For Blood & Glory

by Cassandra Hendricks

  “Why not you?” He looked puzzled.

  Plucking a blade of grass from off the blanket, she began to twirl it around her fingers. “Look—I’ve been through a lot. The last thing I want to do is play games, okay?” She bit her lip.

  “Games?” He put his chips down and straightened up. So did she. “Who’s playing games? We’ve got to work on your self-confidence, young lady.” He inched closer. “You ever hear the story of the carrot and the pea?”

  “Uh—no.”

  “Hm. Me neither. That’s as far as my mom got with that confidence boosting story. The point is, when I look at you—talk to you…I don’t know. I guess I see someone worth pursuing.”

  The conversation fell silent. A gentle breeze carried dandelion seeds through the air as Sefira pondered what was said. This guy, for whatever reason, saw something in her that even she didn’t see. His words were sweet and endearing, and she wished she could indulge them. To bask in the glory of feeling like she mattered to someone other than her foster family. This energy he brought was wonderful, but she reminded herself that now was not the time to get swept up in romance. “Well, if we’re going to fish, we better get started, it’s getting a little late.” Paper crinkled as she picked up her trash as well as the remainder of his and stuffed it in a bag.

  “Yeah, we did come out to fish, didn’t we?” He stood up, dusted the crumbs off his shirt and pulled Sefira to her feet. He then proceeded to pick up the fishing poles and tackle box. “Let's get you geared up. I’m going to show you what sports fishin’ is all about.”

  “As opposed to…”

  “Any other fishing. Sports fishing is totally different than anything else—it’s an art form. You’re probably used to seeing people throw out a line and just lettin’ it sit ‘till they catch something. You can do that, but I think it’s a lot more fun when you’re actively engaged.” He began baiting the hooks and continued, “It’s all about the technique. One of these days I’ll show you how to bait the hook, but for now I’ll handle all that.”

  “I see. You talk as if you know we’ll be hanging in the future.”

  “I’m banking on it.” He winked. Kaetano finished up her pole and handed it to her. “There. Now the first thing you’ve got to learn is how to cast. You’ve got to use your arms and kind of snap your wrist to get the cast you want. Watch me.” He baited his pole and cast his line. The line whistled through the air and they watched as it landed with a plop quite a distance from shore. “After you cast, you’ve got to jig it and slowly reel it in. You want to make the bait look like it’s swimming through the water, see?” He began slowly reeling his line in as he spoke, until he reeled it back to shore. “Okay, your turn.”

  Sefira took out her rod and made an attempt to cast her line out, but the line literally fell directly in front of her. She laughed. “Darn, what happened?”

  “You just have to get the hang of it that’s all. It’s all about timing. Here, let me help you.” He reeled her line back in, then stood behind her. They held the rod together, his hand over hers as he demonstrated how to cast. “You have to pull back and extend your arm forward with a little snap at the end.” Together they cast the line.

  It was weird being so close together. She could feel his breath brushing her ear and somehow felt safe nestled between his two arms, his rock hard body solid against hers. What was even weirder was her reaction. The quickening of her heart, the fluttering of her stomach—the palms of her hands were so sweaty she thought they might slide off the pole. All of this was happening right under his nose, but she tried her best to play it cool.

  The line jettisoned high into the air before finally dropping somewhere within the abyss of the pond. “Now you just let it sink a little bit and then jig it while reeling it in—so it looks like it’s moving.” Dead leaves crunched underfoot as he stepped back to allow her control.

  “Jig it? I’m not getting the ‘jig.’ I need to break out my Fishing for Dummies so I can understand what’s going on.” She chuckled.

  “Nah, it’s easy, see?” He demonstrated, once again, throwing the line and reeling it back in. “Now you keep casting and you’ll get the hang of it.”

  Sefira cast her line again; this time it went quite a ways out. She yelled excitedly.

  “Told you,” Kaetano reassured her, grinning. “You’re a natural.”

