Tommy was busy secretly typing on his phone. When Freedom and Cam saw him they pulled out their own phones and started typing. The three beeps came again at almost the same time. I looked down at my phone and read NINE JUSTICES, JUDICIAL BRANCH. All were correct, but the first text came from Tommy, so he received the point.
When they finished, Freedom’s grandfather said, “And don’t forget about the Bill of Rights. The Supreme Court ensures that the rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the freedom of religion are protected. Have you ever seen the police shows on TV?”
Cam responded, “Of course. I love those shows.”
Freedom’s grandfather said, “Well, in those shows, and in real life, when someone is arrested by the police they are read their rights. These rights are assured to every American citizen as part of the justices’ decisions on the Bills of Rights. You probably know some of the words by heart. You have the right to remain silent . . . you have the right to consult an attorney . . .”
“Oh that’s pretty cool,” said Cam. “I didn’t know where that came from but yeah, it’s in every arrest scene.”
We began walking toward the exit and soon we were out in the sun. It was a quick stroll to the park, where we found Liberty. As we approached, he made a drumroll with his hooves.
This caught the attention of Maddie and her mom. Their eyes went wide when Liberty said, “Congratulations, you have all successfully completed the Supreme Court objective of the mission. That means I have a prize for all of you. Want to know what it is?”
“Yes!” the Crew said in unison.
Maddie’s mom’s mouth was wide open in shock. I broke the silence by saying, “Um, Liberty, this is Maddie and her mom.” I was looking at him sternly. He was clearly so excited he forgot to keep secret his ability to talk.
Maddie exclaimed, “I thought Freedom was just teasing me but . . . your horse really can talk!”
Maddie’s mom had recovered a bit but still seemed flabbergasted. “Well, Mr. Revere, now I have seen everything,” she said.
I nodded. “Yes, Liberty is, well, special. It’s a long story, and I will fill you in on one condition.”
“What condition, Mr. Revere?” Maddie asked.
“That you promise to stay in touch with us long distance as our pen pal and crew member,” I replied.
Maddie’s mom nodded approval.
“Yes, yes, I want to be part of the Crew!” Maddie exclaimed, her smile even brighter than before. “We could write letters and maybe send drawings and stuff. And I will be sure to keep it top secret.”
“Awww,” Liberty said, getting emotional. “But wait, don’t you want to hear about the surprise?”
The kids all nodded their heads with energy.
Liberty raised his voice and said, “We are all going to see a Major League Baseball game!”
Everybody cheered, and after the noise settled, Maddie’s mother came up beside me and said, “Thank you so much for including Maddie in the crew. She loves being a part of a team so much and meeting new friends. It can be challenging sometimes out of the traditional classroom setting.”
“Of course, she will make a wonderful crew member,” I said. “Speaking of team, we have some extra tickets to the baseball game today. If you and Maddie have time, we would love for you to join us.”
Both Freedom and Maddie overheard my offer and said, “Please, please, pretty please?”
Maddie’s mother agreed and Maddie and Freedom cheered.
Liberty piped in: “Don’t forget we also had a winner from the Supreme Court mission objective. And the name of the secret agent who sent the correct text first: Tommy! That means Tommy is currently ahead by one point.”
Tommy took a bow.
Liberty continued: “But there is still plenty of time left. I will see you guys at the ballpark!”
As we headed to the Metro station, Freedom gave her grandfather a hug and said, “I love having new friends.”
I pulled the Crew aside to a quiet spot.
“Guys, I want to talk to you about something that will be difficult for you to understand. However, it is important,” I said. “It is the issue of slavery in our country, which has been called America’s original sin. Slavery was one of the most troubling issues at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
“There is no excuse for it,” I said sadly. “But learning history we must discuss it. So let me tell you this: the Founders added a section in the Constitution that outlawed the slave trade. However, it was done after a period of years rather than right away.”
“But what about all men are created equal?” Tommy asked.
“There is no way to reconcile it, Tom. At the same time the Founders were fighting for freedom, slavery was allowed to continue. However, Benjamin Franklin and others were strongly opposed to slavery and created antislavery societies. It took a horrible Civil War to finally end it. When we get back to Manchester Middle School, we can talk about it more, okay?”
Everyone nodded.
After we spoke we took the Metro to Navy Yard station and walked the short distance to the ballpark. On the way we passed families in Washington Nationals gear, vendors, and food carts. The sun was shining and there was a cool breeze. It seemed like the perfect temperature. On the stadium a huge sign read NATIONALS.
“I am so pumped,” said Cam. “I love baseball.”
“Me, too! You think they’d let us play? Maybe run the bases?” Tommy asked.
“In your dreams,” Cam said, slapping him on the back.
“Where’s Liberty?” Maddie asked the group.
“That’s a good question, Maddie,” I replied. Hmmm, I thought, he was supposed to meet us the ballpark, but there was no sign of him yet.
“He’s here already,” said Freedom. “He told me he’s going to take a nap by the side entrance so he doesn’t get in the way.”
That doesn’t sound like Liberty, I thought, but hoped for the best.
