“Good for him. Later.”
Walter walked out and took off, arriving at his apartment a few seconds later. When he was sure nobody saw him, he landed, walked in, and met Otis waiting right at the door.
“You gotta go out, buddy?”
He hooked the dog up to the leash and took him outside. Otis did his business quickly, but since it was a nice evening, he decided to stay out and walk him around the block. He enjoyed walking Otis, because it was the only time the attention was off him. People gravitated to the dog, mainly because few people had seen a dog that large before and Otis was more than agreeable to the attention.
“Hi Walter,” came a voice from across the street. A group of college girls came across the street at a run, making a beeline for the dog.
“We didn’t know you had a dog. What’s his name?”
“His name’s Otis.”
“Can we pet him?”
“Oh sure, he would like that very much.”
“How much does he weigh?”
“255 pounds, last time I weighed him.”
That scene was repeated four more times as they walked around the block. By the time they got back to the house, Walter kept walking because there were people out and he didn’t want them to see where he lived. By the time the coast was clear, a car slowed down next to him on the street.
Franklin rolled down the passenger window and called out, “We’re just heading up to the park. Be back in a bit.”
“Okay kid, but not too late. You know you have your test in the morning.”
“Yeah, we know,” Kendra said, “I won’t keep him out too late.”
Kendra drove to the park and shut off the car. They sat there with the windows down for a moment, a refreshing breeze blowing through the car.
“So, this is where it started?” Kendra asked.
“Kinda. I mean…he punched the thief a few blocks back. Dude landed all the way up in the Shell parking lot. This is where he stopped a couple dudes trying to rape a girl. You want to get out. I’ll show you where.”
They got out of the car and walked through the park.
“The girl was over there. Right here is where one of them shot Walter. Lot of good it did him. Then he took off running. Walter tackled them both and knocked ‘em out. Left them for the police.”
“Did the girl live around here?”
“Not sure. Looked our age, maybe a year older. Probably in college.”
“Looks like most of the people around here are college students. How did Walter end up here?”
“It’s a sad story. He told me the other day. His wife had cancer, years ago. Spent all their money on treatments, sold the house and everything. They moved here to save money and then she died. He never moved.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Ten years ago. She died the same day my mom did.”
They walked a little farther and sat down on a park bench. Franklin was immediately aware of how close Kendra was sitting to him and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Nervous? Excited? Maybe both?
“You didn’t tell me how your mom died?”
“Overdose.”
Kendra didn’t know how to react to that, so she sat silently for a moment.
“I…I don’t know what to say.”
“It’s okay…well…maybe it’s not always okay. I mean…she had a problem. She was a good mom before…before the junk. With dad in prison…after she died…oh man…”
Kendra saw the tear run down his cheek and pulled out a tissue to wipe it away.
“That’s the second time you did that for me. I gotta stop doing that.”
“It’s okay. I can understand. You’ve been through a lot.”
“What would your dad say, you hanging out with a kid like me?”
“I don’t care. None of that’s your fault.”
“But what I did after? Running off from the foster home, living on the streets?”
“Is that who you are now?”
“Huh?”
“Is that who you are now? Or have you moved on?”
“Well…I see what you mean. I’m not sure I’m the same dude. Sometimes…nah…I’m different. Walter…”
“Walter gave you a way out, but what if who you are now is who you always were?”
“I don’t think so.”
Kendra reached over and took his hand in hers, sending a wave of electricity up his arm.
“Look, Franklin. I hardly know you. I’m not sure what I’m doing, really. You just seem like a good guy. All that rough stuff…that’s not you. It’s part of you, but you lived on the streets all that time and came out still clean? Maybe Walter helped you a bit, but I think who you are now is who you always were. You just needed a nudge in the right direction.”
Franklin didn’t trust himself to say anything, not wanting to ruin the mood, or whatever was happening. He sat there and stared ahead, feeling the warmth of her hand in his, wishing the moment to last longer than he knew it could. Finally she spoke up.
“What time should I pick you up in the morning?”
“Huh? Oh…test is downtown, not far from here.”
“8:00 good?”
“Yeah…that’s plenty early enough.”
“That will give us enough time for a good breakfast.”
“Yeah…thanks.”
“For giving you a ride? You’re welcome.”
“Not just the ride…everything.”
“Well, it is getting rather late, and I don’t need my dad asking too many questions. Can I drop you home now?”
“Sure.”
They walked to the car, still holding hands, until Franklin reluctantly, and quite slowly, disengaged his hand and got in the passenger seat.
“It’s this building right here, door on the right,” he said a moment later when they pulled in front of Walter’s building.
“How does he keep people from knowing where he lives?”
“He never goes in or out when people are looking, and he can move pretty fast when he needs to get in without being seen. People know he lives around here somewhere because he walks Otis.”
“Otis?”
“Biggest darn dog you’ve ever seen.”
“Well Franklin, it’s been a wonderful evening. I’ll see you in the morning. Good night.” She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. From the car to
