“Oh man…that sucks. How long ago?”
“Ten years…seems like yesterday. She was my reason to live. Now…I’m just puttin’ in my time until the Lord sees fit to take me.”
Franklin wiped a tear from his eyes.
“So, kid, what about you? You got a story? Where are your parents?”
“My mom…didn’t know her well…she’s with your wife…hope she is.”
“Is she dead?”
“When I was eight…found her in a gas station bathroom…overdose. Dad…not sure which prison he’s in now. Don't care much.”
Walter was now the one to wipe a tear away.
“Well, kid. Doesn’t seem like you were dealt the best hand, does it?”
“You can say that again.”
“How’d you end up on the streets?”
“Didn’t like the last foster home.”
“You just didn’t like the family?”
“You know how white people are.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Man, they’re whiter than white, wanted to make me a nice white boy too. Well, maybe not. Sure seemed like it at the time. I didn’t take kindly to their rules and I just split.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Year and a half.”
“You hungry?”
“Maybe, you got anything?”
“My fridge is pretty bare, but Kroger is still open. Put some shoes on.”
“We gonna walk to Kroger?”
“No, silly. I got my car running. We’re going shopping.”
Franklin pushed the cart through the aisles at Kroger while Walter bought all manner of things he hadn’t seen since the last foster home.
“You like that cereal?” Walter asked.
“Uh…yeah.”
“Grab a couple boxes then.”
They filled the cart and went toward the checkout.
“Man, that’s a lot of food. How long’s it gonna take you to eat all that?” Franklin asked.
“You’re gonna help me.”
“Come again?”
“Yeah, I’ll need help with all that. Maybe tomorrow we’ll go up to Rookwood and get some more clothes too.”
“You saying I can stay with you or something?”
“Well, I’m not letting you hang on the streets any longer. We’ll talk more when we’re home.”
When they finished putting the food away, Walter showed Franklin where the food bowls were for the dog.
“There’s a big bag of dog food in that cabinet there. He gets a scoop in the morning and a scoop in the evening, and he goes through that whole bowl of water a couple times a day.”
“He eats that much?”
“You don’t want him sizing you up, do you?”
“Maybe not.”
“His morning meal is 7:00 am, and after that he usually has to go outside and…what was that?”
“What was what?”
“A woman screaming her head off outside.”
“I don’t hear anything.”
“It’s clear as a bell. Doesn’t sound good either.”
“You gonna do anything about it?”
“Don’t know.”
“You don’t have those powers for nothing.”
“You coming with me? I might need backup.”
They walked out of the apartment and Walter still heard the woman screaming. He followed the sound of the screams and broke into a run. Franklin tried to keep up, but couldn’t. Finally he reached Park Dr. heading into Bellevue Hill Park. He stopped for a moment, sure the screaming was coming from the park. Franklin heard the screaming now and stopped at the park entrance, winded from sprinting down the street trying to keep up with Walter.
Walter scanned the park and what he saw made his blood boil. Two young men had a woman down on the ground and had her shirt off. One man was holding her at gunpoint while the other was trying to pull her pants off.
“Why don’t you boys leave the lady alone?” Walter said, walking up to the scene.
“Why don’t you mind your own business, old man, if you know what’s best for you.”
“My business is making sure you leave this young lady alone. I don’t have all night. It’s past my bed time, so why don’t you fellows just put the gun away and re-think your entertainment options for the evening.”
“Have it your way, old man,” the one with the gun said, pointing it at Walter.
Walter kept coming toward him. “Why don’t you put that thing away before someone gets hurt?”
“Only one gonna get hurt is you,” he said, still training the gun on Walter, holding it sideways.
“Come on, man, let’s go. No need to waste the geezer,” his friend said.
“What do you mean? He’s seen us. We’re in trouble.”
“No man, it’s dark. Let’s just get out of here.”
“You heard your friend. No need to start any trouble,” Walter said, still approaching.
“You stay where you are. Don’t come any closer.”
Walter took two more steps, and the man pulled the trigger three times. All three bullets hit Walter’s chest and fell toward the ground, flattened. He reached his hand down and caught them before they hit the ground and held his hand out to the gunman.
“You want these back? Not sure how useful they are now.”
“Oh crap, who the hell are you?”
The other young man, seeing what was happening and thinking Walter was wearing a vest, pulled a knife and sneaked up from behind, prepared to plunge the knife in his back. He raised the knife and struck, and the jolt that went up his arm was like he had tried to stick a brick wall. The knife fell from his hands. Walter turned around, making a fist, and remembering the thief from earlier, gave the man a light tap on the temple, knocking him out instantly. The gunman fired two more rounds, both as ineffectual as the earlier shots were, and tried to make a run for it. Walter was on him in two strides and yanked the gun from his hand before knocking him out.
Franklin had observed all this from a safe distance, but now he came forward to find Walter helping the young lady get dressed.
“Thanks Mister,” she said, “How did you…where did you come from?”
“I was in the neighborhood,” Walter said.
“Well, thank you. What’s gonna happen to those guys?”
“Call the police. Don’t tell them everything you saw here.”
3
The police car arrived at the park and two officers got out of. They walked up to see two men knocked out on the ground and a young woman sitting there calmly waiting for them.
“Hello ma’am. Are you the one who called us?”
“Yes…yes sir.”
“And
