Chapter 10 chapter Ten

Wednesday was as long as a whole week.After breakfast, I've tried all the ways I've been using to pass the time lately.I went out for a jog for about an hour, went to the backyard to practice golf wedges, hit at least two hundred golf balls back and forth, and then tried to read for a while, but my mind kept wandering elsewhere.I keep hearing voices in other rooms.Sally?Rick?I even turned on the TV at three or four in the afternoon, but only ten minutes into Oprah's talk show and the weekly Dr. Phil hour on the show before I jumped at the remote to turn off the TV machine.I don't need more pain Since 2002, the unit of Dr. Phil has been independently broadcast as a new program.).

I went to bed early, and went to bed shortly after sunset, and naturally woke up before dawn on Thursday.My eyes were still closed, my head buried in the pillow, and I reached out for Sally, as I had done for years.I didn't touch her soft body, so I moved my hand gently and slowly towards the smooth, cold pillow surface on her side, and sat up from the bed, burying my forehead heavily in my palm.What the hell are you doing, idiot?Sally isn't lying next to you at all.Sally is dead.died.The same goes for your precious son.So does Rick.died.away from you!Never come back! I finally got out of bed to take a shower.Not in the mood to shave that day, but I remembered that there was a ball game tonight.Don't let us Angels parents think that the guy teaching the kids how to play baseball is a sleazy bum.

After finishing an omelet, juice and coffee, I went into the study, sat down at the desk, and stared at the inside pages of the Little League scorebook that Bill used to record his first game.We only had three hits from Goldsden, Zullo and Nurnberg double-doubled singles, Murphy doubled, so, from the performance of this game, it's going to be a lot of work to get in the lineup. In terms of seeking progress, I don't seem to have much focus.Come to think of it, it was the first game of the season, and everyone played surprisingly well, save for Timothy's costly turnover.Unless Bill.West has any other suggestions, we will field the same lineup and order against the Cubs tonight, the few differences are that this game will be played by Paul.Taylor pitched, Justin moved to third base, and Todd moved to first base.

I close the scorebook and think again of the frightening moment I experienced in bed early in the morning when I tried to reach for my wife and there was nothing there.I pulled hard on the bottom drawer of the desk, and it slid open lightly.The ugly revolver still lay on the glossy yellow cover of the New England Telephone Company telephone book, which contained numbers for Concord and several neighboring towns, including Brantown.I reached into the drawer, but pulled it out before touching the dark blue metal. Good morning, Mr. Harding. I pushed the drawer back and closed it gently with my calf, like a child caught red-handed for putting his hand in a cookie jar.This cookie jar is no ordinary thing!

Rose, good morning.I didn't hear the sound of you coming in, maybe I forgot that you are coming to clean today. The old woman's smile disappeared immediately.Is it inconvenient today, sir?I can come back another day. No no no.Today is of course no problem.I just forgot.I guess I have too many things on my mind! Rose.Kelly gripped the handle of my vacuum cleaner with both hands and tilted her head to one side, looking sympathetic.poor child.Is there anything special I need to do? I shook my head. Mr. Harding, I hope you don't mind if I tell you something.I went to Maplewood Cemetery yesterday morning and prayed for Sally and Rick for a while at their graves.The location is nice, on a hill near the stone wall.Have you picked out tombstones for their mother and son?

not yet. Do you go there often to keep them company? I looked down at my hands. Mr. Harding? I shook my head again.Rose, I haven't been there since after the funeral.I've driven by the cemetery many times, but never parked the car and walked up the trail to see their graves.I can't help I just can't get myself close to that place can't go there and look down at the grass and Forgive me, Mr. Harding, I'm just an ignorant old woman cleaning, but you must go to the grave!I have to go.This is not for them, but for yourself!I remember my mother telling me, God rest her soul, that she had an old Irish legend told to her by her grandmother in County Galway, Ireland.In a small seaside village, there was a young woman whose son fell off a cliff and died. For months after her son's funeral, her life was filled with tears, pain, heartbreak, and sadness.The following year, her son's birthday came again, and she decided to spend the whole day in front of his grave. On the way to the cemetery, she stopped at the village square to buy flowers from an old man.After buying the bouquet for worship, she was about to leave, but she stopped and stared at the old flower seller. He carefully picked all the dead leaves from the bottom half of a potted plant with dried stems.Why would you waste your time caring for something that's dead?She asked, and the old man replied: It is not dead.Oh, some of the leaves are dead, but lo and behold, there are some green leaves growing on the stem up there.I take good care of this plant and hope it survives and blooms for many years.Girl, he said, a lot of people are like plants.They suffer horribly, perhaps from the loss of a child, a wife or a husband and let it turn them into dead branches, without hope or vitality.On the contrary, there are many people who have encountered the same experience, but let go of the pain, and continue to live, continue to breathe, sing and smile, and continue to bloom beautiful flowers, year after year, as long as God can use it.

