Everybody loves ... Two years later
At one of those very rare appearances, Raymond and his friends were playing baseball against Richard and Pauly’s friends. David knew none of Raymond’s team members since they all were from Norte Dame.Like most games, while Richard played, David sat out of the game and watched. Two sets of bleachers were on each side of home base. From here, David watched the two teams play the cat and mouse of baseball. He sat on the top third row of the aluminum bleachers. During the end of the third inning, Raymond came over to the set of bleachers where David was watching the game. David didn’t see behind him was a black hair teen wearing black pants and a white button down shirt.
“Hey there, Fred,” said Raymond to the stranger behind David, “you want to play?”
“Na,” answered Fred, “I have to go to work later.I’ll just watch.”
“Hey there, Fred,” said Raymond to the stranger behind David, “you want to play?”
“Na,” answered Fred, “I have to go to work later.I’ll just watch.”
Fred sat on the first row of the bleachers. He had a large frame that was perfect for football. Even his wide shoulders and arms would be helpful with this sport. His brown eyes disappeared with his olive skin tone. He looked older than a high school teenager, mainly because of his wide sideburns and dark stubble on his lower face, but more so because dark hair sprouted out from the top of his shirt’s open collar.
“You staying for the whole game?” asked Raymond.
Fred’s face seemed unsure.
Raymond added, “It’s just a seven inning game.”
“Sure,” acknowledged Fred.
Raymond and Fred talked for a few minutes. As far as David could tell it was about their school and classmates. They seem to have a lot of friends.
“So what’s happening about staying in school?” questioned Raymond.
“Yeah, about that, my parents can’t afford the tuition. They can’t get enough money together, and I think it’s best if I transfer to public school.”
“Damn it! I was hoping you could stay.”
“I think it’s better this way.”
“So Evanston Township High School?”
“Yeah.”
“I heard it’s a good school… for a public school.”
“No nuns hitting ya,” laughed Fred.
Those few minutes came fast as the game’s three outs. The outs happened as quickly that Raymond never got up to bat for that inning.
Raymond announced to Fred, “I have to go pitch. See you at the next inning.”
And off he went to the pitcher’s mound.
“You staying for the whole game?” asked Raymond.
Fred’s face seemed unsure.
Raymond added, “It’s just a seven inning game.”
“Sure,” acknowledged Fred.
Raymond and Fred talked for a few minutes. As far as David could tell it was about their school and classmates. They seem to have a lot of friends.
“So what’s happening about staying in school?” questioned Raymond.
“Yeah, about that, my parents can’t afford the tuition. They can’t get enough money together, and I think it’s best if I transfer to public school.”
“Damn it! I was hoping you could stay.”
“I think it’s better this way.”
“So Evanston Township High School?”
“Yeah.”
“I heard it’s a good school… for a public school.”
“No nuns hitting ya,” laughed Fred.
Those few minutes came fast as the game’s three outs. The outs happened as quickly that Raymond never got up to bat for that inning.
Raymond announced to Fred, “I have to go pitch. See you at the next inning.”
And off he went to the pitcher’s mound.
Fred rolled up his shirt’s shelves revealing his forearms covered with thick black hair. He leaned back in the bleacher resting his elbows on the second row bench.
As David watched the long hairs on Fred’s arms move in the wind, he thought he was handsome with his black eye brows and long lashes, high cheek bones, and prominent jaw and chin. His face had a narrow shape. He was an attractive man. David wondered how old Fred really was and how many grades he failed to look this physically mature.
Fred turned to David and said, “Hey there.”
“Hello,” answer David, breaking his daze.
Fred got up and walk to the front of the bleacher where David was sitting. He extended his hand and said, “I’m Fred Fragazzi.”
David leaned forward and shook Fred’s meaty hand.
“I’m David Gunnell.”
“Nice to meet you, David Gunnell. So how do you know Raymond?”
“It’s my younger brother who’s friend with Raymond’s younger brother.”
“Pauly?”
“Yeah. Pauly.”
“So you go to Norte Dame?”
“No. I am at Evanston Township High School.”
“Really? I’m going to be transferring to your school. How’s it going to that school?”
“It is not that bad. It is school. Besides, I have nothing to compare it to… meaning to another high school. It is the only one I have been in.”
Fred sat on the first row of the bleacher closer to David and said, “I have seven brothers and four sisters.”
“Wow,” said David, ‘that’s a big family.”
“I’m the youngest, And you?”
