I thought I was pretty normal, especially growing up, and maybe a bit too normal. As for luck, I never had much of it, but it did show its face from time to time. One case was when I just turned eighteen, a senior in high school, starting late because of the month I was born.
It was late in the baseball season. I mostly rode the bench, but that was fine with me. But one day, a scout was out to see our hot-shot pitcher, and, luck had it, our shortstop was out due to sickness. I was as surprised as anyone when the coach penciled my name in to take his spot, but he did, and that would change everything.
The strange thing was how I was on it, playing the game of my life. Great fielding, and I went four for four at bat, two homers, a double, and the hard-to-do triple. As I figured, the scout and coach met up with Hot-shot, Andy was his name. As for me, it was the showers and then home.
I didn't bother to say anything about my play as my dad would just call me a liar, and with good reason, as I said it was the game of my life. But as mom was clearing the dinner dishes, the doorbell rang, and a moment later, there was the scout following her. "Your boy had one hell of a game today." (My dad's misbelief melted away when he offered me a scholarship.) "Yes, a full ride on us," he said.
Even if I didn't want it, I had to, just from the look on mom's face, she never looked so proud of me. And after a few months there, I was heading off to school. I'm sure someone thought it was a favor, and I guess in a way it made sense, but they placed Andy and me in the same dorm room.
It didn't take long for the coaches to figure out I was little more than a benchwarmer, and even less time for Andy to lead them to the opinion. But a deal was a deal, and I was getting a free education, where it would have never happened any other way. So I didn't push back, did what I could, and supported the team. And in time, they accepted me and let it be. But not for Andy, he gave me shit at any opportunity he could and because he was the teams Ace nobody gave him any pushback.
It was a Friday after a long week, I went down to the local beer hall to try my luck. It just so happened that many of my teammates were there also, and I was happy to join them. They were just getting started on some kind of seafood feast, fish and all sorts of things. Being a Midwest boy, it was kinda gross, truth be told, and I couldn't refuse their hospitality. I'm not sure if it was the food or my head, but I quickly began to feel sick, so sick I excused myself and hurried home to puke.
When I got there, the signal couldn't be clearer, a sock on he doorknob. This meant do not enter, getting busy inside. But at that point, it was either break the rules or toss my cookies in the hallway. So I turned the knob and let myself in. There on the bed was Andy, happily locked in a 69, I snuck by without notice, barely making it in time. After brushing my teeth, I considered waiting them out in the bathroom. But odds are that was their next stop, and I had made it past them without notice once, so why not a second time?
