The Youngest Hero (46 page)

The Astros, despite their pledge to never give up Elgin’s rights, traded the first pick in the draft to the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves had been under tremendous public pressure, from the mayor to the people, to make the southern boy their own. They
gave up two frontline players, a pitcher and a center fielder, along with three future draft picks and an undisclosed amount
of cash.

The Braves offered Elgin a million dollars, guaranteed, for three years. Other clubs claimed they would have paid more. The
Braves maintained that they were taking an expensive risk.

Elgin proved a bargain. His arm and range and speed left him inadequate for any position in the field except first base, and
though he was a small target, he caught most everything and held his own defensively in double-A ball. He was thrown at, bunted
at, run over, and taunted—sometimes even by his own teammates, but when it became clear that his bat had not suffered in the
transition to professional ball, he changed a lot of minds.

Mr. Thatcher and I turned down flat the suggestion by the Braves that they give me the uniform number 1/2.

“He’s gonna have enough trouble fitting in without that silliness,” Billy Ray said. “If he hits like a child, then give him
a child’s number. He’s already going to look interesting in a real uniform at his size. I mean, he’s big for thirteen, but
he’s still no adult.”

I had a slow start, probably because I was nervous and getting used to a better brand of ball—plus it took Mr. Thatcher time
to
arrange to have the pitching machine shipped to me and set up for me in secret locations. But then I caught fire.

Record crowds and media followed him as Elgin ran his average up close to five hundred. Atlantans began calling for his promotion
to triple A and even to the big club, which was floundering in fifth place. But the Braves announced that Elgin would not
be moved up even to triple A during that season. He garnered just enough at bats to win the batting title by 130 points at
.485.

“He could play in the big leagues today,” his manager said. “I just don’t know where they’d put him.”

I returned exhausted to our new address, a condominium in Buckhead. We had one floor gutted, and Elgin hid the machine there
and spent hours every day smashing golf balls about the place.

Visiting us at the end of the season, Luke seemed down.

“Elgin’s hitting right now,” I told him. “He’ll be glad to see you.”

“I’ll be glad to see him too, but I really need to talk to you.”

I led him to the huge living room, and he reminded me that he had seen the place while it was being decorated.

“Are you happy with it?” he said.

“You know me too well,” I said. “Let’s just say I’m happy for Elgin, because this is going to be his place someday. When he
comes of age or gets married, or whatever he’s going to do, I’m going to live somewhere else.”

“Doesn’t he want you to live with him?”

“He thinks he does. But if I were a young wife, I wouldn’t want that, no matter how charming and wonderful my mother-in-law
was. And you know I’m charming and wonderful.”

I worried when Luke didn’t smile.

“Elgin will be gettin interested in girls here soon,” he said. “But he won’t be marryin anybody till he’s at least twenty.
You could get awful used to livin like this in the meantime.”

So
that
was it.

“Lucas, I will never get used to living like this. Tell you the truth, I loved the road. I loved doing for Elgin and seeing
him succeed. I missed my job. I missed some of my friends. I didn’t miss the bus rides. I feel a little funny sittin around
here without much to do, and I know that as Elgin does even better, I’ll have even less reason to work. But this is not my
idea of life, Lucas. Don’t think I’m going to become a woman of leisure.”

“But Miriam, look at this stuff. It’s gorgeous. I feel like I couldn’t even invite you two to my place again. I mean, I do
all right and I’m not in debt, but compared to this—”

“Why are you comparing it to this? They don’t pay shop owners hundreds of thousands of dollars. I’m keepin close tabs on Elgin
so he remembers where he came from. He starts getting highfalutin on me, I can still deal with him, know what I mean?”

Luke stood to look out the window. “That’s one beautiful view,” he said.

I stepped behind him and slipped my arms around him. “Lucas, do you not like me anymore, now that I’m livin here?”

He didn’t turn around. “Are you kiddin? Miriam, I love you more than ever. It’s just that I’d be holding you back. Elgin can
take care of you, and why should you be hangin with a guy like me when you can run in these circles?”

“You think I’m going to meet some teammate of Elgin’s, some veteran with millions of dollars, and he’s gonna sweep me off
my feet?”

Luke turned around, his hands at his sides. “More likely, you’ll sweep him off his feet.”

“You really think that,” I said flatly.

“I worry about it. There’s lots of guys our age in the baseball world, especially as Elgin moves up.”

I took his face in my hands. “I don’t want guys,” I said. “I want you.”

“What have I got to offer?”

