Broken Road
Authors: Elizabeth Yu-Gesualdi
Copyright © 2012 Elizabeth Yu-Gesualdi
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 1479338117
ISBN 13: 9781479338115
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62346-627-5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012917737
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
North Charleston, South Carolina
I would like to dedicate this novel to my sons, Jarrod and Alec.
Thank you for your never-ending love and for
inspiring me to be a better person.
You are my reasons for being born
.
And to Dave…
my husband, my best friend, my one true love
.
Contents
S
irens. He could barely distinguish between the police and those of the ambulances, but Jarrod knew that the loud, blaring wails of those sirens were fast approaching. Unable to move or open his eyes, he could feel the cold, wet trickle of blood and smell its rusty, metallic scent as it poured from his scalp onto his face. As he struggled to escape the suffocating blackness that was now engulfing him, he was able to call out to his brother.
“Alec…Alec,” he mumbled in a voice rising barely above a whisper. With tremendous effort he tortuously attempted to turn his twisted body toward the backseat to check on Alec, but a sharp, searing pain ran through his ribs and chest area, rendering the movement impossible. “Alec, answer me,” he grunted. He thought he heard a moan coming from the back, but he wasn’t sure. Then he heard his name being called out. Was it the voice of the angel of death calling for him? Did he even have a voice, or did he just stand in front of his intended victim with his glowing, red eyes drilling holes into the soon-to-be-departed’s heart while beckoning him to follow by simply waggling his long, fleshless finger toward himself? Either way he would not respond. He wasn’t ready to die and leave everything and all those he loved behind. Not yet. It wasn’t his time. The voice called out his name again, but this time Jarrod heard it with unmistakable clarity and knew whom it belonged to.
His brother was alive.
He knew help was on the way because the high-pitched cries of sirens were getting closer and closer. Closing his eyes in relief, he soon found himself losing the battle against consciousness as darkness began to make its wicked descent upon him. Just before unconsciousness hailed victory, he felt himself blissfully reliving the earlier hours that had led to this dark and horrendous moment.
He remembered baseball…
The day of the championship game had finally arrived. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and the weather was perfect for baseball. It was as if the baseball gods had discussed it and unanimously voted to do their part to make today as game friendly as possible. The sun was shining, but with just a few white, fluffy clouds scattered about so that it didn’t become uncomfortably hot. A cool breeze was blowing, but not so strong that it might affect the outcome of where the ball headed after being hit. Perfect baseball weather.
Jarrod had spent the past few days studying for upcoming final exams and practicing to further tone up his baseball skills. He didn’t hang out with any of his friends or see his girlfriend Morgan, except during school hours. He needed to focus. He was captain of his high school varsity team and they were competing for the state championship this afternoon. He already knew he would be the starting pitcher and thanks to Coach Leroux, he also knew there would be a scout for the Charleston Riverdogs, a Single-A minor league team for the New York Yankees, watching in the stands. He felt an enormous amount of pressure to perform well, as well as a combination of excitement, anxiety, fear, and nervousness at the prospect of all his hard work and dreams turning into reality. His nerves were as tight as his girlfriend’s jeans, but he was ready. The opportunity to make one’s dream come true only comes once in a lifetime. He realized this and would do whatever it took not to blow it.
The away game was scheduled to begin at one o’clock at the Secaucus High School field. Secaucus Patriots vs. Cliffside Park Raiders. He was dressed and ready by 9:00 a.m. Sitting on the edge of his bed while unconsciously tossing a ball into his glove over and over again, he silently prayed that his fastball have the speed of a Bugatti Veyron, that his curveball would break as if dropped from the Cliffs of Moher, and that his slider would dive down into the strike zone at the last second, the way his mom sniped the final bid on eBay with mere seconds left on an auction.
Glancing through Jarrod’s bedroom doorway while en route to the bathroom, his younger brother, Alec, made an abrupt stop and leaned against the doorway, quietly watching him for a few moments before speaking. He knew how much this game meant to his brother. Secretly he was just as nervous. Had he not broken his right wrist two months ago in a basketball game with his friends, he would be playing alongside Jarrod today. Unfortunately his wrist was still bothering him, and the doctors felt it would be best for him to skip the season and give the injury time to heal properly. Alec also excelled in baseball as a catcher and loved the game just as much as Jarrod did. As happy as he was for his brother, it still killed him not to be able to participate in today’s championship game.
Although Alec was a year younger and close to an inch shorter than Jarrod, he was his equal in muscular build. Being that they were so close in age, they shared many common interests, such as sports, movies, music, and friends. Both sons took after their father, Jim, in height, but only Alec resembled him in appearance, inheriting his lighter skin tone, soft yet thick brown hair, and eyes that were a rare combination of amber and green. Jarrod, on the other hand, took a stronger hold of their mother’s genes, with the darker hair and olive skin tone. Janet’s eyes were a warm brown, triggering her husband to lightheartedly tease that the blue-eyed mailman better not drop off anymore special deliveries at his house again.
Still leaning against the bedroom doorway, with his arms crossed over his chest, Alec asked, “How you holdin’ up?”
Jarrod looked up at him with a small shrug and a tight grin. “Okay, I guess.”
“You’ll do fine today. Don’t worry.”
Looking back down at his ball and glove again, Jarrod said, “Easier said than done. I can’t help but worry I’ll screw things up. What if I work my ass off and I still pitch badly?”
“Just pretend it’s you and me out there having a catch. Try not to think about who’s in the stands watching. Focus and stay in the zone at all times. You do that and I guarantee you’ll have a great game.”
Appreciative of his brother’s concern and advice, Jarrod simply nodded. Usually Alec was so laid-back and carefree, Jarrod instinctively knew it had taken a lot for him to say what he just did. He would probably need a nap later due to mental exhaustion.
“Alright, I’ll see you there then. I’m going with Billy and Evan. I’ll catch up with Mom and Dad at the field. Remember to just stay in the zone.”
Alec was leaving the room when Jarrod called out to him, “Hey, Alec!”
“Yeah?” he asked, taking two steps backward and turning to face him in a tactical, military fashion.
“Sorry you aren’t able to catch for me today. It won’t be the same without you.”
Alec nodded, gave him a slight grin, and said with a deep sigh, “Thanks. I wish I could be a part of it too. All I can do now is play the role of head cheerleader.”
Jarrod smiled and said, “I also appreciate the pep talk. Never expected that from you.”
“No problem. Just don’t get all mushy on me, alright?” Alec shoved his left hand into his pants pocket and began to jingle the loose change, a perpetual nervous habit he’d developed years ago when faced with an awkward or uncomfortable situation. “I still think you suck as a big brother…but I gotta admit, you are one helluva ballplayer!” They both chuckled at his feeble attempt to lighten the moment.
