by Jan Prins
“Hello Miss Megan, may I introduce myself: I am Amaia, I am the aunt of these children. Pleasant! “Miss Megan looked at her if she saw a ghost appearance. “An aunt?” “Yes” began to explain to Aunt Amaia. “When you visited yesterday, you spoke to Zach very harshly about the fact that it was such a mess. When you were gone, he realized through your remarks all the more that an experienced woman’s hand was needed in this house. That’s why he called me and asked if I wanted to help them. And I like that. They are dear children, I like to take care of that. “
Miss Megan had to swallow something before she said, “Yes, you see, I’ve been trying to speak to the mother for weeks because I’m worried. Merry and yesterday also Zach explained to me that because she is helping a sick family member who is dying, she can not speak to me, but now that you are there I can tell you what worries me. ” “Would be nice if you told me that,” said Aunt Amaia. “Then maybe I can do something about it.” And there came the complaints about Ethan. Since his mother was no longer there she noticed that he was anxious and sometimes also very aggressive and she wanted to see if there were sometimes problems at home.
“Thank you for that,” said the aunt with care in her voice “Will keep me extra busy, hopefully he will come to himself. But something different, you just said that you had called Carolyn regularly, but did you try her mobile number too? ”” Of course I have, but she does not answer “answered Megan, annoyed. “Can I see that number you’re calling?” Miss Megan did that. “Oh, now I understand,” said the aunt, “that’s an old number! I will give you the new number “and she gave her another mobile number.
“Well,” said Miss Megan, “Aunt Amaia, you have completely reassured me. Zach, very sensible that you called your aunt directly. It will all go better now. “She gave aunt a polite hand and nodded to Zach, who let her out. Back in the room, they saw Miss Megan peeping through the window as she dialed a number on her cell phone.
At the same moment, Merry crossed the phone above me, she looked at the screen and saw that it was Miss Megan. “With Carolyn” she recorded and did as much as possible the voice of her mother. She heard the surprise in Miss Megan’s voice when she heard Carolyn’s name. Now she could finally speak to the mother and discuss her complaints about Ethan. That she did full of fire and spoke about the fear and the aggressive moods of Ethan and told all kinds of juicy details. “Carolyn” reacted - as befits a mother - shocked and said to pay attention to it. “Fortunately my sister, Aunt Amaia, has now come into the house for the time I am here. I will also call her and discuss it with her, she will certainly take action. “
“That’s a real reassurance for me if you want to do that. I would be very sorry if such a small kid would develop wrong as Ethan. That is what we are at school for, also to pay attention to that. Very unfortunate that I had your old mobile number in the administration, but okay, now I have spoken to you and that is a pack of my heart! “
Merry had to make an effort not to burst out laughing and finally ended the conversation.
She walked downstairs, to the two others in the pact and gave each other a High Five and laughed in full! “Just masterfully,” Zach cried, “You are a bunch of me, great thought, they are totally into it!” He looked at Amaia admiringly. “I think you missed the stage as a stage actress, great !!” and he hugged her fervently. to thank. Amaia gladly underwent this embrace by such a sporty and athletic young man, who was certainly attractive. It is a pity that he was much too young for her, or was that no more …
Merry looked at it with a smile and thought of hers, Zach … “We drink something, boys,” and she pulled Cola out of the fridge, and while they were drinking it she could not leave it at a minus. to point out. “But what I do not understand is the criticism she has on Ethan’s behavior.” “No, neither do I,” Zach said thoughtfully. “Have never noticed anything like that, on the contrary it is a very quiet boy for his age who does not making strange freaks. “Amaia then said what they were all thinking about:” He just misses his mother! “They nodded in agreement and just wanted to go on, when Merry put her finger on her lips. Ethan had quietly gone down the stairs and stood listening in the corridor …
“Hi dude, are you sitting with us? Do you also get a Cola? “But Ethan just looked at them and then went back upstairs to his room and fell down crying on his bed..
Left
It was time again: Zach was alone at home with Ethan again! The success of a few days ago was what had settled down and the peace had returned. They had kept a tidy house, but he was bored again here, while he actually had to be on the baseball field. His buddies called him at every turn and he was tired of explaining again and again that it was because his mother had to work overtime. He was completely fed up!
Merry was at work and would then go out with Chad again. She had still not introduced him to him and that undoubtedly struck him. She went out and made a lot of fun and that just in the time that he would have it with his mates and could play baseball, it was just wry and he started to get more and more excited.
It was time to eat again so he dragged himself into the kitchen to bake hamburgers and fries. Where was his mother? Where was Merry? It is not normal that he, as a man, as a young man, still had to play the housewife here? He should not be here at all !! His place was on the sports field, homeruns hit, catch and throw balls !! This was the last place to be !!
He had a beer of pure frustration and more followed during the evening. By the time Merry was brought home he did not look completely clear from his eyes, and when he also saw that she said good-bye to Chad right under the lamppost at the door, his anger manifested itself as a volcano.