Mr. Harding, Rose continued, sounding increasingly like a strict first-grade teacher, pulling the vacuum cleaner from the rug.There are enough withered plants around us, and there are a lot of them in the woods behind. I don't want to see you also dry up in sorrow, and become a part of those withered trees and grass. Sometime that afternoon, I remembered that I had promised to give Timothy Rick's nearly new baseball glove.I went into my son's room, and instead of walking around the room, I went straight to the closet and pushed open the sliding door.The gloves were sitting on a shelf that I had nailed low so that Rick could place some of the things he valued where he could reach his height without having to put everything under the bed and in the closet stuffed.Beneath the glove are boxes of checkers, dominoes, a quiz for kids, and Lego bricks.Next to it are brightly colored Ninja Turtles and Special Forces action figures, mixed with missile launch pads, helicopters, and pizza launchers, all surrounded by a towering brown circle. Barrel filled with the parts of the Universal Artisan.There are also three cardboard shoe boxes full of baseball cards.I took a box off the shelf and held it lovingly in my hand.How much time had Rick spent sitting at the kitchen table carefully moving cards from one marked box to another while constantly betting most of his allowance on these collections?I reached in and pulled out a card at random: Nolan.Ryan (Annotation: Nolan Ryan, a famous pitcher in the American major leagues, still has considerable ball speed over the age of forty, has played for a total of four teams, and has pitched seven no-hitters in his career, which is still unmatched in the major leagues. ), Texas Rangers.One of Rick's favorite players.Also one of my favorite players.

When I arrived at the stadium on time at 3:30 p.m. as promised, Timothy was pacing up and down the parking lot, waiting for me to show up.He ran to my car quickly, and when I got out of the car, I lightly threw the gloves to him. Oh wow that's great!He yelped as he slid his tiny left hand into the leather fingerhole.Then, he made a fist with his right hand, and pounded heavily on the oiled dark palm of the glove. He beat it again and again, and at the same time moved the leather mesh ball on the tiger's mouth. Do you want to try it out?I asked. OK! Bill.West put all the team gear and equipment in his car, but I still remember bringing a baseball and my old glove.Timothy and I practiced passing and catching the ball in right field until the rest of the team arrived on the field.Timothy and I walked toward the infield at a leisurely pace.I asked him: Are the new gloves comfortable to wear?

Oh, it was easy.These are not bad gloves, Mr. Harding.Thank you, really thank you.From now on, my performance will be better, just wait and see. Day after day, right Timothy? He grinned and nodded eagerly. After the two sides finished the first inning with zero points, we scored 11 runs from the three pitchers of the Cubs one after another. By the time I replaced three substitute players in the fourth inning, the score had reached 15 to 1. , so I let Chris, Dick, and Timothy fill in the replacements until the end of the game, and didn't let the main players come back on the field in the sixth inning.The final score was embarrassing. Although we had fifteen hits, the Cubs' seven turnovers helped us a lot.After the game, I asked the Cubs manager Walt.Hutchinson apologized, but he was very gracious, and said that the way their players played, they deserved the loss.There are two strong players in this team.Todd hit two home runs and a double, pitcher Paul.Taylor also contributed a home run and three singles, while allowing just four hits, striking out eight and walking just two.In the last three innings, Timothy hit twice.Got strikeouts both times.No teary eyes, no temper tantrums, no self-pity, no edginess.Instead, until the end of the game, the brave kid shouted hoarsely to cheer on his teammates, who apparently forgave him for making a mistake in the first game and causing the team to lose the game.Under the urging of Timothy, the team kept repeating that day after day, in every level, we will improve more and more!And never ever ever never never never give up!These two words were so frequent that even the spectators behind the team’s rest area noticed them soon. The spectators cheering for us in the outfield stands soon all followed these two brave slogans together, shouting over and over again: forever do not give up!

