Fire Defender

by Rodney Hartman

  “Hey, watch it,” Alec said as he brushed at the stain with his hand. “It’s on loan, remember?”

  Scott laughed before climbing into the front passenger seat. “You worry too much, buddy.” He patted the dash of the expensive pickup. “Well, how do you like this baby? It’s got all the bells and whistles. I’m a little jealous. My truck is nowhere near as nice. I’ll bet Dad would give you a good deal on it.”

  Alec laughed. “My idea of a good deal and yours is a whole lot different. What little money I’ve got is going toward college. I’ve barely got enough saved as it is even if I get that football scholarship.” Glancing at his friend, he added, “I do appreciate your dad giving me this as a loaner while my truck’s in the shop.”

  “Hey, no problem, buddy,” laughed Scott. “What’s the use of having a friend whose dad owns the local car dealership if you can’t take advantage of it once in a while.”

  “Well, it was nice of him.”

  Scott laughed again.

  “What’s so funny?” Alec asked feeling a little sensitive.

  His friend stopped laughing. “Well, old buddy, I was just thinking how Dad would probably like you as a son better ’n me. He’s always talking about how good you are at sports. Plus, you keep an A average. I’m only a B student on my good days, and that’s with you helping me.”

  “I seriously doubt that about your dad. As for grades, you like to party too much. If I don’t keep my grades up, I won’t get that football scholarship. If I miss out, you’ll have to find yourself another math tutor when you go to State.”

  Alec turned into their subdivision. Two, three, and even a few occasional four-story show homes with acre-sized lots dominated the landscape. As they drove down the street, a large brick mansion with a circular drive came into view. To the mansion’s right was a quaint two-story white farmhouse with a wraparound porch and a freshly painted white barn in the back. Eighty acres of pastureland with a ten-acre pond stretched beyond the barn. Pine trees in the distance led to a picture-perfect mountain range beyond. Turning into the gravel drive of the farmhouse, Alec parked the truck well away from the large oak trees in the front yard. Wouldn’t do to have the paint scratched by falling acorns, he thought.

  Scott started to open the door, but Alec reached out and grabbed his friend’s arm. “I’m worried about you, buddy.”

  “Me? Hey, no need there. I’ve got it made. Just ask anyone in town.”

  “I know, but we’re going to college next year. You’ve got to figure out what you’re going to do with your life.”

  Scott looked down at the floor of the truck. When he looked back at Alec, there wasn’t a hint of a smile. “You know what I’m going to do. After I graduate high school, I’ll be going to State. I’ll have four years of freedom before I come back to Covington to work at Dad’s car dealership. That’s the way he’s always planned it.”

  “I know, buddy, but I’m wondering if that’s the way you want it.”

  Scott stared at Alec for several seconds, then started to open his mouth but immediately closed it. He turned to look out the window. “Don’t do this now. My life’s set. You’ve got choices. I don’t.”

  “Listen, Scott. It’s your life, not your dad’s. Don’t get me wrong. I like your dad, but he tries to control you way too much. I think that’s why you rebel and don’t study. Heck, he even took the keys to your truck until your grades get better after you paid for it with your own money. I’m all for better grades, but the way your dad’s going about it is wrong. You’ve got choices.”

  Spinning around, Scott said, “No, I don’t, so get off the subject.”

  Holding up his hands, Alec said, “Okay. I’m off. But if you ever want to talk…”

  Opening the door, Scott jumped out and grabbed his equipment bag from the back of the truck before sticking his head in the open passenger door. “Sorry, Alec. I know you mean well, but I’m the one who’s got to handle it.” He glanced at the mansion on the other side of the hedge separating the two properties, then looked back at Alec. “I’ll see you at Big Jack’s at eight, right?”

  Nodding his head, Alec watched his friend squeeze through a path in the hedge worn smooth by years of running feet going between the two homes. He thought back to how Scott had become his friend the first day he’d moved in with his grandparents at the farm. He remembered how when growing up, they’d be at Scott’s if they wanted to play with the latest electronics. When they’d wanted to be outside, they spent their time on his grandparent’s farm fishing or riding Scott’s four-wheelers.

