by AKM Miles
“I’m speechless. I really don’t know what to say.”
“I’ve been a little worried you’d think I was stepping on your toes. I don’t want to take your place. I’d like to work with you... under you.” An honest slip of the tongue, but a vivid image nonetheless. “Well, don’t take that the wrong way. I mean, I know you’re the boss, I know nothing about what all you do. I’m just impressed by it and want to help.”
Now Soldier was to the asking part. He prayed the answer was what he hoped for. “Will you let me? Can we at least try and see if we could work together to help these boys?” Since he’d been doing most of the talking, and Dillon looked like he was in shock, Soldier waited.
Dillon sat, obviously stunned, for a few minutes. Soldier knew that Dillon had a lot to take in. Here the man Dillon had thought was more or less homeless owned not only the house he lived in, but maybe half the town.
Soldier figured Dillon was thinking about him being rich, super rich, and wanting to help them. He thought it probably had blown Dillon’s mind that he’d opened accounts with his name on them, too. It was probably overwhelming. He sat quietly and let all of the information settle in with Dillon.
“I... I... Soldier, I can’t believe all this. My mind is reeling.” Dillon had a crease in his forehead as he frowned, evidently trying to process all he’d just heard.
“Can we try? Just for a few days? Spend some time. Let me meet the other boys and learn all you do and what needs to be done. Let’s see if there’s a way to make this more legal so you don’t have to sneak and hide and be afraid all the time. I don’t understand how much Social Services has to do with your group here.”
“Oh, we’re legal, just not typical. This is kind of an off-shoot of Daniel’s shelter. My boys just have special needs that can’t be met through the usual channels. We’re kind of off the radar, so no sponsors, no advertising, not too much in the way of help. We get by. Right now it’s what’s best for the boys.” Dillon supplied.
Soldier was talking fast, hoping that he could get all his points across and Dillon would agree to them. “Hell, I’ll adopt them all, if I have to. I don’t want anything bad to happen to any of your boys and I’m scared you’ve been just really lucky not getting caught. It would be horrible if the authorities came and separated you all.” He put his hand up and smoothed Dillon’s brow, erasing the worry-crease, trying to ease the freaked out look in Dillon’s eyes.
It seemed that Dillon had finally gotten some of his thoughts together and threw them out. “I’m in shock. This is your house? I’m a little lost here. Are you sure you want to be part of this? I meant it the other night, but I thought it was a situation where I was helping you. Looks like now you’re the one helping.”
“I was afraid that might bother you,” Soldier sighed.
“No. No, Soldier. I don’t care who helps these boys. I’m not looking for glory. I don’t have to be the one. It would be great to have some help. I imagine the others’ll love you as much as Gom does.” Just saying his name must have reminded Dillon of how long they’d been out there, leaving Gom in charge. “Oh shit. We should go back in.”
“You’re sure? I don’t want you to have second thoughts later.”
Dillon looked at Soldier and said, “I’ve listened and thought about it. I believe it’s a good thing, a good plan. Please. Stay. Come in with me and meet the other boys. We’ll give this a try, a trial, and see what we can work out.”
Chapter Five
They got up and went toward the back door, which opened as soon as they hit the porch.
“I thought you was never comin’ back. Dill, he got chicken! And we had to wait. Can we eat now? We’re dyin’. And there’s cold milk and juice and Cheerios and, oh, Soldier! Are you gonna stay here?” Soldier wasn’t sure Gom even took a breath in that whole long speech.
“For a while, for sure, maybe longer. Is that okay with you?”
Gom jumped again and Soldier caught him and hugged him tight. He’d missed this little guy. Gom took Soldier's face in his hands and said, seriously, “I missed you so much. I’m happy you came back and you didn’t even have to bring all that stuff... but... can I have some chicken now?”
Soldier laughed and hugged him again, setting him down. “Sounds good. Are there any legs in there?”
Dillon yelled for all the boys to come on in and meet Soldier. He began to move some of the things off the somewhat rickety table in the center of the kitchen and set them over on the counter so they could put the chicken out for the others to eat. There were two big boxes of chicken and some containers that had potatoes and beans in them.
Soldier noticed the poor state of the linoleum floor, cracked and stained in places. A couple of the cabinet doors were barely hanging on, their hinges rusty. The refrigerator in the corner by the cabinets could be heard on occasion, making a disturbing hissing noise. He wasn’t sure it would last much longer. The bags of groceries he’d brought in were lined up along the counter, also cracked and stained. The other bags, not food, were sitting in the floor by the door to what he figured would be a utility room, if it had any of the appliances that would usually denote such a function.
Soldier watched as several boys filed into the room. He would have expected them to come tumbling in laughing and arguing over who got what, but they were silent and they stood just inside the door.
“Dill?” the tallest one said, hesitantly.
“Okay, guys. You trust me, right?” Dillon looked at each of them in turn.
They nodded, but still looked at Soldier with doubt.
