eh?”
“Looks that way.” Joshua picked a blade of grass and tossed it away. “I’ve always liked putting things together.” He watched one of the Geddick young men take a stance with the bat over his shoulder.
“There’s plenty of work around here for any enterprising man. Blessing is growing far more than we ever dreamed.” He raised his voice. “Come on, Geddick, hit that ball.”
Joshua reminded himself that no matter how much he wanted to see how Astrid was doing, he needed to stay here with the game. After all, if he wanted to live here, he needed a job and friends. Or there would be no possibility of getting to know Astrid.
“Strike one,” yelled the catcher when Geddick stood there and took the pitch.
“Come on, that looks—”
“Strike two.”
“Come on, Heinz, you can do it. Don’t let him buffalo you,” Hjelmer yelled, leading off second.
Trygve spun and fired the ball to second base. Samuel caught it and ran after Hjelmer, who was now sprinting for third base.
“Tag him, tag him,” the outfielders shouted.
But Hjelmer slid out from under the tag and stood up safe.
“You cheated!”
“No I didn’t. You just didn’t run fast enough. In this life you gotta be ready for anything.” Hjelmer dusted off his pant leg.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Haakan muttered under his breath.
Joshua turned to look at him. The man now wore deep lines from the sides of his nose to the commas of his mouth. His eyes were more sunken, the robust strength that Joshua remembered no longer there. He seemed to clamp and open his fist as a reflex action. Whatever had happened to him? While he looked older, he still seemed in good health. Joshua nudged Thorliff. “Why don’t you ask your pa to be umpire? You know, call the strikes and foul balls?”
Thorliff stared back at him, then gave a slight nod and leaned around him. “Pa, why don’t you go out there and be the umpire. Then we’ll have a fairer game.” When Haakan ignored him, Thorliff leaned over and poked his father to get his attention. “How about you go out there behind the batter and play umpire?”
Haakan nodded. “Not a bad idea. I think Geddick is getting a bad rap.” He stood and raised his arms. Play stopped. Thorliff stood too. “Pa’s going to play umpire out here, so Trygve, you better be more careful how you pitch.”
“Yeah, don’t hit your old onkel, or you’ll get to milk all the cows tonight.”
Trygve groaned. “One more thing to slow down the game.”
“That’s what you think.” Haakan went to stand behind the batter and snugged his fedora down on his head. “Let’s go.”
Trygve lobbed one in.
“Ball two.”
“Hey, he already has two strikes.”
“Yes, and it should be ball three, but I was giving you the benefit of the doubt.”
Trygve heaved the next one in. Geddick swung, caught it, and the ball sailed out into left field. He ran to first, then second, and Hjelmer ran home.
“You’re up next,” Thorliff said, motioning to Joshua.
Joshua hit it on the first pitch, the ball arcing up and away. The two fielders ran back and still the ball kept on going. Geddick ran toward home plate, with Joshua steamrolling after him.
“Oh, blast.” Lars, who was playing outfield, kicked the ball out of the fairly fresh cow pie and let it roll in the grass to get it cleaned up.
“Two more points—we’re three ahead.” Thorliff clapped the two runners on the back. “And it’s still the first inning. Joshua, you can play on my team anytime.”
“That was an accident. I’ve never hit like that before.”
“That’s what being back home where you belong does for you.”
Joshua stared at Thorliff. Was this really home, or was he here only because of Astrid? “I’ll have to think on that.” He sat down next to Hjelmer and watched the game while he wondered where Astrid was. Other women had come out to watch the game but not her.
“Hi there, Astrid,” Pastor Solberg greeted as Astrid mounted
“Looks that way.” Joshua picked a blade of grass and tossed it away. “I’ve always liked putting things together.” He watched one of the Geddick young men take a stance with the bat over his shoulder.
“There’s plenty of work around here for any enterprising man. Blessing is growing far more than we ever dreamed.” He raised his voice. “Come on, Geddick, hit that ball.”
Joshua reminded himself that no matter how much he wanted to see how Astrid was doing, he needed to stay here with the game. After all, if he wanted to live here, he needed a job and friends. Or there would be no possibility of getting to know Astrid.
“Strike one,” yelled the catcher when Geddick stood there and took the pitch.
“Come on, that looks—”
“Strike two.”
“Come on, Heinz, you can do it. Don’t let him buffalo you,” Hjelmer yelled, leading off second.
Trygve spun and fired the ball to second base. Samuel caught it and ran after Hjelmer, who was now sprinting for third base.
“Tag him, tag him,” the outfielders shouted.
But Hjelmer slid out from under the tag and stood up safe.
“You cheated!”
“No I didn’t. You just didn’t run fast enough. In this life you gotta be ready for anything.” Hjelmer dusted off his pant leg.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Haakan muttered under his breath.
Joshua turned to look at him. The man now wore deep lines from the sides of his nose to the commas of his mouth. His eyes were more sunken, the robust strength that Joshua remembered no longer there. He seemed to clamp and open his fist as a reflex action. Whatever had happened to him? While he looked older, he still seemed in good health. Joshua nudged Thorliff. “Why don’t you ask your pa to be umpire? You know, call the strikes and foul balls?”
Thorliff stared back at him, then gave a slight nod and leaned around him. “Pa, why don’t you go out there and be the umpire. Then we’ll have a fairer game.” When Haakan ignored him, Thorliff leaned over and poked his father to get his attention. “How about you go out there behind the batter and play umpire?”
Haakan nodded. “Not a bad idea. I think Geddick is getting a bad rap.” He stood and raised his arms. Play stopped. Thorliff stood too. “Pa’s going to play umpire out here, so Trygve, you better be more careful how you pitch.”
“Yeah, don’t hit your old onkel, or you’ll get to milk all the cows tonight.”
Trygve groaned. “One more thing to slow down the game.”
“That’s what you think.” Haakan went to stand behind the batter and snugged his fedora down on his head. “Let’s go.”
Trygve lobbed one in.
“Ball two.”
“Hey, he already has two strikes.”
“Yes, and it should be ball three, but I was giving you the benefit of the doubt.”
Trygve heaved the next one in. Geddick swung, caught it, and the ball sailed out into left field. He ran to first, then second, and Hjelmer ran home.
“You’re up next,” Thorliff said, motioning to Joshua.
Joshua hit it on the first pitch, the ball arcing up and away. The two fielders ran back and still the ball kept on going. Geddick ran toward home plate, with Joshua steamrolling after him.
“Oh, blast.” Lars, who was playing outfield, kicked the ball out of the fairly fresh cow pie and let it roll in the grass to get it cleaned up.
“Two more points—we’re three ahead.” Thorliff clapped the two runners on the back. “And it’s still the first inning. Joshua, you can play on my team anytime.”
“That was an accident. I’ve never hit like that before.”
“That’s what being back home where you belong does for you.”
Joshua stared at Thorliff. Was this really home, or was he here only because of Astrid? “I’ll have to think on that.” He sat down next to Hjelmer and watched the game while he wondered where Astrid was. Other women had come out to watch the game but not her.
“Hi there, Astrid,” Pastor Solberg greeted as Astrid mounted
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