Fire and Rain

by Andrew Grey

  “Jos, I’m flying,” Isaac said, and Kip zoomed him around on his arms.

  “That’s great,” Jos said as he forced himself to his feet. He had no energy and wanted to go back to bed and sleep for the rest of the day. “You and Kip are having fun, huh?”

  “You can play too,” Isaac said. He looked up at Kip when he set Isaac down.

  “I think Jos is too big to fly like an airplane,” Kip said. He placed his hand on Jos’s forehead. “You’re warm. Why don’t we get you back up to bed. I’ll make you some toast and get some juice.”

  “I’m okay. I have things to do.” His feet felt like lead, but he forced them to move and made it up the stairs.

  “Donald is going to be here about noon, and when he called he asked me to ask if you’ve ever waited tables.”

  “Yeah. I did that when I was in high school, and afterward I worked near full-time. Bookies closed a year ago, and that was when I was able to get into the warehouse. Why?”

  “That’s excellent. Donald said if you had experience then he might have a line on a job for you. One of the restaurants in town is looking for a server, and Donald told them about you. They said they needed someone with experience, apparently. Donald will tell you about it when he gets here.”

  Jos pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and collapsed into it. He barely had the energy to move at all. Kip poured him some orange juice, and he drank it slowly. After a few minutes, he felt a little better and drank the rest of the glass. Kip refilled the glass, this time with grape juice, and brought a piece of cinnamon toast. Isaac knelt on the chair next to him and ate his own piece of toast with a grin on his face.

  As soon as he was done, Kip took his plate. “Isaac, why don’t you take Jos and put him back to bed for me?”

  Isaac got down from his chair and took Jos’s hand. Climbing the stairs nearly wiped Jos out again. When he got to the bedroom, Jos climbed back into bed and pulled the covers up to his neck. He heard Isaac leave and then felt the covers lift behind him.

  “Thanks,” Jos said. He knew he should feel guilty for leaving Kip with babysitting duty, but he didn’t have the energy to do anything. When he rolled over, he found Weeble in bed next to him.

  “So you won’t be lonely,” Isaac said and then left the room.

  Jos rolled back over and closed his eyes.

  His dreams were disturbing and kept going in circles, like he was on a never-ending treadmill. At one point he woke as Kip helped him sit up and then lifted him into a chair and covered him with a blanket.

  “You need to drink,” Kip said, and Jos did as he was told, the cool, sweet juice sliding down his parched throat. “I’ll be right back,” Kip said when he took the glass away, and Jos closed his eyes. He must have dozed off, because when he woke Kip was stripping him of his clothes.

  “If you want sex, just ask.” Jos wasn’t even sure what he was saying.

  “You’re soaked, and I want to get some dry clothes on you so you’ll be more comfortable.” Kip helped him into fresh clothes and then back into bed. “I’ll bring you some more to drink, and then you can go back to sleep.”

  “Is Donald here?”

  “He’s come and gone. You’ve been asleep for hours. Don’t worry, he said to call when you’re feeling better and he’ll take you down to Café Belgie to meet and talk to the owners. So just sleep and get better.” Kip stroked his cheek and then left the room. He returned with more juice, which Jos drank. He also took the pills Kip offered and then handed the glass back, closed his eyes, and fell asleep. This time he was able to settle and his dreams were less frantic. He was also much more comfortable.

  The windows were dark when he woke again and got out of the bed. The house was quiet, and Jos wondered if he was alone. He used the bathroom and went downstairs to find Isaac and Kip on the sofa in the living room, watching cartoons.

  “Are you hungry?” Kip asked.

  Jos nodded.

  “Then sit down. I’ll get something for you and a snack for Isaac here.” Kip ruffled Isaac’s hair and then left. He returned with a couple of plates. One had a piece of chocolate cake that made Isaac’s eyes light up, and the other some scrambled eggs and toast that tasted better than anything Jos could remember.

  “Are you feeling any better?” Kip asked.

  Jos nodded, sitting back in the chair. “I guess. I don’t know why I’m so tired and feel so bad. My stomach isn’t pukey or anything. I just don’t have any energy, and I ache all over.” Kip brought him a blanket, and Jos wound it over his shoulders as a chill ran through him.