  They remained within a few feet of one another, casting their lines into the crystal blue waters of Azusa Lake. It all felt so cathartic for Sefira that she forgot about all the drama she’d recently undergone. It was all like a bad dream. Presently, she felt calm and fulfilled. She glanced over at Kaetano and watched as the sun slid through his earthen brown hair, highlighting its red and gold undertones; his smooth chocolate skin glistening. Judging by the blissful expression on his face, he shared the same tranquil feeling as she did. It was as if they were on an island devoid of any other human beings. Only nature spoke—trickling waters, crickets and birds chirping; leaves floating through the air. He’s right, there’s something about fishing that totally relaxes you.

  “So—I feel like we’ve talked about me so much that we haven’t really talked about you.” Sefira recast her line. She was getting pretty good. “What are your future plans? What makes you tick?”

  “Future plans….” Kaetano reeled his line in. “Well, I guess you could say I want to build a better life for my family. I mean, if I do well, you know with school and sports, things will be better for them also.”

  “It’s good that you think about your family like that.”

  “Yeah.”

  “When am I going to meet them?” asked Sefira.

  “Who?” Kaetano replied.

  “Your family?”

  “Yeah—um….”

  Sefira sensed hesitation. “Oh, I didn’t mean to put you on blast. I just thought since you met mine—”

  “No, I mean, I want you to meet them. They’re just super busy. I mean both my parents work long hours, ya know?”

  “Sure.” Sefira felt slightly disappointed.

  “Hey, I think you’ve got something there.”

  “Where? Oh my gosh—I can feel it.” Laughing, she held on to her line. “What do I do?”

  “Just hold on tight and reel it in.”

  “It’s strong!”

  “Want me to help you out?”

  “I got it.” Sefira fought with the fish a bit before finally reeling it in. A small bass flopped around on the hook’s end.

  Kaetano clapped. “Nice.”

  Sefira held the rod with one hand and curtseyed, albeit awkwardly. “Not too bad for a newbie,” she said. The fish flung some lake water onto her clothes. “Gross.”

  They both laughed. “Yeah,” Kaetano responded, “I see that you’re a natural at just about everything.”

  “Not everything. Just most things.”

  “Right.” Kaetano walked over and unhooked the fish.

  “You’re not planning on eating him, are you?” asked Sefira.

  “Nah, we’ll give him a chance to live another day. You want to toss him in?” asked Kaetano.

  Sefira replied, “I think I’ll let you do the honors.”

  Kaetano tossed the fish back in and within seconds it disappeared. He wiped his hands on the back of his jeans, and she watched as he retrieved more bait from his tackle box and set up her rod. “Now you’re ready for round two.” He handed the rod back.

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem,” he answered, walking back over to his fishing spot.

  “You know what?” asked Sefira casting again.

  “What?”

  “You’re a little different than I thought you were.”

  “What do you mean?” He reeled his line in.

  “I mean…I don’t know. I guess I’ve been waiting for another side of you to surface, and it hasn’t. Not yet, anyway.”

  He cast his line. “What were you expecting?”

  “I guess I was expecting a typical guy—a t
ypical jock. Most guys—they can’t be trusted. You know?”

  “I understand. But then again, I’m not most guys. You know, things aren’t always as simple as they seem.”

  They paused, casting and recasting.

  “Hey,” said Sefira.

  “Yeah?”

  She tilted her head and smiled. “Thanks for bringing me out here. I think I really needed this.”

  “I’m just glad you’re having a good time.”

  “I am.”

  He caught a fish, unhooked it and tossed it back in the lake.

  They didn’t talk much after that. Instead they fished for a couple hours, reveling in their peaceful surroundings.

  “The sun’s starting to set,” remarked Fira.

  “I know. You ready to head back?”

  “Yeah. As much as I’m enjoying myself, it would probably be a good idea. I think I wore out my late card with the college party.”

  “Yeah, let’s avoid an Amber Alert. You must’ve been out partying pretty hard that night, huh?”

