by Greg Fowler
‘Well I’m, no, we’re, very happy you did. I don’t know how well you understand this, but you saved my wife and boys’ lives yesterday and that’s no lie.’ By the way Rory McKenzie’s eyes were beginning to water up, Eddy reckoned there were no lies within a mile of this place. ‘At first I thought it was some sort of prank. A sick joke by some thoughtless kid down the street. But, I don’t know, it just had this ‘realness’ to it and even though the boss wasn’t too happy with me taking a day off at such short notice, I couldn’t take the chance. Not with Penny and the boys.’
‘I was that close.’ Mr McKenzie held his forefinger and thumb up, just a teeny tiny bit apart. ‘I almost tossed the note and went to work.’
‘Instead, I went back inside and I showed it to Penny, didn’t I hon’?’ Mrs McKenzie nodded in agreement. ‘We didn’t know what to think but we both agreed it was about time I had a break and this was as good excuse as any.’
‘It’s pretty funny now I can sit back and look at it. You had us a bit paranoid there Eddy. You gave us a heads up with the ‘sleep’ bit because Penny puts the boys down around eleven every morning for a couple of hours and she usually has a quick nod off too. That’s really the only time of the day when there’s chance for everyone in the house to be asleep.’
Rory McKenzie released a nervous chuckle and Eddy could see he was picturing things in his mind’s eye.
‘That’s when the bucket brigade kicked into gear. Penny put the boys down as per usual and we just sat there, Penny on a chair at the boy’s bedroom door and me in the lounge, both with bucket loads full of water at the ready. About an hour in I was starting to feel like quite the idiot too.’
‘And then ‘wham’, just like that, the kitchen curtains were up in flame. I couldn’t believe how fast it happened. One minute I was twiddling my thumbs and the next I was fighting a fire. I yelled out to Penny to get the kids out and the rest is history. I’ll tell you what though, if I’d been only thirty seconds later our house wouldn’t be there right now. The fire would’ve beaten me, simple as that. As it was it was getting to the ceiling and it took a good load of water to get it out.’
Mrs McKenzie took a step forward, the boys still fidgeting around each hip. ‘It was the toaster,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘We’ve been meaning to throw it out but we just never got around to it. You know how it is. It’s been playing up for a little while now. It’ll cook the toast but every now and then it has a mind all of its own and the elements turn themselves on. I don’t know, something in the wiring I suppose. I should’ve unplugged the damned thing from the wall…..It’s all my fault.’ Penny’s self recrimination went deep, deep enough to come back up with tears and her husband stepped over to lay a comforting arm around her shoulders.
‘It’s okay Penny,’ he said softly. ‘It’s nobody’s fault and nobody’s hurt.’ His wife looked thankfully up and rested her weary head against him, unable to say another word without opening the flood gates altogether. Seeing this, Mr McKenzie continued for her. ‘It was all just a fluke of bad luck I guess. The toaster did its psycho thing and one of the kitchen curtains must’ve caught it in the breeze. I didn’t smell any smoke or anything. It just went up.’
‘How’s your house Mr McKenzie?’ asked Grandma Daisy.
‘A lick of paint and some new curtains and it’ll be like it never happened…thanks to Eddy.’ As he spoke these words he and his wife focused on the young boy in question. ‘I don’t know what to say Eddy. Thank you just doesn’t seem to be enough.’
‘It’s okay Mr M…McKenzie. I was happy to help.’
‘I don’t want to sound all sappy or anything but I have something to say and I’ll hate myself if I don’t say it.’ Seeing that no one had a problem with that, Mr McKenzie moved on. ‘A few years back I would’ve bet you a million bucks that this would be the last thing I’d be talking about, but since having our beautiful boys, and after yesterday I’m left without any doubt. You’ve got a very special gift Eddy. I can see it in your eyes. I can see it all around you. It’s a kind of energy and I think that’s why this incredible tree is doing what it’s doing. It’s drawn to you.’
