Daddy Patrol

by Sharon De Vita

  “What kinda dog does Johnny got?” Cody wanted to know.

  “It’s a little sheltie. You know what Lassie looks like?” Joe waited for their nods. “Well, Johnny’s dog, his name is Clumsy—”

  “Clumsy?” Cody repeated with a laugh. “That’s funny.”

  “How come that’s his name?” Connor wanted to know.

  “Because when we first bought him for Johnny, the dog was just a puppy, and he was always falling down or tripping over his own legs. So Johnny decided to call him Clumsy. Anyway, Clumsy looks like a little baby Lassie.”

  “Can we see him?”

  Joe laughed. “Of course you can. Where Johnny goes, Clumsy isn’t far behind.”

  “Do you think Johnny would let us play with his dog?” Cody asked hopefully.

  “Absolutely,” Joe assured them.

  “Coach Joe?”

  “Yes, Cody?”

  “Can he still play baseball?” Cody asked. “Not Clumsy,” he clarified. “But Johnny?”

  “Oh yeah,” Joe said with a laugh. “Johnny can still play baseball better than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

  “Cool.”

  “Every Sunday, everyone in our family, all my other brothers and sisters, go to see Johnny, and we all have dinner together at the home where Johnny lives, and we generally end up playing a few innings of baseball after dinner.”

  “Does Johnny like that? I mean, you going to see him?” Cody asked.

  “He loves it,” Joe said, glancing at Mattie as she wiped a tear from her cheek. “Our family is very, very close, boys, and when my father died—”

  “Our father died, too,” Connor said solemnly. “Before we was even born.”

  “I know, son. I know. Sometimes it’s very hard not to have a father, isn’t it?” The boys exchanged glances, then both nodded their heads. “Before my father died, I promised him I would always take care of Johnny.”

  “Like Ma takes care of us?”

  “Exactly,” Joe said. He hesitated for a moment, then lifted his gaze to Mattie’s. “Do you understand?” he asked quietly. He was talking to the boys but looking at Mattie, and suddenly all the pieces of the puzzle about Joe finally clicked into place.

  He had responsibilities. Every word he’d said to her that first night at the pizzeria, when he’d told her he never wanted to get married or have a family of his own because he already had responsibilities, suddenly took on new meaning.

  The deathbed promise he’d made to his dad: to always take care of Johnny. Oh, Joe! Now she understood why he never wanted to marry. Because he wanted to honor his promise to his father and take care of his brother. But she didn’t understand what had made him think he couldn’t do both.

  “We understand,” Connor said, glancing at his own brother.

  “Do you think Johnny will like us?” Cody asked hesitantly, making Joe grin.

  “I’m sure of it,” Joe assured the young boy. “But you have to remember, boys. Because of Johnny’s accident, he doesn’t talk like I do, or walk like I do, and he sometimes forgets things.”

  “We don’t care about that,” Cody said, nearly melting Joe’s heart.

  “Yeah, we don’t care about stupid stuff like that,” Connor added.

  “Even though Johnny looks just like me, a grown-up, there’re lots of things Johnny can’t do that I can,” Joe explained.

  “Like what?”

  “Well…” Joe was thoughtful. “Johnny can’t drive.”

  “We can’t drive, either,” Cody informed him, in case there was any question about the matter. “We’re too little.”

  “Sometimes Johnny gets tired and can’t walk or run without falling.”

  “I fall all the time,” Connor pointed out. “And sometimes I’m not even tired.”

  “Sometimes Johnny doesn’t remember things, even things you just told him, so you’ll have to be patient—”

  “Couldn’t we just tell him again the stuff he forgets?” Cody asked.

  “Works for me,” Joe said with a grin, wondering why he’d thought this was going to be so difficult.

  “What can Johnny do?” Cody asked, making Joe smile.

  “Well, like I told you, he can play baseball. He can bat better than anyone I’ve ever seen, but he can’t run the bases very well. He gets tired and then his legs don’t work right. But he can draw and color. He loves to color pictures, boys, and he loves to watch movies. The Lion King is his favorite.”

  Connor brightened. “We like to color, too. Could we bring our crayons and coloring books with us when we go to see Johnny, Ma?”

  “Of course,” Mattie said with a smile, loving her sons more with each passing minute.

