Sending up Shoots - Part VI

"I've got to pick someone up at the airport," he said. "You want to come with?" Elizabeth nodded enthusiastically. "Sure," she said. "I can even get us a better parking spot." "Really?" he said. "You can do that?" "Hey, baby," she replied, smiling broadly. "I'm a Customs Agent. I can park just about wherever I want." He shook his head and laughed. "I didn't know you were such a big shot." Elizabeth blew on her fingernails and rubbed them on her shoulder in mock pride. "Oh, yea! I'm Miss Important!" "Well, you are to me," he said, putting his arm around her, pulling her close and kissing her on the cheek. "You are to me." Arriving at the Honolulu airport Elizabeth parked in one of the reserved Customs parking slots next to the main terminal. It was her usual spot, though she was a little surprised that it was empty on her day off. She had always thought that Scott parked there when she wasn't around. "Is this close enough?" she asked. She looked over at him in the passenger seat and lost her breath once again. It happened whenever she looked at him and caught him directly in the eye. He was so gorgeous. She let out an almost unnoticeable sigh as he exclaimed "Are you kidding? Makes me wish I was an agent or something so I could park this close. I always have to park so far away and lug my bags all over creation. This is great!" Elizabeth turned the car off and removed the key. Opening her door she said, "You never did tell me. Who are we picking up here, anyway?" He took a step out of the car and looked at her over the roof. "Oh, just my old college buddy," he replied, shutting his door. He walked toward the back of the Altima and straightened his sunglasses. "His name is Jax and we were frat brothers back in college. He's going to attend some conference over to the University. He'll be pretty busy while he's here, so this is really the only chance I'll get to see him." "Awfully nice of you to come pick him up," said Elizabeth as she walked through the door he held open for her. "You've only been back on the island two days yourself." "I know," he replied, "but Jax was my best friend and I haven't seen him for about five, six years. When I heard he was coming I knew I had to see him." Walking into the second floor lobby, Elizabeth said hello to Sam, the HPD cop who always seemed to be standing near the overseas terminal. "Waiting for Polly again, Sam?" she asked, amusingly. Sam smiled and pointed down toward where Polly worked. Sure enough, she was walking down the concourse, dressed in her traditional Hawaiian muu muu and lei. "Hi, Bethy," she said, smiling broadly. "Busman's holiday?" Elizabeth smiled. "Yea, just call me Ralph Kramden today," she said, laughing heartily. "I should learn to stay away from here on my days off." Polly giggled as Sam grabbed her and gave her a hug. "And so, that must make you Ed Norton, right?" she asked, sticking her hand out toward him, her eyes twinkling. Elizabeth looked at him shyly and realized that these were the first friends who'd met him. Red-faced and feeling like a 9-year old school girl admitting for the first time that she liked boys, she introduced him to the engaging couple. Polly grabbed his hand with both of hers and shook it enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you," she said, enraptured. Sam just waved weakly and exclaimed "Hey, any friend of Elizabeth's!" "Nice to meet you all, too," he replied, smiling broadly. Polly giggled and looked at Elizabeth with those same school-girl eyes. No words were spoken, but Elizabeth could tell that Polly was smitten as well. "We should probably go, sweetheart," he said, pointing to his watch. "Don't want to miss Jax." Elizabeth looked at him and shook her head. "Oh, right. Yea, we've got to go," she replied. Waving her hand and walking toward the gates she turned her head and said, "See you guys tomorrow!" Walking down the concourse he grabbed her hand. He squeezed it gently and looked at her with one eye. "Bethy?" he said, raising his eyebrows and pursing his lips. Elizabeth squeezed his hand and chuckled. "Watch it, bub," she said, pointing at him with the index finger of her other hand. "That's for Polly only." Coming soon - Part VII -------------

