Naomi's P.O.V.
June 26, 1962
Me and Benny are walking down the street to our neighborhood amazed at what just happened.
After I pitched we threw a few balls with the team members. Each got an autographed ball, and signed jersey. Pictures with them and I got a special of me and Jackie, then me and Eddie. Then Jackie gave me a Dodgers baseball hat.
I talked to a few of them that have been playing for a few years, one said he remembered meeting a man that almost looked just like me. I smiled at his words. If you ever meet my father he was one that you couldn't forget, but one to remember.
"Wait, before we go back home, let's go to the sandlot." Benny exclaimed. It was only 7 o'clock so the boys might actually be there.
We walked over to the gate, him opening it for me and then he followed me in. Surprisingly, the boys were out here, I looked back at Benny who looked at the field.
"We may not have a big leagues field like the were just playing on, but we still have our own field, the sandlot." He smiled down at me as I looked up at him.
"Gosh you're so beautiful." He mumbled.
"You told me that on our first night out together." I smirked.
"You heard me say that?" He asked in a panic looking up at me. I nodded looking at him.
"Yeah I did."
He smiled looking off the the left, "Cmon."
He walked to the in field and he put me on the pitchers mound, but turned me around to I was facing the outfield.
"Benny what are you doing?" I asked chuckling as he put a blindfold on me.
"Wait here." He said before I could hear the footsteps of him walking away. It was peaceful out. It was early so the sun was still out and the day was still filled with screaming child's all over the place.
It was pretty cool how Benny did all of this for me. Because of him, I've got to relive something that my dad would've done with me. He listened to me whenever we talked, he remembered everything about the necklaces I loved so much from my dad.
And what I ordered on your first night out. A couple of days ago at work he brought me some of my favorite candy he remember as he was walking past Vincent's. M&Ms.
Then today at work he brought me flowers, roses to be exact, my favorite. Can't forget about him saying how much he cares about me and didn't want me to be hurt. The bruise was still on my cheek just wasn't as bad. Gosh, Benny is probably one of thee best people that I was met in a long time.
"Okay are you ready?" I hear as someone got closer to me.
"I don't even know." I chuckled, then someone untied the blindfold. There stood DeNunez, my best friend besides Benny.
He smiled and turned me around. Just as I did, there stood the whole sandlot gang, stand with posters with marker on them spelling out
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
Benny stood in front of them holding another thing of flowers and a box of M&Ms since I told him I hated boxes of chocolates, they all taste weird to me.
I put my hands up over my mouth as Benny walked over to me.
"So, will you give me that chance?" He asked.
I nodded wrapping my arms over his neck, "You really are my favorite person ever." I mumbled into his neck.
"You're my favorite person too." He mumbled back wrapping his arms around me.
The boys started cheering and Lucy started too. I smiled as I pulled away looking at the gang. Realizing how happy I am, made me smile more.
"Group hug!" Ham yelled dropping his sign and running over to where me and Benny where standing.
I laugh as the boys ran over to us wrapping their arms around us.
—
I wasn't really as nervous being in a relationship as I would with someone else that wasn't Benny.
What was different about Benny, is that he knew about everything that was going on. His family did too. He would be there for me and not distance himself like others would have done and then cheat on me. He would be standing by my side and helping me with whatever was happening.
As time went on, we started making our way back home, where all I wanted was to just lay down and fall asleep.
As we walked down the sidewalk, the house was too quiet. When we were out my mother was either passed out, at a club, bar, or at her new job the strip club. Or she was back here with a different guy doing things I don't even want to think of.
"It's too quiet." I mumbled looking over at Cam.
He shrugged looking back at me, "Big deal, it'll never be like this again."
I looked back at the house, "I don't know man, this isn't usual."
I turned to Benny, standing with us, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay? 8 am sharp right?"
He nodded, smiling at me, "Please, I'll see you tomorrow at 2, since young lady, you have work."
"Shit, I almost forgot." I said chuckling to myself, "But seriously, good night, don't want to hold you up from dinner."
He shrugged giving me a kiss, "I don't see a problem."
I watch as he crosses the street and I turned back to Cam, then look at the house again.
I walked over to the door and slowly opened it. Looking down the hallway, seeing no one standing there. So I walked in, looking through the kitchen and living room, seeing once again, no one was standing there.
I heard a muffle voice coming from one of the bedrooms, "Stay here."
I walked down the hallway as Cam and Lucy stayed in the living room, and the muffle voice becoming louder as I reached mothers room.
I reached my hand up to the nob and twisted it slowly. As I hear a click that it was unlatched, I pushed open the door.
I looked up to see my mother sitting on her bed. Looking dead at the wall that stood in front of her. Her mumbling was just at a whisper that I could nearly hear or understand it.
As I looked down at where her hands were, there sat a gun between both hands.
"Momma?" I called out.
She stopped mumbling and looked over to where I was, then continued on mumbling.
"Momma what are you doing?" I asked and stepped forward only for her to slowly bring up the gun to her temple.
"Stop, what are you doing?"
That's when I could understand what she was saying.
"You are beautiful, you are beautiful, you are beautiful." She said on a repeat.
"Who was beautiful momma?" I whisper as a limp stared to form in my throat.
"You are mine, you are mine, you are mine." She changed.
"Who? Who are you talking about?" I tired to swallow.
"You are my whole life. Pink. Flowers. Family. Baseball. Pink. Flowers. Family. Baseball. You is my whole life." She changed words again.
I was starting to see her pattern. My father wrote her these words in the wedding vowels. I was born right before they had their wedding, so they had a bridal and baby shower.
Pink - me
Flowers - wedding
Family - what they were making
Baseball - my dad's whole life.
"You are my whole life" is the last sentence my father said to my mother before he passed away.
I took a notice to the room seeing it destroyed. Papers and pictures filled the floor. That's when I put two and two together. Today is my fathers anniversary of his death. Which happens to be he same day that me and Benny got together. How could I forget my own fathers death anniversary?
"Momma, put the gun down." I said now reaching out my hand out.
She slowly put her finger on the trigger.
"Momma! Stop!" I yelled at her.
That was when it all flashed.
The ringing of the gun going off still played in my head. Seeing her breathing one second and now not anymore, I couldn't. She was literally a second ago breathing sitting on that bed.
I watch as her body fell forward and the gun fall out of her hand beside her. Blood was now pouring from her hole of the gunshot. I could feel the warm blood on my face, dropping down, I was covered in blood splatters,
I couldn't take my eyes off of the scene. But before I could even turn around, Cam was standing there with Lucy standing right by him. Now doing the same thing as me, not looking up from the scene in front of us.
My mother, just killed herself right in front of me.
—