by Allan, Dale
“Is everything all right?”
The security guard answered calmly, “Yes, Mr. Miller, but there are two people here to see you.”
Luke’s mind raced. Someone from the church? Sal and Rebecca? Who could it possibly be?
“Who?” he asked impatiently. He could hear the guard talking but couldn’t tell what he was saying. A few seconds later, the guard spoke into the phone. “It’s a Mr. John Daly and another man. He says he knows you and that you gave him this address. He insisted that I call you.” Then he whispered, “They look like a couple of homeless guys to me. I can get rid of them if you want.”
Luke quickly opened the door and frantically searched his pants pockets for his keys. Once he had the key fob in hand, he pressed the button and jogged down the stone driveway toward the opening gates. “Don’t let them leave!” he yelled into the phone. Arriving at the gate, he saw John and a man who was sitting on an old bicycle. The rusty metal baskets were filled with old bottles, and there was a black plastic bag hanging from the handlebars. Luke immediately rushed over to John and extended his hand. “Thank you for coming.”
John walked close and whispered, “I’m sorry for showing up here unannounced.” He motioned toward the gray-haired, bearded man on the bike. “He wouldn’t let me call on the phone. He says that if anyone knew what he knows, he would be as good as dead.” As the man pushed the old bike through the gates, Luke walked over and introduced himself. “I’m Luke Miller. Very nice to meet you.”
The weather-beaten man stared at the house and responded, “The church must be paying pretty good these days, Father.”
Luke smiled. “This was my brother’s house.”
Turning to face Luke for the first time, he extended his calloused hand. As he came into full sight, Luke saw the jagged scar on the left side of his face. It ran from just above his eyebrow to his chin and looked like he had stitched it together himself. “I’m Blade. Nice to meet you, Father.”
Realizing that he was staring, Luke forced himself to look away. “Thank you for coming. Please come inside and eat with us.”
John spoke up. “Are you sure? Looks like you have company.”
Luke smiled. “I’m sure. The people who work here are inside eating with their families. I’m inviting you.”
John looked down at his old pants and shoes, then looked at Blade’s ragged clothing and asked again, “You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Concerned, the security guard asked, “Do you want me to search them?”
“No, that won’t be necessary.”
Luke waved to the guards, and the gates began to close. He walked toward the house with the two men at his sides. As they entered, Deborah was waiting in the entry. It wasn’t until they were inside that Luke could detect the rancid smell emanating from the men. Deborah was horrified. “What’s going on?”
Luke smiled awkwardly, “This is John and,” he hesitated, “what did you say your last name was?” he asked, looking at Blade. Understanding the sensitivity of the situation, Blade replied, “Franklyn Hennessey.”
As Luke led the men past Deborah, she noticed that John was wearing Aaron’s coat. Speaking softly so only Luke could hear, she said, “Nice coat.” Undeterred, Luke continued walking. To get to the doorway that led to the basement, they had to pass the dining room. As they did, the entire group of visitors looked up, obviously surprised to see the homeless men. No words were said, but he could tell his parents and the guests were horrified.
They quickly descended the stairs, and Luke pointed to the gym showers. “Take all the time you want; there’s towels and shaving equipment in the drawers. I’ll get you some clean clothes to wear.” Luke hurried back upstairs, and Deborah was waiting for him. Pulling him into the library, she whispered, “What are you doing?”
Deciding that the less she knew, the better, Luke looked directly at her while gently grabbing both of her arms and said, “I can’t tell you why they’re here, but you have to trust me, there’s a very good reason.” He could tell that she wasn’t happy as she turned and walked away in silence.
Luke hurried into his room and rummaged through Aaron’s clothes, grabbing underwear, socks, pants, and shirts, then he rushed back downstairs. As he passed by the dining room again, he saw everyone staring.
Back in the basement, he heard showers running. As he put the pile of clothing down on a workout bench, John appeared with a towel wrapped around his waist. Luke was saddened to see how skinny he was; all of his ribs were visible.
“How do you feel?”
John smiled. “I haven’t felt this good in a long time. Thank you.”
Luke gestured for him to pick out some new clothes from the pile. John walked over and picked up a pair of pants. Looking at the size, he said, “These might be a little big for us.”
Smiling, Luke grabbed a belt from the bottom of the pile. “That’s what this is for!”
John disappeared into the locker room. Several minutes later, Blade appeared, also wrapped in a towel. His shaven face clearly displayed the ghastly scar that traversed the entire left side. Trying to make him feel safe among friends, Luke smiled and repeated the same scene he had a few minutes earlier with John, being sure to also give him a belt.
Once they were both completely dressed, Luke led them upstairs.
WITH MANY OF THE guests already finished eating, it was easy to find three chairs at the table. Everyone who remained felt uneasy as John and Blade sat down. Luke served each of them, taking pieces of turkey from the large platter and loading their plates. When Ethel walked out of the kitchen and saw the two strangers, she quickly returned to get mashed potatoes and warm bread.
Trying to do the right thing, Deb reluctantly joined them and began talking. “I’m Deborah, Luke’s sister-in-law.” John looked up with his mouth half full and responded, “We know who you are. We’ve seen your pictures in the papers.” She smiled and he continued, “Thank you for having us. You have a beautiful home.”
