Numero Dos...
A Pastime
by Remoy Philip
by Remoy Philip
"You better watch your ass. Give me a pitch to hit, and you know it'll be gone," said Jackson.
With an air of cockiness, "You don't worry about the pitching, I'll take care of that," replied Thomas.
The daylight had given it's final bows, and the night was about to put on a show. It was a cool evening in September. What had once been an everyday outing for the boys, had become an annual ritual for these men.
"Can we get this third out, It's time for some brews."
"Calm down, Reynolds. Look at that gut, I think you need the exercise over the beer," retorted Philip.
"And, why are we friends?" questioned Reynolds sarcasticly.
What had once been an intense game of six on six baseball, had grown into a battle of egos and wit between eight men. This diamond used to be a mecca for these boys. But now to these men, it was a vacation from their lives as fathers, businessmen, teachers, and lovers.
"I don't know about the rest of ya'll, but I have a wife and kids to get too. So could we please hurry it up," Taylor pleaded.
Dace replied, "Taylor, you're 29 and single; and you still live with your mom."
"Oh yeah."
Dace paused and said with a smile, "Hell, when was the last time you talked to a woman?"
"Well, if you want to count that lady you call your mother, I would have to say last night. And now that you brought it up, if you want to add that pretty lady you are dating, I would have to say, I've been busy this whole last week," said Taylor as the rest of the guys chuckled.
If you looked back about two decades you would see a small suburbian town that rested in the middle of nowhere. A town, with two distinctive looks. In the winter and spring, you would find boys attending to their mischief and homework. However, when the days grew longer, and the summer heat dominated the day, the boys took to their new lives. Lives that consisted of swimming pools, ice cream, girls, and baseball.
Jason, being the thinker of the group, asked, "Do you think we will ever see Nolan again?"
"Who?" asked James.
"Don't be a smartass James."
As James's temper gew, "Nolan, oh Nolan, The guy who was at one point our friend. The guy who was here everyday cracking jokes and cracking the bat. Nolan who swore that he would never let go of what we had. Nolan, the boy who at the first inkling of love, ran to it. Ran to it, and held on. Who grasped this supposed love, and never looked back. The boy who we all know is sitting being tortured by this, "love." Is that who you are talking about?"
As this so called world keeps turning, lives keep progressing. The boys started growing into men. Some stayed in the safe life of their town, and some left. Some went off to college and chased after lives of success. Their were also boys who never seemed to grow up. These boys never really could let go of their past. No matter how they chose to live, these boys would have to face their futures as men.
"Do you guys believe in faith" questioned Jason.
Thomas sat there somewhat perplexed, "What do you mean faith?"
"You know," replied Jason.
"Like in God?" asked Thomas.
"Yeah, Do you guys have faith in God?" Jason asked with a sense of desperation.
"Whoa," Dace interjected. "What's up with all the heavy talk man. Can't we just sit and enjoy the beers."
Jason sat looking at the dry ground in front of him, "Kathy has cancer."
The daily games would usually end every evening, and the boys would leave to go to their respective houses. Some houses were filled with families full of love and pride. Other houses were filled with pain and regret. But now after their annual game, the men would leave to go to the lives and families they were responsible for.
"Hey, Jackson. Remember when you broke the windshield of Tom Farley's '67 Camaro?" Philip asked.
Jackson laughed to himself, "Man that was a damn good hit. I mean it seemed like I was staring down that ball for hours."
"Yeah we were all staring it down,until we all heard the crash of breaking glass," replied Taylor. "Then we were staring at Camaro that had lost about a $1000 in value."
"I mean a car is a car, but a hit like that comes around only once in a lifetime," replied Jackson.
"So does death. And you were assured that, when Tom Farley found out." Jason said.
"This is the last round of beers," Philip said. "Let's make the most of it."
Some say that life is what you make out of it. Well to these men, their lives were molded and created by each other. This was their history. A history of boys who grew each other into men.
Taking the last sip of his beer, Reynolds looked at his friends and said, "Well guys, I'm out of here."
"I think I'm going to just sleep here tonight," replied James.
"Well, I guess that means there is open spot next to your wife," Dace said looking at James.
"Do you like your balls? Do you? Cause I will take them away!" Answered James.
"You boys have a good evening." Philip said as he restrained from yawning. "I have to catch a plane in the morning."
"You need a ride to the airport in the morning?" asked Jason. "Cause if you do, I'll take you."
Philip giving a nod to Jason, "Thanks Man."
"It's been a fun one." said Thomas. "But I'm getting too old for this. I mean, I'm thinking about retiring. I think I'm stepping away. I'm throwing in the towel. I'm starting to see the light."
"And the Oscar goes too..." Jackson said sarcasticaly.
