This story is a little longer than the one previously posted. Written 2011
The Mystery Of The Missing Baseball Ticket
"Take a deep breath, Cameron. Blow hard! You only have one chance to blow them all out at one time."
It was Cameron's 10th birthday, and his five friends were all around the table rooting and cheering him on. They couldn't wait to watch him open his presents so they could go to his room and play games.
He blew, "poooof". Those flames waivered for a second, trying to hang on, but finally all that could be seen was the remaining smoke drifting toward Benny and R. J. The guys both jumped back to avoid the smoke, but the other three, Yates, Dean, and Brandon playfully shoved them back into the group.
One by one, Cameron opened his presents. Most were some kind of computer game, not at all the big wish he had on his mind.
Finally, his Dad handed him a present. Cameron looked at it in disappointment. This was much too small a package, and it did not move at all. "Was his wish not going to come true?" he wondered. Cameron grabbed the package anyway and ripped away the bow and tissue paper. Inside was a small piece of yellow card stock paper. As he turned it over, his eyes grew big. "Wow!" Never had he imagined this. A ticket to the Yankee's baseball game!
He had curled up near his Dad for several years watching their games on television and never imagined having the chance to go to a real game. Cameron instantly jumped up and down and ran to hug his parents. He was holding up the ticket as his friends all exclaimed they wanted to go too. About that time Cameron's older brother, Sammy, walked into the room, grabbed the ticket out of Cameron's hand and said, "I want that!"
Cameron reached and grabbed it back with a shout, "Sammy, go get your own ticket."
Mr. Johnson said, "Sammy, you have a part time job. Maybe you can buy yourself one and go along, too. Then he turned back to Cameron's friends and told them, "Guys, if any of you can manage to get tickets this late in the season, I will be glad to take you with us. Now, Cameron, it is your responsibility to hold onto that ticket and not lose it."
"Yes sir!" Cameron shouted. "I will be right back. I have to put this ticket in a safe place." Cameron went tearing off his room and returned a few minutes later without the ticket.
Upon his return there, in the middle of the room, sat a blonde haired, lab puppy. This was too much! Yet, it was just what he had wished for. A dog all his own. He had a hard time wadding through the group of feet and bodies of his friends who had already surrounded the dog. As he put his arms around the puppy, a puddle of water filled the floor. Cameron's mother said, "Cameron, grab that dog and take him outside quick. Then come back and clean up this mess. It is your responsibility to house train this mutt."
"Yes mamam." Cameron picked up the dog and off they went. As soon as Cameron and the dog were back inside, Cameron grabbed some paper towels and went to work drying up his new puppy's mess.
"What will you name him?" Bennie asked.
Cameron thought for only a second and said, "Since I just cleaned up his first puddle. His name is Puddles." They all laughed.
Then Cameron picked up the dog and all the boys went running to his room to play.
Puddles caused quite a commotion around the house. Cameron's mother was constantly fussing about the puddles that Puddles was leaving on the floor, and Sammy was complaining about his socks that kept disappearing. Sammy had caught Puddles several times coming down the hallway with one in his mouth. He had even found a few buried outside. Every time that Sammy complained, Cameron charged back, "Puddles is a good judge of character. You should be nicer to him and not be so messy. If you would pick up your clothes and socks, Puddle couldn't get to them." It seemed that Sammy was always complaining about Puddles. The two did not get along.
It was only two weeks until the game when Sammy came into the house holding up a Yankee's ticket. When Cameron saw it, he ran to his room to check on his. When he lifted the bed skirt and reached into a shoe under his bed, the ticket was missing. Cameron ran back down to the kitchen and charged Sammy shouting, "You stole my ticket."
Sammy grumbled back, "What are you talking about. I just bought this one off the internet and went and picked it up."
Cameron did not let up, "Let me see that ticket." Sammy handed it to him, and Cameron examined it carefully. Sure enough it wasn't his. He had turned a corner back on his before he had hidden it.
"I'm sorry, Sammy. It's not my ticket. But my ticket is missing. Someone has stolen it."
About that time, the phone rang. Mrs. Johnson answered and said, "Cameron, it is Bennie. It's for you."
Cameron took the phone and listened as Bennie excitedly told him that his dad had found a ticket, and he would be able to go with them. Cameron was ready to cry. He could not bring himself to tell Bennie that his ticket was missing.
After hanging up the phone, Cameron remembered that Bennie had gone to his room the day of his birthday party after he had hidden his ticket. He thought, “Surely not? Bennie has been my best friend for years. No! Bennie would not have taken my ticket.” He was sure of it, but, yet, he needed to see that ticket. “If Bennie had not taken the ticket, and Sammy had not taken the ticket, then who did?”
The next day Cameron’s dad came home and sat Cameron down for a talk. Cameron thought, “What now?” He was prepared for the worse when his Dad handed him a Yankee’s baseball ticket.
“Son, I told your Uncle Ray about your problem, and today he showed up at my office with a Yankee’s baseball ticket just for you. Do you think you can keep up with this one or do I need to keep it? You’re ten now and should be responsible for taking care of your own stuff just like you are expected to take care of Puddles.”
“Yes, sir. But Dad I know where I put my ticket, and it is not there. I swear it was stolen.”
About that time Puddles came running down the stairs with Sammy on his heels. Puddles had a white sock in his mouth, and Sammy was making a grab for it. He missed as Puddles made a dive through the doggie door and headed outside.
Their Dad called out, “Hold up for a second boys. Let’s see what Puddles is up to.”
“I know what that dang dog is up to. He is burying my socks,” shouted Sammy.
“They all eased outside and watched as Puddles finished his digging. When they walked over to the dug up area, Sammy reached down and retrieved a half-buried sock.
“Wait!” said their Dad. Then he reached down into the loose dirt and, with his fingers, dug some more. Out came the cell phone Jeremy had been missing for the past few days, and underneath that lay a crumbled, yellow card stock ticket. Cameron’s dad picked it up, dusted off the dirt, and handed it to Cameron.
“Cameron, you were right. Your ticket was stolen. If I am not mistaken Sammy grabbed this ticket from you the day of your birthday. You took it and hid it in your room. Puddles must have smelled Sammy’s scent on the ticket and buried it where he has been burying the rest of Sammy’s stuff. Mystery solved.”
