My Love, Now You're a Cub Fan (standard:romance, 1450 words)
Author: TJC	Added: Apr 01 2006	Views/Reads: 3682/2302	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A young bride finds herself sharing her husband....with the Chicago Cubs.

MY LOVE, NOW YOU'RE A CUB FAN 

June 23rd, 1984 was the day Margarita Guzman became a Cub fan.  Before
that day she'd constantly made fun of her boyfriend, now her husband, 
about how seriously he took silly baseball games.  When the Cubs would 
win he'd be in good spirits, while a loss would put a scowl on his 
handsome face.   She'd always tell him that it was just a game and he'd 
always counter with something in the order of  “It's not just a game.  
It's Chicago Cub baseball.  You're not a Cub fan so you wouldn't 
understand.” 

Margarita had moved to Chicago from New Mexico in 1981 after obtaining a
junior college business degree.  Just after arriving, she'd met Theo on 
a blind date.  After dating a couple of years, they'd gotten married on 
August 24th, 1983.  Theo had given the tickets away he'd had for the 
Cub game that day.  As it turned out, that was the day Chuck Rainey 
pitched within one out of a no-hitter before Eddie Milner of the Reds 
broke it up with a single in the 9th inning. 

“I'm sorry, baby,” Margarita said to her new husband as they watched the
highlights on TV from the bed in their Niagara Falls honeymoon suite.  
“I'm sure your wedding was nice but certainly not comparable to that 
game.”  She playfully poked Theo in the ribs. 

“Don't be silly,” Theo said with a smile as he kissed his bride along
her neck. “The wedding was more important, but if he'd managed to keep 
the no-hitter then I'd really be suffering.” 

“Suffering?” 

“Margarita, my love,” sighed Theo, “being a Cub fan is all about
suffering.” 

Margarita just shook her head with a happy but bewildered smile. She
adored being with Theo but thought she'd never understand her husband's 
obsession with the Cubs. 

Margarita and Theo rented a nice apartment outside Chicago and loved one
another deeply.  They had much in common, especially a love of the 
theater, Italian and Mexican foods, blues music and scary movies.  The 
Cubs turned out to be the other woman with her husband and she could 
live with it if not understand it.   After getting off work at the 
produce docks, a job that often saw him working hours such as three to 
eleven in the morning, he would forego sleep and head to Wrigley Field 
to watch the Cubs.  He'd offer to take her, but she really had no 
interest and instead let him go alone or with his buddies.  Watching 
his beloved team was something that gave her husband joy and that was 
all Margarita cared about. 

Her outlook changed, though, that fateful Saturday of June 23rd, 1984
when her husband was asked to stay and work overtime.  Theo called his 
wife and asked her to tape the Cub game for him. 

“Tape the game?  Can't you listen on the radio?” 

“No, the radio is out and we'll be out on the docks all day, anyway. 
They're playing the Cardinals, love.  Please?” 

Margarita agreed to tape the game, not knowing what a difference a few
hours would make.  As she recorded the game, she sat down to read while 
the television was on.  It started out as just another game; in fact, 
the Cubs fell behind 7-1 early and she considered stopping the tape to 
save Theo from having to endure a loss.  She didn't, though, and by 
late in the game the Cubs were storming back and she found herself 
glued to the televison.  Her book now sat on the table while she 
watched the men in blue that her husband so admired.  The game was 
exciting and she was suddenly enjoying herself, much to her surprise.  
When a young player named Ryne Sandberg hit a homer with two out in the 
9th to tie the game, she screamed in delight, her joy echoing off the 
walls of the empty apartment.   Two innings later the Cardinals took 
the lead but the Sandberg guy hit another homer, this time a two-run 
blast to again tie the game.  It was amazing.  Margarita could feel the 
excitement of the crowd through her television set and by the time the 
game ended with a 12-11 Cub victory, she had no voice left. 



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