Saturday morning Xavier and I got a donuts and coffee from Quality Dairy and went for a walk. As we were strolling along I noticed a new sidewalk cutting between two houses to the old armory and middle school. The new sidewalk opened to a large field and a small playground that looked fun. We ventured over, sat on a bench intended for people Xavier’s height and watched three children attempting to throw a baseball over the top of a batting fence while finishing our donuts.
The children were two girls and a boy, all around eight years old. One of the girls picked up and set down a bat briefly before resuming her turn at attempting to get the ball over the fence that topped off twenty feet in the air. Eventually, the girls decided to move on to other activities and left the boy to continue his solitary game. The boy tossed his ball a few more times then come over to the play set by where Xavier and I were finishing our Saturday morning donuts.
The boy was wearing a graphic tee and those nylon mesh Nike shorts that extend to just below the knee. On his neck he had a sunburst temporary tattoo. At least, I hopped it was temporary. He was fairly pleasant and commented that Xavier looked like his little brother. I nodded and smiled in response. The boy tossed his ball in the air and caught it a few times by the slide.
“Where’s you baseball bat?” I asked thinking maybe we may be able to start a toddler friendly version of baseball.
“It’s not mine. It’s Sasha’s,” the boy told me indicating one of the girls that had left the playground.
“Oh.”
“My dad used to throw the ball with me.”
“Is you dad at work,” I asked, curious.
“No, he is in jail. My step-dad is in jail too. My mom doesn’t pick good men. Everyone she likes ends up in jail.” The boy stuffed his ball into his pocket and picked up his bike. “I’m going to my friend’s house,” he told me.
“Bye-bye,” Xavier said as he waved his chocolate caked fingers. The boy nodded in return, mounted his bike then peddled toward the street. I kissed Xavier’s forehead in quiet disbelief. Some children become adults long before their parents.