Trying to make Blade feel at home, she said, “You’re left-handed, like me.” He looked up but didn’t speak. Deb smiled uncomfortably and watched curiously as John turned his head, stood, and moved closer to a ceiling speaker that was playing music. “Chopin?” he said.
Deb looked at him in disbelief and asked, “You know Chopin?”
Looking at her while still standing, he replied, “Oh yes, I know Chopin very well.” He put his finger to his mouth to indicate silence. As he listened, tears filled his bloodshot eyes. After a few seconds, he announced, “Fantasie Impromptu.”
Deborah was amazed. “How do you know that?”
He smiled. “My mother was Polish and she loved Chopin.”
“Do you play?”
“Not in years. Why, do you?”
Deborah loved music and had played the piano since she was a child. When the house construction was completed, her antique Steinway was the first piece of furniture to enter. Intrigued, she continued the conversation. “How long have you been playing?”
“Since I was eight years old. My mother taught me how to read music.”
Deborah smiled. “Just like Chopin.”
He smiled back. “Yes.”
After John and Blade had finished eating their first full meal in months, she asked, “Would you like to play now?”
“Oh, it’s been so long, I don’t know if I can.”
She then did something that impressed Luke. Standing, Deborah extended her hand and helped John up out of his chair. Still holding hands, she led him into the massive formal living room toward her piano in the far corner. Seeing it, he immediately said, “I can’t believe it’s a Steinway.”
She smiled and pulled out the bench. “Please sit.”
Looking like a child on Christmas morning, he didn’t protest but sat down and gently ran his fingers along the keys. Then, without any music to guide him, he began playing the Chopin piece that was on the stereo earlier. Deborah was incredulous. Not only was this piece e
xtremely difficult to play, but to play it without any sheet music was remarkable. When John finished, Luke looked at Deborah, who had tears streaming down her face. Impressing Luke even more, she sat down on the bench next to John, nudging him over with her hip, while taking a book from a table on the side of the piano. She quickly flipped through it, finding the page she was looking for, and placed it on the piano where they both could see. They whispered a few words to each other before Deborah looked up and said to Luke and Blade, “Chopin’s Minute Waltz, four hands.”
Simultaneously, they began playing the beautiful music. The waltz echoed throughout the mansion. They played with passion and grace. By the time they finished, most of the adults, including Luke’s parents, and several children had wandered in to watch. Seeing Abel at the edge of the room, Deb waved for him to come close. She lifted him onto her lap and asked John, “Please, play something else.” When he began playing “I’m a Believer,” everyone started singing. When he finished, Deborah asked, “Why did you choose that song?” He answered, “It’s from the movie Shrek; I thought the children would like it. I used to play it for my kids on a little keyboard.”
Heartbroken, she looked at him and said, “Please, play something else. You play so beautifully.”
He smiled. “Thank you, but I think it’s your turn.”
She grabbed a book of popular songs and began playing. For the next hour, they took turns at the piano while everyone sang. Luke thought to himself, “Deb really has a kind heart.”
When Luke’s phone buzzed, he walked out of the room to answer it. Again, it was the security guard. “Mr. Miller, I have Lieutenant Governor Simpson and his wife Lori here.”
“Please send them through.”
Luke bent down and whispered in Deb’s ear, “You invited Lori Simpson?”
She smiled while still playing. “Yes, for dessert.”
Luke hurried to the front door and watched as the black limo approached. The driver got out, opened the rear door, and Richard Simpson appeared. Noticing that he didn’t try to help Lori out of the car or wait for her, Luke thought to himself, “This guy is a real jerk.” Luke walked past him without acknowledging his presence and helped Lori out of the car.
Walking toward the front door, Luke saw Richard already waiting there with an impatient look on his hardened face. Luke shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same here. I’ve heard a lot about you and your brother.”
Luke led them inside, directly into the living room where everyone was still singing. When the song ended, Lori and her husband approached Deborah to say hello. Deborah stood, hugged her, and announced, “This is Lori Simpson and her husband, Lieutenant Governor Simpson.” Luke saw Blade hunch down when he understood who was standing next to him. As Richard began to give one of his impromptu political speeches, Deborah made room for Lori and persuaded her to sit down next to her while she began playing. Her music interrupted his words, and once again singing filled the room.
When the music stopped, Ethel announced, “Luke and Deborah will be serving dessert in five minutes.” Deborah stood, raised a glass of red wine, and said, “Let’s have a big round of applause for Mr. John Daly, the best pianist I know.” Everyone clapped except for an aggravated Lieutenant Governor Simpson.
WHILE LUKE AND DEBORAH were saying good-bye to the guests, the two homeless men walked outside to check on their bicycle. When Luke saw the lieutenant governor’s driver taking pictures of the crowd, he hurried over to where Lori was standing. “Can you please make him stop?”
