Chapter Thirty-Five

 

Three weeks later, Radhauser stood next to Kareem in the home dugout on field #5 of the Thomas Flannigan Sports Park. The players on Bradford Baker’s team had been reassigned to other teams. Radhauser, who took over the coaching responsibilities for the Cardinals, requested Kareem Azami.

Radhauser dropped his arm across the boy’s shoulder, handed him the batter’s helmet and walked beside him to the batter’s circle. “Remember what I told you. Level swing and follow through. Keep your eyes on the ball. And step into your pitch.”

Kareem put on the batting helmet and took a few practice swings.

“You’re looking good, slugger.”

Radhauser had been working with Kareem, practicing an extra half-hour almost every night. He so hoped Kareem would get a hit this time. He wanted the boy to experience the excitement that came with the smack of the ball against the bat. And hearing his teammates cheer. Radhauser had taken Kareem out of right field and put him on first base. He taught him the proper throwing motion and they’d discovered he had a good arm. Might even be a pitcher someday.

Radhauser glanced up at the bleachers where Daria and Ahmed sat next to Gracie and Jonathan. Daria held their baby, Nadima Jasmine, in a sling draped over her shoulder. She’d traded her niqab for a less conservative hijab. Maybe the Azamis were serious about becoming more Americanized. Ahmed had recovered enough to go back to work at Costco. He passed his medical examinations last week and was in the process of filling out applications to residency programs.

Sully, Rishima and Rodney were there, too. Rodney wore the red vest Rishima had knitted for him as the raccoon was now the unofficial mascot for the Cardinals Little League team. Because Gracie wanted to do something to celebrate the official beginning of summer, and to make their lives feel normal again, they were hosting a picnic after the game.

Cooper’s body had been cremated. When his Uncle Rollins refused to claim the ashes, Radhauser hiked them up to Red Hatchet Falls and sprinkled them over the red rocks. He purposely made the trip at sunset and sat on a boulder and watched the water turn red. Darkness grew and quietly swallowed the landscape.

With the whisper of the wind through the treetops, Radhauser thought about the way life handed us our tragedies—like the unexpected deaths of Laura and Lucas. But the life of Cooper T. Drake, ending in such dark violence, had changed Radhauser. Maybe even taught him some things about a child’s dreams and being a father who loved without condition.

Just as Radhauser had expected, the Grants Pass police department found no fault with Jenkins’ officer-involved shooting and he was back at work. They did, however, offer a public apology and paid Ahmed’s medical expenses that weren’t covered by insurance. They also compensated him for the time he had to take off from work. Radhauser assumed his threat to help the Azamis bring a suit against them had something to do with their generosity.

Kareem stepped up to the plate.

Radhauser turned his full attention to his player.

On the first pitch, Kareem hit a foul ball that landed just left of the third baseline. "Way to get a piece of it." The Cardinals in the dugout cheered. As did Ahmed from the stands.

Radhauser touched Kareem’s shoulder. “Choose your pitch. You swung a little too early that time. Wait for a good one.”

And damn if the next pitch wasn't perfect. Kareem hit a line drive straight at the pitcher who slowed it down but dropped the ball and it rolled into center field.

The Cardinals in the dugout were on their feet, hanging onto the cyclone fence and cheering.

Kareem headed toward third base with a huge smile on his face. The center fielder picked up the ball that was about to roll between his legs and made an almost impossible throw to third. And, just as impossibly in this age group, the third baseman caught it.

The play was a close call, but the umpire called Kareem out.

He took off the helmet, hung his head, plodded back to the dugout and sat down hard.

Lizzie scooted closer to him and looped her arm over his shoulders. "It was a great hit, Kareem. It should have been a home run. They just got lucky." She shrugged and looked Kareem straight in the eyes. "I know it's not always fair. But in the game of baseball, the umpire is always the boss."

When she spotted her daddy looking at her, Lizzie snapped him a salute, a smile blowing wide across her face.