"We will see you next year?" Taylor asked the group.
The group replied almost in unison, "You know it!"
With an air of cockiness, "You don't worry about the pitching, I'll take care of that," replied Thomas.
The daylight had given it's final bows, and the night was about to put on a show. It was a cool evening in September. What had once been an everyday outing for the boys, had become an annual ritual for these men.
"Can we get this third out, It's time for some brews."
"Calm down, Reynolds. Look at that gut, I think you need the exercise over the beer," retorted Philip.
"And, why are we friends?" questioned Reynolds sarcasticly.
What had once been an intense game of six on six baseball, had grown into a battle of egos and wit between eight men. This diamond used to be a mecca for these boys. But now to these men, it was a vacation from their lives as fathers, businessmen, teachers, and lovers.
"I don't know about the rest of ya'll, but I have a wife and kids to get too. So could we please hurry it up," Taylor pleaded.
Dace replied, "Taylor, you're 29 and single; and you still live with your mom."
"Oh yeah."
Dace paused and said with a smile, "Hell, when was the last time you talked to a woman?"
"Well, if you want to count that lady you call your mother, I would have to say last night. And now that you brought it up, if you want to add that pretty lady you are dating, I would have to say, I've been busy this whole last week," said Taylor as the rest of the guys chuckled.
If you looked back about two decades you would see a small suburbian town that rested in the middle of nowhere. A town, with two distinctive looks. In the winter and spring, you would find boys attending to their mischief and homework. However, when the days grew longer, and the summer heat dominated the day, the boys took to their new lives. Lives that consisted of swimming pools, ice cream, girls, and baseball.
Jason, being the thinker of the group, asked, "Do you think we will ever see Nolan again?"
"Who?" asked James.
"Don't be a smartass James."
As James's temper gew, "Nolan, oh Nolan, The guy who was at one point our friend. The guy who was here everyday cracking jokes and cracking the bat. Nolan who swore that he would never let go of what we had. Nolan, the boy who at the first inkling of love, ran to it. Ran to it, and held on. Who grasped this supposed love, and never looked back. The boy who we all know is sitting being tortured by this, "love." Is that who you are talking about?"
As this so called world keeps turning, lives keep progressing. The boys started growing into men. Some stayed in the safe life of their town, and some left. Some went off to college and chased after lives of success. Their were also boys who never seemed to grow up. These boys never really could let go of their past. No matter how they chose to live, these boys would have to face their futures as men.
"Do you guys believe in faith" questioned Jason.
Thomas sat there somewhat perplexed, "What do you mean faith?"
"You know," replied Jason.
"Like in God?" asked Thomas.
"Yeah, Do you guys have faith in God?" Jason asked with a sense of desperation.
"Whoa," Dace interjected. "What's up with all the heavy talk man. Can't we just sit and enjoy the beers."
Jason sat looking at the dry ground in front of him, "Kathy has cancer."
The daily games would usually end every evening, and the boys would leave to go to their respective houses. Some houses were filled with families full of love and pride. Other houses were filled with pain and regret. But now after their annual game, the men would leave to go to the lives and families they were responsible for.
"Hey, Jackson. Remember when you broke the windshield of Tom Farley's '67 Camaro?" Philip asked.
Jackson laughed to himself, "Man that was a damn good hit. I mean it seemed like I was staring down that ball for hours."
"Yeah we were all staring it down,until we all heard the crash of breaking glass," replied Taylor. "Then we were staring at Camaro that had lost about a $1000 in value."
"I mean a car is a car, but a hit like that comes around only once in a lifetime," replied Jackson.
"So does death. And you were assured that, when Tom Farley found out." Jason said.
"This is the last round of beers," Philip said. "Let's make the most of it."
Some say that life is what you make out of it. Well to these men, their lives were molded and created by each other. This was their history. A history of boys who grew each other into men.
Taking the last sip of his beer, Reynolds looked at his friends and said, "Well guys, I'm out of here."
"I think I'm going to just sleep here tonight," replied James.
"Well, I guess that means there is open spot next to your wife," Dace said looking at James.
"Do you like your balls? Do you? Cause I will take them away!" Answered James.
"You boys have a good evening." Philip said as he restrained from yawning. "I have to catch a plane in the morning."
"You need a ride to the airport in the morning?" asked Jason. "Cause if you do, I'll take you."
Philip giving a nod to Jason, "Thanks Man."
"It's been a fun one." said Thomas. "But I'm getting too old for this. I mean, I'm thinking about retiring. I think I'm stepping away. I'm throwing in the towel. I'm starting to see the light."
"And the Oscar goes too..." Jackson said sarcasticaly.
"We will see you next year?" Taylor asked the group.
The group replied almost in unison, "You know it!"