  Alec looked at his grandparent’s house. No, not my grandparents’ anymore. Since Grandad died five years ago, it’s all Grandma’s.

  Alec knew his grandmother was what the local folks called land rich and cash poor. He knew for a fact that Scott’s dad had offered to buy his grandma out for twice the farm’s value on several occasions. His grandma had once told him, “Your grandfather and me spent fifty-one years together on this farm. I’ll be right here until the hearse comes to haul me away.”

  Looking over the large pasture and woodlands in the back of the property, he remembered the many hours his grandfather, Scott, and him had spent roaming the farm on horseback.

  Fine by me, Grandma, Alec thought. I hope you keep the farm another fifty years. How many other kids in this neighborhood grew up with an eighty-acre backyard to play in?

  Reaching for his equipment bag from the backseat of the truck, Alec jumped out and hustled up the steps to the wraparound porch. He made his way through the side door, straight into the mud room. The aroma of baked salmon filled his nostrils as soon as he walked in. He felt his mouth filling with saliva. Kicking off his boots, he set them on the bench his grandfather and he had built. He walked the three steps down the short hallway and made his way into the kitchen.

  An old woman with her white hair up in a bun was using a long fork to pull pieces of salmon off of a baking pan. She turned around smiling with fork in hand. “Alec, I didn’t expect you home for another thirty minutes. Supper’s not quite ready yet.”

  “It smells delicious, Grandma, but I told you I was meeting the guys at Big Jack’s tonight.”

  “So you did. That doesn’t mean you can’t eat some good food before you go, instead of that grease pie they call pizza at Big Jack’s. I swear you’re wasting away to nothing. What’s going to become of you when you head off to college and don’t have my cooking to keep starvation at bay?”

  Smiling, Alec grabbed a piece of fish off the fork, then tossed the hot piece of meat from one hand to the other. “You’d say I was wasting away if I weighed three hundred pounds. I’m a hundred and eighty-five. That’s a good weight for my six-foot height, all things considered.”

  Taking a bite of salmon, Alec closed his eyes and savored the flavor. His grandmother used a special seasoning that supplemented the taste of the salmon while reducing the wild fishy taste. He had a sudden thought that there was a definite advantage to eating a home cooked meal every once in a while. “No one cooks like you, Grandma.”

  With a laugh, Grandma said, “Flattery will get you everywhere. Now sit at the table and eat that fish like a civilized person while I finish getting supper ready. I’m not naïve enough to think you aren’t drinking a beer with your friends tonight, so I want something more substantial than pizza on your stomach. Besides, pizza’s not good for you.”

  “I’m eighteen, Grandma. You know I’m too young to—”

  “Save it. I was eighteen once, although you might think otherwise. Now sit at the table and eat.”

  Resigned, Alec sat at the kitchen table and finished his fish in short order. He placed the skin on a paper napkin he pulled out of the holder he’d helped his grandfather make. He started to wipe his fingers on his jeans but felt eyes on him. Glancing up, he saw Grandma staring and hastily took his hands away from his pants, grabbed a clean napkin, and wiped his hands and mouth.

  “Sorry,” Alec apologized. He thought he saw a faraway sm
ile on the old woman’s face.

  “I swear you remind me of your father more every day. I never could convince him a pair of pants was for wearing and not for wiping one’s hands.”

  “I said I was sorry,” Alec said feeling like he was six years old again. His embarrassment was overridden by a memory of his dad. “I miss him. I miss Mom too.”

  Grandma nodded her head. “So do I, Grandson. So do I. Your father was a good man, and your mom was the best. They were good for each other.” She hastily turned back to the stove, raised one hand, and wiped her face. “Your grandfather and I tried to do our best for you. We—”

  “Hey. You guys were great. You’re still doing great. I doubt having a six-year-old thrust on you was your idea of retirement.”