‘That’s God’s energy. I’m absolutely convinced of that. God works through you Eddy. He’s created you to be his vessel on Earth and through you, with you, He has saved my family, saved my precious, precious boys and the most wonderful wife a man could ever ask for. Thank you Eddy. I will never, ever forget this.’
Before Eddy could react, both Mr and Mrs McKenzie, twins in tow, pulled him into their family circle and hugged him close. The emotion was raw within that space but Eddy was happy. These were good people…..and now they were his friends.
58. REAGAN’S BIG NIGHT
Reagan never studied on a Saturday, and you could write ‘never’ in huge capital letters. But the Saturday, just over a week after Mr & Mrs McKenzie had become part of Eddy’s neighbourhood family, she was doing exactly that and she had no choice in the matter.
Eddy had hardly ever seen Mrs Crowe angry but she was making up for lost time today. She was livid. Reagan had been grounded in her bedroom and, in Mrs Crowe’s own words, if she wasn’t studying every time she passed by her room, then she’d add another week to the punishment.
Talking back hadn’t worked either. The updated rules were, not studying and talking back meant another week of grounding. So now, outside of school, Reagan was camped in her room for two full weeks, and she was fuming.
‘It’s not fair,’ she complained to Eddy across the windows.
‘What did you do to make her so angry?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Y…you’re in a lot of trouble for ‘nothing’.’
Reagan stared back at him and Eddy could tell she was trying to decide whether his comment alone warranted extending her realm of loathing to him as well.
‘S…sorry.’
‘I stayed out late, that’s all,’ she finally pouted. ‘I’m fifteen years old and she doesn’t think I’m old enough to decide my own bedtime. How crap is that.’
If that was a question, Eddy was lost for the answer so he just shrugged his shoulders instead.
She had been out very late last night, that was for certain. He’d still been awake when she’d been chaperoned to her bedroom some time after midnight. Mrs Crowe had been whispering but, as Eddy had discovered, whispers could still get the message across very, very well.
‘And it’s not even about being out late,’ continued Reagan. ‘It’s more that she doesn’t like Ryan, is what it is. It’s because he’s older and he’s got a car. And that’s not fair.’
Eddy just shrugged again.
‘Plus there’s only three years difference between us. It’s not like he’s thirty or something.’
He smokes cigarettes, and maybe something else too Reagan. I can smell it on you.
‘Is that w…why your Mum’s so angry?’
‘That’s the real reason. She doesn’t like the idea of me growing up I reckon. She got all pissy because Ryan let me have a couple of drinks last night. I wasn’t drunk or anything, just a bit happy, that’s all.’
Eddy tried not to flinch on the outside, but hearing her say the word ‘pissy’ wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences. There was a time when Reagan would hit a boy for saying that.
‘I think y..your Mum just loves you and she was worried.’
‘If she loved me then she’d trust me. I’m not a kid anymore Eddy, I can look after myself.’
‘Sorry.’
‘It’s not your fault. I’m just frustrated. I’m stuck in this stupid room for two weeks and I didn’t even do anything wrong. What’s worse is there’s a concert that Ryan wants to go to tonight and I know if I can’t go he’ll take Vanessa Riley. Now she’s a girl you can’t trust. Her Mum should lock her up and save us all a lot of trouble.’
Reagan’s feathers were ruffled for the rest of the day, well, most of it anyway. She went through bouts of venting, quiet moments and places in between up
until about four o’clock that afternoon. That’s when her mother had let her take a certain phone call. Mrs Crowe didn’t look entirely pleased about it though. Not by a long shot.
When Reagan trotted back into her bedroom it was as though she’d swallowed a whole vat of happy potion. Her eyes were sparkling again and even the sun seemed brighter.
Instead of verbally bouncing her mother and this Vanessa Riley girl around the room, she appeared to have let it go completely. The old Reagan was back and Eddy reckoned that was fantastic. But Eddy wasn’t dumb…no, not any more. There was something more to this than met the eye and while he cheerfully engaged the new Reagan in friendly banter, in the back of his mind he felt the first inklings of concern for her. Everything changed over time, that was an unavoidable part of life, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t hard to watch. Eddy figured, in that respect, he knew just how Mrs Crowe felt.