At the moment that Merry stepped in, the bomb burst and she got all the anger that had built up to the head.
“It’s just not fair! You’re just on the road and I can not go any further! Do you realize that together we are in a crisis here and that we should be working on that. And then TOGETHER “he said bitterly. This way I am all alone and you do nothing about it. You just look like your mother by neglecting us as a family and choosing for your own pleasure !! “
Merry’s mouth fell open due to the very unexpected tantrum of her favorite brother. She had never heard him talk like that before and then in such a way and with such reproaches that did not touch the wall! In her turn she also felt anger rise and she just wanted to give Zach a reply when her eyes fell on the collection of beer bottles. The penny fell, she walked up to him, hugged him and gave a kiss. “You’re right, Zach. Are you going to sleep with? I think you are tired of all that careful “and she took him upstairs, as a child he let him take with him and she led him into his room where he fell asleep with clothing and immediately on the bed. She looked down on him: one thing was certain: it could not continue like this!
She went downstairs and grabbed her cell phone to call Chad. Without explaining it, she said their plans for the coming time and no matter how he insisted, she did not want to explain it to him. He reacted with disbelief and became angry at a certain point and said that he had the right to do so. “Once I explain it to you” see them “But I can not do that now, you have to be patient !!” “Do not understand, do you want to make it or something?” “There’s nothing to make out” she also stimulated “We are not married, we are only friends and that is enough at the moment.” Chad fell silent “I really had the impression that there was more between us” he said in a sad voice “You have no idea how much pain you are doing to me. A lot of pain … “and then he broke the connection.
Merry looked at the device and started to cry. What a situation: upstairs an evil brother was lying in bed, and further down the Madeley Lane in Bowie was a sad friend. She was literally in between two fires! What should she choose? She loved both! What now…
Scholarship
It was the hour for Zach, the day he had to play the first baseball game of the new season, the match in which the scout came to judge him for the award of the scholarship of
that University! He had risen early to find all his sports equipment and put them in the sports bag. He had washed his sportswear the previous day and ironed himself (!). So he was ready for it. In the morning he had practiced with Ethan, as far as that was possible within the limits of a normal driveway!
Now he cycled to the sports fields of the Prince George`s Stadium, there was the baseball field where he had to play in the back corner, nicknamed the Kuil. That was a beautiful field with nature around it so that balls that went over the fence could not do any damage. The game would start at two, they would play against a team from the Orioles Baltimore. Ethan was behind, he could not leave it alone at home. It was a pity that Merry did not come along, although he thought she might have been free for that, but she was still pretty embarrassed about what he’d said to her in his drunken mood. Stupid he was !! He did not know that well anymore, but apparently it was tough because she did not want to talk about it anymore. That she suddenly did not go out with Chad, he found strange, but maybe they got into a fight or something like that.
To his surprise Amaia was waiting for him at the entrance of the Pit. “Hi, Zach, I’m encouraging you. If you like it! “She said with a sweet smile. Zach`s heart jumped and he hugged her. “Of course, I’m glad you’re here. Merry can not, so I can use some help! Is it good that Ethan is with you? Is a bit safer than in the dug-out. “So it was agreed and Zach helped her through the entrance so she did not have to pay an entrance fee and went to change clothes in the changing room.
Before he walked into the field, Amaia was there for a last encouragement and they talked back and forth. Ethan rummaged around in the background when Amaia grabbed him by the arm and said softly in his ear: “Tell Zach, I would not count on Carolyn, your mother, to come back. You better prepare yourself for being so alone on your own. “He looked at her appallingly.” Do you have to tell me exactly that just before the most important race of my life? “And he jerked himself free and strode furiously at the dugout. .
The Bowie Baysox Baseball Club team started to throw themselves into the field and when Zach was busy with that he calmed down a bit, but he still felt agitated and fanatically threw the ball in all directions. Because he probably also had to come in as a pitcher, he also practiced with the catcher. His balls turned out to be razor sharp and with a speed he had rarely shown before. The coach looked approvingly and the scout also admired this from the stands. This looked really good! The feeling of Amaia also told her that the boy could do something about it; he looked great in his tightly cut baseball outfit!
It was time for the cheerleaders to put the audience in the mood and supported by music they literally and figuratively put their best foot forward. Zach looked from the corner of his eye, he always thought it was beautiful! At one point they ran into two and the teams lined up for their dug-out. A female singer walked up the field and started to play the national anthem beautifully in American tradition. Everyone was on hand with the hand. The crowd then clapped loudly and cheers rose as the teams prepared for the game and walked up the field.
The first of the nine innings broke, the opposing team won the toss and chose to be the first to start. The pitcher of the Bowie team did his best to get a triple strike from the batter, but still had to walk twice, leaving two men on base when the next batter was on the plate and with the first pitched ball already a a great nice ball hit that right on the short stop - this was Zach - was down and this one with a high jump that just managed to catch, he tapped directly to second base so that the running player was out and threw the ball with such a huge speed to the home plate - so that the in-between-in-the-pitching pitcher had to fall flat on the ground in order not to be hit - where the catcher caught him and could tap the running player: out of three and thus change! A big applause was Zach’s part, he could not go wrong! He waved triumphantly to the audience and to Amaia and Ethan in particular.
