Murphy, there ainât no colored folks playing in the American Association. This hereâs still a white manâs world. You got your league, we got ours. I may not be educated, but Iâm smart enough to know thatâs the way people are happiest round here.â
âAre
you
?â Murph asked. âI mean, happy about that?â
âDonât reckon I ever gave it much thought. And I donât know why I would now. It ainât like itâs gonna change anytime soon.â
They stood for a while silently, each overcome somewhat by the otherâs presence, melting only when they both caught sight of Mickey, who had tied a machine bolt to the end of a piece of twine and was dragging it behind him, with Milo nipping playfully at his heels.
âAmazing,â Lester said smiling. âI bet he donât even know what heâs done, on the field and all. And he has no idea on this earth what other great things that lie in front of him.â
âYup, he sure is something. Heâs getting better, Lester. Every day. Last year was quite an eye opener. But we all got to watch out for Mickey,â Murph explained. âHeâs special. Pure, with a heart as big as that pile of lumber over there.â
âYeah, and that boy sure can throw a baseball. Like nothinâ Iâve ever seen.â Lester explained that he and some of his teammates had caught a game or two last year, after Mickey joined the club. They were all amazed at the boyâs simplicity, and of course, his pitching prowess.
âWe was at the game when he broke âbout five bats,â Lester said chuckling. âDamn, it was sumpinâ. And all my friends give me quite a ribbing too, saying the boy sawed more wood in two hours than I could in an entire day.â They both laughed. Murph was heartened that their exchange had reached such a pleasant level of conviviality.
âWell, thatâs why Iâm here, Lester. Because I see you two sort of the same way. Nobody thought they were ready for someone like Mickey on the ball diamond. Hell, most werenât. And some still balk. But look at him now. Heâs the darling of this entire town. Heâs got it, Lester. I saw it right away. And Iâm seeing it again. With you.â
Lesterâs smile sagged. Murph looked hard into his eyes, for the first time that morning, saw deep inside the young man. His own gaze penetrated the gregarious veneer and revealed a profound wound, a bottomless hurt that made his heart quiver.
âLook, Mr. Murphy. I appreciate what you is trying to do. I do. But this boy ainât like me. I may not be no college boy, but I read the papers. Sure, heâs different from the rest. That is true. But you is forgettinâ something mighty important. Heâs the right color. He may be off to some folks, but heâs still the right color.â
Murph shook his head with great agitation. âCome on now. Look around you, kid. You got nothing to lose here. Nothing. Iâm giving you a chance, a real chance, to show off that talent of yours to some pretty powerful people. And if my hunch is correct, you just may find your black hind quarters squatting behind a white manâs dish, maybe one day gunning down another pretty darn good player from Brooklyn. I think they call him Jackie?â
âOh, come on now, Mr. Murphy. Do you mean to say thatââ
âWhat Iâm saying here son, is that you got talent. Loads of it. And the time is right. Itâs happening. Things
are
changing. Now. Screw these backward-ass country fools who still think only white is right. Robinson is the first. The first. But he sure as hell ainât the last. You got a real shot here, son, if youâre smart enough to take it.â
Their engagement rendered Lester stupid for the moment. He had never before entertained such an idea. âI want to thank ya and all, Mr. Murphy. Really. But it ainât no use. One
Joe Hart
Joseph Veramu
Rhys Hughes
Lexie X
Michael Montoure
Nikki Kelly
Kristin Cast
Roxie Noir
Boyd Oxlade
Nora Rock