On Tuesday night the following week, we played against the Pirates, played by grandfathered-in manager Anthony G.Bi Suo led the team, and he was also the head of the financial section of Bran Town.The Buccaneers had won their first two games, one of which was 9-8 against Rick Sid.The Yankees led by Marks lost to the Yankees in the first game of the season.We knew that the game before us would be a tough one, and as expected, we won 2-0!Todd.Stevenson allowed only one hit, and that unexpected hit fell between the guerrilla zone and third base; in the fourth inning, Paul.Taylor hit a nice bunt to push Zullo and Nurnberger to second and third, respectively, before Chariot Kimball hit a deep center-field single to put Zou Lowe and Nurnberger sent home and scored.There were only five team hits, and all of them were singles.Timothy's swing finally got going, hitting the ball twice, all over the barbed wire behind home plate, and then hitting a strike that resulted in a strikeout, but he made clean catches on field He hit a Pirates single, which flew between first and second. After catching the ball deftly, he passed it to second base in time to prevent the opponent's runner from successfully entering the scoring circle.day to day

After the game, I spent at least an hour shaking hands and talking to the parents of the players on the team.The feeling of being accepted finally made me very excited. However, more important than their kind words were the repeated praises from the parents for Mr. Harding and Mr. West. They heard it from their children. The next day was Wednesday, and that night we faced Sid for the second time.The Yankees led by Marks.The Angels went into battle with a heart of shame, and they got their wish.Paul.Taylor hit the plate again for a good pitch and won 6-4, best hit by Robert.Murphy, with two singles and a double that night, was a perfect scorer.Two of the bench players struggled to hit their first hits of the season.Chris.Lane hit a short fly to the right and landed in bounds for a single;Andros hit a straight, strong fly ball between center and left field that resulted in a double.This is a close, tight and exciting game.After the game, some parents said that the only difference between winning and losing was a little cheerleader on the team. He has been motivating the morale of his teammates and never stops.At this time, Timothy was the only player in the team whose hits had not broken the duck egg. He hit the bench for the only time in this game, and he swung hard and still got nothing, but he grasped every ball he hit, and never gave up on himself.When Timothy ran to right field in the fifth inning, he patted his teammate on the back. Bill nodded in the direction of right field and said, John, this kid must have a big heart.I'll never understand how God packed so much into such a small body. We're a third of the way through the six-week season, and to our surprise and delight, the Angels lead the league with a 3-1 record, followed by the Yankees and Bucs at 2-2 each. is behind.We have four more weeks to play, eight games in total.It is hard to say who is ahead and who is behind. The Angels are with Sid for the second time.Sid and I leaned against the barbed wire behind home plate for a long, friendly chat after Max's Yankees faced off.I like Sid as a person.We talked about everything from how big the Little League program is today, to how the abilities and attitudes of today's kids compare to those of thirty years ago.Finally Sid said, John, it's getting late, and I'd better get home before Suzy starts worrying if something happened to me.It was a great game, but next time we'll get it back, I mean it. On the drive home, passing the old canopy bridge, I had just turned right onto Main Street, and even though it was almost dark, I could see the tiny kid right away.He walked forward at a steady pace, but stopped when I pulled the car up against the narrow grass curb that separated the road from the sidewalk.I leaned over to open the passenger door. Timothy, are you going to walk all the way home from the field? Yes. Why?Where's your bicycle? The chain broke in the morning.When my mother left for work today, she took the bike and chains to the bike shop in Concord on the way. Get in the car and I'll take you home. It's okay if I walk back.And I don't want to bother you either.I'm fine, don't worry. I try to replace the intimacy in my voice with a tone of authority.Get in the car! As soon as he jumped into the car and closed the door, I immediately said: Tell me how to get there.Following Timothy's directions, continue along Main Street, pass through the center of the town, turn right onto Jefferson Avenue, and after about two miles on the bumpy asphalt road, turn left onto County 67 road.After