The one of them that had actually studied that day had fallen asleep within seconds of resting his hand on Mr Tree. When Grandma Daisy had come up to take away his dinner tray at 8.30, Eddy had been dead to the world. Even when she’d gone over to tuck the sheets up a bit higher over his shoulder, he hadn’t so much as twitched.
She didn’t move his right hand from his beloved tree though. There was a time when just the sight of that would have made her blood boil, but not now. Tonight all she did was smile. Not a huge joyful grin but a happy, contented smile like someone who has a journey ahead of them but has chosen to enjoy the ride instead of fretting about the destination. On the way out of the bedroom she’d paused and touched her own hand upon the branches bedded across the wall. She did this often these days and when she did, two thoughts came to mind. Or, more to the point, one thought and one confession.
Mr McKenzie had been right. Eddy did have a very special gift. She’d known that for a long time now, probably longer than Eddy himself. More recently though, she hadn’t had to make assumptions about his abilities, she’d seen them out in the open for herself. Whatever it was he was tapping through his Mr Tree, it was pretty accurate. The McKenzie’s would vouch for that. So what then of Eddy’s claims about Nevil, the Grandpa he’d never met. If Eddy said that Grandpa Nevil had something to do with this most incredible tree, well….
And the confession. That was much more straight forward. It was a confession in the form of an apology. Not one of those grunted apologies where you say it because you have to. This one was genuine to the point of cathartic. It was an apology to any and all who cared to listen, and when it came to being in the presence of Mr Tree, that could mean anyone.
Eddy knew she did this. He hadn’t seen it and he hadn’t heard it, he just ‘knew’. Part of him wanted to comfort her and tell her that she didn’t need to keep saying sorry. Their lives had changed too, and for the better. But at the same time he also understood that she needed to do this. Not to right a cosmic wrong, but for her own slow healing. Her long, winding ‘sorry’ was not only for him, for her inexcusable actions, her selfishness and self absorption, it was also because she was now beginning to realise why she was saying sorry. She needed to let go.
In the instant he woke up, Eddy didn’t know what had jerked him out of his slumber. But then came the second beep of a car horn.
Be careful Reagan.
Continuing to lie absolutely still, he concentrated with his ears, waiting for the sounds he was certain would come.
In the end it was more than sound that betrayed her. He felt her moving across Mr Tree and slipping down the trunk, quiet but not silent. Quiet but noisy with intent.
A couple of minutes later Eddy heard the distinctive sound of a car cruising out of the neighbourhood. The sort of car a nineteen or twenty year old boy could prove himself in.
Make sure you look after her Ryan. She’s the most special girl in the world.
59. RICH AND FAMOUS
Reagan never got caught that night and Eddy didn’t quite know how he felt about that. She’d taken a massive gamble but she was only going to see that as part of the rush. He had no doubt whatsoever she’d do it again. And again. At the same time though, she was happy. Not exactly the sort of happy he wanted her to be but if this is what it took to bring her out of the down zone she’d been in since her Dad had left, then he was prepared to take the bad with the good.
Mrs Crowe wouldn’t though. If she found out there’d be all hell to pay.
Skating the thin ice of her little secret, Reagan had even managed to escape the second week of her grounding. Mrs Crowe had obviously felt bad about the length of the punishment and by the following weekend Reagan was back in the real world. On one condition…that this ‘Ryan boy’ come and meet her. With a roll of her eyes, Reagan had agreed and on Sunday evening the guy in question was invited for dinner.
Eddy watched with muted interest as she pranced around her bedroom, painting herself up, asking him if the blue dress looked better than the black one and generally exuding a nervousness that was uncommon to her. Just for the record the black dress was better. In fact, the black dress was stunning, movie star stunning. On that basis, Eddy almost told her to wear the blue dress…but he couldn’t do that, not to Reagan.
When the fancy car with the roaring engine pulled up out front, Reagan had run out of her room without so much as giving Eddy a parting wave. She was like a kid at Christmas. Eddy had darted over to the front window, feeling a sudden flush of embarrassment as this ‘Ryan’ had caught his movement and, for a horrid moment, also caught his eye.
