The Story of Them

July 11, 2018

After a short plane ride to Las Vegas, I got a full tour of Jackson's childhood.

We walked down the side walk almost aimlessly as he explained to me the story of his childhood.

"My parent's had too many kids and not enough income to support us. We lived in a one room trailer where there was seven of us kids had find areas to sleep in. I had to sleep in the bath tub, unless there was a kid under the age of three in the trailer. We weren't allowed to do sports since we couldn't afford it. All we could do was hang out with friends and make the most out of our life."

Jackson took a deep breath before he continued, "I had this one friend named Jimmie Solutair. His family was rich and he played baseball constantly. He loved the sport and because we were best friends he wanted me to love the sport as well. His family knew about my family's struggles so they bought me a glove for my sixth birthday. I played catch with Jimmie almost daily and batted as well, but no matter how much I played I still couldn't play baseball since my dad couldn't afford it. Jimmie's dad offered to pay my fee, but my dad told him off for that on. Since that moment I wasn't allowed to see Jimmie because of it."

"It was almost a year and a half before social services showed up at my house stating that our living quarters isn't safe for us kids. Because of that all seven of us was taken from our parent's custody. I mean that they were right, but at the age of seven, I only knew that I was getting taken away from my parents so I completely bucked the idea. It took two police officers to restrain me and took me to my new living space."

I looked at Jackson, not knowing this side of him. He never talked about this before so it was almost like someone else was telling me about Jackson Myls the Fifth's history.

"I ended out of Las Vegas and in a small town with a higher middle-class family. They already had two boys through the foster system so one more didn't hurt them at all. But I didn't like them one bit. At this point, baseball was completely gone for me, and I was pissed off at the world. That first night I ran away. I made it all the way home to find nobody there. The door was locked, and I sat on the little porch outside and cried until the police came and picked me up. I told them that I didn't want to go back, but of course they didn't listen. I didn't go back though since the family decided that they didn't want me there. I didn't care, but my future was unknown at this point."

"The second family was a strict older couple. They weren't that bad; however, I ran away again from their care the first night. And it continued, no matter where I went I ran away. It got to the point where they finally put me in jail because of my stubbornness. Days I was there, and there I picked up a baseball once more. One of the officers played catch with me on his break trying to see if he could break into my head. It didn't work, but ever since that moment I haven't gone a day without at least holding a baseball."

"Somehow, that officer talked the courts into releasing me into his custody. He already had a wife and a young baby girl to worry about, so I was surprised that he was willing to try to change my life around. He and his wife treated me as if I was their own son. But before I arrived there my first day, he took me aside and made me promise that I wouldn't run away from him and his family. I promised and I never broken my promise with him."

"Almost every day, he played catch with me or took me out batting. He got me into a league, and my love for the game blossomed. I had to help around the house and keep up with my school work during the school year. It was like that up until I was eighteen. My parents never tried, to my knowledge... tried to get me. I didn't feel anger towards them, I just thought that they just couldn't turn their lives around, which was true. I didn't try to look them up or even find them once I turned this age."

"I got a full ride to college, thanks to baseball. I knew that I wouldn't ever be able to pay for college unless I got a scholarship. I studied biology as I played baseball year around. I didn't see my parents until my college graduation. That officer invited them to it since he thought that they should be there. That reconnection was a strange one since almost all my siblings, since most of them was over eighteen at the time, was with them. But it almost felt like we were never a part all of those years. They think, though, that they couldn't wrap their heads around was that I got drafted to play baseball by the Chicago Cubs. They didn't react how I thought that they would, because all of them stood like stone not knowing what to say."

"But even after that, we still kept in touch. I went off to Des Moines the next year since I made it to Triple A right away. Up to that point, I didn't know where Jimmie ended up. At this point it was a month before I got brought up to Chicago, two months before I met you. I was watch so baseball because I could, and the starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals that was making his major league debut was Jimmie Solutair. Somehow, it worked out that I haven't had to play against him yet, but the first game that we're back I get to play against him in Chicago. And I'm scared for some reasons to actually believe that this is coming."

Right there in the middle of the road where Jackson finished telling his story, I hugged him. I had no idea why, but I felt like it would be the for the best just to hug him. It was really sweet for me at least hugging.

Once we broke away from each other he leaded me to his parents' house, which was the same house that Jackson lived in the first seven years of his life. It was so tiny that I couldn't imagine trying to have more than three people sleep in this house. There was no furniture in the house. The tiny box that we were in seemed so emptied, that it was almost shocking that this is where Jackson came from.

Jackson held me tight for some reason, I guess that he could see the shock on my face. I did feel safe in his arms, but it was quickly interrupted by his siblings all six of them coming into the house with their significant others and children ready for the family mini vacation that all of them planned months ago. Jackson welcomed his siblings with hugs and instantly goofing around with them.

When the bus arrived to drive us to the Grand Canyon, Jackson and I hanged out until everyone else grabbed their seat on the bus. We had to sit in the front of the bus, which was okay with me since I still got to be next to Jackson.

We planned to be in the Grand Canyon area until Friday the thirteenth since Jackson had a game on Sunday in Chicago.