The play

The Play

Here a baseball field is called a “play”.   The play here is nothing more than a wide open space with mud, rock, and a few small thorn bushes growing here and there.  Some time ago, someone built a backdrop of cement and chain link fence behind home plate, which is currently in a state of poor repair.  The backdrop is the only thing that lets you know that this field was intended for baseball.   People have been dumping their garbage on the sides of the play (and sometimes smack in the middle).  Every time it rains, water from around the houses flows down by the garbage and carries it into the play, leaving the play flooded and full of garbage.  (Despite all the broken glass, garbage, rocks, etc., the kids all play soccer barefoot.)  There is actually a little bit of something resembling grass on the far side, and that is where you will always find several goats and mules grazing (even in the middle of baseball games.)    Around the outsides of the play and ever encroaching are tall thorn bushes.  The thorns get about 3 inches long and go right through my shoes, soccer balls, tires, everything.  Another problem is both people and animals going to the bathroom right in the middle of the field.

In the late afternoons, when the sun isn’t so strong, the play fills up with kids.  The smaller kids run around pushing old motorcycle tires with sticks, play with tops, ride bikes, play baseball or soccer, fly kites, or wrestle (often fight) with each other.  The girl’s soccer team practices on one half of the soccer field which is laid out in the outfield, and the boys practice in the other.  The baseball team or the softball team (sometimes both) practice on the infield, often hitting balls into the outfield where we are playing soccer (people often get hit by fly balls).  Teenagers drive their motorcycles around in circles on the play, showing off.   People cut across the play on foot or on motor as a shortcut to other places.  Small herds of cows or goats are brought back home, cutting across the play as well (leaving their presents as they pass).  People often come out to watch, and stand or park their motorcycle right in the middle of the field, getting in everybody’s way and thinking nothing of it.  Despite all the chaos, the kids keep on playing, unfazed by any of it.