  “No, the time just kind of got away from us,” she mumbled back. Kaetano reeled his line in and started packing things up. “You sure you’re going to be unavailable this weekend?” he asked, as he put the bait and hooks away. “We could give fishing another try?”

  “I’d love to, but I can’t. Something came up.” As Sefira reeled her line in, her right foot slipped and slid into the muddy embankment. She let out a small yelp.

  “What happened?” Kaetano turned in her direction.

  “Nothing, my foot slipped into the mud.”

  “Be careful. Here, let me help you out.” Placing his rod against a rock, he walked over, hunched down and removed the muddy sandal from her foot.

  “You know, why don’t you just dip your foot in the water to get the mud off?”

  “Yeah that’s a good idea. My sandal’s ruined, though.”

  “We could dip the sandal too.”

  “Then it’ll be all gross and squishy. It’s okay, these are $5 shoes.” She stepped away from the water and sat down looking at her ruined shoe and muddy foot.

  “Hold on a sec.” Kaetano went and grabbed a towel out of his bag and dipped part of it in the water. After he was satisfied it was damp, he walked back to Sefira, knelt down and took Sefira’s foot, gently wiping the mud away.

  “This is a little embarrassing,” Sefira said, sheepishly as the cool cloth tickled her skin.

  “You don’t have to be embarrassed about that kind of stuff with me. See, easy fix.” He smiled as he lay her foot on a mound of grass, then did the same with her shoe. “Give me a minute and I’ll finish packing.”

  “I’ll help.”

  “Nah, today’s your day. Just relax and enjoy the scenery.” He finished packing up their things and soon everything was back in his bag with the exception of the poles, which he decided to carry by hand. “If you wouldn’t mind putting this on, I’ll take us back.” He handed Sefira the backpack.

  “What do you mean take us back?” she questioned.

  “Here, hop up on my back and we’ll go. I got the poles.”

  “What, you think this is Twilight or something? I can’t hop on your back. Boy, do you know how much I weigh? And with this backpack too?” She playfully shoved him.

  “I’ll be fine. Besides, it’s getting late. C’mon and hop up here, lady.”

  “Okay, it’s your back.” She hopped up and he pretended that his legs buckled and they both laughed. “Just kiddin’, I’ve got you.” Sefira placed her arms around his chest and held on tightly as Kaetano traipsed effortlessly through the woods and up the embankment. It wasn’t long before everything was packed and they were in the car descending the mountain.

  “Mind if I turn on the radio?” Sefira asked.

  “Help yourself.” Sefira flipped through some channels—most of them had too much static to make anything out. Finally, she happened upon D’Angelo and the Vanguard’s “Really Love” and turned the music up.

  “What do you know about some D’Angelo?” inquired Kaetano teasingly.

  “Oh, I know about some D’Angelo.”

  They both started singing and dancing to the music comfortably, as if they’d known one another for years. In that moment, it became obvious that there was something special there. A spark between two people that doesn’t ignite very often. Every now and then, between lyrics, they’d glance at one another and just smile.

  The sun hung low as they pulled up to Sefira’s home. She’d had a great time with Kaetano, and although she still had an uncomfortable feeling wallowing in the pit of her stomach, it was overshadowed by a new feeling—one of hope and promise.

  “What are you thinking about?” Kaetano asked, studying Sefira’s face as she reflected on the day’s events.

  “Nothing.”

  “I think I saw your mom in the window with a telescope or something, so you better get inside.”

  Sefira turned toward Kaetano, leaning slightly forward. “Kaetano, I had a good time. I think I really needed to get out of the house today. More than I thought. So, thanks.”

  “Are you sure there’s nothing you want to talk about?”

  “Who knows, maybe one day we’ll do some talking.”

  “Okay, I’m going to hold you to that. Alright lady let me walk you to the door.”

  They got out of the car and headed for the front porch. Kaetano had a few more questions before they parted ways.

  He stood on one of the steps below her so they were a little closer to eye-level. “So um, I guess we’ll see each other tomorrow?” he asked.

  “I’ll be at school tomorrow.”