Sending up Shoots - Part V

John laid in the coal black stillness of the night and listened to her sleeping. He'd discovered that when he kept deathly still he could feel the bed move ever so slightly under her deep, REM breathing. For countless nights he'd lain next to her, wishing the whole association with Tony was over and praying for sleep to come take him. But it was far from over and sleep was always most elusive. On those rare nights when sleep wasn't so shy, she'd invariably wake him with a careful nudge in the back. "You're grinding your teeth again," she'd say sweetly. "What's wrong?" Turning towards her he'd brush it off as stress at the office, but he was beginning to wonder how long she'd buy it. She was an intelligent woman, Rutgers-educated, and sooner or later she was going to figure out there was something else. He'd always loved his job. Working for Bob had been a pleasure. Why would there all of a sudden be so much tension that he awoke with sore hands from the clenching? It just didn't make sense. Bob had noticed the change in him, too. John had been working on a project he really enjoyed, but now his work looked almost as if he had no professional training whatsoever. They'd talked about it in the privacy of the large conference room, but again John passed it off as not getting any sleep at night. He even blamed her for snoring too loudly. He could think of nothing else. The chains of guilt racked his conscience day and night. There seemed to be no way out, as if he were trapped in a never-ending maze. Every time he thought he'd reached an exit, Tony's ugly face greeted him with a canine snarl. Having thought about it for weeks, John had decided that there was only one way out. He would have to keep paying Tony, month after month, year after year. Some time soon, though, their bank account was going to run dry. She was bound to notice that there was a lot of money missing the next time she balanced the checkbook. And when the well did dry up, Tony would be a piece of goose down on the doorstep of everyone he knew and loved. The slightest breeze would send the secret all over town. John shook his head. "That won't work," he mouthed to himself. "There's got to be another way." Slowly, John's eyes focused on the sliver of light coming through the curtains from the all-night diner across the street. He thought of all the wonderful times he'd spent with her: their first date, their trips to the Adirondacks, surfing on Hawaii's north shore. It was the most wonderful life anyone had ever lived. But if she was to find out, it would all be over. Suddenly a new thought poured into his mind like water into a cup. His eyes widened and he felt himself wretch. "No," he said, almost too loud. Shaking his head and closing his eyes, the words "I can't" escaped his trembling lips. Stirring slightly, she turned toward him and whispered, "You can't what?" John held his breath and pretended to be waking up. Taking a long breath to help him gather his thoughts, he said "What?", fake-yawning halfway through. "Did you say something?" she responded, pulling the covers up over her silky shoulders. "I didn't say anything, sweetie. You must have been dreaming." John hated lying to her, but in this case, he thought, maybe it was for the best. What she didn't know would surely not hurt her. "Ok," she said and turning back on her left side fell quickly back to sleep. John pushed at the air above him as if he could push the thought away. But it kept coming back, hour after hour. Finally, just before daybreak, he opened his eyes to the frightening truth. Tony was the only one in the world who knew about the awful truth he wanted so desperately to keep hidden. There was only one way out. And now John knew it. Tony had to be eliminated. Coming soon - Part VI

Sending up Shoots - Part IV

Peering over her menu at him, Elizabeth couldn't help but think about how breathtaking he was. Playful dimples on his clean-shaven cheeks, muscles chiseled from several years of semi-pro baseball and free weights he had in his garage, and blond hair baked even lighter in the sun. Physically, anyway, he was everything she'd been looking for in her life. Refocusing on her menu, she looked back on the activities of the ten days since she'd met him. She'd seen him every day and he'd proven himself emotionally, financially, intellectually and even romantically. On the third day he'd brought her a golden charm bracelet with a fish, a snorkel and a heart wrapped around the top of a dozen red roses. Tonight was his last on the island. It had to be the best. "What are you going to have?" she asked, almost shyly. His smoky eyes scanned the entrees on the menu and finally settled on one entry. "I think I'll have the Chicken Parmigiana," he said with a smile. "How about you?" Lost in the profundity of his eyes, she mumbled vapidly, "I think I will, too." As much as she reflected on it, she still didn't understand it. She was a face in the crowd, a generic wanderer. He was beautiful, the one who sticks out in a group, a shining light. Why would such a man be interested in her? Their first real date had come the very night after their fated meeting on the beach. He'd picked her up in his rental car and took her to a small, intimate beach he'd read about that afternoon on line. Reaching into the back seat he lifted out a picnic basket and a large blanket he'd bought at the local department store. They dined like royalty on fried chicken and baked beans. "Would you like extra toast with that as well?" said the waiter. Suddenly and quickly coming back to reality, she felt like she'd just driven down a stretch of road and didn't remember one second of it. She hadn't heard a word he'd said, but now realized she'd order just the same. "S-s-s-sure," she stuttered, lifting her napkin to her mouth to try and somewhat hide her glowing cheeks. "Are you all right?" he asked. "You seem like you're somewhere else." She lowered her head slightly, pausing to look at the slight cleft in his chin. Smiling softly she nodded. "I'm fine," she said. "I have just been thinking about the last ten days and how much I'm going to miss you." He reached out and took her hand. Tenderly he caressed her soft, tanned skin. "It'll only be a few days," he said softly. "We can Skype and then I'll be back. It will almost feel like nothing." He smiled and melted her heart all with one deft move. She would have given him anything. And he knew it. Coming soon - Part V

Sofia

Unfortunately for us, Sofia has gone home to Spain.

For those of you who did not get the opportunity to meet her, Sofia was a Spanish exchange student here to learn English. She was with us for less than a month, but she made a very large impression on all of us. We are a better family for her having stayed in our home.

