Run with the Best

Run with the Best

On a hot July day in Davenport, Iowa, Bonnie Clark pulled into the Holiday Inn. She was on vacation, and had signed up to run in the Bix 7 being held along with the Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival later that weekend. before arriving in Davenport, Bonnie visited relatives in Pella and saw a sprint car race at the Knoxville Speedway. She also stopped at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Home in West Branch and the Old Capitol building in Iowa City.

Iowa, you make me smile, Bonnie thought to herself as she pulled into the parking spot to unload the trunk of her car. As she was emptying the trunk of her car, Bonnie saw a bronze Firebird that looked familiar. She quietly tiptoed behind the man unloading the Firebird.

"Ponch, what are you doing here in Davenport?" Bonnie asked.

"Well, Bon-Bon, my brothers Martin and Robert asked me if I wanted to run in a road race. So I sent Martin the entry fee and the form he sent me. Anyway, I had two weeks vacation coming. We've been here for a couple days" Ponch said, hugging Bonnie.

Ponch's brothers catch up to him.

"Hey, guys, I would like to introduce you to one of my co-workers, Bonnie Clark," Ponch said to his brothers.

"Now I see who got the looks in the family," Bonnie joked as she shook Martin and Robert's hands.

"Is this your partner, Frank?" Martin asked, walking over to Bonnie's car.

"No, he's back in California," Ponch replied.

Ponch and his brothers grab Bonnie's suitcases from the trunk.

"What do you have in here, your apartment?" Ponch joked.

"Is it too heavy for you, Ponch?" Bonnie teased.

"You can carry this one, if you can handle it," Robert teased.

"Very funny, Rob," Ponch retorted.

"How would you like a drink with us?" Martin asked Bonnie.

"Sure," Bonnie replied.

###

A few minutes later, Robert and Martin were sitting in the bar when Ponch arrived.

"I can't believe the attitude of that woman I accidentally spilled my drink on her," Robert told his brothers.

"If looks could kill, you would be dead by now, Rob," Martin joked.

"She started ordering me around like a drill sergeant. And she sure could swear like a drunken sailor," Robert continued.

"And I tried to get away from that insanity. She was almost as bad as someone who I just gave a ticket," Ponch told his brothers while sipping his beer.

Just then, the television news came on. The men recognized the anchorwoman as the woman that Robert spilled his drink on accidentally.

"Good evening, I'm Paula Sands. Today in Bettendorf..."

The men just rolled their eyes.

"Hey, Frank, why don't you invite Bonnie to come with us on our architectural tour?" Martin suggested.

"Sure I will. She'll have a good time," Ponch replied.

Just then Bonnie joined the Poncherelloes.

"She looks like Pamela Shield's evil twin," Bonnie said to Ponch.

"Not exactly. No boob job," Ponch commented.

"Bonnie, how long have you been in Iowa?" Robert asked.

"This is my first trip back here since I joined the CHP. I'm here to run in the Bix 7," Bonnie replied.

"Have you ever been to the Bix Jazz Festival before?" Martin asked.

"Yes I have, but it was before I joined the CHP," Bonnie answered.

A commotion at the next table got everybody's attention.

"Get away from me, you creep!" Tammy yelled.

Ponch and Bonnie went over to see what was going on.

"The lady said to leave her alone," Ponch scowled at David while Bonnie took Tammy to call for a taxi.

"I bought her dinner. Now it's time for her to pay me back," David drunkenly slurred.

"That's rape, buddy," Ponch said tersely.

"What are you, Super Cop, gringo?" David asked.

Ponch then flashed his badge.

"If you don't leave, I'll call more cops. Comprende?" Ponch angrily asked.

"I get the point, buddy. Now go fuck yourself," David told Ponch.

###

A few minutes later, Bonnie returned to the table.

"You two handled that beautifully," Robert commented.

"If I ever need a new partner, I know who to ask," Bonnie teased.

"I like my motor way too much to switch to a cruiser. Anyway, I just got Jon broken into the way I want him," Ponch joked.

"Maybe you should ask your bike for its kickstand in marriage," Martin said.

Ponch threw his napkin at Martin.

"Hey, Bon-Bon, how would you like to go on an architectural tour with us?" Ponch asked.

Sure, I would. Where have you been?" Bonnie asked.

"We have seen the Col. Davenport home on the Rock Island Arsenal, and the Velie House in Moline. We have also seen the Davenport Bank building," Robert told Bonnie.

"I heard about the Sod House from my mother," Bonnie said.

"We are going to see that tomorrow," Ponch said.

###

The next morning, Ponch went to Bonnie's room.

"Are you ready, Bon-Bon?" Ponch asked.

"Yes, I am," Bonnie replied.

"We are going to the Iowa Machine Shed for breakfast. My family stops there every time they come to this area," Ponch told Bonnie.

When Bonnie and the Poncherelloes arrived at the Iowa Machine Shed, they all ordered a cinnamon roll and coffee.

"These are the best cinnamon rolls I ever had," Robert said, Martin nodding in agreement.

"I'm not that hungry," Bonnie said.

When the waitress arrived, Ponch and Bonnie were surprised by the size of the cinnamon roll.

"If you eat two of these, you'll end up looking like Grossie," Ponch whispered to Bonnie.

"Well, at least we'll have a hearty breakfast before we see more houses," Robert told everyone at the table.