“Who else would have shaved off his beard and mustache just for me? And you’ve kept it off. Why?”

He shrugged. “For you.”

“Then you do still care about me.”

“Miriam, don’t kid about this, okay?”

I backed away and sat down. He looked miserable and retreated to his chair.

“Lucas, this is not an attractive side of you, this self-pitying, poor me, I’m-not-worthy-of-you thing. It sounds like you’re
beg-gin for strokes. What do you want to hear?”

He sighed. ‘That you still love me as much as I love you, Miriam.” His voice was thick. “I want to hear that even though you
could live like this, you realize that with me you probably never will.”

“Have I ever said different?”

“No, but I worry.”

“I don’t want you to worry, Lucas. You know who I am. You know where I came from. You know how I lived just a few months ago.
This is not my place, hon. This is Elgin’s. He worked for it. He deserves it. I don’t want it. I won’t get used to it and
call it mine. We’re a little out of place here, you know. People look at us funny. We still carry our own grocery bags up
on the elevator.”

Luke laughed. “How tacky.”

“Lucas, I want to tell you this once and for all and not hear another word about it, okay? I don’t want you to doubt me. I
never thought I’d get a second chance at love, and for it to be so much better than the first is just a gift. No matter where
I am, no matter what I’m doing, no matter who I’m with, I’m not lookin for anyone but you. I’m loving you. I don’t know how
else to say it.”

Luke leaned forward and raised his eyebrows. “I don’t suppose you’d care to back up that statement?” he said.

I’d been looking for a reason to kiss him since he came in. “Sure,” I said. I rose and sat on his lap, wrapping my arms around
his neck. I lightly touched his lips with mine, then pressed my mouth to his as if I wanted to drink him in.

I pulled back. “I love you, Lucas. You got it?”

He laughed. I stood quickly. “That was not intended to be funny!” I turned to move away from him, but he caught my hand.

“I’m not laughing at you,” he said.

“I’m the only one here!”

“No! It’s funny because when I asked you if you cared to back up your statement, that wasn’t what I had in mind.”

“Well, I’m sorry! What did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking more of something like this.”

He pulled from his pocket a small box. Before I could even reach for it, he opened it and the diamond caught the sunlight
from the window.

I came down a tight spiral staircase, wearing my helmet and carrying my fungo bat. Momma and Luke stood there hugging.

“Hey, guys,” I said, but they ignored me. “I just hit a hundred and five line drives, every one a solid shot.”

Luke and Momma looked at each other, smiling. “Who cares?” they said.

The ring had been the reason Luke could not afford to travel more with Elgin and me. We agreed we should put off our wedding
until just before spring training. It would be hard on a new marriage for me to be on the road much of the baseball season,
especially not knowing where Elgin might land in the organization. The only thing we knew for sure was that he would be in
Florida for spring training, and that would make a nice honeymoon trip. Meanwhile, Luke expanded his business and put away
profits so he could invest in a home in Georgia where the three of us would live during the off-seasons while Elgin was in
the minors. Elgin would work out at his place in Buckhead and continue to furnish it for the day it would become his private
home.

During the off-season, Elgin’s time was taken with personal appearances, school (he was a full grade ahead already), and
running through his three-hour-a-day workout. I told him often how proud I was that he was not living on past achievements.

“Are you kidding, Momma? I haven’t made it yet, and even when I do, I can’t let up. The only way to be the best is to work
the hardest, and the only practice that makes perfect—”

“Is perfect practice,” I said. “Neal Woodell lives.”

Luke purchased a Colonial in a modest section of Atlanta, and we did most of the refurbishing ourselves. It was during one
of those sweaty, late-fall sessions with drywall dust in our hair and paint on our hands that I grew melancholy and told Luke
one of my life’s secrets.

“You know what I’ve always wanted to do? Ever since I lost my baby girl?”

Luke was drilling. He spoke between punches on the trigger. “Tell me. Just don’t tell me that beatin story again.”

“Why?”

“Cause it’s ugly and it makes me want to kill a guy who’s already dead.”

“I’d like to open a home for girls.”

He slowly looked up at me. “I can’t believe you never told me that.”

“Oh, honey, I don’t expect to still do it. My life’s going to be too hectic for a lot of years, especially if Elgin becomes
a big leaguer and we’re married and all.”

“No,” he said, “listen. Ever since I was in Desert Storm I’ve had a soft spot in my heart for orphans. Lucy and I had decided
to wait to have kids till I got back, then I came back to bury her. Now it’s too late for me to be a father.”