Curveball

by Derek Jeter

  True, Derek had been taken aback when Jumbo spat on the ground, and when he’d criticized Derek for helping Tiny up. But now Derek put his doubts aside. After all, Jumbo was the best shortstop he had ever played with. If Derek wanted to play for the real Yankees someday, he knew he would first have to be able to do the kinds of things he’d seen Jumbo do today.

  He promised himself he would work on each of those plays, from now on until he’d mastered them—all except going up the fence, of course. You couldn’t practice that, after all.

  “Yo, yo, man!” said Yo-yo, slapping Derek five. “You coming back next week?”

  “I . . . I think so,” Derek said, not really sure he’d be able to.

  “Good game, Jersey,” said Tiny, who’d taken off his catching gear and was mingling with the whole crew now, not just his own team. “You play pretty smart, for a little kid.”

  “I’m not a little kid!” Derek protested, even though he figured Tiny was just ribbing him.

  “Next to me you are. How old did you say you were?”

  “Eleven.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m almost thirteen, so there you go. Anyway, you coming back next time?”

  “I’m going to try,” Derek said truthfully. “But the thing is, even if I can get here next time, my friend is going to be visiting the week after that, and if I came then, he’d have to come too.”

  “Uh-huh.” Tiny thought for a moment, frowning. “Can he play?”

  “Oh yeah!” Derek assured him. “He can play.”

  Derek felt a little bit dishonest. Even though Dave was pretty good for Little League in Kalamazoo, Derek wasn’t really sure he could stand up to the level of play here. Still, he would have said anything at all if it meant he and Dave could get into a game here together!

  “Okay. I guess it’ll be all right. Bring him along, and we’ll fit him in somehow. Short center, maybe.”

  “Thanks, Tiny!” Derek said, shaking hands before saying good-bye to the whole gang and jogging over to where Uncle Ernie was waiting for him.

  On the way home Derek thought a lot about the best-played baseball game he’d ever been in.

  And he’d kept up! No, he’d more than held his own. On top of it all, he’d scored an invitation for next week, and one for both him and Dave the week after!

  That is, assuming all the grown-ups were down with the plan.

  Derek thought about Tiny and Jumbo, how they each carried themselves, on and off the field. They were both leaders but in totally different ways. Jumbo led by his spectacular talent on the field, and his mischievous, magnetic personality.

  Tiny, while he was a great player too, led more by his toughness behind the plate, and his kindness with the other kids. He would never, Derek was sure, do anything like spitting on the dirt, or not helping an opposing player up off the ground.

  “Great game, huh?” Uncle Ernie said, glancing at Derek in the rearview mirror.

  “Oh yeah,” Derek said.

  “Aunt Dorien said you made a heck of a play in the first inning. Sorry I missed that one.”

  Uncle Ernie had always been a big baseball fan. He loved to listen to Derek talk about his dream of playing for the Yankees. “That must have been exciting for you, huh, kid? Playing in the shadow of the stadium itself?”

  “I guess,” Derek said. He didn’t want to sound too excited.

  “Well! Aren’t you Mr. Cool now? You know, I see right through you.” They both laughed. “It’s okay. I was super-excited just to watch you play. You’ve come a really long way since last year.”

  “You think so?” Derek tried not to show how pleased he was.

  “No doubt,” said Uncle Ernie, edging the car through afternoon rush-hour traffic heading back over the bridge to New Jersey. “So . . . you playing again next week?”

  “If you can come and take me home. And if Aunt Dorien or somebody can drive me there. And if Grandma says it’s okay.”

  “Something tells me it’s all going to happen just like that,” said Ernie. “Is there anybody in this family who can say no to you when you get your mind set on something? Anyhow, you can count me in. I’m off work same time next week.”

  They drove home to Greenwood Lake, and Derek got out of the car. “Thanks, Uncle Ernie! You’re the best!” he said as he waved good-bye.

  “How was it?” Grandma asked when he came inside.

  “Awesome!” Derek replied, giving her a big hug. “And they invited me for next week! And they said Dave could play too!”