  “Okay. The thing is, you need to rest as best you can.” Kip sounded concerned as he gathered the dishes. “Why don’t you go back up to bed? I’ll bring you some more juice, and you’ll be warmer under the covers.”

  “But I can’t be sick. I have to take care of Isaac, and I need to be able to get a job.” Jos wiped his brow as he began to sweat. He pushed the blanket away because he was getting too warm. “I’m going to lose my chance, and then I’ll be back where I was.” His heart raced and he began to breathe rapidly.

  Kip hurried over and lifted him out of the chair. “You’re not going to lose anything. Just calm down.” Kip carried Jos through the house and up the stairs. He heard Isaac talking behind them, whimpering, then Kip telling him everything was all right. Kip rested him back on the bed, and Isaac took his hand. When Kip returned, he helped Jos sit up and gave him some pills and something else to drink. Jos took what he was given and then lay back down. His head spun a little, and after a while—it was hard to gauge the time—the room settled and he started to feel better.

  “I’m okay, Isaac,” Jos said, realizing his brother was still standing by the side of the bed, peering at him.

  “Here’s some more to drink,” Kip told him and helped him sit up again. His mouth tasted terrible, but the juice felt good, and once he’d had a few sips, Kip set the glass on the table and took his temperature in his ear. “You’re still running a fever. I’ll check it again in a little while.” Kip stroked his cheek and then did something Jos didn’t expect: he kissed him on the cheek. It was gentle and so very tender. Then he felt Isaac do the same thing, and when he looked up, Kip was holding Isaac in his arms. “I’ll put him to bed in the other room. Isaac will be fine with Pistachio, won’t you, buddy?” Isaac nodded, and Jos closed his eyes. He was too tired to argue even if he’d wanted to.

  Jos slept reasonably well, with some weird dreams. At one point he pushed off the covers because he was hot and ended up pulling them back up a little while later. When he did, he finally felt comfortable and was actually able to sleep deeply.

  When he woke, light streamed through the windows. He felt better and his head was clear. He blinked a few times to make sure and then slowly got out of bed. He wondered what time it was as he got some fresh clothes and headed to the bathroom. His mouth tasted like something had died in it, and his clothes clung to him in places. He brushed his teeth, then took a very fast shower, dressed, and finally felt human.

  “Jos,” Isaac said as he opened the bathroom door. “Are you all better?”

  “I hope so,” Jos said.

  “Come on. Kip’s gone. Uncle Terry is here.” Isaac took his hand, and Jos wondered what the hell was going on. He let Isaac lead him down the stairs as he searched his memory for anyone they knew as Uncle Terry. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they followed the sound of the television, and Isaac led him into a room with a stranger.

  “You must be Jos,” the stunning man said with a huge smile. “I’m Terry.”

  “Where’s Kip?”

  “He had to go in for his shift. But he called Red, the big guy who helped you get your stuff, and Red called me to see if I could come by and make sure this little guy”—Terry tickled Isaac, who laughed full volume. Clearly they were good friends—“wasn’t alone. Kip said you needed to sleep, so I’ve been keeping him here and we’ve been watching cartoons. Kip left a number for you to call when you got up. H
e said to let you sleep as long as you wanted.”

  “What time is it?”

  Terry hit a button on the television. “A little after three. Kip said that he managed to get a split shift, so he went in earlier than normal, but should be back about seven.” Isaac climbed up on the sofa and began watching the television. “Sorry if I worried you.”

  “I didn’t even know you were here,” Jos said, realizing Kip had taken care of everything while he’d been out.

  “Fever gone?” Terry asked.

  Jos nodded. “I think so.”

  “Are you hungry?”

  “I am,” Isaac said, raising his hand. “Cake, please.”

  “You had cake an hour ago, remember? I think Kip said there were grapes. Do you want some of those?” Terry asked Isaac, who nodded vigorously. “How about you? Kip made up a plate that I can heat up, and there’s juice and other drinks. You’ll feel better now that the fever’s gone. Red and I both had the crud a few weeks ago. You’ll be wiped out for a day or so more, but then you’ll feel normal again.”