Little did we know when she arrived late last month, that we would learn to care so much about this young Spaniard. I guess we figured that she'd be going to English class so much during the day that we'd never have much time to get to know her.

But as the month progressed, we noticed that she was in class a lot less than we'd bargained for. And we're all grateful for that fact. As you can see from the photos, we were able to go to New York City and to Washington, DC with her. She also went to a lot of Jacob's baseball games and Hannah's dance practices.

But it was more the times when we were just sitting around the house or doing something close to home, as a family, in which we really got to know and love her.

Her infectious laugh, her easy way with the kids, her effusive thankfulness for anything anyone did for her. It was easy to like her. Now it's much harder to love her, because she's not with us.

One day, maybe, she'll be able to come back. I think I speak for everyone in my family when I say, that day can't come soon enough.

Sending up Shoots - Part III

Walking briskly through the turnstiles at the Central Park North station, John gripped the satchel tightly and glanced quickly from side to side, expecting him to emerge suddenly from the inky shadows like an evil specter. He tapped his Red Wing postman shoes nervously as he thought about the past year and what it would mean if his secret were let loose on the wind. It was the worst episode in his life and he wanted to keep it that way. Dealing with Tony would be child's play compared to the pain it would cause his friends and family if his unimaginable secret got out. Pushing past the other weary travelers on the platform, John looked down the tunnel toward the oncoming light. The rumble of the train moved from the platform and entered his feet , moving rapidly from cell to cell until his whole body shook. The squeaky brakes yelled in his ears as a fat, hairy index finger tapped him on the shoulder. Wheeling quickly, John caught the savage eyes he'd now despised for nearly a year. They were a disgusting shade of green, almost like something you'd find in the subway restroom. Every time John saw them he felt like he'd taken a bath in sewage. "Nithe to thee you again, Johnny-caketh," said Tony in his awful mixture of lisp and South Bronx accent. The sound of it made John's stomach turn. Tony grabbed John by the arm of his coat and pulled him behind the others in the station. "You got the money?" he said. Without saying a word nor looking his blackmailer in his horribly deformed face, John opened the satchel and showed him the cash. The requisite $5000 lay therein, and it brought a toothy grin to the villainous thug's lips. "That'th a good boy, Johnny," he said, reaching for the bag. "Thame time nextht month?" John looked deeply into the eyes he'd so easily learned to despise. Narrowing his own eyes to try and block out some of the rest of the hideous face, John handed the satchel to Tony. "How can you do this?" he asked with the proper amount of disdain in his voice. "How can you do this evil thing to me every stinking month?" Tony laughed. Spittle hit John's face as Tony folded the satchel under his arm and put his nose at the tip of John's. "How could you do what you did, Johnny?" he whispered eerily. "From what I remember, you thaid it made you the thcum of the earth, didn't you? Seemth like what you did ith way worth than taking a few buckth from you every month. Wouldn't you agree, Johnny?" Looking at the shoes he'd so carefully shined that morning, John turned and walked toward the exit, Tony's harsh laugh echoing in his ears. Tears started to form in his eyes and he let loose the biggest sigh of his life. "When will this ever end?" he thought. "Thee you in a month, Johnny-boy!!" yelled Tony. "Ba ha ha ha!!" ------ Coming soon - Part IV

Gainesville National League All-Stars Greatest Hits

The Gainesville National League All-Stars (11/12) finished third in the Virginia District 10 in 2011, beating a good Coles team (3-2), Annandale/North Springfield National (13-0) and SYA West (16-13). As coaches, we are VERY proud of each of the boys. The following shots were taken during the Coles game and the Chantilly American game. Congratulations boys!!

Gainesville National League All-Stars - Part II

Pictures from the game against Chantilly American, 07/14/11

Sending up Shoots - Part II

Elizabeth dipped her clenched fist into the warm seawater and opened it slowly. She was not disappointed when the water before her became a roiling morass of orange, black, purple and yellow. It had happened the same way hundreds of times. Fighting each other for a share, Mamo, Kikakapu and countless other smaller fish jabbed and parried at the tiny niblets of fish food that laid in her palm. It was a really tourist-y thing to do, she thought, but she enjoyed it as much now as she had her first time there.

Elizabeth had been to Hanauma Bay a hundred times since her dad was transferred to Pearl Harbor in 1977. She was only five when he was promoted to captain and assigned duty on the USS Columbia. To ease the pain of leaving some of her kindergarten friends in San Diego, he'd bought her a Bugs Bunny diving mask and a matching snorkel on their first day on Oahu. She still had them in a box, stuffed in the attic. Numerous other pairs had found their way into her possession in the 25 years since, including the one she wore on top of her head.

