Teaching Elementary, My Dear Watson

36 - Softball and Skateboards

36

Softball & Skateboards

Monday, March 6

It was warm for March, in the high 70s, with no breeze. Kevin perspired while he taught some kids how to swing a bat. He showed them how to hold it and explained why they were different lengths and weights. Most of those new to batting practice were girls, but Thang was among the few boys present. He had spent most of his life overseas, so he had played neither baseball nor softball. He'd only watched it on TV. Kevin was pitching to make it easier for the kids. After a few practice swings, Thang got to try hitting the ball.

Kevin had all the other kids either in the field or behind the cyclone fence surrounding it. There wasn't an official dugout, the term used for where each team sat waiting for its turn to hit, because the area was on the same level as the field. But it was away from the batting area and protected. Good thing. Thang hit the ball well, then immediately let go of the bat, which flew down the line near third base. That could have been disastrous.

Kevin didn't want Thang or anyone else to be terrified, but needed him to bat safely. He made the kid take some practice swings, then had him tap the ball and put the bat down. Next, he had Thang hit the ball softly and put the bat down. He built back up to a full swing. This time Thang hit the ball well, then dropped the bat before sprinting to first base. Success. Thang was a superb athlete. Now that he could hit without throwing the bat, he could become a top softball hitter as well as a soccer star. Kevin's priorities were (1) safety, and (2) success, in that order. I gotta keep 'em all alive!

Tuesday, March 7

Kevin said goodbye to the kids at the end of school, waving as they headed home under the cumulus cover. A few, like usual, grabbed their skateboards and helmets from where they'd stored them in the back of the class with his permission. No problem, as long as they weren't used on campus or during the school day.

He and Johnny were talking, maybe half an hour later, when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Mr. Watson? This is Georgina Miller, Mary's mother."

"Yes, Mrs. Miller. How are you?"

"I'm at the hospital where I work. Mary is here as a patient. A car hit her as she rode her skateboard."

"Oh, no! Is she okay?"

"Looks like she will be, but Mary was asking for you. I wonder if you'd have the time to stop by?"

"Of course. I'll be right there."

He got directions, gave Johnny an explanation, and drove over, in such a hurry that he left most of his things in the classroom. The community hospital was small, a three-story off-white structure that both looked and felt sterile. Maybe that was a good thing. Kevin parked and quickly walked to the reception desk, telling them his name and why he was there.

"Yes, Mr. Watson. Georgina is a nurse here. She said you're family, so you may visit her daughter."

"Is there anything I should know first?"

"I will have a doctor meet you in the corridor by her room to brief you."

"Thanks." He got directions and climbed the stairs up to the second floor.

A woman with a name tag that read "Dr. Diaz" met him near the nurses' station. She had short gray hair and a no-nonsense look that reassured him. She got down to business.

"Mary has two broken bones, her upper left leg and left forearm, where she made contact with the car. It tried to stop, so fortunately, it wasn't moving too quickly. Both are simple fractures, but she will wear two casts for several weeks. She will be with us for two days to make sure there is neither any damage to her brain nor anything internal we don't see right away. But her helmet seemed to do its job when she landed, so I am cautiously optimistic. Georgina explained your status, so I approved putting you on the list as an 'uncle', especially since her father has a job some distance away today and can't get here for hours."