Secession: The Storm by Joe Nobody Read Free Book Online

referenced when presented with challenges throughout his high school years. It was a model of exemplary, strong character - an example of ultimately good judgment.
    Baseball was the other salvation in Zachariah’s life. Tall and lanky, his frame wasn’t suited for the more popular sport of football. But his whip-like arm could heave a rock or ball with dizzying velocity.
    By his junior year in high school, Zach was drawing the attention of national scouts. As he began the 12 th grade, the primary decision facing the young man was college or semi-pro. While the future was bright and clear, the decision troubled him. His grandparents pined for school; his pocket longed for the dream of money and the satisfaction of being paid to throw a baseball.
    Toward the end of his senior season, Zach was putting the finishing touches on a three-hit clinic he was throwing against a rival team. The final out had gone down swinging, and after a brief celebration at the mound, the victorious pitcher headed for the dugout to pack his gear.
    He was a few steps away when a tall, thin man appeared in his path. Zach recognized the gentleman immediately – a face forever engrained in his memory – the ranger from that day on the road.
    “Hello, Zach. Nice game,” greeted the lawman.
    “Thank you, sir. Are you…” Zach questioned, the shock of the encounter making him doubt his own recollections.
    The man nodded, smiling warmly. “Yes, I am. Do you have time to take a walk with me?”
    “Yes, sir,” the young man managed, a thousand questions tumbling through his mind.
    “I’ve been keeping my eye on you, Zach. I travel out this way now and then, and I’ve tried to make a point of catching a few innings or driving by your family’s place. I retired last month from the Texas Rangers, and in all those years, that day out on 112 sticks with me more than any other.”
    “That makes two of us, sir,” Zach replied.
    The older man snorted with a nod. “I suppose it does. But you’ve done well for yourself, young man. You’re tall and strong, and from what I hear, a person of character.”
    The compliment, especially from a man Zach had considered a role model for so many years, made the young Bass flush. “Thank you,” he muttered shyly.
    “So what are you going to do, Zach? Rumor has it that you’ve been offered a solid scholarship at Texas Tech. I also understand the Houston Astros would like to have you in their farm system. These must be a heady times.”
    There it was again – that undefinable factor of trust. Zach had dozens of people spouting their opinions at him every day. Everyone from his loving grandparents to his high school coach’s secretary was giving advice on a regular basis. He couldn’t walk into the diner without someone offering him a suggestion… couldn’t read quietly in the library without a teacher or fellow student lecturing on a personal perspective of how the pitcher’s opportunities should be played out. Why was he eager… no, anxious to hear the wisdom of a man he hadn’t seen in almost 10 years? He didn’t even know the ranger’s name.
    “It’s a really important decision,” Zach finally said. “I feel like I’m at a ‘Y’ in the road. If I choose the wrong path, I’ll mess things up forever.”
    Again, the gentle chuckle. “That’s understandable. I don’t know if I’d use the word ‘forever,’ though. I’m sure it must seem like that… that it’s critical you get it right.”
    “What would you do?”
    The ranger strolled a few steps without responding. He finally stopped, looking Zach directly in the eye. “My daddy always said that an education is the only thing in life that can never be taken away. Money can be stolen or spent. Freedom can disappear. Friends come and go. Love can evaporate. But knowledge and learning are a man’s possessions forever. I think that was pretty sage.”
    “So you would go to school?”
    “Yes, I would. It may set you back a few years if