As we entered the ballpark, I could smell the familiar aroma of hot dogs and peanuts. Cam asked to look at the seat numbers and led us through the walkway to our section.
As we walked through the entry into the field area, bright sunlight hit me in the face.
“Hey, these are great seats,” Tommy said. “Pretty close to right behind home plate.”
The crowd was huge—tens of thousands of people in a sea of red and white. People were turning to look at us as we passed. I knew my outfit stood out a bit, but I assumed people would think I was a team mascot or something—like from the New England Patriots.
Someone yelled, “Hey, Paul Revere, where’s your horse?” and I felt my cheeks flush.
“They don’t let horses inside the stadium!” Cam yelled back, and the crowd erupted in applause.
Another fan yelled, “Well done kid, you tell ’em!”
As we walked down the row to our seats I looked out onto the field. It was expertly raked and players were warming up or signing autographs. An American flag blew in the breeze near the scoreboard.
Suddenly, a voice came over the loudspeaker. It was a stadium announcer naming the players. We were close enough to read the backs of their jerseys as they lined up along the base lines.
“This is really cool, Mr. Revere,” Cam said as his eyes darted from the crowd to the field and out to the scoreboard.
On the field players of both teams uniformly took off their hats and put them over their hearts.
“This is my favorite part,” I whispered to Tommy.
“Me, too,” he replied.
The stadium went from chattering to a hush. All were waiting for a woman with a microphone near the pitcher’s mound to begin.
“See those men in military uniforms down by the singer?” I whispered to the group.
“Sure do,” Freedom’s grandfather replied.
“They are called the color guard. The guard formally escorts the American flag to and from the field. From the beginning, our military has presented the
flag in this manner,” I said.
“Yes, this is one of my favorite American traditions,” Freedom’s grandfather said, watching intently.
Cam added, “My dad is in the military and loves the color guard. I think he wanted to carry the flag but I’m not sure if he got the chance yet.”
Taken by the mention of Cam’s father, who I knew was deployed to Afghanistan, I said, “You should ask him. It is a huge honor. I am sure he would love to know you are interested in the color guard.”
It was time for the National Anthem and Tommy took off his cap. Freedom’s grandfather stood up straight. The whole stadium rose and focused on the American flag blowing gently in the distance.
Suddenly, the music began and a strong voice with a familiar melody came echoing through the stands.
O say can you see,
By the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed
At the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars,
Through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched,
Were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare,
The bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there. . . .
As the words blew through the air I watched the American flag waving red, white, and blue. People were singing along, including Tommy.
O say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free
And the home of the brave?
People of all backgrounds stood together, united and free. As the National Anthem ended, a thunderous roar of four military fighter jets rocketed over the ballpark. We all looked up to see the flyover and white vapor trail left in their wake. The crowd cheered wildly and the umpire yelled, “Play ball!”
“That was awesome!” yelled Tommy.
Freedom added, “Thank you for taking us to the game, Mr. Revere.”
“I second that,” said Freedom’s grandfather. “You know, those jets remind me that many of our greatest athletes became soldiers during wartime.”
“No way,” said Tommy. “Is that true?”
“Absolutely,” Freedom’s grandfather answered. “Ted Williams was a Marine pilot in World War II during probably the best years of his career. He’s a Hall of Famer. There are other athletes who made the same sacrifice.”
“My grandpa said he would like to time-travel to meet Hall of Fame players when they were still playing. Wouldn’t that be cool?” Tommy said.
Freedom’s grandfather smiled, nodded, and patted Tommy on the shoulder.
The game remained tied into the fourth inning. Both teams had one run, and the pitching was tough, particularly the Nationals’ young rookie pitcher, who had given up only two hits. As he wound up and released, it was clear he had a blazing fastball. Crack! The bat connected with the ball and it popped up into the air behind home plate. As we followed it, I had to shield my eyes from the sun.
“It’s coming straight for us—look out, Maddie!” Freedom shouted, ducking her head.
I was too blinded to see anything.
“I wish I had a glove!” yelled Cam.
The next thing I knew, Tommy was reaching over my head with his hand. Thud! Tommy looked absolutely stunned as the foul ball landed perfectly in his baseball cap.
“Nooooooooo wayyyyyy!” Cam yelled.
The crowd around us cheered as Tommy lifted the ball out of his hat. He was smiling broadly, and the Fan Camera on a giant jumbotron screen showed him raising his hand and showing off his ball. The entire stadium could see the instant replay of the impressive catch.
“This one is for Grandpa. I know he would want to be here if he could,” Tommy said.
I was immensely proud of Tommy. He was carrying a heavy heart but it did not stop him. He reminded me of the young Patriot we met after the Battle of Bunker Hill, still showing pride in his country despite the loss.
Maddie and Freedom were having a great time, laughing, whispering, and showing each other their sketches. It was as if they had known each other all their lives.
During the seventh inning stretch, I asked everyone if they would like something from the concessions. Unsurprisingly, everyone had an order.
“Mr. Revere, you’d have to be an octopus to carry all those drinks by yourself. I’ll come with you and help,” Tommy said, following behind.
“Be back soon,” added Tommy. “Unless I get mobbed by all my adoring fans.”
