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5. AUNTIE’S REVENGE
Same day-Monday, August 5, 1935
Scout and I head straight for the Mattamans’ apartment, which smells warm and ci
On her side, Theresa has two life-size paper men shot up with bullet holes from the firing range, newspaper articles about Al Capone, Bo
“Hey.” Jimmy smiles up at us. “Want to know the best way to breed flies?”
“Sure,” Scout says.
“They like garbage, feces, cadavers, and carcasses,” Jimmy tells us proudly.
“Cadavers? What are cadavers?” Scout asks.
“Dead bodies,” I explain.
Scout looks at me sideways. “Where do you keep the dead people?” he whispers.
“We don’t have any.” I pull a long face. “There’s a morgue, but it’s empty. I’m very sorry, Scout.”
Scout grins and snaps his fingers. “Darn,” he says.
Jimmy doesn’t smile. He adjusts his glasses. “We need more flies, because so many don’t survive the training,” he explains.
“Fly training?” Scout asks incredulously.
“Uh-huh.” Jimmy’s eyes get bright, but before he can start explaining, Scout jumps up, full of his usual enthusiasm. “You play ball, right, Jim? C’mon, buddy, let’s go.”
Jimmy pushes a clump of dark curly hair off his forehead. He looks at me like he’s expecting me to throw him a life preserver.
“You want to play, Jim?” I ask.
Scout squinches his lips. “Why wouldn’t he want to play?”
Jim ignores this. “Where’s A
“She’s mad,” I tell him.
Theresa looks up from her notebook. “Why’s A
Scout nods toward Theresa’s side of the room. “Does she play? Because I’ve taught my sisters pretty good. In a pinch they can play outfield. You know, if there aren’t enough fellas.”
Theresa’s head pops through the bottle caps, making them clatter like tiny galloping horses. She waves her arm all around, like she’s raising her hand at school. “Can I? What about me?”
Scout parts the curtain to get a better look. “How old are you?”
“Eight.”“
“She’s seven,” I tell him.
Theresa juts her chin out. “Almost eight, in a couple of days.”
Jimmy rolls his eyes. “A hundred is a couple?”
Scout ignores Jimmy. “You go
Theresa’s mouth presses into a hard thinking line. “I’ll get A
I’m happy to hear this. If anyone can convince A
By the time Jimmy, Scout, and I get to the parade grounds, A
“I’m go
“Swell!” I practically shout. I have no idea why she changed her mind, but I never question the peculiar logic of girls.
“You’re on the bench.” She snatches my glove out of my hand and pokes me in the chest.
“Me?” She can’t mean me.
“Yeah, you! Mr. Okey-dokey,” she whispers, her voice scratching like a match against flint.
“What are you… out of your mind? Course I’m playing.”
A
“Humpty Dumpty?” Scout’s lips shake like he’s trying not to laugh. “Is that what she calls you?”
“Nice try. Scout is my friend. He came to play with me.” I tap my glove against my chest.
Scout clears his throat. He’ll come to my defense, of course he will. He’s not going to play without me. What does A
“Moose is playing,” Scout says.
Really, the gall of that girl, thinking she can kick me out of my own game.
“But maybe you could sit out just, you know, the first few pitches. I gotta see if this girl can strike me out. Moose, you understand,” Scout whispers. “Jimmy,” he yells. “First base or catcher?”
My mouth is hanging open. I can’t believe this.
“First,” A
“Hey, that’s my position.”
A
“You gotta use me. You don’t have enough players without me,” I tell Scout.
A
Back and forth, back and forth it goes. I might as well be a crack in the cement. I climb on top of a wooden crate we call the bench. It won’t be long to wait, I tell myself. Scout will hit and then I’ll play.
“We’ll play with one base. Theresa, you’re batter up,” A
“No wait. It has to be Scout,” I insist.
“Nope, Scout’s second. I got to warm up.”
“Forget it, A
“She has to warm up her arm, buddy,” Scout shouts. “Otherwise she’ll say it wasn’t fair.”
What is this? How long am I going to have to sit here and just watch?
Theresa is batter up. She’s facing the wrong way and holding the bat cross-handed. Scout calls a halt to the play and runs up to her for coaching.
When he’s finished, A
“Ball one,” I shout. I may be on the bench, but I’m sure as heck going to ref.
A
“Jim,” Scout yells, “chase it down!”
Jimmy takes off after it.
If I were there, I probably would have caught it on the fly, but no, I’m benched because of A
“What was that?” Scout asks Jimmy. “Let’s try that again.” He tosses the ball to Jimmy, who catches it but throws it back his noodley way.
Scout’s mouth hangs open. His face stretches out, then squinches up. “You throw like a girl, Mattaman-a dead girl.” He shakes his head. “Theresa,” he yells, “you take first base.”
“Hey!” A
“Just let me play and we won’t have this problem,” I call out.
But Scout and A
“You’re in trouble, buster,” A
“In your dreams, doll,” Scout yells back.
“I’m not a doll, I’m an auntie, remember?” A
“You weren’t supposed to hear that. It’s not for delicate ears,” Scout tells her.