  “Whoa. Hold on, now, Derek!” said Grandma. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Your friend’s not coming till next Friday, so he won’t be here in time for the next game. Anyway, we’ll have to get his parents’ permission, I think. Staying here with us at the lake is one thing. Spending time in the city, with kids we don’t know, being supervised by relatives that Dave’s parents don’t know . . . Yes, we’ll have to run it by them.”

  Derek bit his lip. Dave’s parents were very protective of him. Would they allow him to play ball with older kids from the big city?

  Derek sure hoped so. He couldn’t wait to tell Dave the good news!

  Chapter Nine

  A DEAL IS A DEAL

  “Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!”

  “Hey, how’s it going back east?” his mom asked.

  “Awesome!” Derek told her. “You won’t believe what happened today!” He cradled the phone between his ear and his shoulder because both his hands were busy drying dishes.

  “Oh, put those down,” Grandma said in a hushed tone. “You can finish later.”

  Derek dried his hands and went on filling his parents in on all the news. “I got to play baseball in the Bronx today!”

  “Oh? Yes, Grandma told us about those kids inviting you,” his mom said.

  “How’d it go?” asked his dad.

  “It was the best game I ever played in! Dad, you should see these kids. They can do amazing stuff—all of them! Especially this kid Jumbo! He’s a shortstop! And he said I can play short for the other team next week, if I get permission to come.”

  “Again?” said his mom. “Oh, Derek, that’s asking a lot of Ernie and Dorien.”

  “The Bronx is far away,” said his dad, “and your aunt and uncle are busy people. They can’t always be getting you in and out of the city.”

  “But if they said yes?” Derek said in a pleading tone.

  There was a short silence on the other end of the line. “What does Grandma say?” asked his mom.

  Derek held out the phone, and Grandma took it. She listened, then said, “Ernie says everyone behaved themselves. . . . Oh, I’m sure they don’t mind. They’re big fans of his, you know. . . . They said he held his head up just fine with all those kids, yes. And some of them were older than him too! . . . Well, I’ll let you talk to him.” She handed the phone back to Derek.

  “Your grandma seems to think it’s okay, you playing over there,” said his dad.

  “So long as someone’s willing to get you there and supervise, it’s all right with us,” said his mom.

  Derek could see that Sharlee was shifting in her chair, itching to get on the phone with her mom and dad. Seizing the moment, he said, “By the way, the kids even said Dave could play too, when he comes!”

  “Well, that will be totally up to Dave’s parents,” said his mom. “We’ll get in touch with them, and I’m sure they’ll want to speak to your grandma about it too.”

  While Derek came from a huge extended family, Dave was an only child. His parents were protective, to put it mildly. In fact, they had allowed Dave to sleep over at Derek’s only after they’d gotten to know Mr. and Mrs. Jeter personally. Would they let Dave go off now with an aunt or uncle of Derek’s, a thousand miles away, to a strange neighborhood for a whole afternoon?

  “The last time we talked with them, they said Dave was really looking forward to seeing you,” said his mom. “Dave asked if he should bring his golf clubs.”

  “Umm . . . I don’t know,”
Derek said. “Aren’t those kind of heavy?”

  “Well, yes,” said his dad. “But I think your friend would like to play at least one round while he’s over there.”

  “I guess he can bring them,” Derek said. “But tell him not to forget his baseball mitt!”

  At that moment Sharlee grabbed the phone out of Derek’s hands. “Hi, Mommy! Hi, Daddy!” she said, so excited that she was practically jumping up and down. “Guess what? We’re having swimming races tomorrow!”

  Derek was about to complain about Sharlee grabbing the phone out of his hands, but he thought better of it. He didn’t want to get her upset when she was so happy.

  Ten minutes later he managed to get the phone back. “Hi,” he said.

  “Hi, old man,” said his mom. “Your sister sure sounds like she’s having a good time. You excited about the swim races too?”

  “Oh, I’m not going,” he told them. “I’m going to work with Grandpa tomorrow.”

