Eijun's Twin

The One Pitch (Pt. 1) [edited]

If you think about it, Eijun says that he never watches baseball games. That he sees no point in watching if he gains no physical experience. So where did he learn to pitch? I could tell you, or I could show you. Either way, all that you'll need to know it that I'm the one that taught Eijun to pitch. He wasn't born a pitcher, just with a naturally breaking ball.

Nice to meet you, I'm Eija, Eijun's younger sister.
•••
Brother sat across the table from a woman who told us to call her Rei. She was pretty, from the looks of how the conversation was going though, she was very straightforward. Although not as forward as brother is sometimes.

"I want you to come to Seidou to play for the baseball team." The words that left her lips caused excitement in my family that I hadn't seen in a long while.

Mother gasped and pulled brother over into their family meeting. Once again I was left to my own thoughts. I sat in the same place at the table, the fingers on my left hand fiddling with the hem of the Nike shorts I wore.

"The only way I'll go is if Eija-Chan goes with me!" Brother shouted, I looked up from my neatly clipped plain nails to see brother get yanked back into the family huddle by his shirt collar and then some words were spoken before grandfather karate chopped him on the head.

My eyes drifted back down to my fingers as a sharp, pulsing pain shot through them. I showed a face of discomfort but this was a more mild pain compared to how it could get sometimes.

I let my mind wander and I saw headlights coming at the passenger side of the car where I sat. I blinked and the headlights were gone, another flashback.

"You will never be able to use your left arm again..."

No, they were wrong. They had to be...

"So it's settled. You two can come and visit in a couple of weeks? Okay?" Rei smirked and began to stand up. Huh, I've spaced out for too long... it seems I have no idea what is going on.

I was so lost in thought that I missed the whole interaction. Before I could comprehend what she had said before about us visiting, she began spouting off nonsense about my hand.

"We have a catcher that was injured with his shoulder before. I'm sure he could help you, we also have a great clinic just off campus for any injuries and rehab." I nodded with what she was saying as thought it made perfect sense.

How was a man who had hurt his shoulder going to help me with permanent nerve damage? I've been to several doctors, they all say the same thing. I will never use my left arm again. I will never regain control of my left hand, I would never regain feeling in my fingertips. And they're right.

I can't move my hand, I have just enough strength to life my arm above my head. It strains the muscle and applies extra pressure to the underused tissues and sinew. The scars from surgeries would never fix my tendinitis either. It hurts more than you would think.

Instead of a dull ache in my arm and shoulder like others would experience, it is a shooting, throbbing pain that sometimes leaves me on the floor in tears with the pain.

Rei got up after she finished explaining everything about the clinic to me, she was escorted to the door by grandfather. Brother was silent for once. That has never happened before, whatever she said must have struck a nerve in brother. I knew mother would call for a feast with this incredible news so I went to the kitchen and began preparing dinner.

Once we all finished eating, I cleaned off the table, packaged away leftovers in the fridge, and washed the dishes before proceeding to my room as it had gotten quite late.

I stood in front of my window, staring out and up at the stars. I felt and heard it when Eijun left. I saw him pedaling his bike off into the night and decided that I should start packing a small overnight bag for when we go to check out the school.

Brother won't go unless I do. And who am I to hold him back. I know how it feels, I will give him as many chances as he needs and more, I will support him with my all to make sure he doesn't know this feeling. The feeling of everyone giving up on you. The feeling of losing all hope, and abandoning all that you love.

I want brother to chase after his dreams and be happy, he can't do that if I stand in his way. So therefore I will do whatever it takes to keep him happy, he's the only one who ever really cares about me anymore, sure my parents care, but it's too expensive. All of the doctors. I can no longer be a burden to them. They would only run out of money if I continued to go to all of these doctors, it was pointless for them to waste their money knowing that I would never get better. At least this way I can get treatment without it having to cost them.

Brother is the only one who hasn't given up on me playing again. Even I myself have given up on playing again. I'm sure he sees how I've lost the sparkle that once lit my eyes like a crystalline shimmering lake on an unbearably sunny day. I'm too good at masking to from everyone else, but he sees right through it, the facade I've put up. I had my whole life taken away from me within one single moment, and no one seemed to notice how it crushed me, no one but him.

I thought about how the next few days would be. They didn't want me there at Seidou, they only wanted brother, but if I didn't go, he wouldn't either. They only offered me to come because they were desperate. There was no way they wanted me to play baseball, not after my accident, I couldn't do anything anymore.

A knock resounded about the room from my door. I placed the small book bag onto my bed, there were only a few items in it but I didn't really know what to take since I didn't know what was really going on. I called for the person at the door to come in and they did.

My mother walked cautiously into my room and sat on the end of my bed. She patted a place next to her on the mattress, a motion for tme to sit, one that I listened to.

"Sweetie, I know we haven't been taking you to doctors lately, and you probably assume that we have given up on you like some others have. But we want you to know that we are cheering for you. We just don't necessarily have the money right now. I think if you go to Seidou then you could have that physical therapy you need. Please go with your brother, you know he won't go without you."

So that's what that was all about, she just wants brother to seize this opportunity. Everything she said to me before meant nothing, she just wants me to go so that Eijun will go.

"Of course mother. If Eijun is going than I am going as well. I need to finish packing now though mother, thank you, goodnight... also, I love you."