“Excuse me.”

Elizabeth continued feeding the fish, acknowledging the voice with an almost imperceptible "Mmm hmm". It was another fat, sunburned tourist, no doubt, asking again one of the vapid questions she'd heard a million times before.

“Hi. Um, I have been watching you feed the fish," said the voice, "and was wondering if you could tell me where I can buy some of that food. It looks like fun.”

"I knew it," she said to herself, though barely silently. Closing her eyes to keep her frustration bottled inside, and shaking her hand to clear away the rest of the kernels, Elizabeth stood erect and wheeled toward the voice.

"Listen," she said impatiently as she turned. Taking in a large breath, she was ready to unleash it on the unsuspecting intruder. "I...I...I..."

Stammering in front of him, seawater just covering her knees, she wriggled her toes an inch deeper into the sand. He was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen. His gray eyes shot shivers through her skin. The proverbial Hawaiian shirt he wore barely concealed a muscular, tanned frame that had been fine tuned in a garage gym. Playful dimples danced on his cheeks.

“I..I..I’m sorry?” she muttered, trying to buy herself some time to recover.

“The fish food. I’d like to buy some. Can you show me where to get it?”

Looking into her now empty hand, she laughed nervously and pointed to the kiosk on the edge of the beach. “Over there,” she spluttered. “Over there. It’ll cost you 50 cents.”

“Thanks,” he said, turning slowly and gracefully as he smiled and winked.

Elizabeth watched him intently for a few seconds before she found herself instinctively walking after him. She felt drawn like the needle on a compass. It was an attraction that reached to her most central fiber.

“Excuse me?” she called.

Stopping, he turned quickly towards her.

She looked quickly at the white, sandy beach. Instantly she was 12 again, asking Heath Gilbert if he'd like to go to the 6th grade dance. “Ask!” her brain shrieked at her. “Ask!!”

Furrowing her brow, she gripped her courage with all her might and said, “Would you like to feed the fish with me?”

--------------------

Coming soon - Part III

Sending up Shoots - Part I

"That's not a real word!" she exclaimed, setting her Diet Pepsi back down on the table with a sudden plop. "Crapulous? Come on! There's no way that's a real word."

John smiled. "You going to challenge it?" he asked. "I'm warning you, though. I just got that word on my word calendar a couple of days ago. Trust me," he added, with a villainous gleam in his eye.

Yea, trust you, she thought. She loved John more than life, even waiting anxiously for him to pop the question, but trust him? In a game? "I don't think so," she said.

Sliding the Webster's toward her, he watched as she flipped the cover open and thumbed quickly toward the C's. "Are you sure?" he said, baiting her. "You'll be sorry!"

The sound of his patronizing tone grated her nerves like 40-grit sandpaper. She hated it more than anything she could think of, but it was worse during competition. John had this air of superiority slathered all over his 6 foot 1 inch frame and it never ceased to make her feel like she was trying to catch a greased pig.

"Crap!" she said as finger fell upon the word. She could feel her one remaining nerve twitch. "It's no fun playing Scrabble with you," she whined.

"Why? Because I'm so devastatingly handsome?" he asked, smacking his hands together and leaning over for a kiss.

She peered at him through slatted eyes and paused ever so briefly before leaning over to reciprocate. "No," she muttered. "It's because you're so smug."

Though nearly imperceptible, John noticed the slight hesitation and it pierced him like an ancient sword. She wasn't the first to slight him in such a manner, but that whole series of unfortunate events had taken years to be excised from his heart. Now he felt the pain again like an aching fire.

He had searched his soul on countless occasions, hunting for the right words to tell her about his past. He'd wanted to confess the foul deed to her a thousand times, but the courage always seeped away before he could get the secret out.

"What is it, John?" she'd ask him quietly in some of their most intimate moments. It was like she was looking through him with a magnifying glass, examining every dark corner of his existence. She always had that way about her. Though never intrusive, she could get to the real subject of the matter with amazing alacrity.

"It's nothing," he found himself muttering on more than one occasion. "Really, it's nothing. I'm fine."

Tonight, peering anxiously for rescue out the back window of his studio apartment, John could see the Empire State Building glowing like a lighthouse warning lost souls on a foggy evening. She cuddled up next to him, letting her hand rest on his and accidentally spilling half of the Scrabble tiles on the floor.

"It's beautiful tonight, isn't it?" she said, looking toward the radiant monolith.

John sighed. "It's always beautiful," he replied, looking deeply into her soft blue eyes. "Always."


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Coming soon - Part II

Gainesville National League All-Stars

Pictures from the game at Coles, won 3-2 by Gainesville.