Our Souls at Night

19

There was one summer evening when Louis drove Addie and Jamie and Ruth out to ShattuckZ s about his hand’s Café on the highway for hamburgers. The old neighbor lady sat in front with Louis, Addie and the boy in back. The young girl took their orders and came back with their drinks and napkins and the hamburgers and they ate in the car. The highway was behind them and there wasn’t much to look at, just the backyard of a small gray house across the lot. When they were finished Louis said, We better get some root beer floats to take with us.

Where are you taking us? Ruth said.

I thought we should watch some softball.

Oh, now I haven’t done that for thirty years, she said.

It’s time then, Louis said. He ordered four floats and he drove to the ballpark out behind the high school and stopped under the high bright field lights, parking with the car pointed toward home plate from the fence in the outfield.

I think Jamie and I’ll go watch from the bleachers for a while.

Then I’ll get up in front with Ruth, Addie said. We can visit and still see the game.

Louis and the boy took their floats and walked in front of the other cars and along the chain-link fence and climbed up into the wooden bleachers behind home plate. People said hello to Louis and asked who the boy was. This is Addie Moore’s grandson, he told them. We’re getting acquainted. They sat down behind some high school boys. The women were playing a team from the next town over and wore red T-shirts and white shorts. They looked pretty out under the bright lights on the green grass. Their arms and legs were all tanned. The local team was ahead by four runs. The boy didn’t seem to know anything about the game so Louis explained as much as he thought he could take in.

Don’t you ever play ball? Louis said.

No.

Do you have a glove?

I don’t know.

Do you know what a softball glove is?

No.

You see what those girls have on their hands. That’s a softball glove.

They watched for a while. The local women scored three more runs, people in the stands yelled and hollered, Louis yelled to one of the players and she looked up in the stands and saw him and waved.

Who’s that?

One of the girls I used to teach. Dee Roberts, a smart girl.

—

Out in the car Addie and Ruth had rolled the windows down. Do you need to go to the grocery yet? Addie said.

No. I don’t need anything.

You’ll let me know.

I always do.

I’m afraid you don’t.

I just don’t eat much anymore. But I’m not hungry so it doesn’t matter.

They watched the game and Addie honked the horn whenever the local team scored.

I know Louis still comes over, Ruth said. I see him going home in the mornings.

We decided it was all right even with Jamie here.

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