###

Robert was driving everyone to the Sod House in Long Grove when Ponch started singing to the car radio.

"Celebrate good times, come on..." Ponch sang.

Right in front of them, a car was going recklessly going north on Highway 61. It was trying to pass another car at a high rate of speed when it crashed into the other car near Lincoln Road in Eldridge. Robert had to do some fancy driving to avoid the same fate.

"What was that? Where did you learn to drive?" a startled Martin asked.

After Robert pulled on to the shoulder, Ponch got on the CB and called for help.

"Robert, come with me to this car," Bonnie said, pointing to her right, while Martin went with Ponch to the other car on the left.

"Whoa, Frank, it smells like a brewery," Martin told his brother.

Meanwhile, Robert and Bonnie tried to help the driver of the car they were checking. Bonnie noticed that the driver was hearing impaired.

"Are you all right?" Bonnie signed.

"My back is sore," the driver signed back.

"Robert, under no circumstances are you to move this gentleman. He may have a back injury," Bonnie said as she disconnected the battery cable.

"The kid in the other car cut me off," the driver signed.

"Don't move, help is on the way," Bonnie signed back.

The Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department arrived on the scene along with Sgt. Brian Carstens of the Eldridge Police Department.

"What do we have here?" Brian asked Bonnie.

"We have a hearing impaired man with a back injury," Bonnie answered, pulling her badge from her purse.

"Scott, we need a backboard over here!" Brian yelled.

"Okay!" Fire Chief Scott Haycraft yelled.

Brian then ran across the highway to assist Ponch and Martin.

"The driver is drunk and he seems not to be injured," Ponch told Brian. Ponch then flashed his badge.

"Are you and the lady over there partners?" Brian asked Ponch.

"We work at the same station but we aren't partners," Ponch replied.

After two hours, the accident scene was cleaned up. The hearing impaired driver was airlifted to University Hospitals in Iowa City, while the drunk driver was transported to the Scott County Jail.

###

"The Sod House was fascinating," Bonnie told the Poncherelloes.

"It's amazing that a structure from the nineteenth century is still standing," Robert remarked.

"Architecture sure is fascinating," Ponch said.

"See, Frank, I told you so," Martin teased.

"Dad sure would love this trip," Robert said.

"We still have to pick up our race packets," Ponch reminded the group.

"After we pick up our packets, we can look at the Littig House," Martin said.

###

On a muggy Saturday morning, Bonnie and the Poncherelloes made their way to the starting line of the Bix 7 on Brady Street.

"Remember, pace yourselves guys," Robert told the group.

Just as the group was lining up, Ponch saw a runner dressed like a chocolate chip cookie.

"You guys aren't going to believe this, but I just saw a chocolate chip cookie run by," Ponch said, met with laughter from his brothers.

"You should lay off those Ding Dongs, Frank," Martin teased.

Bonnie was amazed by the number of runners in the race. She had been in the LA Marathon, but nothing prepared her for this. Right next to her was a man dressed as a Las Vegas showgirl.

"Excuse me, why are you dressed like that?" Bonnie asked.

"There is a costume contest after the race," he replied.

###

At eight o'clock, a man dressed as Superman started the race. About 20,000 runners and walkers made their way up Brady Street and the turned onto Kirkwood Boulevard.

Bonnie eventually caught up with the Poncherelloes.

"Hi guys!" Bonnie waved cheerfully.

"Hey Bon-Bon!" Ponch yelled, grabbing a cup of water from a woman wearing a Looney Tunes baseball shirt.

"Where did all the people come from?" Bonnie asked.

"I don't know," Ponch replied.

###

Bonnie eventually overtook the Poncherelloes at McClellan Boulevard. Martin was showing off by running backwards.

"Now I've seen everything," Ponch said to his brothers when they saw the running vertebrae from Palmer College of Chiropractic.

A half mile up the course, back on Kirkwood Boulevard, Bonnie noticed an elderly man nearly collapsing from heatstroke.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked the man.

The man was unable to speak. Bonnie found several volunteers and guided the man to them. Bonnie was able to continue the race.

###

Bonnie finished the Bix 7 in 55:49. Two minutes later, Ponch made it to the finish line. Thirty seconds later, Robert and Martin finished at the same time.

"There's a party after the race," Bonnie said.

"Let's go!" everybody yelled in unison.

"Let's do this again sometime," Ponch said.

Ponch, Robert and Martin took turns dancing with Bonnie at the Eagle Country Market After Race Party.

Iowa you make me smile, Ponch thought.

Author's notes:

The Bix 7 is a world class road race, held right after the Peachtree in Atlanta, Georgia, attracting runners from all over the world. Olympic Gold Medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson and Boston Marathon winner Bill Rogers run in it every year. The title of this story is the motto of the race.

The Sod House is in Long Grove, Iowa, just north of my hometown of Eldridge, Iowa. It was built in the 1860's and still standing.

Scott Haycraft is the real Fire Chief of the fire department, and Brian Carstens is the sergeant of the Eldridge Police Department.

The woman handing Ponch a drink of water is me, I just couldn't resist putting myself in the story.

My e-mail addy: m_kutcher@hotmail.com.

"Run With the Best" ©1999 Melissa Kutcher. "CHiPs" and its characters © Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Inc. All rights reserved. " No infringement of any copyrights or trademarks is intended or should be inferred. This is a work of fiction, and any similarity to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.

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