A Great Day at the Ballpark

         About a million fans leaped to their feet, stretching their arms high as the “wave” rolled through the baseball stadium. Dark, curling pigtails dancing, three-year old Lanie jumped lightly on her seat to raise her own dimpled, baby ones into the air. Her parents, Chloe and Reb, sat next to her, laughing at the sight of her feet marching in place on the seat.

         “Sit down, Lanie!” Chloe reminded her daughter with a smile. “You’ll wear yourself out before the 5th inning. She briefly fanned herself with a program. It was hot today, with the sun blazing over the field and heating the wooden seats. Yet, it was going to be a great day at the ballpark.

         Across the aisle, a woman sat wearily while her youngest moved fretfully in her lap, rubbing his eyes and whining for another ice cream. The two older children wrestled over a baseball foam hand. Chloe wondered why the woman didn’t put an end to her children’s misbehavior. She would never let Lanie get away with any of that.

         A young mom walked down the steps, a leash wrapped around her wrist, the end hooked to her toddler child. Chloe sniffed with disdain. What was wrong with these women? She could control her child.

         “Excuse me! You’re daughter just knocked over my drink.”

         Chloe grabbed Lanie to keep her from crawling out of her seat. Chloe grimaced. “I’m so sorry. Let me buy you another one.”

         A tall, thin man with graying hair reached to pick up a dripping paper cup. Spilled soda darkened the cement behind Chloe’s chair.

         “Don’t bother.”

         The man stared down at Chloe from beneath the brim of his team baseball hat. A large gray cloud advanced on the sun, covering the rays and dimming the glow of the day. She shivered uneasily and turned around.

         Chloe and her family jumped to their feet to clap and dance to the stadium music. The home team scored run after run. Chloe glanced over her shoulder and discovered the tall, thin man was no longer behind them.

         Chloe relaxed then, enjoying the flamboyant food and beer vendors hawking their wares as they traversed up and down the stadium steps. The dark cloud drifted on by. The sun’s heat warmed Chloe once again.

         Innings later, bladder full to bursting from beer and buttery popcorn, Chloe tucked Lanie’s hand into hers and maneuvered their way past their neighbor’s knees and climbed the steps leading to the darkened tunnel and the bathrooms.

         Just past the tunnel entrance, the tall thin man leaned against a wall, perusing a baseball program. He did not look up as Chloe and Lanie hurried by.

         In the bathroom stall, Chloe plopped Lanie’s tiny bottom on the toilet seat. Lanie chattered in her ear.

         “Can we go back to the kids’ place and throw the ball?”

         “Maybe later, honey.” Chloe pulled up Lanie’s shorts. “Stand there and wait for me.”

         “No, Mommy. I a big girl.” Lanie pouted. “I wait outside.”

         Proud of her daughter’s independent nature, Chloe studied the earnest eyes. “Okay. But stay right outside my door.”

         While keeping a sharp eye on her daughter’s sneakered feet dancing and hopping beneath the bottom of the bathroom door, Chloe relieved her aching bladder. She righted her clothes in lightening speed.

         As she opened the door, Lanie’s arms wound around her legs, her face stretched wide into a Cheshire cat grin.
“
         See, Mommy. I a big girl.”

         At the marble sinks, Chloe washed Lanie’s small hands first. “Stay put, Lanie while I wash mine.” Chloe commanded.

         Lanie’s feet screeched to a stop just shy of the open bathroom doorway. She impatiently hopped on one foot and then the other as Chloe bent down to throw water on her hot face.

         While she dried her hands on a towel, Chloe checked her face in the mirror. She tossed the towel into the trash and turned. “Okay, Lanie. Let’s go.”

         No Lanie.

         Hurrying forward Chloe raced through the exit door, sure that Lanie had only gone as far as the hotdog vendor next door.

         Still no Lanie.

         Chloe’s head swiveled wildly in both directions. “Okay, calm down and think. Don’t panic.” She murmured to herself. Her curious daughter was probably chattering questions at the cashier for the souvenir shop across the way. But the crowds in the tunnel had multiplied, so that about a million bodies moved around Chloe, blocking her from seeing the other side.

