Hadji leaned back in the bleachers, watching Jonny and Jessie’s baseball team.He’d been keeping track of the score absently and couldn’t recall exactly what the score was but he did know that the opposite team was losing by about two runs.

He watched as the opposite teams pitcher struck out Jessie and then as they switched places.Jessie was now on the pitcher’s mound, Jonny was on first… He frowned as he saw the Coach step onto the pitcher’s mound, calling Jonny to him and Jessie.

Hadji didn’t see any sign of the back catcher and he remembered how he’d taken a hard hit when the runner had slid into home.

Was that the reason he’d called a time out?

Sensing someone’s attention on him he looked up to find all three looking up at him.Nodding to them he slowly got up and made his way to the mound.

The Coach, an older man in his forties, eyed him up and down.“You Hadji?”

“Yes sir.”

“Well these two say you’re a decent back catcher.See, Adam’s arm is twisted and Kyle called in sick and we have absolutely no one else left to put in the position.With no one to fill in… we forfeit.My question is, you willing to do it?”

Hadji smiled, nodding.“I will do my best, sir.”

The Coach nodded curtly, “Follow me and we’ll get you suited up and notify the Umpire.”

……………………………

Hadji felt slightly embarrassed by the attention he was getting.It wasn’t as if he were an excellent Backcatcher but the team seemed relieved to have someone filling the missing slot in their line-up.Smiling self-consciously he followed Jessie and Jonny out onto the field.

He was so busy trying to make sure that he calmed himself down that he ran smack dab into the very cranky looking umpire.The man looked at him through narrowed eyes, before nearly growling at him.“You’ll have to take that towel off of your head if you wanna play.”

Hadji blinked at him but nodded his head in agreement.“Yes I will have to remove my turban if I am to wear both the baseball hat and the backcatching mask.Thank-you kindly for the reminder.”Carefully setting his equipment on home plate he deftly unwound his turban and shook his long, dark hair out.Reaching into the pocket of his black shorts he removed a hair tie and quickly tied his hair back into a ponytail, before dawning his baseball cap and the mask as well. Carefully he moved into a position in front of the umpire and signaled to Jessie to let her know he was ready.He signaled for a fastball and waited until Jessie threw.It was a good solid pitch and he caught it in the glove’s padded center with no problems at all.

Jessie threw a few more before the Umpire bellowed loud enough to wake the dead.

“Play Ball!”

Hadji waited as the batter came up.“Hello, my friend.I wish you luck.”

The batter gave him an odd look, before shaking his head and stepping up to the plate.Hadji took in the angle he was standing at and noting the apparent velocity of his swings he deduced that a curve ball might develop into foul ball. (Hey he’s REALLY smart, right?)Quickly he gave the signal to Jessie and waited patiently as she followed through.As he’d expected the batter caught the edge of the ball sending it into a backwards arc.Brushing off his mask he backpedaled and gently caught it in his glove.Tossing it back to Jessie he smiled, bowing slightly to the batter.“That was a good swing my friend.”

The batter blinked at him but mumbled ‘thanks’ before walking back to his own dugout. It was easy for Jessie to strike out the next two and the two teams traded places.Hadji was put into the clean up slot due mostly to Jonny and Jessie’s insistence.He was slightly worried when he stepped up to the plate, with a runner on each base.One false move and any number of things could go wrong.But being a yogi in training, he made himself calm down.It was just a game after all and he was only helping his friends.It was not of a life or death experience.

Stepping up to the plate he waiting for the pitch and swung…..

“Hadji, will you wake up already?We’re going to be late for practice. And since Dad and Race aren’t here you have to drive us remember?”

Hadji blinked and looked up into Jonny’s frowing face before smiling.“Yes, of course, Jonny.I will get ready immediately.”

As he watched his friend leave he sat up and looked out his window, shaking his head but smiling.“In dreams we can be anything that our heart desires, if only for a brief moment in time.”Looking down at his hands he got up.“Maybe though, it is our dreams which make us realize what is truly the path our lives should take…”Getting dressed he put on his turban and headed down the stairs.“Hey Jonny?”

“Yah Hadj?”

He looked down at the stairs where his two friends were standing, “Is there room on the team for another player?”
Jonny blinked scratching his head, “Uh, yah I guess so.Why?”

Grinning Hadji moved past them, “I think it is time I tried something new.”

Behind him he heard a quiet, ‘Told ya he’d come around’, from Jessie and couldn’t help but feel warm at the thought.

Silently he looked up to the clouds, ‘Thank-you for them.’