昨天

By+M.Stanley+Bubien

Jimmy sat on the park bench. He looked left， then right. Bouncing the rubber ball against the sidewalk， he caught it each time as it rebounded. But this held his attention only briefly， and he again looked left，thenright.“Theywerehere yesterday，”he said in his most reassuring voice. He resumed bouncing the ball， recalling that， yesterday， it had been almost exactly like this. He sat in this same spot all right， but the ball—it had rolled up against his feet.

“Hey kid！”the boy had yelled.“Throw it！ Over here！”Jimmy picked it up and looked toward the voice. The boy was off in the distance， standing beside two golden retrievers and a tall man wearing a baseball cap. The man slapped the boy on the back—who immediately charged toward Jimmy at full speed， the animals bouncing along at his heels.

Skidding to a stop， the boy panted，“Thanks for getting it.”And held out his hand.“Youre welcome，”Jimmy told him， handing the ball over. Instantly， the boy spun and threw the ball in a high arc toward the man. The two dogs bounded after it with a sharp yelp.

“My names Steve，”the boy said.“Im Jimmy.”O(jiān)ne of the dogs paws slapped onto the seat and dropped the ball next to Jimmy.“Wow！”the boy named Steve said， clapping his hands together，“He likes you！”Mouth open and tongue lolling to the side， the dog panted against Jimmys face. Jimmy reached out hesitantly and touched his beautiful golden coat. It was so soft.“Come on，”Steve interrupted impatiently，“throw him the ball.”

“Okay，”Jimmy replied， grabbing the soggy， tooth！ pocked rubber ball from the bench. He stood， bent his arm back， and flung it as far as he could. It landed away before the man. Jimmy whistled a few notes as the man chased after it. The dogs stumbling over each other trying to beat him to it. The man， however， made it there first.

He came toward the boys， dogs in tow， and when he arrived， he asked，“Whos your new friend， Steve？”“This is Jimmy.”“Pleased to meet you， son，”the man said，holding out his hand. Jimmy looked at the mans open palm. He couldnt remember another adult ever offering a handshake before. With a shrug， Jimmy grasped the mans hand and shook with as much fervency and dignity as he could muster.

“Im Mr. Lincoln. By the way， nice throw. Your father taught you that？”“Nah，”Jimmy replied.“My dad doesnt have time for this stuff.”Then the man said，“Well， youve got quite an arm. I bet you could throw a ball twice as far.”

“Oh， come on，”Jimmy replied， covering his eyes.“I mean it.”He glanced at his son.“Steve， run out there so we can toss you a couple.”“Okay！”Steve sped away， the dogs yelping enthusiastically after him.

“Now， son，”Mr. Lincoln said，“try this.”He cocked his arm all the way back and sprung it forward from the elbow. He repeated the movement in slow motion so Jimmy could see better.“Just like that.”

He placed the ball in Jimmys hand. It felt awkward the few times Jimmy practiced without releasing the ball. Steves father stood behind him， adjusting a shoulder here， a foot there， until finally saying，“Okay， son， give it a shot.”Jimmy did， throwing the ball clean over Steves head.“See！”Mr. Lincoln cried， messing Jimmys hair.

The rest of the afternoon， they tossed the ball back and forth， playing catch， alternating between keep！away and fetch with the dogs. Eventually， Steves dad looked at his watch and announced，“Well guys， Steve and I have to get going.”He wrenched a ball from the mouth of one of the dogs， and， after wiping it on his shirt， handed it to Jimmy.“Here， why dont you keep this？ That way you can practice your throw.”

Yesterday. That was yesterday. Jimmy sighed to himself， catching the ball off the last bounce. And today was almost over.

