. He looked back at Bertrand. “But that is stupid. Who would pay money to watch someone look in a box?”
Bertrand stepped closer and whispered into David’s ear. “Don’t ask too many questions and go with it. Enjoy the moment, for it may not come again.”
He waited for the noise to die down before he looked to his left. A short, thin man with pale skin stood and shivered. Bertrand extended his hand to his opponent.
“Name’s Bertrand. Yours?”
The frail man opened his mouth. A squeaky voice emanated from within the man. “David.”
Bertrand laughed. “I suppose you’re a worthy opponent or you wouldn’t be here.”
David grinned. “I may not be as strong or as brave as you. I may not even be as handsome or charming as you, but I can hold my own.”
Bertrand rolled his eyes. “I hope so. It would not go well if the crowd doesn’t get what they paid for.”
He smiled and waved at the people. The spectators roared. David looked at the man next to him, his body trembled. The sun shone down on the men, and the smaller man wiped away a drop of sweat from his forehead.
“What is taking so long? Can’t we just get this over with?”
Bertrand clinched his teeth under his grin. “All part of the show, got to make them think they’re getting their money’s worth.”
David glanced up at the crowd, then looked over at Bertrand. “Are you kidding me?” He pointed at the people in the stands. “Did these people really pay to watch this?”
Bertrand nodded and laughed. “Crazy, isn’t it?”
“But we don’t even know what we are doing.”
Bertrand shrugged. “So?”
David sighed and looked up. High above the stadium, a small dark dot grew larger. A bright red parachute deployed from the ever-growing spot in the sky. He tapped his opponent on the shoulder and pointed up.
Bertrand shaded his eyes and turned his gaze in the direction David indicated. “Oh good, a surprise box.”
“A what?”
“You know, a surprise box. I haven’t seen one of these in a long time. I can’t wait to see what is inside.”
David stepped aside. The box glided to the ground, and the parachute covered the box. The crowd cheered. Bertrand waved to the fans, and they screamed louder. David closed his eyes. A loud screech echoed throughout the stadium, and the crowd became silent.
“Is this thing on?” the voice echoed around the venue. “Can you hear me?”
The crowd shouted in unison. “No!”
“Very well then. I want to thank you all for being here today.” The voice paused. “We have now come to the moment you all have been waiting for. Contestants, are you ready?”
Bertrand extended his thumb upward, but David shook his head. The voice boomed over the noise of the crowd.
“Then let’s get started. We will start with our returning champion. Are you ready, Mr. Vanderschoot?”
Bertrand nodded and stood next to the box. A buzzer sounded, and he pulled the parachute off of the box. He placed his hands on the lid of the box and lifted the latch. He pushed the heavy lid back and looked inside.
The voice reverberated off the walls of the stadium. “Well, tell us, Mr. Vanderschoot, what do you see?”
Bertrand scratched his head. “The box is empty.”
“Mr. Montagu, tell us, what do you see?”
David stepped up to the box. He bent over and stuck his head inside. He reached into the box and felt around in the darkness.
Bertrand tapped him on the shoulder. “We’re waiting.”
David straightened up. He lifted his arm above his head and held a small box in his hand. “I could see nothing, but I found this box of crayons.”
The audience became silent. David looked around. Outside the venue, a car honked while tires squealed. The sound system crackled.
“It looks like we have a new winner!”
David looked around. “What just happened?”
Bertrand clapped his opponent on the shoulder. “Looks like you won. Congratulations.”
“I don’t get it. I didn’t do anything.”
“But you did. That was the challenge. You found the box of crayons.”
David looked around. The crowd cheered loudly. He looked back at Bertrand. “But that is stupid. Who would pay money to watch someone look in a box?”
Bertrand stepped closer and whispered into David’s ear. “Don’t ask too many questions and go with it. Enjoy the moment, for it may not come again.”
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