         Chloe’s pounding heart accelerated and threatened to explode from her chest. The cashier from the hotdog stand eyed her warily as Chloe pushed her way crazily through the crowd.

         Her control on her hysteria slipping, Chloe’s voice cracked, “Please, have you seen a little girl with dark pigtails, wearing a team jersey and white shorts?”

         The cashier shook her head, “No. How old is she?”

         “Th…three.” Chloe rasped. “Sh…she was in the bathroom with me and then she just disappeared.”

         “Weren’t you with her?” The cashier asked, tone and attitude all pointed an accusing finger at Chloe. Clearly she was a bad mother for losing her child.

         Stung, Chloe glared at the girl, and then plunged back into the crowd.

         “Lanie!” Chloe shouted, breathing in painful gasps. Chloe suddenly wondered if Lanie had gone back to her daddy without her. Spurred on by this ray of hope, Chloe raced back to the seating area. The sky had turned gray in her absence, the sun once again hiding behind a wall of dark clouds. Chloe flew down the steps to Reb.

         But Reb was alone, blissfully ignorant and calmly dipping his hand into the popcorn box.

         “Reb!” Chloe grabbed his arm, “Lanie’s gone!

         One look at her tear filled eyes and frightened face, Reb dropped his popcorn and leaped out of his seat. Together their feet pounded out a frantic rhythm to the tunnel where they split up to search the entire level. Before disappearing, Reb growled over his shoulder, “Meet back at the ladies bathroom!”

         Chloe searched every food and souvenir vendor, plus all the dark crannies in between.

         Reb scoured the men’s bathrooms, stairways and any door that would open.

         Chloe passed the couple with their child on its “leash” and wished insanely for a moment that she too had “leashed” Lanie to her side. Regret for her judgmental attitude tasted bitter on her tongue. Exhausted and nauseated from fear, Chloe returned to the bathroom. She spied Reb walking toward her and hope once again teased her. She saw the same hope in his blue eyes. Both faces drooped as they realized the other was alone.

         Chloe started to cry. The baseball game excitement now soured in her belly, she wished that they had not come at all.

         “Oh, Reb. What are we going to do?”

         “I don’t know.” He ran a trembling hand through his hair and his eyes cut to her, suddenly furious, “How did she get lost? Why weren’t you watching her?”

         “What?!” She clenched her hands to keep from slapping him. She snapped. “I was watching her. But it’s impossible to watch her every second!”

         A passing security guard, noting their distress, intervened, “Can I help you?”

         Chloe clutched at the uniformed arm, “My daughter’s disappeared.”

         “I’m sure we’ll find her. Let’s check with Fan Services. Maybe she’s there.”

         Chloe and Reb followed quickly after the guard, not touching, the few feet between them as wide as the Grand Canyon. Heated and hurt looks darted back and forth.

         At the park’s exit an office door proclaimed “Fan Services”, offering hope that immediately crumbled upon entering and finding no chattering Lanie. Reb fumed to the patient security guard and park official as they walked back outside. Chloe rested her backside against the brick wall and closing her eyes, leaned her head back.

         “Mommy! Daddy!”

         Chloe’s eyes snapped open and she leapt away from the wall.

         Moving through the park gate was the tall thin man in a baseball hat.

         Arms reaching desperately over his shoulder, Lanie wailed at the top of her lungs.

         The thin man, whipping around, saw Chloe, Reb, the security guard and park official charging across the pavement toward him. He stopped and with shaking hands held out their daughter who was now twisting in his grasp.

         “I…I… found her near the Kid’s Zone.” He spluttered. “I was trying to help her.”

         Reb yanked Lanie away from the man and wrapped her tightly in his arms. Chloe rained kisses on Lanie’s arms and hands. Her eyes came to rest on the tall, thin man, struck by the calm stance, the knowledgeable movement when the officer snapped the cuffs on his wrists.

         This was not his first time.

         Chloe turned away to comfort her daughter.

         The tall man’s eyes stared at the little family from beneath the rim of his hat. A small, evil smile lifted the corner of his mouth. It had almost been a great day at the ball park.