Ranji runnin in, he two leg spinnin fast fast like one of them pallet stick windmill Dalip does make. Ranji have two long leg. They long like moko jumbie stilt and they skinny like that too. But doh let them leg fool you, Ranji fast like a fowl.
Dalip tap tappin he bat on the pitch. He crouchin, eye lock on Ranji hand. He jaw clench up. Ranji plant he foot and grunt; he pelt the ball so hard he nearly fall. The ball bounce and take off with a pace, risin; flyin like one of them red-brown bird which does come in we yard. Them bird quick and turny, and they could go anywhere by theyself.
The umpire spread she two arm, and put them back by she side. Then she spread them again, and put them back by she side. Then, for the third time, she spread she arm. Dalip straighten he back and watchin Ranji. He not smilin.
“Dat is not one wide, dat is three!” say Rosa. She holdin she pose. The bowler still watchin behind the ball. It gone down by the big drain. Dalip two hand on he hip.
“So nobody goin for de ball or what? Where de fielder an dem?” Ranji ask and scratchin he head.
Dalip watchin him. Like he vex. “Ranji, dat is caca you bowlin. Run it youself.”
Ranji is the worse! Dalip say from the time he see Ranji in he diaper, with he two hand wavin like cane in the breeze, he did know Ranji go never be a bowler. When is Ranji turn to bowl, Dalip up on he toe, ready to run before he even play a stroke. Most time he runnin after the ball. Sometime (not too regular) he runnin away from it, because Ranji, in all he cokiness, does pelt it at he head.
Ranji big now — nearly big like Dalip but not so strong — and he could climb coconut tree like monkey. (I wish I could climb coconut tree too. Ranji say he could take me on he back but Mammy say is licks for everybody if we do that.) But he still can’t bowl straight. So Dalip does go for the ball after Ranji pelt it, and he does pick it up and throw it back for he. But sometime Dalip does run down the ball fast, when it still bouncin behind the wicket, and lash it in the bush. Then he does point at Ranji and say, “You look for dat.” He does laugh when Ranji cussin.
“New bowler,” say the umpire, two arm by she side, like she ready to sing the anthem.
“What?” Ranji ask. “How you mean new bowler? I only bowl three!”
“Ranji, you think we have whole day? New bowler,” say Rosa.
“Rosa, is only de three of we,” say Ranji, and he face twist and screw. Rosa and Dalip watchin round.
“Where dem fellas gone in truth?” ask Dalip. He put he hand to he brow and squintin. I seein them; they down inside the canal.
“Man, dem fellas like dey ketchin crab,” say Ranji, and he steupsin same time.
“I go bowl,” say Rosa. She open she two eye big and watchin Dalip bol’ face.
“What?” ask Dalip and Ranji together. Rosa have eight years. She does always be the umpire. One time, Dalip and Ranji let she bat — that was a Divali — but she coulda barely hold up the bat.
“Nah, nah Rosie. Time to done,” say Dalip. He turn like he goin and pick up the wicket. He kicking up dust with he coconut-branch foot. Dalip have the biggest foot in he school. Sometime he does play football but nobody have a tugs could fit him, so he does play barefoot and them other fellas have pegs. He say it does hurt when they stand up on your foot.
“Give me the ball!” Rosa say. Dalip turn round; he and Ranji watchin Rosa kinda funny. Ranji openin he mouth but nothing comin out. He lookin like a dog with a bone in he throat, but he ent makin no sound. After a time he say: “Ahm, I doh have de ball Rosie.”
Rosa watchin in the direction where the ball gone. It lyin behind a clump of grass. It lookin lonely down there. Like it kinda sad nobody ent takin it on. Rosa walkin to get it and Dalip and Ranji watchin each other. Ranji shrug he shoulder and raise up he two eyebrow.
Rosa coming back, with the ball in she hand. She dress strap slippin off she shoulder. Ranji put he hand and pull it up. He say: “Rosie, is time to done yuh know. It goin and get dark just now.”
Rosa cluck she tongue and watch he cut-eye. She walkin away. The dust not stirrin under she foot. Rosa does always walk with she toe curl up. She have two fine leg (that is a cricket joke Daddy does always say when he talkin bout Rosie) and she could jump like a crapaud. Up and down the house step she always jumpin; two step at a time. I does watch she. She spinnin the ball in she hand and bitin she lip. She spit on the ball and shine it up on she dress. Dalip gone and stand up in front the wicket. He waitin, tap tappin he bat. Ranji keepin.
“Come on Rosie. Rosie Ambrose!” call Ranji. He clappin he hand.
“Oh yes Rosie, come on,” say Dalip, soundin like a Englishman. Like that man, Henry Blowfelts, who does commentate on the West Indies when England come in the Oval.
Rosie make one crapaud jump, then she start runnin in; she two knee peepin out from under she dress and she two fine leg movin like fire. Dalip raise he bat high in the air. Rosie bowl — straight down the middle of the pitch. The ball bounce and sit up nice, still like a green mango when it have no breeze. Dalip size up and pelt a vup. Like he want to hit the mango straight back in the tree where it belong!
He miss clean.
The ball floatin; like one of them brown moth that does come in the house in the night. They slow but they tricky, and they could go anywhere by theyself. Dalip two eye big like pommecythere seed; he bat pointin straight to heaven. He tryin and turn around. He look like he want to dive and butt the ball away. But he two foot tie up, and he startin to fall.
The ball start to drop. It not yellow how it used to be. It brown cause all the hair get lick off. It headin for the wicket and I know it goin and hit . . . TOOKS, the green Milo wicket shakin. The dust raise up when it hit the ground.
Ranji jumpin up behind the wicket and Rosie showin off she teet and winin she waist. Dalip lyin down like he dead. He ent want to move. A man stop on the road and he head kick back and he belly full with laugh.
I laughin too but I hear Mammy callin we, and I waitin for Dalip to come and lift me up. A ant bitin me inside my backside. Doh ask how it get in dere when my two pant leg tie up tight, right below the stump.
