Behind the Lines: by David Heiller

David Heiller F rost coated the grass on Monday morning when I stepped out of the house at 6 a.m. The thermometer said 28 degrees. But spring was definitely in the air. Why else would I have asked Cindy if she wanted to drink a cup of tea on the bench outside. Cindy glanced at the thermometer. “It’s below freezing,” she said, and I knew enough not to push the point. But a little frost couldn’t keep the secret of spring for long. You could feel the promise that something good was going to happen. The garden would grow. Elian [Gonzalez] would get to go home. The Twins would win the pennant. I must have been delirious. You feel like anything can happen on a day like Monday. I grabbed the clothes from the washing machine and headed for the line. Anytime you look forward to hanging up clothes, you know something is right. I didn’t know what it was until I silently pinned up jeans and towels and socks. That’s when I noticed the birds. The air was filled with a subtl...