  “Well.” He tilted his head to the side. “In the meantime, maybe I could get your number? You know, so I don’t have to just drop by unannounced….”

  “You want my number, huh?”

  “Yeah,” he shrugged his shoulders, “you’ve reduced me to begging.”

  “You don’t have to beg. Gimme your phone.”

  “I left in the car. But, I do have something else.” Kaetano pulled a pen from his back pocket. “Here, you can write it on my shoulder.”

  “Your shoulder?”

  “Yeah, I’m innovative like that.”

  “You just want me to feel your muscles,” Sefira teased as she pushed his shirt sleeve back.

  Kaetano laughed. “Never that.”

  His shoulder was muscled indeed. Hard, yet smooth to the touch. It was weird—touching him. It made her feel all tingly inside. Was this what it felt like to truly like someone? Swallowing, she proceeded to write her number on his shoulder. “I just got a cell, so you’re in luck.” Assuming I get it back. “I put the home number on their too.” She replaced the sleeve.

  “Cool.” He bit his lip and tucked a loose braid behind Sefira’s ear. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” His gaze lingered a bit longer than expected, sending a sudden flash of heat across Sefira’s face.

  “Your pen.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t forget your pen.” She held it out like a shield.

  “Uh—yeah,” he said, pocketing it.

  “Tomorrow,” said Sefira.

  “Tomorrow,” he repeated.

  Kaetano turned on his heel, headed for his car while Sefira tried to wrangle her heart back to a normal rhythm.

  666

  Somehow the sun’s ray’s finagled through a gap in the curtains, settling like a laser on Sefira’s right eye. She’d been up for about two hours now, lying mentally comatose, watching as the hues on her walls shifted from blue, to white, to pale yellow as the sun rose. It wasn’t the absence of thought that plagued her, but rather the sheer magnitude of cacophonous thought that kept her awake. Her eyes settled on her alarm clock. 5:58. There was no point in lying in bed any longer.

  The floor was cold against her feet as she padded barefoot downstairs toward the kitchen. Her main objective was to do no more than pour a bowl of cereal and plop down on her favorite couch. As soon as she hit th
e last step, she realized that she wasn’t the only one awake. Pots clanked and plates tinked within cupboards as the aroma of something divine floated through the air. She walked into the space where the family room and kitchen merged to find Celeste, still in her robe and pj’s, making bacon, what smelled like cinnamon pancakes—one of Sefira’s personal favorites—and coffee.

  “Hey honey, you up?” her mother asked while pouring pancake batter.

  Sefira walked around the bar and into the kitchen, leaning back so her elbows rested on the cold kitchen counter beside her mother. “Yeah, I couldn’t sleep.”

  “I know. It’s kind of hard to sleep under the circumstances.”

  “I guess everybody else is still out, huh?”

  “Yep, still snoozing away. We have a little time to hang out together. Just you and me. Well,” she scraped more batter out of the pan, “how did things go yesterday, with your friend?” Celeste glanced at her and must’ve seen the smile on her face. “Looks like it went quite well.”

  “Yeah, I mean I enjoyed myself.”

  “What did you do?”

  “Went fishing.”

  Celeste stopped her busying as if to let the answer marinate in her head. “Really?” She wiped her hands on a paper towel. “He took you fishing? How sweet. Where?”

  “Believe it or not, there’s a canyon not far from here by a lake. We bought lunch, had a little picnic by the lake and afterwards we fished.”

  “Really.” Celeste was surprised. “What a sweet idea.” Folding her arms, she leaned back against the counter.

  Sefira stretched her arms and yawned. “What’s up with breakfast? What’s the occasion?”

  “No ‘occasion’, I just thought I’d start the day off right. Maybe snag a little time before work to talk. Why don’t you have a seat honey, breakfast is ready.”

  Celeste gestured to her left where the dining room table was and Sefira pulled out a chair and sat down. Meanwhile, Celeste made a couple of plates. “I know you may be a little disappointed by my decision the other night. I just want you to know I’m just trying to look out for you because I love you.”