Gom took over. He took Soldier’s hand and pulled him over to the group.
“Tommy, this is my friend, Soldier. He‘s really big and strong, but you don’t have to be afraid of him. He’s really nice.” Tommy seemed to the leader of the young ones. Gom was earnest in his need for Tommy to accept Soldier.
Gom continued. “He let me sleep on him all night. He won’t hurt any of us. I know he’s a good man. Dill likes him, too.” The little general now had firmness in his voice. “Now, you all be nice to him and he might stay. I want him to stay real bad. Okay?” Now he was back to pleading. This was clearly very important to Gom.
Soldier spoke up, “Hey, guys. I met Dill and Gom the other night and liked them. I want to help out here. I’m not turning anybody in or making anybody leave.” He wanted them to know they were safe here. He wasn’t changing that.
“This is your house. Dillon has said I could stay here for a while, but I guess it’s really up to you all.” He swept his gaze over all of them, lingering on Tommy. “If you don’t want me here, then I’m sure Dillon’s not going to go against what you all say. But I promise I’m only here to help. And Dillon is still the boss of this outfit, okay?”
“If Dill says you’re all right, I guess it’s okay. Did you buy all this so we’d let you stay?” the big one, Tommy, asked.
“I bought this stuff for you all. It’s yours, whether I stay or go. And there’s money for more... again, whether I’m here or not. I’m not trying to buy my way in. I’ll earn my way. Maybe there’s some work to be done here that I could help out with. What do you say? Can I stay?”
A little one, almost as small as Gom, spoke up, bravely, “Wha’ happened to yo’ face?”
“Ben!” Dillon started to say, but Soldier put his hand up. He squatted down to the little guy’s level and said,
“I was in the Army. I was in the war and my unit was ambushed and a lot of the others died. I helped save some of them, but I wasn’t able to help all of them because a bomb went off and got me good. It burned me and knocked me out. When I woke up, I was in the hospital.”
Soldier smiled at the little one, trying to make the story not so grim. “They tried to help me, and they did the best they could. But I was burned so bad that, well, it’s just gonna be ugly. Don’t be scared by it, okay?”
“Can I touch it?”
Soldier silently groaned. What was it with kids? They all wanted to
touch his scars. He nodded and took the little boy’s hand and put it on his cheek and rubbed it a little.
“Ooooh. It feels funny. Does it hurt?”
“Not anymore. Anybody else, while we’re doing this? I can’t believe this is more interesting than fried chicken, but if you want to, have at it.”
A couple of others came forward and touched him, their eyes wide with awe.
“It’s even worser than Dill’s. You’re a big, big man. You won’t hit us, will you?” This from a boy with thick glasses and eyes that moved back and forth in a very distracting manner. Soldier tried not to stare.
“There’s no way in hell I will ever hit you. I promise you that. Okay?” Soldier’s answer got a nod in response.
“What if you get mad?" That question was from a fierce-looking little black boy.
“I can’t swear I’ll never get mad, but I can swear I won’t ever take it out on anyone in this house. Deal?”
“Yeah. Want some chicken?”
“Yes, I thought you’d never ask. You got any chairs?”
“No, we just stand around the table and eat. It’s okay.” The kid shrugged and turned back to the group.
Soldier looked at Dillon and saw him smile at all that’d been said. Soldier had an idea. “May I serve them?”
“Sure. Go ahead. I’ll get them something to drink.” Dillon turned to do just that.
“Okay, guys. How about this? I’ll stand over the chicken and you come up, tell me who you are, and how I can remember your name.” Soldier looked at each of them again. “Just something about you... not your whole life story or anything, cause I’m getting kinda hungry here, but something short so I can remember all of you.”
He didn’t want them to think he wanted them to spill their guts to him, a stranger. “Like, I’m Soldier. That’s what I go by now. I was a soldier and I was proud to serve my country and that’s the name I want to be called. So, who’s first?”
Gom came forward and held up a paper plate and said, “I’m Gom, and I love you.”
Soldier nearly dropped the piece of chicken in his hand. Grown men were not supposed to have tears in their eyes, but this child got to him in ways he never knew could happen. He cleared his throat so he could talk around the lump in it.
“Gom, huh? I’m not gonna forget you. Been sleepin’ lately?” He sucked in his breath when Gom just shook his head no and held his plate out. Soldier didn’t know where he was sleeping, but he bet there’d be a living blanket on him tonight.
He noticed that the others were in line by height, with Tommy in the back. They were still a silent group. He put a leg and a wing on Gom’s plate and sent him on to Dillon who was now ready with the other things for the plates.
The next one up was the brave little toucher. “My name is Ben. You might forget me... cause I can’t think of nothin’ to tell you.” He was almost in tears.
“How about... you’ve got the biggest brown eyes in the world?”
“I do?” They looked even bigger as the boy smiled up at Soldier.
