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Johnny was fortunate, his Mom only gave him a 5 minute lecture about
his detention after she signed the note from his teacher. She did inquire why he had left with one umbrella and
came back with another. Johnny explained to her that while he was staying after school some nasty kid had stolen
the umbrella she had given to him, then on his way home, some stranger had given him an umbrella and before he
could refuse the offer the man had disappeared.
His Mom didn't quite believe this story because she frowned at him and gave him a cold stare, luckily the phone
rang and his Mom got into a long conversation with a friend. They had just had been finishing dinner, so Johnny
took up the dinner plates, silverware, and glasses and rinsed them off in the sink. His mom would then load them
in the dishwasher later. He then raced into his room to finish his homework. He was off the hook for a while anyway.
Johnny lived alone with his mother Melody. He had never really known his dad. He had left after Johnny was born.
His Mom wouldn't talk about him very much. She just told Johnny that his father had to "go away".
The next day Johnny had softball practice after school. It was cloudy and overcast but no showers had moved back
into the area. They were going to play another Jr. High school's team that Saturday. Johnny had gotten up early
to complete his chores that he had not finished the night before.
Johnny wasn't one of the best players on the team. In fact he may have been close to the worst. He probably would
just sit on the bench all day Saturday. But it was fun practicing anyway.
The coach put them through some fielding and hit and run drills. As the practice was coming to a conclusion, Johnny
spotted that man who had called himself Al. He was standing by himself in left field halfway up the foul line.
Johnny ran over to him and asked "Are you a new teacher here or something?"
"I am a teacher of sorts Johnny but I am not assigned to this school."
The school system had strict regulations against strange adults hanging around the playgrounds where young children
conjugated. The students had been encouraged to report any suspicious activity.
"Are you following me? What do you want?"
Before Al could answer, a couple of Johnny's teammates yelled over to him from the dugout.
"Hey Johnny what are you doing over there talking to yourself? Come into the dugout, the coach wants to give
us some last minute instructions before the game tomorrow."
"Can't they see you?" Johnny asked in surprise.
"Yes they can, I am not invisible, but they choose not to. I can cast an aura of indifference around myself.
Unless they are specifically looking for a person of my description they won't notice me. Now hurry. Your coach
is waiting."
Johnny didn't even try and attempt to understand that last remark as he sprinted back to the dugout.
"That Al guy sure is a little bit on the strange side." Johnny thought as he later walked home from practice.
"Maybe I should tell Mom about him. No, I'll just keep it to myself for a while and see what happens. I don't
want to worry Mom unnecessarily."
Saturday came and despite another forecast of rain it turned out to be bright and sunny day. Both teams were warming
up on the field. This would be the last game before graduation. As usual they would play 7 innings. Their coach
called them into the dugout and read off the starting line-up. As suspected Johnny would not be starting. Johnny
had only gotten into a few games this year, always during the last inning when his team was either well ahead in
runs or so far behind that it didn't matter anymore.
They were playing on their home field so the other team came up to bat first. Two singles later, a tall lanky kid
came up and drove the ball over the left field fence. Just like that they were down 3 to 0. When Johnny's team
came up to bat in the last half of the inning, Jason their second basemen hit a sharp grounder between the third
baseman and the shortstop. It went out into left field and Jason tried to stretch it into a double. The throw came
in from the outfield and it looked like it was going to be a close play at second. Jason slid hard into the base
just beating the throw. His team cheered, and then the cheers quickly subsided as Jason called time and began to
hobble around. He kept bending over and looking at his right ankle. The coach went out and examined the injury,
then helped Jason off of the field. His ankle had swollen up like a balloon. The coach was going to have to send
him to the nurse who was on duty this morning. Jason would be out for the rest of the game.
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