Hey Chicago What Do You Say?

Part 3

Baseball time is here again,
You can catch it all on WGN,
So stamp your feet and clap your hands,
Chicago Cubs got the greatest fans.
You're singing now…
Go Cubs go, Go Cubs go,
Hey Chicago, what do you say?
The Cubs are gonna win today.

As we sat in the stadium I looked around, taking in the sights and the smells of Wrigley Field. The few times I have been to Wrigley as a vampire, I have always been amazed at how not disgusting it smells. There was the human food—hotdogs and beer—mixed with the ever-present, ever-pressing smell of human blood as well as the soft hint of the ivy on the far wall.

We were sitting in the first row of seats near first base—some of the best seats in the park, in my opinion.

I was regaling Nessie with stories of the visits I remembered watching the Cubs.

"Dang, when was your first Cubs game, Edward?" Jacob asked as I had started in on the game I attended in the mid 60's.

I grinned a little and stared at Charlie—I knew he had been listening to me rant about the Cubs team of '64 and it rather startled him. I lowered my voice so just Jacob could hear, "1902."

Jacob let out a low whistle, "That was a long time ago."

"Yes, a very long time ago," I agreed.

The first pitch was thrown and soon I was on the edge of the seat watching the game.

By the end of the seventh inning the Cubs were pulling ahead of the Dodgers, four to one.

I started reminiscing about the last time I was in Wrigley Field, Harry Caray had sung during the seventh inning stretch. I had to chuckle at the memory of him. He was such a beloved figure to any Cubs fan.

"Emmett came with me to that game, we waited until everyone else left until Harry came out of the stadium and we talked with him for a while. I don't think I've ever met another person more comfortable around us as he was—he was at ease enough to rival Bella." I chuckled.

"You met Harry Caray?" Charlie asked, turning to stare at me.

I opened my mouth to explain, but he just held up a hand, "I'm still on the need-to-know, so keep your excuses to yourself."

I closed to my mouth and decide to continue the story, because Nessie seemed interested, "He was this tiny little man. Maybe a couple inches taller than Aunt Alice—"

"You're kidding, right?" Jacob chuckled.

"Nope, he was quite short."

"You are talking about the guy Will Ferrell played on that SNL sketch. 'If the moon were made of ribs…' That guy?"

"That's him, and it was a rather accurate portrayal," I said with a laugh.

"Really? He actually talked like that?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, he did. He was very kind, he talked to Emmett and I for about half an hour, gave us autographs and everything." I said with a proud grin.

We had been like two overeager little boys then. It had felt good to be so carefree. That's what I've always liked about baseball, how easy and how untroubled it is. Yes, there are rivalries and smack-talking but it was all good-natured fun.

The game continued, each team scoring a couple more until the Dodgers were just one run behind the Cubs.

The next man up at bat hit a couple of fouls right by our seats. Derrek Lee, the Cub's first baseman, scooped one up and rolled it around in his glove. The fans seated near us went wild, begging for him to throw it into the stands.

Nessie, perched on Charlie's shoulders, waved her arms like the rest of them, while flashing a wining smile.

The baseball player grinned and tossed the foul ball right to my little girl. I don't think I've ever been prouder. Perhaps that was a rather skewed statement, but the euphoria from the baseball field was starting to get to me.

"Daddy! He threw it to me!" She exclaimed as Charlie lifted her off his shoulders and handed her to me.

"I can see that," I said with a laugh, "maybe we'll stick around after the game and get him to sign it."

She smiled at me and nodded her head, curls bouncing.

The ninth inning was upon us, and there was one more out before the Cubs won. I stood and cheered along with the rest of the fans in the stadium.

Zambrano was pitching. He stood, tall and imposing, on the mound.

The first pitch was a ball and the tension in the field was palpable. I could hear the Dodger's fans thoughts of a hope for one homerun, whereas the Cubs were chanting, even in their heads, for a strikeout.

The next pitch was another ball.

I sincerely hoped that this man wouldn't be walked to first base. That would be atrocious.

Big Z walked him.

And then he stole second base.

The fans were in an uproar, how could this happen? Ninth inning, one out left and a runner on second? He could not score!

I stood up in the stands, cupping my hands to my mouth so I could cheer loudly.

I could hear the players' thoughts, all geared towards the one final goal of winning. They were cognizant of only that objective.

Zambrano wound up for another pitch and many of the fans in the stand groaned when they heard that tell-tale 'ting' of the baseball connecting with the bat.

It was a ground ball between second and third, delivered straight into the hands of Ryan Theriot who delivered a quick pitch to Mike Fontenot, the third baseman. Getting the final out.

The crowd cheered loudly, almost deafeningly. Nessie was bouncing up and down from her spot on Jacob's shoulders. He was laughing and cheering all at the same time. I high-fived Jacob, on a high from the awesome game. Charlie smiled sagely at us, his blurry thoughts glad that his family was together and happy—despite all the weirdness.

The Cubs Win song came on and I sang the lyrics along with a couple thousand other fans. Nessie laughed at me but tried sang along. Jacob nor Charlie didn't know the words, but they didn't need to. It was the euphoria, the palpable zing of winning that made everything seem a thousand times brighter.

Can anybody say CORNY? [laughing] I know, this story is kind of dorky, but I liked it. That's the end, by the way.

About the chapter: Edward's description of Harry Caray should be fairly accurate, unless my dad was lying to me. Padre actually met Mr. Caray on a trip to Wrigely Field back in the 80's. And the description my dad gave of Harry Caray is pretty much what Edward says, only with different height markers. Because my dad didn't compare him to Alice...he actually compared him to me. I'm 5' 1". So, yeah.

A big thank-you goes out to my sister because she helped me with the baseball knowledge...because I can't remember people's positions...just names. So gracias, Sista.

In other news, CREEPING DOSE made it to the third round of voting in the Epic T Contest. I didn't actually think I'd make it that far. So, on July 6 please go vote for it!! Again...

REVIEW! And thanks for reading this!