The clock had read 3:30, only thirty minutes after school let out. Yet it had felt like hours.
Benny once again had stayed after school, not on his voluntary actions, but of detention. It had been the third time this week Benny had arrived late to school, and quite frankly his teacher was growing tired some of this act.
He slouched in an old wooden desk, with scratches on the table. He repeatedly shaded them in with his pencil and then erased them as he rested his head on his hand and gazed at the tagged artwork.
"How longer can this take?" Benny thought to himself.
Mr. Muller watched Benny as he organized his paperwork in the corner of his room into portfolios neatly lined in his cupboards. Even though he was quiet a stickler himself, he could not help feel sorry for his student. Through time a teacher can tell a student who tries from a student who doesn't and at this moment Benny was just a student caught at the wrong time, though what is there to do? Mr. Muller looked at his watch, 3:40, twenty minutes to go. He could watch this kid for another twenty minutes, or call it a day and just head home to greet his wife and do paperwork there.
Mr. Muller cleared his throat, "Listen Benny,"
Benny gazed up.
"To be honest I have got to head home, and your causes for detention don't seem that severe so I guess we can just settle the rest or this detention some other time. Now don't think that I'll forget, the next time you'll do anything and you end up in detention again I'll be sure to add the twenty minutes remaining form today. Alright? Good, well go on home then. Be sure to do the homework I assigned and please, stop coming late!"
Benny smirked and put his hat on, "Sure Mr. Muller, I'll see you tomorrow"
Benny walked out of the classroom and then out of the school and quickly mounted on his bike as he adjusted himself while he was already pedaling. Soon he later started up his radio his brother gave him that he tied to the front and searched through the stations finally settling on one as it played, "The Wanderer" by Dion.
For one thing for sure he wasn't heading home, not yet. He was going over to the sandlot, there was not a day where he wouldn't stop by that place it was like his sanctum.
The ride had gotten smoother as he rode over the dirt and slowly pedaled to a stop as he gazed over the sandlot. It wasn't long until he realized no one was really there, and then he saw Ham and Yeah Yeah pitching. Odd sight to see, especially considering that it was Thursday, and well there wasn't much to do on Thursdays.
Benny quickly walked over to the pair and shouts "Hey what's the matter? Where's everyone at? Some kind of 'skip the sandlot day'?" Sounded better in his better but he needed to know what was up.
"Everyone decided to be prisses today! Timmy didn't feel so good so of course Tommy went along. I don't know what was up with Squints. Bertram and Kenny, well they were just saying how you weren't even here and it wasn't a game with you. Say, why you out so early? Thought you weren't out until another ten minutes or so? Me and Yeah Yeah were just ready to ditch this pace and call it a day" replied Ham.
'What's it to you if I'm out early? Maybe I decided to join my team in a game and find that there isn't one to come home to. Gee what a shame, some team you guys are. "Benny teased.
"Say that ain't fair Benny, me and Ham are here. Some leader you are to notice our 'commitment'" Yeah Yeah added.
"So what?" Enough of that bull, we gonna start this game or what?"
Ham laughed and quickly replied, "With three people? I don't know about you Benny but like I said I'm ready to go home, pretty bored by now. Besides its too little of us and what are going to do? Practice? We're already better than everyone else, no need to"
"Forget you guys, I'll practice. I've got nothing to go home to."
"Alright then Benny, see ya tomorrow" Yeah Yeah said.
And so Yeah Yeah and Ham went on, it was getting later by then and the time was starting to show. Still Benny continued batting at the fence, hit after hit, minute after minute. It wasn't long until Benny realized he was playing the dark and thought to himself that now he did have to go home, and so he mounted his bike once again and pedaled through the streets and houses until he got his own.
Benny opened the door to his house and like usual it was clean, but there wasn't much stuff. He heard noises from the rooms so of course his older brother Manny was here, great. His mother wasn't home, though he wasn't surprised, she usually comes home later. He walked into the kitchen and opened a bottle of Coca-Cola and then walked to the hallway to his room. Manny stepped out of his own room and stood there two feet taller with hair greased back to a perfect side part, and that's where he then interrogated Benny as usual.
"Benny! Well what's the matter your friends didn't have time for another baseball game? "Manny teased.
"Nah, they were too busy being bugged by their own brothers and I'm like, Gee sure glad I don't have a brother like that" Benny remarked as he rolled his eyes.
"Listen Benny I don't have time for your kid shit, not my fault your lousy friends ditched you. Pardon me for trying to talk to my brother, but if you got some problems deal it with your bat not me. I've go other stuff."
"Yeah spending your time behind dumpsters and ditching school big deal, can't wait to see your name in lights"
"Well I'm not the one that gets caught, unlike you staying after school for detention. Pshh, and for being late all you have to do is show up on time. Not like you take care of anybody here to be late for, everyone leaves before you. Not my fault if your shirts aren't ironed to perfection, deal with it walk faster. I've got my own stuff that isn't so easy to fix!"
"What's got you? All I do is show up and you're already feeding me your bull."
