Symphony of a Ball Glove

The Full Story

We took our seats on the balcony of the concert hall. Running over to the railing I eagerly scanned the mass of movement on the stage below, my gaze examining each and every musician.

"There she is!! There she is Aunty Sara!" I bounced up and down with a joyous grin, pointing to a distant figure on the far left side of the stage.

My aunt smiled. "Yes, that's her right there! Great job!"

I glowed with excitement as we proceeded back to our seats. It wasn't my first concert of mom's that I had been to, but I loved the music and always got so excited anyway. I didn't understand the technicalities of music or the significance of something like a violin solo, I just thought my mom was the coolest person ever... well- maybe just behind my dad.

The lights dimmed in the old Burrton concert hall as the music started. First, a cello faded in, dragging it's low, minor notes through what felt like my very soul. Then, multiple violins joined in, adding harmonies and passing notes that seemed to transport my six-year-old ears to the distant valley of my imagination...

The can bounced a few feet ahead of me. It missed the gutter I had hoped it would roll into. I kicked it again, a bit too hard this time. The can clanged off of the brick wall to my left and lay still in a patch of dirty grass. Leaving it behind I trudged on down the sidewalk. The Dollar General store waited expectantly for me in the distance.

"Dumb errand," I grumbled to myself, "wasting my time I could have spent out in the field with the boys right now." But I continued on, nonetheless.

The little bell above the door heralded my entrance into the small store. Dollar General was an old establishment, down a side road just off of Dean Street. I always remembered it by the smell of cleaning fluid and water that drifted over from the car wash just on the other side of the block. The store itself was small but always managed to have everything one might need. This included some fruits and veggies for tonight's dinner with Aunt Sara and Uncle 'Erb. (short for Herbert.) As I made my way towards the vegetables isle the thought of potentially playing some baseball with my uncle excited me.

Mr. Vansmith dozed lazily, leaning against the back wall behind the cashier's table. I plopped down my bag full of groceries noisily on the countertop, jerking him back into the world of the living.

"Oh, uh, good morning Robbie," Mr. Vansmith mumbled, still half asleep. "Will this be all?"

I rolled my eyes with a smile. "Good afternoon to you too, sir. Yes, this is all."

The cashier scanned the goods and printed the check. "Here you go sonny. And wait, here's your change."

I grabbed the $20 bill, shoved it into my pocket, and headed for the door.

"Have a good one, Mr. Vansmith!" I shouted over my shoulder.

At the door I paused. Something felt weird about the bill. I reached back in and suppressed a gasp. There were two bills in my pocket! I instinctively started to turn back.

"Sir, I think yo-" A snore interrupted me. I bit back the end of my sentence.

For a solid minute I stood there, weighing my options. I knew I should return the money; it was the fair and right thing to do... But then I noticed a baseball glove hanging in the corner of the shop. It looked old but it shined with a glow that seemed to draw me towards it. I weighed my options. This wouldn't be right.. but I always had to use Uncle 'Erb's glove when we played, seeing as that I didn't have my own.