Free Thumb on a Diamond by Ken Roberts Page B

glove, staring at the ball as it came closer and closer. The ball hit her glove, and she squeezed tightly. She glanced down to make sure her foot was touching first base just as Jack ran past her.
    â€œYou’re out!” yelled the first base umpire.
    The New Auckland Beavers had defeated the Vancouver champs.
    I jumped up and down and, with the rest of the team, I ran over to first base and hugged Susan.
    â€œYou caught it,” I whispered in her ear.
    â€œYeah,” she said. “We won, Thumb. We won.”
    11
HOME
    WE FORFEITED OUR LAST GAME. I sat on the bed in Dad’s room while he called the tournament organizers. He winked at me as he told them that three of our players had the flu.
    It was the first time I’d ever heard Dad tell a lie.
    â€œYou told a lie,” I said, surprised.
    â€œJust a little one.”
    â€œIt was still a lie.”
    â€œIt was a noble lie, like when you tell a proud mother that her ugly baby is beautiful. Mind you, if I ever catch you lying, I’ll wash your mouth out with soap,” Dad said, laughing. “Now let’s go downstairs and join our team.”
    We didn’t have to catch the tugboat heading north until late in the afternoon. Dad asked us what we wanted to do. I was tempted to say that I wanted to stay in the hotel room and watch television.
    â€œI was going to ask if I could go to the miniatures store,” said Robbie, “but I’d rather do something with the whole team. Can we go to a movie? One in a theater with a huge screen and a good sound system.”
    â€œYeah,” said the rest of the team members.
    â€œBut don’t you want to do something outside?” asked Dad.
    â€œWe’ve seen big tall buildings and lots of cars and roads and trains and things,” said Robbie. “Can we just go to a movie? Please? We’ve never seen a movie on a big screen.”
    So we did. We went to see The Knights of the Tower . It was the most amazing thing I have ever watched in my life. I sat still for three hours as heroes and villains and battles and wars and dangers took place on a screen that was so big and bright and loud and alive that I knew that some day I would live in a city again.
    â€œLeon?” said Mr. Entwhistle on the tugboat as we headed back home. “When are you going to take off your thumb for me, lad? I’d love to see how this contraption of yours works.”
    â€œNot on the boat. I might drop it and then it might roll overboard. I’ll do it as soon as we get back,” I promised.
    When we were close to our village, Big Charlie’s fishing boat, decorated with banners and flags, pulled next to the tugboat and we all crossed over. We waved goodbye to the tugboat captain and crew and pulled away, heading for the gap between the mountains where New Auckland lay hidden from view.
    We rounded Linda Evers Mountain. The beach was lined with villagers, cheering and waving. Five small motorboats weaved around us, waiting to take us to the dock so that we could all arrive together.
    â€œThere’s a little ceremony planned for the gym,” said Annie Pritchard as I stepped onto the dock.
    â€œBut we just won one game. It was no big deal.”
    â€œI know,” said Annie. “We’re all proud but the real reason we want to bring everyone into the gym is that this is the perfect excuse for all of us to be together when you take off your thumb for Mr. Entwhistle.” She was grinning. “Do you have the box I carved for you?”
    â€œYeah. It’s in my gym bag.”
    â€œPerfect. Let’s go.”
    The team lined up across the middle of the gym floor. The stands were filled with our mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters and friends. I knew everyone.
    Big Charlie, our mayor when we needed one, made a short speech about how the mighty New Auckland team had defeated the Vancouver all-stars in a game of