Hit a home run, boy!

The stadium was fully packed. Having one of the most important games in the year, Billy was constantly moving about the venue, delivering beverages and retail merchandise for elated baseball fans and weekend dads with their boys. 

“What can I get you, pal?” he asked a man whose side profile seemed familiar.

 He gestured without even looking at Billy and when a hot dog’s been handed over, Billy immediately recognized the man who just spat his chewing gum into a napkin. It’s Theo, his former life management therapist from two years ago. To meet him here caught Billy completely off guard because they never ran into each other after they finished their sessions. This was not surprising though, living in a huge city, but still. Not even at a supermarket or a mall.

Two thoughts ran immediately through his brain. One is, that although he remembers mentioning to Theo back at the time that he’s a hawker on the weekends, he now wondered if Theo remembers him at all, because he’s always been such a hip specialist with lots of patients. And two, is how he’s associating the name Theodor with deodorants. It’s not just the similar sounding, but also that all the four Theos he knows have a very masculin smell that reminds him of the ocean. Maybe the Theos of the world are aware of this and the obvious relation between their smell and name is no coincidence after all, he thought.

“Oh, a comebacker!” Theo yelled out the classic baseball term when the batter hits the ball directly back to the pitcher, putting Billy off his contemplation.

“Yes! Yes, it’s me!” Billy cried out with joy that Theo indeed seemed to register him. “I was not sure you’ll recall, actually, ” he admitted with a cautiously curling smile.

“Ya gotta believe!” Theo shouted to try to motivate the players, not noticing Billy’s voice at all from the raging crowd.

“Yeah, right… I know this was always a problem for me, to believe in my own capabilities”, Billy went on blushing, “can you believe how many times you needed to remind me to believe?” he added with a nervous laugh. His mind wandered immediately back to Theo’s office, and the moss green armchair he used to sit in for forty-five minutes, twice a week.

“What’s the deal?” Theo hackled the pitcher for standing idle.

“Well…”, Billy continued hesitantly, “I still work at sport events on Saturdays, as you see… which is ironic, I know, considering what a couch potato I am.” He laughed while handing over a drink for a random baseball fan. Turning back to Theo, he went on, “But I’m just fine, thanks for asking. Actually, I’m batting a thousand so far with my not-so-new-girlfriend Larissa,’ he laughed at being amused by his own wordplay and continued, “everything is on track. I’m thinking of asking her to move in together with me.” 

Theo winced on the bench, still focused on the field and shouted with his hands forming a funnel around his mouth. “Where’s that coming from?” 

“Y’know…” Billy shrugged. “We've been together for seven months now, maybe it’s time. I hope she doesn’t think we’re moving too fast… What’d you think?”

Theo didn’t respond, in fact he still did not register Billy is talking to him, despite him standing next to me perfectly in the same imaginary line, both facing the field. He was clearly in the zone, enjoying the game. But the minute-long silence didn’t dissuade Billy, in fact, he was yet again reminded a little of their sessions from two years ago. Theo was a psychologist after all, it’s normal to not interrupt him but just encourage with his active listening to express the long suppressed emotions.

“I mean, I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Larissa is really my everything, and she seems to accept me even after knowing literally all about me. I was honest with her from day one and I even told her about a possible fling I recently rejected because I’m just so crazy about being exclusive with her, and all.” Billy said almost defensively, stood nervously from one foot to the other, he could feel his cheek go red like a ripe tomato. He started to fidget with a merch cap’s brim.

“What are you waiting for? All it takes is all you’ve got.” Theo’s words sounded like a comforting approval to Billy, who questioned only for a quick heartbeat his own choices and plans. Too bad, the misunderstood advice was addressed to the pitcher, once again.

“You think so?” he replied, still fidgeting, and a smile of false reassurance appeared on his face.

The pitcher threw and the ball was pitched far enough that the batter was unable to extend his arm enough while swinging. It seemed his team just got into an awkward position with this missed shot. They needed to send in an exchange. 

“He’s in a jam!” Theo threw his hands to his head and gripped some of his hair, waiting nervously for what would happen.

“Ha, yes I guess so…," Billy nodded, still not noticing Theo wasn't talking to him at all. Years of being a weekend hawker simply developed some kind of blindness in Billy against baseball lingo. He just went on, “well, I wouldn’t say it’s that hard of a decision, really, but…” He didn’t finish his thought, instead sipping his soda, silently contemplating for a minute while watching the new player get on the field. 

Another batter, another missing hit. The players tried to man up themselves, preparing for a new try. The audience was in a nervous trance by now. 

“Are you serious? That can’t be right!” Theo almost jumped from his seat.