"The fact that your little friend s are causing shit that's what up. I don't have time to be known as the older brother of some punk that has his own little gang of batters who have no names"
"We're the best in town so I don't know what's eating you up, I should be ashamed of you if that's what it comes down to."
"Don't play Benny you and me both know that your friends tried buying some cigs off my pal Daniel and now he's asking questions about you. I already don't like tagging along with those guys and now they want you to come along too? I told you to keep your distance!"
"Stop saying that crud and admit that you do! You stay out practically all day with them, and you do whatever they tell you to"
"Hey listen here I don't anything people tell me to do, I do my own stuff so let it be. Get lost, just remember keep your distance!" Manny scoffed.
Benny shoved through to his room. He then laid on his bed and thought of what to do next, home work? Nah, he could probably copy off Squints before school started. Why try if he'll get it wrong anyway?
Suddenly he could hear the door knob of front door wiggle and he then concluded that his mom was home. He bolted up through the rooms and finally opened the front door. His mom stood there tired, but beautiful. She wasn't as young as when she first had Manny but she wasn't hard to look at.
"Thank you Benny, we need to fix that door knob it refuses to open. Where's your brother?" his mom sighed as she laid her bag and keys on the table set aside to the door.
"Umm, I think he's out. Not sure"
"Not sure huh? Typical. You've had anything to eat? I was just going to start making some stew, you want any? Sorry that I'm so late but I had to pick up a couple of things at the store, forgot that we ran out of milk. How was school today, you came straight after or you went to the sand lot? How are those kids anyway? Been ages that they've stopped by."
Benny just stared at the floor as heard the millions of questions being asked while she took out the food for the stew, he was too tried to answer but didn't want to be rude. Yet he always comes off that way.
"I could eat, and it was alright. I did go to the sandlot but it was quick and they're okay, I guess"
He thought to himself whether he should even mention detention, Manny wouldn't bring it up, he only did before to get mad at Benny. Although if he did that would just bring more questions and more conversation, so in the end he decided to keep it to himself.
"Well alright then, wash up I don't want your hands to be eating while they're filled with dirt. Leave out any clothes you want me to wash, but you'll have to iron them yourself, I already showed you how. Sorry Benny, but its double shifts again, you'll be happy when I can finally get you a new bat" his Mom replied smiling.
Benny smiled too; his Mom was an angel, a hard worker. He couldn't help feel in debt to her sometimes, though how was it that he can be angry at her?
They both ate and by the time it finished it had gotten late. They went to bed, though of course Benny fell asleep much later. When he did it was only for a couple hours as a result of Manny's arrival home waking him up and of course he turned on the TV and scouted the kitchen for food as usual.
He turned to his side and stared at his door, simple plain white. But the way Manny came home reminded him of the way his Dad would. About a year ago Benny's parents split, to be honest Benny didn't think much of it at the time. It wasn't as if his father had issues or anything, they just drifted. As his Mom would say they just found that they weren't mean for each other. His parents never really argued in front of him or Manny, they actually didn't talk. That's what hurt Benny the most, he feared that one day he just wouldn't talk to anyone the same way his Dad did.
Though he loved his Dad, he showed him baseball, the best thing in the world.
Benny woke up, and bolted through the rooms once again. He quickly ate and got ready and as he put his shoes he gazed at the time, 7:20, really early. Pleased Benny put his cap on and then out onto his bike. He caught onto the Timmons who were on their way too and soon after they reached their destination copied his homework off Bertram as planned.
"Honestly Benny how longer is this going to go on" Squints protested.
"As long as it takes my friends, now move your arm I can't see the bottom answers"
They both laughed, and that's what he admired of his friends.
School ended and with a weekend to enjoy they started it off like always, the sand lot.
Benny watched as they played, keeping not of each move and turn. Noticing whose slow but has good pitches or who's fast but need work. Ham interrupted and then announced
"Hey! Benny sick or something, come and play! Thought you were all good to go since yesterday and look at here, watching like if you're a spectator or something."
"Yeah Benny, we've been itching for a game since yesterday but couldn't since you got held back" Kenny added
"We all know you're good Benny but don't leave us hanging"
"Whoa Whoa fellas, what I can't checking to see if everything's alright. Excuse a guy for trying to find our flaws and trying to perfect them."
"Funny Benny but we don't got no flaws."
"Haven't ever since you've been working our assess to try to catch up to yours every time you hit those home runs."
"Yeah well let's see if it's that why when Phillips comes into our turf trying to beat us out of the sandlot."
"The day that happens is the day a girl strikes me out"
"Hah! Don't get too cocky Ham, you're skills have been slipping huh Kenny?" interrupted Yeah
"Sure have even Bertram and Tommy been betting that I can strike you out the minute I start pitching and Yeah gets out"
"Why don't you start practicing with Benny huh Ham?"
"Shut it Tommy I didn't ask for a load of crap, now you in the game or what Benny?"
"Why not, don't want to see all you fighting over me" laughed Benny.
