Chereads / The Not So Empty Paper / Chapter 10 - Playing Ball

Chapter 10 - Playing Ball

Sweat running down my face;

Dust clinging to the sweat.

The heat is excruciating.

Grass on my knees,

Dirt under my nails.

I look to the sky;

Not a cloud in sight.

Thick wood,

Hard and heavy in my hands.

I'm up to plate now.

They all move in,

It's because I'm a girl.

I hate when they do that.

A person on first and second.

I can't get "out"

I have to hit the ball,

If I don't,

I'll lose the game for the team.

My team. The Crusaders.

The pitcher throws the ball.

I know that I can't hit it,

So I get out of the way;

It almost hit me.

"Strike!" the umpire cries.

I want to yell at him;

To tell him off.

But I know that I can't.

The pitcher throws the ball again.

"Strike!" the umpire screams.

It gets on my nerves.

It's bad enough

That I'm nervous as it is;

And it's hard for me

To do things when I'm nervous.

The ball is thrown again.

This time it's a "Ball".

I'm glad for that.

Once more the ball flies

Away from the pitchers' mound.

This time it's right over the plate.

I place my hands into position,

Then I watch and I wait.

At the very last second.

I bunt the ball.

As the ball slowly rolls

Away from the home plate,

I run to first base.

Everyone else is either running

Or cheering me on;

Screaming "Go home. Go home."

To the players ahead of me

And "Go, go, go." to me.

I feel completely ecstatic.

I pass second base when I realize

That the third baseman

Has the ball in his mitt;

And I can't get back to

second base.

They keep throwing the ball

Back and forth to each other.

I realize that we can't keep

Playing "Goose Hunt" all day.

I think of a plan.

I fake right, fake left,

Then fake right again.

I go around the baseman

And I run to third base.

I hear a "Good job."

From someone in the dugout.

I look and see the coach,

Who is also my Mom, standing there.

I feel so proud.

The next person to bat

Is Todd What's-His-Name.

I know that he's going to hit a homerun

So I don't worry about it.

He hits the ball.

It's going, going, gone;

Right over the fence and into the field.

He starts to go around the plates,

And I walk on to home.

Later, after the championship,

I find out we had won third place.

We head back home,

Celebrating the victory of the Crusaders.