Wish by Jake Smith

Author:Jake Smith [Smith, Jake]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Published: 2014-05-01T00:00:00+00:00

Before pregame batting practice on Monday, manager Kevin Burkes summoned James to his office. When James had first arrived, Burkes—only a few years older, and balder—had wanted to hear the whole story of Aaron’s wish and playing catch at Comerica Park. But when James stepped inside his office this time, Burkes’s face stiffened, dour. And James didn’t notice Tigers assistant general manager Wes Marco sitting down until the door closed behind him.

With the click of the door, it hit him.

It’s over. One week. I lasted one week. I didn’t make it.

He sat, but his mind flew back to the hospital. He saw Aaron sitting up in bed, working on homework or watching SportsCenter or continuing his plans for the James McConnell Major League Stats website. He saw himself walking into the room, his duffel in hand. He saw Aaron’s face melting to tears. “I’m sorry, buddy. Those guys are just too good,” he heard himself say. “I tried my best.”

“Did you, Dad? Did you really try your best?”

James shut his eyes. Emily was right. There was no sugarcoating this. Aaron had made a wish. Perhaps his dying wish. And James had failed to make it come true.

“We got a problem,” Wes said.

“Yeah.” James leaned forward and looked at the floor. “Yeah, I know.”

“You did terrible in that interview yesterday.”

James sat up. “What?”

“The interview. I’d play it back for you, but I don’t think you want to see it.”

“You’re here because of the interview?”

“Yeah, why else? I was in Toledo over the weekend, getting them ready for you, when I caught your performance on the late news.”

“I thought you were here to tell me to pack up.”

“’Course not.” Wes glanced at the Erie manager.

“Not yet,” Burkes said.

That dangling threat put James on edge again. But with the reprieve, he sat at attention.

Wes leaned against the edge of Burkes’s desk. “I knew we could sneak you into West Michigan, but I thought we’d have a worse time moving you up than we did. But the story’s out now. Someone in our front office got called last night, wanting info on you. I think one of our people made an innocent comment; then it went up the food chain.”

“So what do I do?”

“The cameras will be a part of your life now, besides the one we sent to follow you. I’ll run interference as much as I can and keep them away from you. But at some point you’ll have to deal with them. And that group last night? Those were just local guys. The story’s national now, so don’t turn on the radio or read the Internet. Like, at all. Marketing and media relations back in Detroit put together a few things, including some pointers to make sure you sound like a ballplayer and not a PR gimmick.”

“But right now you’re playing like a PR gimmick,” Burkes said. “That’s gotta stop.”

James didn’t acknowledge the manager, for his stomach turned at a sudden thought. “They won’t send cameras to the hospital, will they?”

“They’ll try, but they won’t get in,” Wes said.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.