  “Maybe he’ll let us watch The Lion King with him.” Connor grinned, rubbing a scab on his elbow. “We like that movie a lot.”

  “I’m sure of it,” Joe said.

  “And do you think maybe he’ll let us play baseball with him? We can play real good now ’cuz you taught us,” Connor said.

  “I’m sure he’d love to play baseball with you.”

  “Coach Joe?” Connor said hesitantly.

  “Yes, son?”

  Wide-eyed with innocence, Connor glanced up at him. “Do you think Johnny…do you think he might wanna be our friend?”

  Emotions flooded Joe’s heart and he swept up both boys in a fierce one-armed hug, knowing that these two little boys, mischief-makers they may be, had completely and totally stolen his heart. “Of course, son.” He let out a sigh of relief and met Mattie’s gaze. His heart, empty for so long, so very, very long, seemed to fill and then overflow, nearly making him weak. First he kissed the top of Connor’s head, and then Cody’s. “Of course.”

  “Cody Maguire, if you take the lid off those brownies and sniff them one more time, you’re going to leave nose prints all over them,” Mattie said, making the boys giggle. She glanced in the back seat where the boys were sitting, just to make sure Cody hadn’t snuck another brownie.

  “But I’m hungry, Ma,” Cody complained, rubbing his stomach and juggling the plastic container of brownies that was sitting on his lap. “When we gonna eat?”

  Joe laughed as he made the turn into the long, winding driveway of the rehabilitation home where Johnny lived. “Soon, Cody. I promise. We’re here.”

  “We’re here. We’re here,” Connor and Cody caroled, bouncing up and down as far as their seat belts would let them. Cody craned his neck to see out the window. “It’s all green,” he said. “Everywhere. And look, Connor, there’s a swimming pool.”

  Connor tried to see out Cody’s window. “They even got a swing set, and a baseball field.”

  “Mattie,” Joe began. He’d been holding her hand like a lifeline from the moment they’d gotten into the car. He had no idea why he was so nervous about bringing her and the boys here, but maybe it was because he had no idea how she’d react. “This is a special facility, primarily for adolescents and young adults. Johnny’s been here since he was released from the hospital. It’s a wonderful place, handpicked by my folks. They take wonderful care of Johnny.”

  “It looks beautiful,” Mattie said, doing a little glancing around herself. “It’s so huge, though,” she said. “I didn’t expect it to be quite so big.”

  “That it is,” Joe agreed. “But my dad wanted to make sure there was plenty of land around, and greenery. He didn’t want Johnny to feel penned in.”

  “Where’s Johnny’s house?” Connor wanted to know, craning his neck to see.

  Joe pointed out the windshield. “You see that row of pretty white buildings right over there?”

  Squinting, Connor looked where Joe pointed. “Yeah?”

  “Well, the second one on the right is where Johnny lives.” Joe turned down the lane leading to Johnny’s residence hall. “Ah, Sal’s here already.” He turned to Mattie. “See that little black sports car there, the vintage Porsche? That’s Sal’s.”

  Mattie laughed. It was exactly the kind of car she’d expected of a gorge
ous heartthrob.

  “What?” Joe glanced at her. “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing, really,” she said with a shake of her head. “It’s just, you’ve told me so many stories about gorgeous Sal, the female heartthrob, I can’t wait to meet him.”

  Joe laughed. “Well, your wait’s about over.” He pulled in to a parking spot, then shut off the engine. “Okay, boys, now listen carefully. Before we get out, make sure we’ve got everything. Connor, have you got your crayons and coloring books?”

  “Got ’em.” He held up the pile of books and a plastic container of crayons so Joe could see them.

  “Cody, have you got the brownies?”

  “What’s left of them,” Mattie interjected with a grin, turning to wink at her son.

  “Got ’em.”

  “Okay, now, boys, I want you to make sure that you don’t go wandering off by yourselves. There’re woods back there, far behind the buildings, and I don’t want you guys wandering off and getting lost. Make sure you stay with an adult or Johnny at all times, okay?”

  “’Kay,” they caroled.

  “Okay, let’s hit it, then.” Joe threw open his car door and climbed out, opening the back door for the boys to slide out. He went around the front and helped Mattie from the car, then took her hand. The boys walked side by side behind them.