After a couple games and a few hours passing they called it quits. Though Benny stayed. He continued batting at the fence a couple times until he found it ridiculous and turned to go home. However he was stopped by Manny who was sitting on the fence a couple yards ahead, smoking a cigarette. He tried to ignore him until he missed and his ball rolled over to Manny.
"Hey watch out kid I don't want to get knocked out, for sure you won't be helping me home and my fellas already split"
"Funny Manny, now pass me my ball."
"Come and get it, you got two feet two arm, you ain't cripple or something."
Benny walked over to Manny and picked up the tattered baseball, he hit form there and perfectly hit the dent in the fence his friends had made as the target.
"Damn, well what you know didn't realize you had gotten so good. Been a while since I've stopped by this dump." Manny puffed three smokes.
"Yeah well it's not like we miss you here so no need for your sentimental shit"
"Who said I missed it? Dropped out of my junior year last year, don't regret anything. School wasn't meant for me, neither is it for you."
"At least I'm still in it."
"Still in it but not any good, you got to admit it. Why waste your time?"
"Because I've got plenty."
"Ahh since you're so young, excuse me"
"Well I've got baseball as my thing, what's yours"
"Mind your own business and keep it at that. Work on your baseball and I'll work on mine"
"That's all I do Manny so I guess I'll just carry on, just that you know, you're interrupting."
"Pshh, that's all I do right? Interrupt? I'm sorry just wanted to watch my little brother at his finest, with a bat in his hand and a baseball in the other. Not my fault I wasn't left with anything, I got to scrap shit to make something out of myself, like a dog. Too bad that it's not easy, never was."
"Stop trying to act all important Manny and tell me straight up what's been up with you!"
Manny laughed as he looked at the ground and threw his cigarette to a distance. He hopped off the fence and it showed that Manny was much taller than Benny, more stern looking too.
"You know I came here after I ditched my guys. Yeah, something about robbing a couple stores up downtown. I was like, 'Yeah I can tag along but what that shit got it in for me?' Tired of following around, I don't have time for that. Listen Benny and here me good, ever since Dad split-"
"He didn't split!"
"No phone calls, no money, no nothing I don't know what you call that shit but that old man bailed Benny. But ever since he left I've realized we don't need him, never did. Only thing that I can say that he brought that was good was a bat and baseball he taught us to play. Of course after puffing a couple of smokes I'm done for. I can still beat you but that's just you, can't go any farther than that. Not you though Benny, you still got it. You get better after every game and every day, and it'll be some big damn lie if you say it ain't true."
"Just leave Manny."
"Cut the bull shit Benny, I'm not scared of you so I'm not afraid to tell you what's already laid out for us."
"Please Manny; we don't even know if we are ever getting out of this town. We got Mom and everything, and unlike you I plan to finish school, there only two more weeks left till summer anyway."
"Yeah so did I and then one little fucker messed everything up."
"Don't call Dad that!"
"Never said it was him, but hey at east you were able to notice"
"That's it I'm going home, someone ought to open the door for Mom."
Benny was already mounted on his bike and was starting pedal until he hear Manny shout,
"Don't play stupid Benny; just know to keep your shit straight. Believe it or not Benny I've looked out for you. Every time you stayed out Dad would want to come here to pull you back into the house, I knew that you have something, something that will take you somewhere. So I'd have a couple fights with the old man telling him to stop picking at other peoples shit. I'm done for and well I'm older than you so I'm not asking you for a favor, just don't be thinking that your older brother never did anything for you or taught you anything, do the same for some other loser. "
Benny stopped for a while and stared at the ground. He smiled and looked up at his brother, Manny smiled too, and that's all that was needed. Benny was aware of the strained relationship Manny had with their Dad, it was one of those relationships that just was that way and would seem strange if it wasn't. He did recall days where he would come home and his father was upset with him being out all the time, though Manny would cover for him. His Mom would always be distraught by the relationship between Manny and her husband, but there wasn't anything to do about it, until he finally left. The only one not hurt by it was Manny, though he ended up paying the price as he had to drop out to get a job but was fired a few months into it as people wanted Manny's attention and help in their business, like his new friend Daniel.
He came home and then as expected he opened the door for his mother. Manny came in the middle of the night as usual.
The next day Benny met up with the gang and played some baseball. Everyone from school crowded around to watch,
"What a game." Benny thought
He hit the baseball with his might and started flying through the bases. All the guys tried to catch up but Benny was too fast, though he was caught between the last two bases. Strategically after going back and forth he was then forced to end it and was out
Benny then left, he felt like going home that day. The hot sun reflected on his skin, his shirt was wrinkled from playing but it didn't matter. He walked in a paced manner up the streets tired holding his glove and bat in his right hand. He walked past the usual houses but then turned back as something caught his eye, a moving truck.
"Wonder who could it be?"
For some odd reason the thought of his Dad came to mind, but he quickly dismissed it he knew it was just some kid who was dragged along with his family to move, typical scenario. He then proceeded walking home.