  “Okay,” Jos said, more than a little confused.

  “You stay here while I help Jos, okay?” Terry asked Isaac, who nodded and held Pistachio as he watched the program. Terry led Jos back toward the kitchen. “You have a great kid for a brother.”

  “Thanks. I think he’s pretty special.”

  “You should bring him by the Y when you’re feeling better. I can get you a guest pass, and he could come swimming. I work there as a lifeguard and train there. I had just finished for the morning when Red called.”

  “You’re the swimmer, the one Kip said was going to the Olympics.” Jos smiled.

  “That’s me. I made the team, and now I have to keep up with the training. I have a coach, and after Kip gets back, I’ll go to the pool for some timed runs. In the morning I swim for stamina and fluidity. In the afternoons it’s for speed.”

  “How can you do that? Doesn’t it wear you out?”

  “Yeah. I eat a lot of the right foods. I don’t have to worry about gaining weight, but I have to keep from losing it. That can happen pretty quickly, and of course I need to keep my strength up.” Terry pulled a plate from the refrigerator and put it in the microwave. After a minute or so, he took it out and placed it on the table. Jos noticed that Terry didn’t ask a lot of questions about where he’d come from or what he was doing there. He was simply this happy guy with more energy than Jos could ever remember having.

  Jos ate as Terry brought him juice and then got a bowl of grapes and set them at the table. He called for Isaac, who raced in and sat at his place, tucking into the grapes as though he had them every day.

  “Is the television still on?” Terry asked him.

  Isaac nodded.

  “I’ll go turn it off. You eat grapes with your brother.”

  After Terry left, Isaac grinned up at him. “I like it here.”

  “Did you and Terry have fun?” Jos asked.

  “Yeah. He played horsies with me, and cars too,” Isaac told him. “He’s more fun than just about anyone.” Isaac waved his hands in the air, sending a grape flying. It landed on the floor, and he climbed down to retrieve it.

  Jos dropped his fork on the plate and held his hands over his face.

  “Hey, it’s all right,” Terry said from behind him. “Nothing is that bad, you know.”

  Jos shook his head. It was. Everyone seemed to be able to make his brother happy but him. All he’d done was bring Isaac misery, homelessness, and hunger.

  “Eat and you’ll feel better. I promise. You’ve been sick, and though things look bad, they’ll get better.”

  “How do you know?” Jos challenged. “You can’t.”

  “Sure I do. I’ve been in a bad place before. Then I met Red and he saved me. I like to think I helped him too, but he’s the real hero in our story. Because of him I’m going to the Olympics and I have a good life, but I felt much the same as you do. I was in trouble too.”

  “But you had a home.”

  “Not really. Not one I could stay in, because I was afraid to.” Terry hugged Jos around the shoulders. “Things will be all right if you let them.”

  Jos wasn’t sure of that, but he didn’t know Terry well enough to argue with him, so he nodded and pretended to go along. He finished eating only because it gave him something to do. When he was done, he took the plate to the sink, and since Isaac had finished his grapes, he carried his bowl over and handed it to Jos.

  “Can we watch cartoons now?” Isaac asked, turning to Terry.

  “Sure,” Terry said, and Isaac ran over and took his hand, then led him out of the room. Jos stood there alone as the television started and high-pitched cartoon music drifted through the house. He decided to join them. When he went in, he found Isaac lying on his belly on the rug, feet in the air, hands propped up under his chin, enthralled with SpongeBob. Terry was sitting on the sofa with an iPad.

  “Don’t care for the Sponge?” Jos asked.

  Terry nodded. “He’s happy, and I have a few things I have to do, so he can watch and stay occupied.” Terry motioned to the chair, and Jos sat down. “I know this must seem weird for you.”

  Jos rolled his eyes and nodded. “I don’t know what to think about all this most of the time.” Actually, he felt like a complete failure, but Jos kept that to himself. Isaac was happy and entertained, and it had nothing to do with him.