  “Coach Joe?”

  “Yes, Cody?”

  “Does Johnny know we’re coming?”

  “I told him I was bringing some new friends to meet him today, but I’m not sure if he’ll remember. You remember what I said about that, don’t you?”

  “Yep.” Cody shrugged. “So if he doesn’t remember, we’ll remind him again.”

  Joe reached out and ruffled his hair. “Good idea, sport.” Taking a deep breath, Joe climbed the four steps that led to Johnny’s residence hall and pulled open the door, letting Mattie and the twins in.

  “Afternoon, Sheriff, good to see you.” A nurse, pushing sixty, with bottle-brown hair and big blue eyes, winked at him. She was manning the visitor’s desk right inside the door. “I see you’ve brought us some new visitors.”

  “Hi, Stella,” Joe said as he signed in. “Stella, this is Mattie Maguire and her sons, Connor and Cody.”

  “You guys are twins, I bet,” she said with a wink.

  “Yep, we are,” Connor confirmed with a grin.

  “Well, we’re always glad to have such fine, handsome up-standing men come visit, aren’t we, Sheriff?” she asked with another wink.

  “She called us men,” Cody repeated with a giggle, clamping a hand over his mouth.

  “How’s he doing today, Stella?” Joe asked.

  “Doing fine, Sheriff. Right as rain and as excited as all get out knowing you all were coming.” She glanced down the hall toward Johnny’s room. “Sal’s already here. He took Clumsy out for a walk, but Johnny’s in his room. You all can go on back if you like.”

  “Thanks, Stella, we’ll do that.” Taking Mattie by the hand, Joe glanced at her. “Ready?”

  She nodded.

  “Good, come on, then. Boys, follow me.” Joe led them down the hall and knocked gently on one of the end doors. “Johnny, it’s me. Joe.” He knocked gently again, glancing down at the boys.

  The door was opened slowly and Mattie found herself staring at an identical version of Joe. Dressed in loose-fitting jeans and a short-sleeve polo-style shirt, he was the mirror image of Joe. Same hair. Same beautiful brown eyes. And same beautiful smile.

  “Joey.” Grinning, Johnny took a step forward and hugged his brother tightly. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too, bro. How you doing, Johnny?” Joe asked, hugging his brother back.

  “Fine, Joey.” Johnny drew back and looked at the boys curiously. “I’m fine. Are these your new friends, Joey? The ones you said you were bringing to see me?”

  “Yep. This is Cody and this is Connor.”

  “We’re twins,” Cody said, taking a step forward and making Johnny grin.

  “I’m a twin, too.” Johnny glanced at his brother. “With Joey. He’s my twin.” He angled his body so he could stand right next to Joe, shoulder to shoulder. “See. We look alike.”

  Connor angled his body so he was standing right next to Cody. “And we’re twins, too.” He giggled. “Cody’s my twin. And we look alike.”

  “Nice,” Johnny said. “Two sets of twins.”

  “We brought our coloring books and our crayons,” Connor said, showing them to Johnny, whose face brightened.

  “I like to color,” Johnny said. “And I have lots of crayons. The nurses put my pictures up on the walls so everyone could see them.”

  “Our ma does the same thing,” Connor said. “But she puts them on the refrigerator.”

  “Could we color together sometime. Maybe?” Johnny asked hesitantly, making the boys grin.

  “Sure,” Cody said.

  “We’d like that.” Connor looked up at Johnny.

  “Do you want to come in and see my room?” Johnny asked, stepping back to let them enter. “You can put your stuff on my bed if you want. I don’t mind.”

  Joe entered first, followed by Mattie and the boys, who grew wide-eyed when they saw Johnny’s room. It was almost as large and spacious as the whole downstairs of their little house.

  “Your room is so cool,” Cody said with a roll of his eyes. He dumped everything in his arms on the bed, brownies forgotten as he glanced around. “Ma, look at all these model cars.”

  “Don’t touch, Cody, “ Mattie cautioned as Cody began to roam the large room, looking at all the toys, games and books on display on open shelves.