Don’t hurt my Reagan!
Ryan hesitated and looked unsure of himself for a second, even to the point of fumbling and then dropping his car keys on the grass. Having picked them up, he shot Eddy one more quizzical glance before Reagan was out the door and taking his hand with the same effervescence she’d left her bedroom.
Drifting back into the dimness of his room, Eddy decided the best way to pass the time was to bury himself in the text books. He turned a lot of pages that night, but found that the next day he had to read them all over again.
By Wednesday afternoon an artificial normalcy had settled over proceedings. The actions were all the same but the foundation for them was something entirely different altogether.
It was like a scene from a play where the actors knew their places but the plot seemed to have shifted to another purpose. Both Eddy and Reagan were at their window ledges, the familiar text books spread out in front of them, brows furrowed in concentration.
‘This isn’t maths,’ complained Reagan. ‘How can maths have letters in it?’
‘Its al…algebra.’
‘I don’t care what they call it, it’s just not maths. If ‘a’ equals ‘1’, just call it ‘1’. How hard is that?’
‘It’s for the rest of the equation.’
‘It’s stupid is what it is. I mean, when am I going to need to use this stuff?’
‘I d…don’t know.’
‘Exactly.’
‘But y…you need to know it for the exam.’
If Reagan’s patience was a frayed rope then Eddy’s comment seemed to have snapped the very last thread. She slammed her book closed and tossed it on to her bed with an explosion of energy that spoke of a decision made.
‘I’m sick of it Eddy. Exams, exams, exams. We have to live too you know. Do you reckon they think about that when they make ‘a’ equal ‘1’? ‘A’ equals bullcrap as far as I’m concerned.’
‘Then bullcrap also equals one.’ Eddy thought the attempt at humour would help…it didn’t though.
‘It’s just not me,’ reasoned Reagan. ‘Some people are made for this stuff and some aren’t. I’m one of the aren’ts. All of this,’ she said waving her arms at the books, ‘is just a waste of my time. Ryan never passed his exams and he’s earning alright money. Look at his car. I’m thinking that when my birthday comes around I’m gonna leave school Eddy.’
‘Oh. D..does your Mum know about that?’
‘Not yet.’
‘What will you do?
’
‘I don’t know. Maybe be a makeup artist or something along those lines.’ Reagan’s tone was defensive but her eyes dared him to challenge her.
‘I thought you w…wanted to be a rich and famous movie star.’
‘Maybe I still can be. Tell me where I need to know stupid maths to be a movie star?’
Eddy was getting very used to shrugging around Reagan, so he added one more to the pile.
‘My point exactly. And even if it doesn’t work out straight away, I’ll find a job to fill in time.’
‘Makeup stuff?’
‘Whatever comes along. I can type. If it pays okay, then when I’m eighteen I can move in with Ryan.’
‘Oh.’
60. WHAT MAKES GIRLS LIKE BOYS
‘Hi Eddy.’
‘Hi Mrs Elsdon.’
Mrs Elsdon shifted her weight over the walking stick and settled in on the footpath below.
‘How’s your study going?’
‘It’s okay. There’s a lot of it though. Sometimes I don’t know how my head can hold it all in.’
‘Life can be like that Eddy,’ responded old lady Elsdon with a raise of the eyebrows.
‘Can I ask you a question?’
‘Sure. That’ll make a change from the norm.’
‘What m…makes girls like boys?’
‘Gees, you don’t start with the small ones do you.’
‘Sorry.’
‘No, no. I was just having you on Eddy,’ chuckled Mrs Elsdon. ‘It is a good one though.’
Eddy suddenly wished he’d never asked the question at all. And even if Mrs Elsdon could answer the question, he had serious doubts he would understand it. It seemed to him that girls were such complicated creatures that even the handbook had to be gobbledegook to a boy like him. He should’ve just accepted his ignorance and avoided this awkward circumstance altogether.
Mrs Elsdon wasn’t put off though and after a moment to gather her thoughts, she looked back up at him and gave it a shot.