another two miles, I finally turned around and asked Timothy: Did you make the long walk to the baseball field today? He looked up, with his head down, clutching his new gloves to his chest, and looked at me through his long brown eyelashes, then nodded, looking hesitant, as if he had just made a mistake and was arrested. one is right. God, how long does it take you to walk from home to the stadium? He shrugged, then sighed.have no idea.I made a peanut butter sandwich for lunch and headed out, about two o'clock.My mother has to leave the house early today to go to work. Suddenly he sat up straight and pointed with his hand.Mr. Harding, did you see that mailbox?That's our mailbox at home.Immediately after passing the mailbox, turn right and drive onto a dirt road, then walk a little further into the woods and you're at our house. I followed his instructions and slowly and carefully steered the car into the narrow, tire-tracked alley. My headlights shone on the front of a crude wooden building about a hundred yards ahead, which looked like a A place to store wood or agricultural implements.The wainscoting on the front of the hut was not painted, and the boards were missing in many places, or the boards were cracked. There was a large area near the corner on one side, and a large piece of unpainted square plywood was nailed on.There was light from an uncurtained window to the left of the doorway, and more triple-plywood nailed across to the frame to the right of the doorway.A rusty blue Renault sedan was parked under a few pine trees not far from the house. That's my mother's car, Timothy explained.It's true, she says, that performance is a lot better than it looks. The shadeless, bug-stained light bulb glowed above the front door, which opened slowly, and a woman stepped out, standing on the platform, with her hands up over her eyes.I immediately turned off the headlights.That's my mom, Timothy announced as the two of us got out of the car.I followed him to the front of the steps. They were said to be steps, but they were only made of cinder blocks loosely stacked. With a nervous and hesitant look on her face, she was standing outside the door, holding the doorknob with one hand and the apron she was wearing with the other.Good night, Mrs. Noble, this is Timothy's little baseball manager, John.Harding.I saw him walking home this evening, so I gave him a ride. Her voice sounded youthful and weary, and the same adjective was appropriate for her appearance.It is very kind of you, Mr. Harding.Come in and sit down for a while, please? I hesitated for a moment, feeling a little uncomfortable, but I caught a glimpse of Timothy nodding his head and looking up at me with hope that was impossible to ignore.The door is the kitchen. As soon as we entered, Timothy's mother stretched out her right hand to me tentatively and said, "Sir, this is Peggy.Noble, I am very glad to have the opportunity to thank you in person, thank you for everything you have done for my son. Her face was bare, her blond hair needed brushing, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.Two pans were steaming on the stove.Mrs. Noble was obviously preparing dinner, but she said, Mr. Harding, please sit down, as she pulled plastic upholstered chairs from under the small dining table, which was already set for two.Behind the old refrigerator, on the other side of the kitchen, near the ceiling, I saw what looked like a clothesline running across the length of the house.Sheets hung from ropes to act as curtains, but did not quite cover the two unmade beds, barely visible in the shadows.I knew right away that Timothy and his mother were living in a one-room shelter that had in years past been used only by hunters in the fall. Sit all you want, Mr. Harding, she said again. No, Mrs. Noble, thank you.I have to go first.Well, next week is fine, right?The first ball game next week is on Tuesday.Will Timothy's bike be repaired and brought back by then, or should I drop by and pick him up? Her gray eyes filled with tears.You are a very nice man, sir.It was very kind of me.However, the store told me that the bikes can be picked up this Saturday, so Timothy should be able to go to the course by himself next week. Very good!Then I take my leave.I didn't mean to disturb you two at dinner time, but it was nice to see you anyway.This child is so blessed to have you as his mother. I'm afraid I can't do anything for him.Times are hard and I do my best because he is my darling.But, Mr. Harding, the most important thing is that he is very lucky to meet you at this moment in his life.Thanks to the blessing of the gods, you chose him to join the team. She moved closer to me, stood on tiptoe, and kissed me on the cheek. I drove the car home at a very slow speed.