  “Wow,” his dad said, sounding surprised. “That’s amazing, Derek. I hope you’re up for it.”

  “No sweat,” Derek said. “I’ve been working so hard all week, my muscles are twice the size they were before.”

  “Working?” his mom asked.

  “Uh-huh. Grandma and I made a deal, that if I worked for the money, Dave and I can go to another Yankees game while he’s here.”

  “And me too!” Sharlee butted in.

  “And Sharlee too,” Derek repeated into the phone. Sharlee crossed her arms in front of her chest and nodded, satisfied.

  “What kind of work?” his dad asked.

  “I’ve been mowing lawns, delivering papers, helping Grandma in the kitchen and with supervising the kids—”

  “He’s been a good worker!” Grandma called out from the sink, loud enough to be heard over the phone.

  “Well, that’s just great!” his mom congratulated him. “Good for you!”

  “We’re proud of you, Son,” said his dad.

  “I’m just . . . surprised Grandpa agreed to take you,” his mom said. “I don’t think he’s ever taken any of the kids your age to work with him.”

  “Don’t worry, Mom,” Derek said. “I can handle it.”

  “I hope so,” said his mom. “In any case, it’ll be a great learning experience.”

  After he hung up with his parents, Derek went back to drying the remaining dishes. He did kind of wish he could stay at the lake with his sister and cousins tomorrow, and be part of the swimming races and contests. But he’d made a commitment to his grandpa, and there was no getting out of it.

  • • •

  “Mmmph.” Derek forced one eye open. Grandpa was standing over his bed in the dark, peering down at him.

  “It’s time,” he said softly, so as not to wake Sharlee up. Not that he needed to worry about that. Sharlee always slept like a log.

  Derek squeezed his eyes shut and yawned. “What time is it?” he managed to get out.

  “Quarter to five. Time to go to work.” Grandpa straightened up. “I’ll see you downstairs in five minutes. Don’t go back to sleep, now.”

  He left the room, and Derek sat up in bed, knowing that if he didn’t, he would indeed go right back to sleep. As it was, he was still half in dreamland, though he couldn’t remember what it was he’d been dreaming about.

  He stood up, yawned again, stretched, and shuffled off to the bathroom to throw some cold water onto his face and brush his teeth. Then he got dressed and went downstairs, where his grandpa was already eating a bowl of cereal.

  “There’s yours,” he told Derek between mouthfuls, gesturing toward the countertop, where the box of cereal and a gallon of milk stood at the ready. “Don’t dawdle, now. We’ve got to leave in five minutes. Big day ahead.”

  Derek did as he was told, moving like a zombie, eating silently, just like his grandpa. Who would want to start a conversation at that hour, anyway? It was hard to talk when you were half out of it.

  They rinsed off their bowls and went outside. Grandpa led him over to his truck, and they got in. “Buckle up,” he told Derek. “This thing’s on her last legs. She bounces around some.”

  Sure enough, the truck must have blown its shock absorbers. Every time Derek started to nod off in the passenger seat, they’d hit a bump and he’d wake back up again. By the time they got to North Arlington, where the church was, it was six a.m. and the sun was rising.

  Derek blinked and shielded his eyes from the sun that was peeking out from behind the church, a large white wooden structure with a tall bell tower on the top.

  Next to the church itself was a big brick schoolhouse. Derek knew that the church had a school attached to it, but somehow he hadn’t realized it was that big a school. It was even bigger than Saint Augustine’s in Kalamazoo, where he was a student.

  “Well, here we are,” Grandpa said, shutting off the engine and putting on his baseball cap. “You ready to get to work?”

  “Mm-hmm,” Derek mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

  “Good. Let’s go see what Jordy’s up to.” Seeing the confusion on Derek’s face, Grandpa explained, “Jordy Johnson’s my work buddy here at the church. He’s a good hard worker. You learn to appreciate that about a person.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “But there is one thing you ought to know about Jordy,” Grandpa continued. “He doesn’t speak.”

  Derek cocked his head in confusion.