  “Donald called a little while ago.” Terry pulled out a slip of paper. “He said when you get up to call him.”

  “Thanks.” Jos stared at the number for a few minutes before getting up and going into the kitchen to use the phone.

  “How are you feeling?” Donald asked when Jos explained who it was.

  “Tired, but feeling better. I got those papers you needed.”

  “Kip gave them to me, and things are looking good. I got a colleague to help file them, and he may have a line on a place to live. Café Belgie is looking for a server. It’s both lunch and dinner shifts, but I understand the tips are quite good there. Darryl is the chef-owner, and his partner, Billy, runs the restaurant portion. They’d like to see you tomorrow. Do you have a nice shirt and pants?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I can bring some by. The important thing is to dress for the job and to be prepared to demonstrate your skills.”

  “What time do they want me there?” Jos asked, excitement filling him for the first time in quite a while.

  “Be there at ten. I’ll stop by with clothes. You can bring Isaac. They understand about kids and taking care of them. At one point they turned the back room into a sort of day care for Billy’s twin brothers. Just be on time. I’m sure they’ll talk to you, and don’t be surprised if they ask you to go right to work to check your skill level. They need someone right away that they can easily train.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Great. See you in the morning.” Donald disconnected, and Jos figured he finally had something to be happy about. This time when he joined the others, he sat on the floor next to Isaac and watched cartoons with him. Terry seemed content to read, and as the afternoon wore on, he got ready to go.

  “Call if you need anything,” Terry said as he walked to the front door.

  Jos got up from the floor, his legs a little stiff. “Say good-bye to Terry,” he told Isaac, who jumped up and raced to his new friend, giving him a hug.

  “Can we really go swimming?” Isaac asked Terry, jumping up and down until Terry lifted him up.

  “Sure. You and Jos let me know when you want to come, and I’ll arrange it.” They shared a hug, and then Terry put Isaac down and he raced back in front of the television. Isaac was happy, as witnessed by the fact that he didn’t walk or shuffle anywhere, but zoomed, and his eyes held the same sparkle they’d always had before their mother passed away. Jos had begun to think he’d never see that again. It made him happy, even if it was directed at someone else.

  Jos walked Terry out and stood on the
porch as he descended the stairs with a little lift in his step. “Thanks for everything.”

  “No problem,” Terry said, stopping to turn around at the bottom. “Get some more rest and don’t try to do too much. Kip was really worried about you when he left. He said if you weren’t feeling better that he was going to take you to the hospital when he got home, and I was to watch you carefully. His words. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like that.”

  “I don’t understand,” Jos said.

  Terry rolled his eyes. “He and Red are a lot alike. They’re both in-charge kind of guys, and they’re cool under fire. They assess situations and act rationally even when the world is falling apart around them and bullets are flying. It’s what makes them good cops. But Kip was really worried. Before he left, he went in your room and stayed a few minutes, just watching you and biting his nails. The guy cares about you. Red and I were beginning to think that he was going to get serious about that twit Jeffrey.” Terry shuddered slightly.

  “But I don’t understand what he can possibly see in me,” Jos admitted, looking down at himself.

  “Maybe you should ask him,” Terry suggested. “I know what it feels like to have all your confidence ripped away. You feel like you can’t do anything right and you just want to hide. But then if we’re lucky, we meet someone like Red—or Kip—who can see past all that. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does it’s pretty special.”

  “But I’ve only known him a few days. How could he know that much about me?”

  Terry chuckled and took a few steps back up the stairs. “They’re police officers. They’re trained to know who to trust and assess lies and truth within seconds. They have a sense for people, and I can tell you that if Kip didn’t see something in you and didn’t care about you in some way, you wouldn’t be here. These guys don’t let people come into their lives easily. There has to be something special.”

  “Isaac,” Jos said, but Terry shook his head.

  “If that’s what you think, then you’re way off. Kip could have called child services and had him put into protective custody if all he was concerned about was Isaac.” Terry bounced down the stairs once again. “Think about it and see if you don’t come to a different conclusion.” He walked to his car, and Jos went back inside, joining Isaac in the living room in front of the television.