Turning around to see who Luke was talking about, she was horrified. Her high heels clicked loudly on the pavement as she ran to her husband and yelled, “This is not an effing photo op.” She pointed at the driver. “Make him stop now!” Richard, who Luke was now mentally calling “Dick,” strolled over while talking on his cell phone and whispered something to the man. He snapped a few more shots, then put the camera into the car and opened the door. Still talking on his phone, “Dick” waved to everyone and disappeared into the backseat. Lori apologized to Deborah and Luke. Before Lori left, Deborah said, “Please know you’re always welcome here. I’ll call you tonight.” Luke wondered if there was a hidden message in that statement. They hugged each other, and Lori hugged Luke before getting into the car.
As the dinner guests began walking through the gates to their cars, Luke heard several of them comment that “this was the best Thanksgiving ever.” He smiled. When everyone had gone, the gates closed, and they returned to the house. Luke, John, and Blade walked into the library while Deb, Luke’s parents, and the children headed for the family room.
The two men sat on the leather couch. Luke immediately dragged a chair in front of them. Getting right to the point, he said, “Blade, you told John that you have information regarding the bombing in the park. What is it?”
The man looked around the room and replied, “I do.”
When he didn’t continue, Luke gently prodded, “Can you tell me what you know?”
Blade looked at John, who said, “He wants to know how much money you are going to give him for the information.”
Blade interjected, “I’m not being ungrateful for what you’ve already done for us. Most people would have never invited us in, fed us, and gave us clothing.” Motioning with an open hand, he continued, “But we don’t live like this, Father.”
John chimed in. “Father Luke, I just want you to know, I don’t want any money. You’ve done enough for me already.”
This didn’t deter Blade. “I’ve been living on the streets for over fifteen years. This is my one chance to help myself.”
Not knowing what to expect, Luke asked, “How much do you want?”
Looking directly at Luke, he answered, “Two thousand dollars.”
Relieved, Luke smiled. “How about we make it five?”
Blade frowned. “Five hundred?”
“No, five thousand.”
The two homeless men looked at each other in disbelief. Luke extended his hand and Blade shook it.
“So tell me what you know.”
Blade looked down and said, “I will, as soon as you pay me.”
Disappointed, Luke said, “I don’t have the money on me right now and the banks are closed.”
“I’m sorry, but living on the street has taught me one very important lesson: Don’t trust anyone.”
Panicked that he might lose his opportunity, Luke asked, “Can you stay here tonight? First thing in the morning we can go to the bank and I’ll get you the cash.”
“Believe me, I promise to meet you in the morning at the fountain. I have someone who’s waiting for me now.”
John added, “He has a girlfriend.”
“Well, let’s go get her. She can stay here too.”
“She would never do that. She’s very nervous around strangers. It took over two years before she would even talk to me.”
Luke wondered if Deborah had that much cash somewhere in the house, but he didn’t want to involve her. What if it turned out that Blade didn’t know anything? He wouldn’t want to get her hopes up. “Can I at least give you a ride back to town?”
“What about my bike?”
“You can leave it here, or we can put it in the trunk.”
“OK, let’s put it in the car.”
“Wait right here. I’ll be back.” Luke rushed off and returned a few minutes later with Deborah. She looked at John first. “Luke says you might consider staying with us tonight?” He nodded affirmatively. “That’s great.” Then she looked at Blade. Remembering his name, she said, “Franklyn, you’re also welcome to stay.”
He didn’t look directly at her but awkwardly replied, “Thank you, but I can’t.” She shook both of their hands. Before she left the room, Luke asked, “Do you mind if I take your SUV to drop Franklyn off? We need to put his bicycle in the back.”
Deb smiled. “Of course you can take it.”
Luke pulled the SUV out of the garage and into the
front driveway. Within minutes, he and the two homeless men were driving toward the city. When they drew within a few blocks of the Common, Luke had an idea. He pulled the car over and said, “I’ll be right back.” He walked quickly toward the ATM machine, inserted his card, and requested the maximum cash withdrawal of five hundred dollars. Hurrying back, he climbed in the truck and handed the cash to Blade. “Here’s a down payment.” Trying to seal the deal, he continued, “When I see you tomorrow, I’ll have forty-five hundred dollars more.” For the first time, Blade smiled, exposing his decayed teeth. They unloaded the car and Luke reminded Blade, “I’ll meet you at ten o’clock by the fountain.”
Blade shook his hand and said, “Damn right you will.”
WAKING THE NEXT MORNING, Luke walked into the basement gym to check on John. Even though it was still early, he had already showered and shaved, and he was sitting on an exercise bench reading the newspaper. When Luke approached, he looked up and said, “Thank you for letting me stay here.”
Luke smiled. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t sleep in one of the spare bedrooms upstairs.” He pointed to the stack of mats on the floor. “Were you comfortable?”
“That was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in months.” Changing the subject, he added, “You’re in the paper again today.”
Luke asked, exasperated, “For what now?”
“You should probably read it yourself.”
John flipped back several pages and handed the paper to Luke, who read the article while shaking his head in disbelief.
John asked, “Do you know this guy Sal?”
“Yes, his wife is a regular parishioner at my church.”
“Sounds like he’s connected, if you know what I mean. Did you ask him to have that abortion guy beaten up?”
Luke looked at him in horror. “Do you think I would do something like that?”
“No, but the article kind of says you did.”