  “It’s okay,” Johnny said. “He could touch. I don’t mind. I like model cars,” he told Cody, getting one down off the shelf and handing it to the young boy. “And my brothers sometimes bring me new ones.” He pointed to a shelf that was only half-full. “This is the new shelf. It’s for all the new model cars.” He grinned. “I still have lots of room for more.”

  “Cool.” Awed, Cody fingered the model car and stared at everything in fascination, trying to take it all in. Johnny’s room was better than a toy store.

  Johnny smiled at Mattie. “You’re pretty,” he said.

  “Johnny, you’ve still got great taste,” Joe said with a laugh, patting his brother on the back. “This is my friend Mattie. Mattie, this is my twin brother, Johnny.”

  “Hi, Johnny.” Mattie held out her hand to him and Johnny took it, shaking it solemnly. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

  “Hi, Mattie. Thank you for coming to see me today and for bringing me two new friends.” He glanced at Cody and Connor with a smile. “I like new friends who like to color.”

  “You’re welcome, Johnny. Thank you for inviting us.”

  “You’re Joe’s special friend, aren’t you?” Johnny asked with a smile. “The one he always talks about.” Joe flushed crimson as Johnny leaned forward to whisper to her. “He thinks I don’t remember, and sometimes I don’t remember so good. But I remember he likes you and likes to talk about you.” There was a gleam in Johnny’s eye and Mattie couldn’t help it, she laughed, realizing that Johnny had the same sense of humor as Joe as well. “A lot,” Johnny said with a roll of his eyes that reminded her of her boys. “He said you were real pretty and you are. Right, Joey?” he asked with a mischievous grin that reminded Mattie so much of Joe she couldn’t believe it.

  “Thanks, bro,” Joe said, giving Mattie a sheepish shrug.

  “You’re welcome,” Johnny said, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

  “Johnny, are those real baseballs?” Connor was standing by one wall shelf, pointing where several glass display cases protected baseballs.

  “Yes.” He moved over to where Connor was standing. “Those are real autographed baseballs. My dad and brothers bought them for me.”

  “No kidding?” Eyes wide, Cody and Connor stared at the displays in awe.

  “I wouldn’t kid you,” Johnny said solemnly. “Here, you c
an look at them.” He reached up and removed the glass case on one of the balls, then handed it to Cody.

  “Be careful, Cody,” Mattie cautioned. “Don’t drop it.”

  “It’s okay if he does,” Johnny said with a smile. “I sometimes drop it.”

  He reached up and removed another ball for Connor, then handed it to him. “This ball is from the Chicago Cubs.” He grinned. “From the 1969 pennant race. My dad bought it for me.”

  “Wow.” Connor’s eyes rounded as he read the signatures on the ball.

  “And the one you have, Cody,” Johnny said, surprising the boys by remembering who was who, since no one else ever did, “has Babe Ruth’s signature. He was a real good baseball player a long, long time ago. Before even I was born. My brother Joey bought that for me.” Johnny scratched his head. “But I can’t remember when.” He looked at Joe, then shrugged.

  “Don’t look at me,” Joe said with a laugh. “I can’t remember, either.”

  “We love baseball,” Cody said, examining the ball carefully.

  “Me too,” Johnny said.

  “Maybe later we could play baseball together,” Connor said hopefully.

  “Yes.” Johnny beamed. “I would like to play baseball with my new friends.”

  “But I can’t run so fast,” Connor admitted, glancing down at the baseball he still held in his hand.

  Johnny laughed. “Neither can I, Connor. So maybe we could not run so fast together.”

  “Johnny, this mutt is a menace. He fell or slid or tripped into every patch of mud, sticks and stones and debris he could find. Then he fell all over himself in his excitement.” Laughing, Sal Marino pushed open the door with his elbow, then stopped when he realized Johnny had more company.

  “Sal, Clumsy always trips and falls.” Johnny said with a grin. “Like me sometimes. That’s why I named him Clumsy.”

  “Yeah, it was a good choice.” Carrying Clumsy in his arms, Sal pushed the door open farther, stepped into the room and grinned at everyone.

  “Well, hi there,” he said to the boys. “I’m Sal, Joe’s brother.” Sal set Clumsy down and the dog immediately tripped over his own feet and slid across the room as he tried to make a beeline for the boys, sniffing and jumping on them, making them giggle. “This is Clumsy, Johnny’s dog.”