  The old woman laughed and turned back around, the tracks of tears barely visible as she smiled. “I’ll admit having to haul you to ball practice wasn’t what your grandfather and I thought we’d be doing in our golden years, but it did keep us young. Your grandfather so enjoyed taking you hunting and fishing. Besides, if you hadn’t helped him take care of his horses while you were growing up, he’d have had to get rid of them sooner. He did so love sitting on the porch and watching them gallop in the pasture in the evenings.”

  “I enjoyed it too,” Alec said. “Now, how about the rest of my supper? I really do need to get to Big Jack’s by eight. By the way, that cornbread smells delicious.”

  Grandma smiled. “Compliments will get you everywhere.” Loading down a plate with asparagus, green beans, and cornbread, she set it in front of him. She took a seat on the other side of the table.

  Alec noticed she hadn’t brought a plate for herself. “Aren’t you going to eat, Grandma?”

  “Not very hungry tonight,” she replied. “That’s what happens when you get old.”

  Alec laughed. “You’re not old. You’re the spriest eighty-two-year-old I’ve ever seen. I bet you’d still be out cutting the pasture and taking care of the livestock if the doctor hadn’t told you to stay off the tractor.”

  His grandmother joined him in a laugh, her smile taking a decade off her face. “You mean if we had livestock anymore,” she said. “Horses were your grandfather’s passion, not mine. I only put up with them because I loved that old man so much. I sold them off lickety-split the first chance I got after he was gone.”

  Alec didn’t naysay her, but he knew she’d only sold them to help him save for his first year of college.

  “I do miss seeing them in the pasture though,” said Grandma. “I still half-expect to see your grandfather out there riding when I look out the kitchen window.”

  “I know. I miss them too, and him. Once I graduate college, maybe we can buy a couple of horses. Right now, almost everything from my part-time job is going into the bank for college. I know money’s a little tight, but once I get out of college, it’ll be a different story. You’ll see.”

  “I’ve got a few dollars tucked away if you need more money,” said Grandma.

  Shaking his head, Alec said, “We’ve talked about this before. You helped me save for my first year of tuition. The rest is going to be on me.” He smiled. “Besides, you need to save your money in case you decide to become part of the around-the-world jetsetter clique.”

  “That’ll be the day. I’ve got everything I need right here. Now finish your supper before it gets cold.”

  Alec took a bite of green beans to appease his grandmother. He really wasn’t all that hungry. Nevertheless, after a couple of forkfuls of beans and a bite of cornbread, the taste got the better of him. By the time he set his fork down, his plate was empty. As he chewed a final bite of asparagus, he looked at his grandmother. She was more tired than he’d seen her in a long time. He saw her stare at the ring finger of her right hand and begin twisting at it with her left hand. He’d noticed her do that a lot over the years, but she seemed to be doing it more frequently lately.

  “Why do you do that?” Alec asked.

  Grandma jerked up straight. “Do what?”

  “Play with your finger like that. Is it bothering you? Do you have a rash?”

  Grandma smiled and took her left hand away from her right. “It’s just a habit, Grandson. I was thinking about something my mother once gave me. Nothing to worry about. Now, you go see your friends while I clean up the kitchen. Don’t let Scott keep you out too late. I’ll have breakfast for you in the morning if you can force your way out of bed early enough that you don’t have to rush out the door.”

  “You don’t need—”

  “I know I don’t, but it’s one of life’s little pleasures for a grandma to cook for her only grandchild. Now, skedaddle. I’ve got things to do.”

  Alec rose from the table and went to the mud room to retrieve his boots. Once he slipped them back on, he stuck his head in the kitchen to say goodbye. His grandmother was still sitting at the table, looking at her right hand again. As he watched, she started twisting at her right ring finger with her other hand. He left the house without saying goodbye.

  Chapter 5 – Big Jack’s

  _____________________

  Popular with the teens, Big Jack’s Pizzeria was packed even though it was a Monday night. The dozen booths and half-dozen round tables were all taken with only an occasional empty seat available. Big Jack stood behind the cash register making small talk with one of the regulars. The smell of hot pizza poured out of the open kitchen, filling the entire restaurant with whiffs of sizzling pepperoni, sausage, and every other kind of topping Big Jack could think of for his New York style pizzas.