“I swear you do. They are just the biggest, brightest brown eyes I ever saw. They look like chocolate candy. Now, that’s a great way to remember you. You’ve got chocolate kisses for eyes.”
The little boy giggled and got his pieces of chicken. The next one came up and just looked at Soldier, not talking, just waiting.
Soldier glanced at Dillon for help. Could the kid talk? Should he make something up?
Dillon spoke up and said, “Bart, don’t you want to tell Soldier your name? Uh-oh, I already did, didn’t I? You tricked me. Well, fine then. Soldier, this is Bart and he doesn’t like to talk much.” Dillon smiled at the little boy, who stood still and quiet but attentive. “He gives good hugs and likes to cuddle in your lap, but nope, not much of a talker. Oh, and he’s very smart. He’s quick to learn things, to help out. Smart Bart. How’s that?”
Bart got his chicken and Soldier got a hug around his leg as Bart went to Dillon for potatoes and beans. The next guy was black and he looked like he was ready for a fight.
“Why I got to tell you somethin’ bout me? What if you tell on me? I can’t stay then. I’m not sayin’ nothin’. You can keep your chicken!” He was frowning and his lip stuck out.
The kid started to turn away and before Dillon could step in, Soldier leaned over and said, “Son, you don’t have to tell me a thing about you. And I’ll give you all the chicken you want. You don’t have to talk to get the chicken... or any of the food. It’s here for you. I was just hopin’ to find a quick way to learn everyone’s name. You just hand me that plate and I’ll see if I’ve got a big old piece in here for you. Whoa, can you handle this big thing?”
“’m Jack.”
“Thanks, Jack. There you go.” Whew. This was hard. There was a lot of pain and anger and fear in that boy. The next one was a little more talkative. Okay, a lot.
“I’m Johnathan James Jenkins. That’s J.J.J. I’ve been here for almost half a year, Dill says, and that’s almost the longest. I’m real good with numbers. I bet I can tell you how old you are. When were you born?”
“1976.”
Johnathan immediately said, “You’re 33.”
“Wow. You are good with numbers. How about this one? How many pieces of chicken you want?”
Dillon laughed behind him, obviously pleased at his playing with... uh...
“What do they call you?”
“J.”
“Smart.”
“No, that’s Bart.”
“Oh, cute. Now you’re teasing me.” Soldier played with them a little. “Trying to confuse me. Take my chicken and go home.” With that, Soldier acted like he was going to pick up the box and leave, and the next guy’s lip started to quiver. Damn. Had to be careful how you played around here.
“Whoa, just teasing. So, now, who are you?”
“I’m Randy. I’m hungry. I’m always hungry. Can I have more if I’m still hungry?” The thin child before him obviously needed lots more.
“You sure can. I’ve got plenty. And there’s biscuits and honey for dessert. How about that, Randy?”
“Good, sir.” Randy. Hungry, always hungry. Good manners.
At last, Tommy stood before Soldier. He looked about twelve. He was thin and sort of awkward and shy. He wouldn’t meet Soldier’s eyes.
“Hey.” Soldier said, and waited.
Finally, he heard...
“Hey. Tommy. I’m... uh... I’m not strong, and I want to be. Will you help me get strong... so... so... no one can hurt me?” Tommy's voice shook just a little as he admitted his need. “I want to be strong enough to fight back. Oh, and I can sing. Dill says.”
“I heard you one night. Singing, I mean. You have a beautiful voice. I’d love to hear it again... sometime when you want to. I’ll teach you how to protect yourself. I won’t teach you how to fight so you can hurt others but I can teach you self-defense. You don’t have to be big to be able to take care of yourself. Deal?”
“Yes, sir. And I’ll sing for you sometime, if you want.” Now Tommy blushed.
“Good trade, Tommy.”
Soldier had just glanced at the first empty chicken box when he looked up and saw that Dillon was standing there with an empty plate.
“Well, hello, young man. What’s your name? Would you like some chicken?” He heard some snickers from the boys at his teasing Dillon.
“I’m Dillon Kramer. I love chicken. I’m looking for someone to help with the repairs on this place. I’ve got a houseful of boys I could use some help with, too. Know a good man for the job?” Soldier was relieved. Obviously, Dillon had watched him with the boys and now had no doubts about him. He knew that the differences Dillon had seen in him had thrown him for a loop.
“Why, yes, I do. I have good qualifications. I’m good with my hands. I can build things. I know how to scrounge around and find things when they’re needed and I like to help out. Think I could stay here?” Soldier liked this role-playing for the kids.
”What do you think, boys? Should we let the man have some chicken... and a home?”
They all nodded and kept eating.
“You’re in. Any chicken left for me?”
“Nope. The box is empty.” Soldier smiled at the surprised look on Dillon’s face.
Gom and Tommy both stepped forward with their plates and were already reaching to hand him pieces of chicken off their plate.
“Hey, I was joking with him. I’ve got a whole ‘nother box over there. So we can have some and you all can have more. Hey, Randy, you ready for more?”