They each ordered a steak and it came fast, hot, and rare. They were both hungry and ate their food with passion.
“Man, that was some good steak.”
“I’ll say. We ate like we’ve never been out before,” Rosa laughed.
Over coffee Danny started to talk about his past. He felt like he had to. Like she had to hear what made him the way he was. And if she didn’t run away screaming… then
When he got to the part of his family’s murder, Rosa held his hand.
“I know, Danny. I am sorry.”
“You know about what happened?”
“Well, yes, it was horrible. The whole neighborhood felt for you.”
A tear fell down Danny’s face. He never talked about that night. He only dreamt of it. As he talked of the hurt, he felt something leave his body. Something bad and bitter. He just rambled about his broken heart and his eyes never left Rosa’s face. She sat in silence, just watching him with soft, brown eyes. Eyes like a healing light, he thought. She has a face like a saint on a church mural.
Danny ordered Rosa another glass of wine while he had a coffee, black.
“I just want to thank you for listening, Rosa. It was like taking bad air out of me. God, it felt good telling you all that.”
“I’ll listen anytime, Danny.”
He asked about her life and Rosa told him the sadness of a divorce and the ruined dreams of her youth. She was going to be a lawyer but a child and an angry husband made her put that on the back burner. Where it stayed simmering into a bitter stew.
They left Benny’s, and on the corner Danny stopped and held Rosa’s face in his hands. He lightly kissed her lips and she caressed his neck.
They walked up Seaman Avenue and Rosa pointed to a “
“Yeah. That is weird. You know, I run every day through that park and never saw her. I see that psycho Yuri but not Sara Miller.”
As they walked, Danny told Rosa how the Mad Russian looked right through him earlier that day in the park.
“He creeps me out, that Yuri,” said Rosa. “About two months ago I saw him running down 207th Street after some young college girl, cursing at her. The girl got away but Yuri had this sick look in his eyes like if he had caught her he would have done something bad.”
“Really? You think…”
Rosa exhaled. “I don’t know, but I got a feeling about him. Show me where you saw him.”
“Rosa. It’s dark out. That park is dangerous at night.”
“Oh, come on. I go out with a boxer and he’s afraid of the dark. Here…” She reached into her purse and pulled out a small flashlight. “Come on, it will be romantic.”
They walked up the street and followed Danny’s running route. As they entered the park, Danny’s body tightened. He looked everywhere and anywhere.
The woods were empty and dark and Danny needed the flashlight to find the trail he took. He held Rosa’s hand as they headed up the hill.
“There. He was standing right there.”
Rosa walked into the thicket carefully and shined the light on the ground.
“What are you looking for?” Danny asked as he looked around. Who knows what’s in here at night.
“I don’t know. Anything.”
Rosa took another step and hissed, “Oh my God.”
Danny went over to her side and saw a body under a bush. Then he heard a low moan. Rosa shined the light into the bush and Danny reached in. He felt an arm and gently pulled it toward him.
“That’s the jogger. That’s her. Sara Miller,” Rosa said, as they looked down on the young girl. She lay on the ground unconscious and barely breathing, but it was her. Her blond hair was a dirty mess and her face had cuts and bruises.
“We got to get her to a hospital,” Danny said, as he bent down and picked her up by the torso and put her over his back.
“Careful, Danny.”
Rosa lit the way as he tried to gently carry Sara Miller. He could feel her body moving on his back like she was trying to get away. They got back on the path and Danny picked up his pace.
“Memorial is like ten blocks. Call an ambulance. Have them meet us by the park entrance on 207th Street.”
Rosa took out her cell phone and tried to keep pace with Danny’s long strides. As Danny walked down the path, he sensed something coming at him from his left side. He turned and saw Yuri charging out of the trees with a huge limb.
“That is mine!” Yuri screamed, and swung the branch at Danny’s leg. Danny’s knees fell from under him. He was in a kneeling position and was able to lay Sara Miller down, when the branch hit his back, knocking him to the ground. His mouth tasted dirt. He saw Rosa swinging her purse at Yuri.
“Get off him, you friggin’ psycho!”
Yuri grabbed Rosa’s purse and punched her. She fell onto a park bench. Danny was on his feet now. Woozy. Unsteady.
But ready for a round.
“Hey. Fight me. Fight a man.”
Yuri turned and came at Danny. Jesus, Danny thought, this guy is big and moves like a boxer. A heavyweight. He hit Danny a glancing blow, and Danny came up inside of him and landed a body shot. Yuri gasped and punched Danny’s ribs.
The punch hurt. Worse than anything he had felt in years. Like something went inside of him. Then he saw the knife in Yuri’s hand. Yuri lunged at Danny and missed.
Danny pivoted, and with everything he had, he hit Yuri with a left hook to the temple. It was a career punch. Maybe the best one he ever threw.
The Russian fell to the ground. Out. Danny jumped on top of him, beating Yuri’s face. He punched until his hands were a bloody mess and he felt Rosa tugging on his shoulders.
“Danny, come on. Stop. He’s done. You’re hurt.”
She helped Danny to his feet and he limped over to the bench. He put his hand on his ribs and felt the thick blood.
It was like something was leaking out of him. Hate. Strength.
Sadness. He felt like he could float away.
Rosa wept as she looked at his white shirt stained with blood.
“Just hold on, Danny. Just hold on.”
“I’m cold, Rosa.”
She embraced him, and in the distance an ambulance siren wailed. He leaned into her neck and smelled her. Then he kissed her neck and moaned.
“You’re bleeding, Rosa. He hit you. Your lip,” Danny whispered.
Rosa licked the blood off. “I’m okay. Just a fat lip. You just hold on, Danny. Hold on! That ambulance is for you and Sara. You saved her, baby. You saved her.”
Danny looked up and smiled at Rosa. He felt lighter than he had ever been. All the weight he carried for years was leaving.
“I won, Rosa. I knocked him out.”
“You did, Champ. You did.”
Danny’s eyes shut as Rosa held him and cried.
