The GHOST and Charlie Dusenberry

PG. 69 TGACD R. ZEIS

Now what?

Gus sat at his kitchen table by himself. Norma had left to welcome new friends to their new home “up” here. The quiet house allowed him to sort through his feelings while he waited for his angel to show up.

As soon as he arrived home yesterday, Gus had asked to see the angel that originally had given him his assignment. He expected the angel any minute. Meanwhile, he went over the facts of what he felt his assignment with Charlie was. Making Charlie a good baseball coach was next to impossible.

Gus’s mind went back in time to the many hours, days and weeks he had worked with his son on how to play the game. He remembered going to the park one day and showing Charlie how to move around first base, the position he had played as a pro. There was an art to being able to move your feet to field a throw from an infielder and still be near the bag. Over and over again, Gus demonstrated to his son the movement of his feet while still keeping your eyes on the baseball. Gus had gone home that night to tell Norma that it had been a wonderful day with his son. Later, however, Charlie had confessed to his mom that he had been bored with the whole thing.

Gus realized he had heaped a lot of the game on Charlie at a young age, but his father had done the same thing to him and he had soaked it up like a sponge! Why didn’t it work for Charlie?

Game after game, year after year, Gus had hoped Charlie would suddenly blossom into a ballplayer he’d be proud of. Instead, Charlie got worse. Strikeout after strikeout, dropped fly balls, and a lack of enthusiasm led Charlie to beg his parents by the age of twelve not to sign him up for little league anymore. He quit on the wonderful sport!

Gus remembered that day when Charlie told his parents not to enroll him in little league. Gus had called him a quitter and harsh words were exchanged. Their father/son relationship was never quite the same.

So, now he faced orders to help a now fully grown man to love something he had hated most of his life. He also was supposed to teach someone who probably wouldn’t listen to what he had to say. It hadn’t worked years ago….why should it work now. It was bogus.

A knock on his front door shook Gus out of his bad memories.

PG. 70 TGACD R. ZEIS

Rising from the kitchen chair, Gus passed through the living room and stopped in front of the front door. Gus took a deep breath to brace himself for what was about to be (in his mind) a major confrontation. He opened the door.

Two angels stood there, both dazzling bright and both beautiful. “Hello, Gus,” said the angel who had visited him the first time.

“Please come in,” said a surprised Gus. “It must be important to have two of you to visit me,” he joked.

Not responding to Gus, the angels found their way to the living room and sat next to each other on Gus’ sofa. The angel Gus had not seen before gestured for Gus to sit down on a chair opposite them. “Gus, we won’t be here long. He wants us to prepare you for your next trip ‘down.’ This trip will give you more time to visit and begin to accomplish what He wants you to do.”

Leaning forward, Gus said, “Which is?

“To listen and learn,” said the angel who had first visited him.

“Can we be more detailed as to what that means?”

The angels turned to smile at each other and then turned to look at Gus. The newest angel said, “What do you think He wants from you?”

Exasperated, Gus sat back in his chair. Why the games? Taking a few moments to make up his mind on what to say, Gus looked at the ceiling. He knew this might be his only shot to change His mind. Slowly, Gus lowered his head and stared at the angels who sat patiently.

“I think He wants me to teach my son, Charlie, how to coach a little league baseball team.” Hurrying before the angels could respond, he added, “And I don’t think that can work. Charlie hates the game and we never got along when it came to baseball. So, I think this is a waste of time.” Gus sat back in his chair to watch the angels’ reaction.

The newest angel didn’t waste any time in responding. “Gus, He wants you to make the most of the time you are ‘down’ there. You only have a limited amount of trips He will allow you. He knows you are confused about all of this, but that’s part of it. You are a very lucky man to be given this opportunity to grow. Not everyone up ‘here’ has this opportunity.”

Gus waited for the angel to say more. When she didn’t he asked, “Is that all?”

The two angels stood up and started to walk to the front door which opened all by itself.

Gus, once again, figured this meant the visit was coming to an end.

PG. 71 TGACD R. ZEIS

“Can’t you give me more?” he pleaded.

Gus’ first angel turned to him. “He feels you learn more if you figure things out by yourself.” When she saw a puzzled look on Gus’ face, she added, “Know this, He won’t abandon you. He will always be with you. So, once again I urge you to listen and learn.”

“Why can’t He ever just come out and say what He means?” said a frustrated Gus.

His first angel turned to face Gus squarely in his face. “That’s a question that has been asked many times.”

“So…” pleaded Gus.

“So, we do his bidding and feel blessed by doing so. After all, He’s the boss.”

Before Gus could respond, the two angels walked out of his door and disappeared.

It took a minute before Gus closed his front door. He had stared after the angels hoping they might come back so he could continue his objections. After closing the door, Gus moved over to his big picture window and looked over his wonderful front yard. He had lost his one chance to change His mind.

“Now what?”