“I am the middle of three boys.”
Fred shared with David how his parents where in their late sixties and didn’t understand his youthful age. They were strict parents. He shared that having such a large family, his sibling’s ages ranged greatly. He had brothers and sisters he never lived with because of the large age gap in his family. Thus, Fred had nephews and nieces that were older than him.
“It’s odd being an uncle to someone older than you.” said Fred. “I have a nephew who’s 27 years old and I’m only sixteen.”
“Sixteen,” said David. “We’re the same age. You could pass for someone in their early twenties.”
“I know. I get that a lot. It’s the hair thing. I’m really hairy for someone my age. I have to shave twice a day ‘cause my hair grows so fast. It’s the Italian in my family.”
As David watched the long hairs on Fred’s arms move in the wind, he thought he was handsome with his black eye brows and long lashes, high cheek bones, and prominent jaw and chin. His face had a narrow shape. He was an attractive man. David wondered how old Fred really was and how many grades he failed to look this physically mature.
Fred turned to David and said, “Hey there.”
“Hello,” answer David, breaking his daze.
Fred got up and walk to the front of the bleacher where David was sitting. He extended his hand and said, “I’m Fred Fragazzi.”
David leaned forward and shook Fred’s meaty hand.
“I’m David Gunnell.”
“Nice to meet you, David Gunnell. So how do you know Raymond?”
“It’s my younger brother who’s friend with Raymond’s younger brother.”
“Pauly?”
“Yeah. Pauly.”
“So you go to Norte Dame?”
“No. I am at Evanston Township High School.”
“Really? I’m going to be transferring to your school. How’s it going to that school?”
“It is not that bad. It is school. Besides, I have nothing to compare it to… meaning to another high school. It is the only one I have been in.”
Fred sat on the first row of the bleacher closer to David and said, “I have seven brothers and four sisters.”
“Wow,” said David, ‘that’s a big family.”
“I’m the youngest, And you?”
“I am the middle of three boys.”
Fred shared with David how his parents where in their late sixties and didn’t understand his youthful age. They were strict parents. He shared that having such a large family, his sibling’s ages ranged greatly. He had brothers and sisters he never lived with because of the large age gap in his family. Thus, Fred had nephews and nieces that were older than him.
“It’s odd being an uncle to someone older than you.” said Fred. “I have a nephew who’s 27 years old and I’m only sixteen.”
“Sixteen,” said David. “We’re the same age. You could pass for someone in their early twenties.”
“I know. I get that a lot. It’s the hair thing. I’m really hairy for someone my age. I have to shave twice a day ‘cause my hair grows so fast. It’s the Italian in my family.”
David looked at Fred’s neck where his black hairs popped out of his shirt. An unknown feeling went through David. A spark.
As Fred kept on opening up to David, from time to time he would call out encouragements to Raymond’s team members on the field by their names. He knew everyone playing the game, including Pauly.
“So you have a job?” asked David.
“Yeah. That’s why I’m wearing this white shirt. I work at Dairy Queen on Howard Street.”
“My family goes there a lot. A lot means at least once a week. I guess it’s nice to have spending money.”
“It is,” answered Fred. “Say, you looking for a job?”
The idea had never cross David’s mind.
“There’s openings at Dairy Queen,” Fred said with a smile. His smile made his face even more attractive. “It’s more fun there than work. And the people are real fun to work with.”
David thought about spending money in his pocket, but was sidetracked by another spark jarring right to his groin. He didn’t understand this feeling.
Fred continued, “You have to get your parent’s permission first.”
And the spark within David spoke, “Yes, I like to work with you
As Fred kept on opening up to David, from time to time he would call out encouragements to Raymond’s team members on the field by their names. He knew everyone playing the game, including Pauly.
“So you have a job?” asked David.
“Yeah. That’s why I’m wearing this white shirt. I work at Dairy Queen on Howard Street.”
“My family goes there a lot. A lot means at least once a week. I guess it’s nice to have spending money.”
“It is,” answered Fred. “Say, you looking for a job?”
The idea had never cross David’s mind.
“There’s openings at Dairy Queen,” Fred said with a smile. His smile made his face even more attractive. “It’s more fun there than work. And the people are real fun to work with.”
David thought about spending money in his pocket, but was sidetracked by another spark jarring right to his groin. He didn’t understand this feeling.
Fred continued, “You have to get your parent’s permission first.”
And the spark within David spoke, “Yes, I like to work with you