100 Cupboards

At the barbecue in town, Henry watches boys play baseball in a field next door. Henry is drinking soda—his first ever—and worries the boys might ask him to play. Frank wanders over and says he’d like to watch Henry play. A boy named Zeke Johnson asks if Henry wants to join the game, and Henry says ok, but he’s a lefty and didn’t bring his glove. They agree to “play opposite” and share a left-handed glove.

Henry plays right field. When he gets up to bat, he manages to hit a single off the bat handle and make it to first base. During the rest of the game, he strikes out twice, hits a double, bobbles a catch in right field, and picks up a grounder that he nearly gets to second base. Zeke wants to meet him later in the week and do some hitting practice. Henry is starting to like his new Kansas life. He’s in no hurry to return to Boston.

Billy Mortenson, who Frank believes threw a baseball playoff game when they were in high school, tells Frank he heard about the difficult door and offers to assist.