Chapter 6

When Eijun and his father got back home, grandpa Eitoku met them near the door.

"Oh, no." Eijun thought.

"How was it out there?" his grandpa asked.

His kindly tone relieved Eijun, showing no hint of the tongue-lashing he expected.

"Not so good, grandpa." Slowly Eijun held up the fish and felt instant shame that he was appearing to take credit for it.

Grandpa Eitoku nodded, as his father walked on into the house. Then something strange happened. As Eijun knelt over a stump to clean the fish, trying to act as normal as he could, his grandfather come up to him. He put his hand on his grandson's shoulder. Eijun could feel the press of his grandpa's thin fingers as he squeezed. Gentle.

Eijun cut off the head of the fish. His grandfather only watched. Not a word. Just the light touch of his hand, gentle on his shoulder. His grandpa's left hand.

It scared Eijun.

That day with his father was another one of those turning days. Only that time, something had turned inside of grandpa Eitoku, too. As soon as his father left home, his grandpa started going out fishing with Eijun. He never could've asked for such a thing, but when it happened it come on ever so natural, that he never thought twice about it.

Eijun reckoned grandpa Eitoku saw something between his father and him. He reckoned his grandpa wanted to be a part of that and it gave him a glimmer of hope that someday his grandfather might see what Eijun saw in baseball.

The best thing Eijun recollect about those days though, was the turning. The more time they spent together, the less harsh he seemed, and the better they got along.

At one point, Eijun almost asked, did his grandfather suppose he might ever change his mind about sports? Specially if Eijuncould show him how a baseball player might could actually do some good. But then Eijun resisted. Fact was, he knew pure and simple how his grandfather felt about sports. So he kept hush and let things just set. Which was good because, truth be told, Eijun was turning, too.

A couple of days later, Eijun heard a huge commotion towards the Seidou baseball field.

It'd been over a week since Eijun had seen the big game with his father, so he decided to find out what all the shouting was about. The practice game must've had some sort of situation cooking. The fans hooted and hackled. Players, too, one team yelling at the other. Hoping to blend in, Eijun circled around behind the crowd. He looked for Kazuya Miyuki and spotted him holding the bat so Eijun paused a breath.

If his father was right, if Miyuki could really hit that ball as far as he said, Eijun felt inclined to see it. Miyuki strolled up to home plate like he was going off to chop some wood or something. Not a care in the world. He dug a little hole with his right shoe spike, then stepped back and looked towards third base.

"Up to you, Miyuki," Kuramiochi called, "You're the tiebreaker, you jerk."

"Make it count, Miyuki!" Maezono called.

Miyuki bent down, grabbed a fistful of dirt and powdered up the handle of his bat. Then he dusted his hands against his pants. Finally, he stood ready.

The pitcher looked in and shook his head. Then he gave a nod, wound up and delivered the ball. Miyuki whacked it, whacked it higher than a red hawk flies. It made a beautiful sight and it sailed and sailed. Everybody sent up a hollering roar. Around the bases he ran, smooth as a racehorse. All the way to home plate. Took it nice and easy, too, the ball had carried so far.

When things turned quiet, Eijun decided to leave but just as he did, a woman wearing eyeglasses come rushing and patted his shoulder.

"Wait, you," she said, "Sawamura Eijun, right?"

"Y-yes?" Eijun frowned.

"Good! My name is Takashima Rei, assistant coach of Seidou High School Baseball Club. I heard about you from the boys. You're fixing to go?"

Eijun motioned with his thumb, "I gotta get back, Takashima-san."

"Well, hold your horses one minute while I tell you something." Rei leaned closer now and lower her voice. "Did you hear the news about Miyuki?"

Eijun shook head.

"Well, he's all fired up because there's a reporter from Sports Magazine that's going to come by to see him—"

"Good for him. Must be getting quite a reputation." Eijun replied.

"And everything that goes with it, I should hope to tell you." Rei smirked her mouth. "Miyuki's at the point where he thinks he can hit a home run off any pitcher in Japan."

"He might could." Eijun nodded.

("How would I know?" Eijun said to himself.)

"Well, I told Miyuki, maybe so, maybe not." Rei cast a glance towards Eijun as gentle as his father. "I said to Miyuki, maybe he hasn't met his match just yet, on account of his match had just arrived." Rei's eyebrows rose like question marks.

Rei stood silent, staring at Eijun, letting her line sink in. Eijun backed up. He knew exactly what she was trolling for. Rei wanted him to be that match. To pitch a baseball at Miyuki.

Eijun took a big breath. "You know I can't do that."

"I know you're not supposed to join a team and play sports and all. But how could one time hurt?" Rei said.

"I'd have to ask my grandpa, but I know what he'll say." Eijun saddened.

"Then don't ask." Rei smiled.

"I can't just—" Eijun panicked.

"Sawamura-kun, I know," Rei sad, calming her voice. "Let me just tell you. You'll become a great pitcher in Ja—"

"I'm sorry, Takashima-san. You don't know how sorry I am but I got people from all sides putting expectations on me these days. You, Miyuki, Furuya, Haruichi, my dad, grandpa — all wanting me to do what they want, and I'm in the middle just trying to do what's right. But the pure fact is, I had to study hard for my future, earn money and help my family financially."

The crowd let out a road, but Eijun barely heard it while Rei folded her arms.

"Sawamura-kun, what if I told you about a better way of making money?"

"Must be lots of better ways, Takashima-san, but a teenager and student like me is what I know."

"Maybe you know more than you think." Rei said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Eijun figured he'd said that a little too bold but, doggone it, he could sense a snare being set.

"Mean's this," Rei said. "There's a lot of pro baseball pitcher and other player in Japan who earns lot of money a game like Takigawa Chris Yu."

Eijun glared at her, but didn't say a word. Rei knew he couldn't do anything like that. But is sure sounded like a lot of money for pitching that little white ball. Eijun's mind shot ahead like a wild bullet.

"I'm not saying any old player could make a lot of money," Rei said. "But a boy with a good arm..."

"A boy could do a lot of things with a good arm, Takashima-san. Including something worthwhile." Eijun said.

"You don't think baseball's worthwhile?" Rei stuck her hands on her hips. "Bringing joy and happiness to weary folks and such?"

Eijun didn't replied.

Then Rei turned serious. "Sawamura-kun, you can join us, and the fact is, you could do a lot more good for your folks, and for Japan by playing baseball than by doing anything else."

"Takashima-san—" Eijun started.

"No, I've seen you chuck stones on the riverside and you're strong. You're a pure athlete." Rei explained.

"Pure athlete? Oh, come on," Eijun laughed, "Now, I gotta head out."

Rei touched Eijun's arm. The jolt lightninged right through him. "I meant every word, Sawamura-kun. I'm just doing my best to make you see."

Eijun took a deep breath, "Well, thank you very much, Takashima-san." Then he turned and started walking away.

"All I see is someone running away from who he really is." Rei smiled.

"I ain't running away!" Eijun called back.

And that was the biggest like he'd ever told.