  “Just don’t let on that you notice” was all Grandpa said as he got out of the truck.

  They found Jordy in the equipment shed, hauling bags of cement off a pile and into a huge wheelbarrow. He was a big, tall man, towering over Derek’s grandpa. And Derek could tell by the way he hauled those heavy bags of cement that he was strong, too. “Jordy, this is my grandson Derek. Derek—Jordy Johnson, my partner.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Johnson,” said Derek. Jordy nodded and smiled at Derek but didn’t say anything in return.

  “If you need anything out there today,” Grandpa told Derek, “just go find Jordy, and he’ll help you out.”

  “Out there?” Derek repeated. “I thought I was going to work with you.”

  “Well, Jordy and I are fixing the sidewalks out front today. That’s heavy work. I found something else that needs doing, something you can handle while we’re busy with the sidewalks.”

  He wheeled out a big lawn mower and said, “Since you’ve got experience at lawn mowing, I figure you’ll be able to handle that one job today. Am I right?”

  “Just lawn mowing? That’s it? Sure thing!” Derek exclaimed, somewhat surprised, and relieved that he wouldn’t have to be hauling any sacks of cement. The sacks were nearly his size, and he could clearly read “50 lbs” stamped on the outside of each one.

  And mowing only one lawn? Why, he’d mown three in one morning the other day! This was going to be a breeze, he thought.

  “Good. Jordy, is she all gassed up?” Grandpa asked, looking at the mower. Jordy nodded, and Grandpa turned to Derek. “Come on, then. You take hold of her and follow me.”

  Derek pushed the lawn mower out of the shed and followed Grandpa around to the back of the school building, where the athletic fields were.

  “Here you go,” said Grandpa as they reached the field. It was already getting hot, and Derek could tell that the day would turn out to be a scorcher. “Empty the clippings in the brush on the sides of the field. There’s a water fountain over there if you get thirsty, and a toilet just inside that door.”

  Grandpa pointed to the nearest door into the school. “Anything else you need, just come and get us. We’ll be out front there.” With that, he left Derek to his work.

  Derek stared out at the football field. He hadn’t said anything to Grandpa when he’d first laid eyes on it. But looking at it now, he could see that he had a monster job ahead of him. The field was as big as twenty of the lawns he’d been mowing, and the grass was five times as high! Clearly no one had mowed this field for weeks, probab
ly since the end of the school year.

  Derek turned to his task for the day, starting up the big mower and pointing it at the field. I’m going to show Grandpa I can do this, he said to himself.

  Even though, in his heart of hearts, he was thinking, No possible way.

  Chapter Ten

  CUSTODIANS RULE

  The grass was superhigh. The mower weighed a ton and was much harder to push than any he’d worked with before. And the field, to put it mildly, was huge.

  Derek had to stop every two or three minutes, remove the bag of grass clippings, carry it over to the sidelines, and empty it somewhere in the brush on either side of the field, before reattaching the bag and moving on to the next patch of grass.

  By the time he’d gone up and down the field six times, he was already exhausted. He wasn’t wearing a watch, but he figured he couldn’t have been at it for more than an hour—more like half an hour, probably.

  The whole rest of the day, the whole rest of the field, loomed ahead of him like a giant black cloud. How was he ever going to get through till five o’clock, let alone finish the job his grandpa had given him?

  This was nothing like the lawns he’d been mowing up till now! Those had been tiny little square patches of sparse grass, with lots of shade from overhanging trees. Here he was totally out in the open, with the sun beating down on him.

  By the time the church bells rang eleven, Derek was ready to drop. Instead of carrying the full bag of clippings over to the side of the field, he was dragging the bag. After emptying it, he found himself resting for longer and longer spells there in the shade of the trees, before trudging back into the hot sun and continuing his labors.

  He’d been at it for four hours and change now, and the field was not even half done. Even if he kept up this pace all afternoon, he’d be done only just in time for the end of the workday.

  Derek had started out with full energy, and now it felt like that energy was almost spent. While he could gas up the mower if it ran out, there was no gassing up the kid pushing it.