“Whoa, calm down!” Billy’s gritty voice ordered him louder than intended and Theo turned to him just to frown. What’s this idiot hawker doing here for so long? Doesn’t he have business to do elsewhere? His eyes communicated towards Billy, whose face went crimson when he realized he was too harsh. He went on in his usual smoother voice, as he massaged his nape.

“I know I’m overthinking, okay…? Just give me a break! All I’m saying is that it’s scary. Jeez… I mean, it could go south very easily. What if this question is too sudden and it makes her run away?” The words came out hoarse.

“Let him hit it! Focus and fire!” Theo tried to impatiently coach the game, ignoring that Billy’s still present.

“Ha! If it would be so easy…” Billy chewed on Theo’s words, feeling insecure.

“No excuses, no complaining… just execute!” echoed an ordering yell of Theo and when he tried to sip his soda he realized it was empty. He turned to Billy with a remorseful look for making a face for him before and pointed to a soda, asking for it.

“I think you’re right.” Billy nodded firmly when handing over the drink and sighed with a grateful smile. “You always knew how to help me nudge in the right direction.”

“Just shut up and pitch!” Theo was facing the game again, raising his hands into the air which Billy misinterpreted as motivating him. It’s a strange way to motivate someone, he thought, but it didn’t really bother him. Maybe it’s a new technique, he imagined. He didn’t pay him a visit for two years now after all. Who knows what has changed in this time in the field of psychology. He really felt that with this advice Theo took the decision out of his hands, just like the soda - quick and decisive. 

“Nice hit! What was it?” he yelled out which was followed by laughter while elbowing a man sitting next to him.

Billy now winced and raised an eyebrow. He didn’t say a word out loud, just silently contemplating, so why did Theo say anything like this just now? A concern briskly slipped through his mind. What if Theo was just commenting on the game?

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.” Theo said into the air and clapped. This at least really sounded like the good ol’ Theo, burping out some encouragement whenever Billy needed to make a decision in their regular meetups. It left no doubt in Billy, Theo must have been reading his mind in this very moment, he must have sensed his silent inner struggle and so he must have figured out how some uplifting words could just come in useful, all right.

He patted Theo’s back delightedly and when Theo turned his face back to him looking horrified, Billy replied with an empty platitude. “Look up, get up, but never give up.” 

Theo annoyingly turned back to the game. What a freak, his body language communicated. Billy would have sworn to even see him discreetly elbowing the man sitting next to him, pointing out on Billy with rolled eyes, but it was so subtle if it happened at all, that he might have just imagined it for a second. But he couldn’t care less because he got a little too proud of himself for his own liking. Not only did he consider himself to be lucky for meeting his former therapist in the middle of a game, but he also got some free advice!

‘WINNERS NEVER QUIT. QUITTERS NEVER WIN.’ A motivational banner hung approvingly, which Billy seemed to notice only just now. 

What a day, what a day indeed! He would’ve never thought a simple baseball game can give so much for one in emotional trouble. Or that selling hot dogs for $6.50 could provide some kind of emotional commission. He contemplated with a satisfied smile for a while about how brilliantly Theo pointed out to the many similarities there are between baseball and life itself. How the sport teaches to appreciate the moment and how much beauty there is in anticipation, or how even being afraid of failure is a natural part of it. 

“That's the way. .. It ain't over 'til it's over.” Theo’s words echoed in Billy’s ears, giving one more affirmation of he’s making the right choice.

“All, right, thanks. Thanks a lot, pal!” he nodded and decided to finally leave Theo alone. He took only three steps when the words erupted from Theo, like a volcano.

“Okay, one more time. For the love of the game! One, two, three strikes… you’re out!”

Heck, it might as well be another fundamental truth about life. This guy’s so insightful! Billy was thinking and replied with a loud affirmative tone and another short nod. “So… Hit, run, score! And repeat!”

Their eyes met for a second and a laugh barked out of both but for different reasons. For Billy, because of the invaluable lesson he just gained, and for Theo, because of how exciting the game turned out to be and how the people around him shared his childish love of baseball and how greatly they all embraced their common sport spirit. 

They enjoyed the game silently for a couple of minutes and Billy said goodbye to Theo. “I have to go now,” he leaned closer to him so he could hear him talking in the loud stadium cheering, “but if I may use a terrible pun as my last words, let’s touch base next Saturday. Same time, same seat?” 

But Theo didn’t move a muscle. Just like in old times in their sessions, listening quietly to his patient - at least Billy was in that belief. He waved his hand which Theo misinterpreted as a question for another drink. He gestured a polite ‘no’, and Billy started for the next group of people. It’s game over. I ask her tonight, it’s time to record the outcome for all posterity, he thought and set off, humming from joy.