  Standing behind the counter separating the waitress station from the customer area, Tess surveyed the boisterous crowd with a frown and a shake of her head. It was still early, and she was already tired. With Kelly out sick, she and Mary had their hands full taking care of the hungry high schoolers.

  Mary stood next to Tess, filling a pitcher of tea. “As busy as this place stays,” she said, “you’d think Jack could afford to pay us more than minimum wage. Tips suck on Mondays.”

  Tess stuck an empty pitcher under a second tap. “Hate to break it to you, Mary, but the tips suck the other six days of the week as well.”

  “That they do,” laughed Mary tossing a length of dark hair back over her shoulder. “So, tell me again why we keep working here?”

  Leaning toward her coworker, Tess whispered, “We must be drawn to the local sea life.”

  Frowning, Mary loaded her pitcher and some clean glasses onto a tray before lifting it over her head. “What sea life? We’re fifty miles from the ocean.”

  Giving the waitress a wink, Tess said, “Oh really? Then how’d I get stuck with that bunch of octopuses at table five?”

  Mary laughed so hard she almost dumped her pitcher and glasses off her tray. “Yeah. Compared to those football players of yours, my tables are full of choir boys. Jocks are all the same, aren’t they? All testosterone and no brains.”

  “Tell me about it, girl.”

  “Well, looks like you just got another octopus at table five. He’s a cutie, so watch yourself.”

  Glancing back at table five, Tess noticed Alec Johnson grab an empty chair from a nearby table and join his friends. He may be cute, she thought, but he’s still a jock. We don’t exactly travel in the same circles. Resigning herself to the inevitable, she placed an extra-large pizza on a tray along with a clean plate and glass before weaving her way to table five.

  “There she is,” boomed Scott slurring his words. The fact he’d had something more potent than tea to drink before joining his friends at table five a few minutes earlier was obvious. “Where you’ve been, sweetie? We’re starving. My friend here gets the first piece. Isn’t that right, buddy boy?” He pounded Alec on the back with one of his big hands.

  Setting the pizza on the table, Tess placed the clean plate and glass in front of Alec.

  “No thanks,” said Alec pushing the plate away. “I’ll just have tea.”

  Scott snorted, placing a large slice
of pizza on the plate and shoving it back. “No way. I’ve got something a lot stronger than tea out in my truck. You’re going to need some pizza on your gut if you hope to keep up with me. Besides, you’re late. Bessie here and you got a hot date, remember?”

  “Don’t be a jerk, Scott,” said Alec pushing the plate away. “And her name’s Tess.”

  “Oh…,” said Scott. “So the white knight rides to the rescue of his beautiful damsel. I stand corrected.”

  “Do you boys want anything else?” Tess asked as she loaded empty glasses and plates onto her tray. “I’ve got other tables to take care of. Your next pizza should be out shortly.”

  Alec looked at her. “Thanks. By the way, when do you want to get together about the project?”

  Glancing around the crowded room, Tess shrugged. “No time soon. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. We get busy after seven.”

  Alec shrugged and opened his mouth. Before he could say anything, Scott reached out and grabbed Tess’s waist, pulling her toward him. “Hey, anyone that looks like you is never too—”

  Spinning as she grabbed Scott’s wrist with her free hand, Tess twisted, forcing the big man out of his chair and onto his knees. “Hands off, buddy. The only thing I serve here is pizza, nothing else.”

  “Argh,” said Scott trying to rise to his feet.

  Tess twisted the boy’s wrist even harder, forcing him to stay on his knees.

  “Hey, what’s going on here?” shouted Big Jack running from the direction of the cash register.

  “Not a thing, Jack,” said Alec as he rose from his seat to stand between Scott and the pizza joint’s owner. “My friend slipped, and Tess here was just helping him to his feet.”

  Tess released Scott’s wrist and stepped back, still holding a tray over her head with her left hand. For some strange reason, she was kind of proud of herself for not dropping a single plate or glass during the whole maneuver. She had a feeling her sensei would be proud of her.