Monday, January 4, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Playing Catch
Playing Catch
Lizzie had been married for about six months and was deliriously happy. She considered herself very lucky to have found a divorced man with a 12 year old son who lived with his mother in a nearby town. Donald had a wonderful sense of humor, enjoyed sports and it seemed as if his son, James, was taking to Lizzie quite nicely.
As was common among divorced folk with children, children would visit one night a week and every other week-end with the parent they were not living with full-time. Lizzie loved it when James came up to visit. She had had no children from her first marriage and not too much contact with children. Nonetheless, she had an easy way with kids as she was interested in their thoughts and what they were doing.
James had arrived that Friday night in early June and the blended family had a casserole and salad dinner together in front of the TV. James delighted in playing with Lizzie’s Siamese cat, named Charlie. There were no animals in his mother’s house. Charlie thought it was great fun to following a red laser beam around the living room which James directed around the furniture and up the staircase to the second floor. Following the beam everywhere, Charlie exhausted himself and then flopped down next to James, breathing heavily.
“That’s probably enough exercise for him,” laughed Donald. “You’ve got a convert to that game, James!”
“And I’ll probably have to play it every time I come now!” James grinned as he rubbed Charlie’s head.
The next morning, Lizzie, Donald and James travelled the few miles to the bowling alley where James played every Saturday in a youth bowling league. He was getting to be quite good and he enjoyed the interaction he had with the other boys. After bowling, the little family had a pizza lunch, did some grocery shopping and returned home.
Lizzie had put a load of laundry in the washer before she had left and now she ran it through the dryer. As she took the laundry upstairs, she could hear Donald and James out in the yard.
“Come on, Dad, give me a real good ball!”
“Here you go! Watch it!”
“Hey, Dad, that was too high!”
“Well, you gotta jump up, kiddo!”
“Aw, Dad!” Lizzie looked out the window and saw James going over to the far side of the lawn which was bordered by a hill and a lot of scrub brush. She smiled as she saw James pick the ball out of the brush.
She looked at the clock and got a start. She was a member of a committee that was starting to organize a grassroots political campaign for a local candidate. She would have to hurry to make it in time for the meeting. It was scheduled to begin in an hour.
Swishing in and out of the shower, she pulled on a bra, pantyhose and a blouse and a skirt. Pushing her feet into shoes with three inch heels, she fluffed her hair which was little wet from the shower with a brush, dabbed some powder on her face and applied lipstick. Grabbing a light sweater and her purse, she ran down the stairs, and opened the door to the backyard to tell “her boys” she would be back in about an hour and a half.
“Hey, guys! Have to go to that meeting! Should be back by 5PM.” She turned to go.
Donald called to her, “Come on out, Lizzie and see if you can hit the ball!” He knew that his wife was a natural athlete.
“Don’t be silly, love, I’ve got heels and a skirt on.” Lizzie started to laugh.
“I’m sure you can do it. I won’t throw it too hard.”
Reluctantly, Lizzie walked down into the yard and took the bat that Donald handed to her. She caught a glimpse of James’ face which registered total disbelief. No way was she going to hit that hitting that ball. He started to laugh That did it! Lizzie took the challenge.
She approached the area of home plate, threw off her sweater and lifted the bat.
The ball seemed to slide so slowly toward her. Pushing as much weight as possible on the front of her feet, she started to swing the bat and leaned into the swing with her hips keeping her eye on the ball. The swing felt good.
With a loud crack, the ball took off, sailing high in the air.
Lizzie heard James yell as she lifted to head to see where the ball had gone.
“Holy Crow! How’d she do that, Dad?” A pause. “Jeez, I don’t know where it is!
“Well, you’re the fielder, son. I’ll bet it went pretty far into the brush.” Pausing a bit, Donald pushed another comment into the air. “Women can always surprise you!”
He turned, grinning and with three giant steps wrapped his arms around Lizzie and hugged her hard. Lizzie raised her eyebrows. “I hope he can find the ball. Wish I hadn’t hit it so hard!”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m glad that you slammed it! Makes James think about what women can do! Now go to your meeting.” Donald patted Lizzie on the back end as she opened the back door.
Before closing the door, she heard James call out, “Criminy crickets, Dad, what else can she do?”
“Well, son, that’s going to be one of the fun things in your life: finding out what women can and can not do!”