吉米坐在公園的長(zhǎng)椅上，左看看，右看看。他向人行道上彈著橡皮球，球每次彈回來他都能接到。但是，這只是短暫地吸引了他的注意力，他又開始左看看，右看看。“他們昨天在這兒的。”他盡最大努力安慰著自己。他繼續(xù)彈著橡皮球，回憶著，昨天的情景差不多就是這樣。他就坐在同一個(gè)位置，但球———是滾到他的腳邊來的。

“嘿，少年！”那個(gè)男孩喊道，“扔一下球！扔到這兒來！”吉米撿起球，朝聲音的方向望去。遠(yuǎn)處的男孩站在兩只金毛犬的身邊，旁邊還有一個(gè)戴著棒球帽的高個(gè)子男人。男人拍了拍男孩的背，那個(gè)男孩立刻全速向吉米沖來，兩只金毛犬緊跟著男孩跑著跳著。

男孩在地上滑行著停了下來，氣喘吁吁地說：“謝謝你撿到球。”然后伸出了手。“不客氣。”吉米說著，把球遞了過去。男孩立即轉(zhuǎn)身，將球拋出一個(gè)高高的弧度，球旋轉(zhuǎn)著飛向那個(gè)男人。兩只狗尖叫著，追著球蹦蹦跳跳地跑。

“我叫史蒂夫。”男孩說道。“我是吉米。”其中一只狗用爪子拍打著長(zhǎng)椅，將球放在吉米的旁邊。“哇！”叫史蒂夫的男孩拍手說道，“它喜歡你！”那只狗張著嘴，舌頭耷拉在嘴邊，沖著吉米的臉上呼氣。吉米猶豫地伸出手，摸了摸它漂亮的金色毛發(fā)。真柔軟。“快點(diǎn)，”史蒂夫不耐煩地打斷他，“把球扔給它。”

“好。”吉米答道，從長(zhǎng)椅上抓起那個(gè)濕漉漉的滿是牙印的橡皮球。他站起來，手臂向后張開，然后扔出了他能扔的最遠(yuǎn)距離。球落在了那個(gè)男人面前的某處。男人追球的時(shí)候，吉米打了幾聲呼哨。兩只狗爭(zhēng)著搶著想要趕在男人的前面追上球。然而，還是男人先拿到了球。

他向史蒂夫和吉米走過來，兩只狗緊跟在后面。走到他們面前的時(shí)候，男人問道：“你的新朋友叫什么，史蒂夫？”“這是吉米。”“很高興見到你，孩子。”男人說著伸出了一只手。吉米看著男人伸出的手掌，他記不起來以前有哪個(gè)大人曾經(jīng)主動(dòng)要跟他握手了。吉米聳聳肩，抓住男人的手，盡可能熱情而體面地握著。

“我是林肯先生。對(duì)了，你剛才扔得很好。是你父親教你的嗎？”“不是，”吉米回答道，“我爸爸顧不上這種事。”隨后男人說道：“嗯，你的手臂很有力。我敢說你能扔出兩倍遠(yuǎn)的距離。”

“噢，別開玩笑了。”吉米說著垂下了眼簾。“我是說真的。”他掃了兒子一眼，“史蒂夫，跑到那邊去，好讓我們能扔兩倍遠(yuǎn)的距離到你跟前。”“好的！”史蒂夫飛快地離開了，兩只狗熱情地跟在他后面叫著。

“現(xiàn)在，孩子，”林肯先生說道，“試試這樣扔。”他向后掄圓了手臂，然后猛地將小臂向前甩出。他用慢動(dòng)作重復(fù)了一遍，以便吉米能看得更清楚。“就像這樣。”

他把球放在吉米的手中。吉米試了幾次，沒有將球扔出去，感覺動(dòng)作很別扭。史蒂夫的爸爸站在他身后，這里調(diào)整一下他的肩膀，那里調(diào)整一下他的腳步，最后終于說道：“好了，孩子，扔吧。”吉米扔了，球干凈利落地飛過了史蒂夫的頭頂。“看吧！”林肯先生一邊大叫，一邊揉著吉米的頭發(fā)。

那個(gè)下午接下來的時(shí)間里，他們來來回回地扔球，和狗狗們一起玩?zhèn)髑虻挠螒颍惶娣朗睾徒忧颉Ｗ詈螅返俜虻陌职挚戳丝词直恚f：“好了，孩子們，史蒂夫和我該走了。”他把球從一只狗的嘴巴里奪過來，在襯衫上擦了擦，然后遞給了吉米。“嘿，你拿著這個(gè)球吧。這樣你就可以練習(xí)拋球了。”

昨天，那是昨天的事，吉米暗自嘆了一口氣，接住了彈跳的球。今天就快要過完了。