And this was just the beginning! Team Bowie then struck, and Zach was also successful, as a pitcher, he had a sharp look at how the ball could go and he hit him, that was a triple and he was already on third base. The next batter placed a bunt on which he could enter. And so, after the inning, the inning continued, and then one team was in front and then the other. For Zach, the most important thing of course was how he would be judged as a player, but of course it would be nice if their team won. In the seventh inning, coach Hux thought it was time to bring in a new pitcher and his choice fell on Zach, who had been playing well so far. He started pitching with the catcher and moments later he was on the mound to throw the last three innings, the innings that would determine the end result!
Zach straight his back and stood ready with his one-and-a-half ninety to begin, he gave a sign to the flap of his baseball cap, which was a secret sign to the catcher to indicate where he could expect the ball, put his foot on the plate and there he threw his first ball. He tried to keep the players short by literally putting them on the wrong leg by letting the ball pass over the home plate at the last minute, but then between the height of the knee and the batter’s shoulder, was considered, but so the batter did not hit because he thought that the ball would end up and count it as wide. The speed of throwing and being able to give the effect on the ball was essential for this game and Zach did his utmost to achieve the best possible result.
While throwing, he also kept a close eye on the pitch to see if there was not a player from the opposing team, who was on base, trying to steal a base and he was not afraid to throw in his field players to try a player to be able to tap. A daring game, but fascinating to see and the audience appreciated that very much.
Slowly, Bowie’s team broke out, but the opposing team came alongside again in the last inning and with two men on first and second base threatened the danger that they would win. These players tried to steal a base all the time so that they could eventually cross the home plate. With two hitters out, Zach ruddled that and when the player ran from second base to third base, Zach turned quickly and threw the ball to the third baseman, the player stopped abruptly and tried to run back to the third base. second base, but the third baseman threw the ball quickly to the short stop and then again to the second baseman. The player saw the way back closed, he could not go any further, and finally it became a game between four field players and it was Zach who eventually tapped him out! The audience was on the benches and the match was in favor of home team decided with Zach in a decisive role!
Hux, their coach, ran to Zach and congratulated him with his beautiful game “Boy if you do not get a scholarship I burn my baseball glove, great boy is very proud of you !! And that without training! Can you check what you have in you !! “he said shaking his head.
A young man emerged from the audience and introduced himself to Zach as the scout of the University. “Zach, I do not know where you got it from, I was already a fan of you, but today you’ve played that better !! My compliments!! Can I imagine that we are going to eat a pizza together with Hux to discuss the details of the fair? “
Zach first took a shower and in the locker room he was praised for his play on all sides. He undressed and walked out and was surprised by the fact that Merry was suddenly there, with of course Amaia and the little Ethan! “Merry, how nice that you’ve come anyway!” “Yes, of course, I need to be there when my brother plays the stars of heaven!” He looked at her in dismay. “But …” he began laboriously speaking. Merry silenced him by putting her finger on his mouth and absolutely saying: “Do not we talk about, forgive and forget!” “Zach, Zach, what a nice throw” crowed a young voice and Ethan jumped at him on. “Thank you, dude, that’s because you practiced with me. Look, this cap is for you because you did that “and he pushed his baseball cap on the little head of his brother.
He looked around. “I still miss one person,” he said delusively. “Do not let Zach” said the decided voice of Amaia “You did it all yourself and nobody else, be proud.” He looked at her “I know a person who gave me the last boost” and I will
never forget!!”
That evening there was a discussion in the Italian restaurant Vocelli Pizza on the Annapolis Road that would prove decisive for the further life of Zach. The scout appeared to have a large budget at his disposal and Zach presented a contract with which he received a scholarship to study at the University for the next three years and at the same time to exercise, with the guarantee that he would then be allowed to enter the Eastern League. playing at the first team of Baltimore Orioles against a starting salary that was so high that it was impossible to pronounce. He was a decent man and he gave Zach the opportunity to discuss it privately with his coach Hux. It was absolutely decided “Boy, I have never seen such a beautiful contract. Please pick him up with both your hands !! “And so Zach went home that evening with the contract of his life.
Love Sickness
Coming back from the city, Zach strikes his sister in tears, asking what is going on, he gets no answer, she does not want to talk about it. No matter how he insists, she does not say anything, she only cries softly and looks sadly in front of her.
Zach has a suspicion: it will have to do with Chad because she no longer goes out with him. He finds it very annoying for her and heartbreak is a very intense emotion. He leaves her alone and turns on the television to break the silence. He goes to the fridge for a while and takes a Cola with them, gently putting them in front of her. He still feels guilty that in his drunken mood he has been so angry with her. He now realizes that this is mainly the cause of their breakage.