Read Online The Ghost-Eater and Other Stories by Diane Awerbuck, Louis Greenberg - Free Book Online Page B

sure?’
    â€˜Ja, I’m sure. Come on.’
    Jeremy bowled. The delivery was a little slower, but he blocked it. ‘Again,’ he told Jeremy.
    This time, Mr Arendse held his pose after striking the ball and showed me with one hand: ‘Front foot forward, bat straight against the pad, eyes over the ball. You can’t be bowled, caught or called LBW.’
    Jeremy bowled again, faster this time. ‘Don’t be afraid of the bowler,’ my coach told me. ‘Make him afraid of you. Say to yourself: Come on, you cunt! Is that the best you’ve got?’ The other players turned to look. Had they really heard Mr Arendse swear? All doubt was removed when he drove the next ball back at the bowler. As he did so, he exhaled: ‘Play the poes!’ He said it with relish.
    This time, half the team packed up laughing. He turned to me and said, ‘No matter what the bowler throws at you, you play him. Play the poes!’ He gave the bat back to me and returned to stand outside the nets. I blocked the next ball that Jeremy bowled at me. I thumped the bat as I’d seen Mr Arendse do, my feet moved on their own, and I played the ball with purpose. The bat reverberated in my hands when I made contact, but it gave me confidence. I did better after that, although I still missed one every now and then.
    When I left the net, Mr A held me by the shoulder and said: ‘Your homework is to go home and play with yourself.’ The other guys guffawed and I blushed. Our new coach went on: ‘Close your bedroom door, stand in front of a long mirror, take your bat in your hand, and play! Keep playing that forward defensive until you’ve got it down to a tee. Will you do that for me, my son?’
    I nodded and smiled, ‘Yes, sir.’
    â€˜And that goes for the rest of you as well,’ he told the team. ‘Play with yourselves every evening, boys. It’s good for you.’
    I decided that I was going to enjoy cricket that season.

The Writing Class
Daniel Berti
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    I’m busy on Wednesday nights. I have a calendar I write on my calendar. I write lists I hate mosquitoes speed bumps domestic animals especially cats. Have you ever been on my website here kitty dot see oh dot zed ay I chose the name nice hey. Mister Ardin says I’m good with computers mister Ardin gave me his extra computer. I know my superintendent doesn’t like me I pay the rent I pay the rent two days early every month I stay out of the way. I write it in my calendar I pay for my water lights phone my lights don’t work.
    Mommy phones to see how I’m doing on Thursdays good mommy mister Ardin says he’s friends with mommy.
    I’m a cat murglar I go undercover. Have you ever been on my website I murgle cats on my website. Just send me the address a photo I’ll be there to murgle your cat free of charge buses cost money. There is honour in the medals Tarantino the black cat had the shiniest medal dog medals are bigger I keep my medals in the draw I wash off the blood. I have money from the government it’s ok if you don’t pay me the government pays me to murgle your cats.
    On Sunday I go to church mommy says go to church on Sunday stay out of trouble I don’t drink wine the doctor said I can’t drink wine wine tastes bad. On Sunday I go to church I wear my best suit I sit by myself I don’t drink wine mister Ardin says hello. Mommy goes to hospital church mommy told me on Thursday mommy phones me on Thursdays.
    I sleep a lot I’m like a bear bears aren’t domestic animals. I read my bear book I like honey I’m like a bear I like to write answers in my bear book. I like my computer my computer works my lights don’t work there is light in my computer I read my bear book with my computer light.
    On Monday I clean the house mommy says clean the house on Monday a house must be clean for visitors I clean all day. On Tuesday mister Ardin comes with bags he