Lizzie had been married for about six months and was deliriously happy. She considered herself very lucky to have found a divorced man with a 12 year old son who lived with his mother in a nearby town. Donald had a wonderful sense of humor, enjoyed sports and it seemed as if his son, James, was taking to Lizzie quite nicely.
As was common among divorced folk with children, children would visit one night a week and every other week-end with the parent they were not living with full-time. Lizzie loved it when James came up to visit. She had had no children from her first marriage and not too much contact with children. Nonetheless, she had an easy way with kids as she was interested in their thoughts and what they were doing.
James had arrived that Friday night in early June and the blended family had a casserole and salad dinner together in front of the TV. James delighted in playing with Lizzie’s Siamese cat, named Charlie. There were no animals in his mother’s house. Charlie thought it was great fun to following a red laser beam around the living room which James directed around the furniture and up the staircase to the second floor. Following the beam everywhere, Charlie exhausted himself and then flopped down next to James, breathing heavily.
“That’s probably enough exercise for him,” laughed Donald. “You’ve got a convert to that game, James!”
“And I’ll probably have to play it every time I come now!” James grinned as he rubbed Charlie’s head.
The next morning, Lizzie, Donald and James travelled the few miles to the bowling alley where James played every Saturday in a youth bowling league. He was getting to be quite good and he enjoyed the interaction he had with the other boys. After bowling, the little family had a pizza lunch, did some grocery shopping and returned home.
Lizzie had put a load of laundry in the washer before she had left and now she ran it through the dryer. As she took the laundry upstairs, she could hear Donald and James out in the yard.
“Come on, Dad, give me a real good ball!”
“Here you go! Watch it!”
“Hey, Dad, that was too high!”
“Well, you gotta jump up, kiddo!”
“Aw, Dad!” Lizzie looked out the window and saw James going over to the far side of the lawn which was bordered by a hill and a lot of scrub brush. She smiled as she saw James pick the ball out of the brush.
She looked at the clock and got a start. She was a member of a committee that was starting to organize a grassroots political campaign for a local candidate. She would have to hurry to make it in time for the meeting. It was scheduled to begin in an hour.
Swishing in and out of the shower, she pulled on a bra, pantyhose and a blouse and a skirt. Pushing her feet into shoes with three inch heels, she fluffed her hair which was little wet from the shower with a brush, dabbed some powder on her face and applied lipstick. Grabbing a light sweater and her purse, she ran down the stairs, and opened the door to the backyard to tell “her boys” she would be back in about an hour and a half.
“Hey, guys! Have to go to that meeting! Should be back by 5PM.” She turned to go.
Donald called to her, “Come on out, Lizzie and see if you can hit the ball!” He knew that his wife was a natural athlete.
“Don’t be silly, love, I’ve got heels and a skirt on.” Lizzie started to laugh.
“I’m sure you can do it. I won’t throw it too hard.”
Reluctantly, Lizzie walked down into the yard and took the bat that Donald handed to her. She caught a glimpse of James’ face which registered total disbelief. No way was she going to hit that hitting that ball. He started to laugh That did it! Lizzie took the challenge.
She approached the area of home plate, threw off her sweater and lifted the bat.
The ball seemed to slide so slowly toward her. Pushing as much weight as possible on the front of her feet, she started to swing the bat and leaned into the swing with her hips keeping her eye on the ball. The swing felt good.
With a loud crack, the ball took off, sailing high in the air.
Lizzie heard James yell as she lifted to head to see where the ball had gone.
“Holy Crow! How’d she do that, Dad?” A pause. “Jeez, I don’t know where it is!
“Well, you’re the fielder, son. I’ll bet it went pretty far into the brush.” Pausing a bit, Donald pushed another comment into the air. “Women can always surprise you!”
He turned, grinning and with three giant steps wrapped his arms around Lizzie and hugged her hard. Lizzie raised her eyebrows. “I hope he can find the ball. Wish I hadn’t hit it so hard!”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m glad that you slammed it! Makes James think about what women can do! Now go to your meeting.” Donald patted Lizzie on the back end as she opened the back door.
Before closing the door, she heard James call out, “Criminy crickets, Dad, what else can she do?”
“Well, son, that’s going to be one of the fun things in your life: finding out what women can and can not do!”
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