We found the nearest hot dog stand not too far from our seats. As we waited in line, I asked Tommy if he knew the meaning of the National Anthem. He sang all of the words so well, I assumed he knew what they meant.
“My grandfather taught me the anthem. He told me it’s really important to take off your hat out of respect. I hear it a lot at my games, so I think I kinda know what it means,” Tommy replied.
I smiled and said, “It’s funny because a lot of people know the words and sing along but don’t really know the meaning.”
“How about we go on a special time-travel adventure?” I asked. “I have something incredible in mind that I think your grandfather would really like you to hear about.”
Tommy’s face lit up. “You mean just us?”
I nodded, “Yes, well, you, me, and Liberty, of course. We can tell the others about it when we get back.”
“Okay, I’m in,” Tommy said.
Before I could go into detail, a familiar voice behind us called out and said, “Hi, Thomas, even the back of your head looks cute!”
Oh no, I thought to myself. There’s only one person I know who calls Tommy, Thomas. I groaned. “It can’t be.”
I turned around and could not believe my eyes. Tommy stood there like a frozen statue.
“I knew that was you on the jumbotron, Thomas,” Elizabeth smirked. She wore her cheerleading sweats and her blond hair was pulled back in a bow.
“Wha-wha-what are you doing here?” asked Tommy in a stupor.
“Looking for you, silly,” said Elizabeth. “I had no idea you were at the game until I saw your cute face on the big screen.” She squeezed the left side of his face. “I was like, Oh. My. Gosh. That’s my Thomas who caught that ball. I was so excited I just had to come and find you.”
Tommy pulled off his cap and brushed his fingers through his hair. He was in thinking mode. He asked, “Yeah, but what are you doing in Washington, D.C.?”
Elizabeth moved closer and replied, “I had to come to this cheerleading competition in D.C. We totally took first place. It was so easy. And then our coach thought it was a good idea to come to a Nationals ball game. Boring. That is, until I saw you.”
Tommy stood awkwardly, appearing to still be in shock.
Elizabeth looked me up and down and sneered, “Hello, Mr. Revere. I see you haven’t found a new Halloween outfit.”
“Wonderful to see you, too, Elizabeth,” I said. I tried to be as polite as possible but I had reason to be cautious with Elizabeth.
Suddenly Maddie appeared at my side and said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Revere. I changed my mind. I don’t want any popcorn.” Freedom and Cam were standing beside her, and their expressions immediately turned to frowns.
Elizabeth looked straight at Freedom with a sarcastic glare and then, measuring up the rest of the Crew, she said, “If it isn’t the Manchester Middle School Misfits.” Elizabeth eyed Freedom’s sketchpad and smiled. She talked as if speaking to a three-year-old and said, “Ah, isn’t that cute. Free-dumb is learning to draw. Did you bring your crayons? Remember not to eat them. Maybe one day you could learn to be an artist.”
“I am an artist,” Freedom said, as Elizabeth looked her up and down.
I knew I needed to take control of the situation. “This is Elizabeth, a student from Manchester Middle School,” I said.
“Oh, I know who she is,” Cam muttered under his breath. “And I’d rather dive into a pool of
fire ants than stick around here.” Cam waved as he walked back to the seats.
“Oh, wow,” Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes. “I knew the Little Rascals couldn’t be far if Thomas is here.”
“This is Maddie, our new friend,” I said. “Maddie, Elizabeth is a student at Manchester Middle School and is in Washington, D.C., for a cheerleading competition.”
“We won, of course. Something that losers can’t quite appreciate,” Elizabeth said, as she glanced at everyone but Tommy.
Elizabeth leaned in and whispered to Maddie, “Your new friends put the uncool in school. I can see that they rubbed off on you.”
Freedom stared at Elizabeth and said, “That’s enough, Elizabeth. Maddie has more cool in her little finger than you do in your whole body. Why don’t you go back to your cheer squad and leave us alone?”
“Okay, simmer down,” Elizabeth said. “I’ll go, but only if my handsome knight Thomas escorts me.”
Tommy turned bright red.
“Good luck, Sir Thomas,” Freedom said, smiling, as she and Maddie left to go back to their seats.
Tommy turned to Elizabeth and said, “Uh, how about we try to meet up after the game, before we head back to our hotel?”
Elizabeth sighed but smiled. “Fine, but don’t miss me too much,” she said, batting her eyelashes.
As Elizabeth walked away I said, “You’re really not planning to meet her after the game, are you?”
“Not if I can help it,” Tommy replied. “But I would love to go on that field trip now.”
“I think I can arrange that,” I said, smiling.
As we left the ballpark, we saw to our total amazement that Liberty was actually where he said he would be.
“Liberty, fancy seeing you here in the proper spot. For that, you get two apples and a carrot,” I said.
“Wowza, I should try listening more often,” Liberty replied. He crunched on the apples like a puppy receiving a treat. “So, what’s the plan, Captain?”
“We’re headed to 1814, Baltimore Harbor, near Fort McHenry,” I said. “We are searching for Francis Scott Key.”
Rush Revere and the Star-Spangled Banner Page 12
