by Dwayne Gill
Calvin brought Daniel to the house he was occupying now to rest and recuperate. It was in a shabby part of town, somewhere outside Chicago.
“No one will look for you here. Trust me; no one wants to be here.” Calvin was right; most normal people steered clear of this area, but even ones up to no good wanted nothing to do with this drug-infested rat-hole.
Daniel was healing, but to be honest, he wasn’t in any hurry to recover. Calvin didn’t care if he stayed there as long as he kept out of trouble.
“Don’t bother anyone here. It’s all I ask. It’ll make my day a little harder if you cause a scene here.”
Daniel had no desire to cause a scene and would prefer to remain unnoticed. He liked the solitude; he knew no one and had nowhere to be. Daniel needed the break; he had been going at a fast pace for too long, and it had caught up with him. Maybe he’d ask Calvin to bring him a book.
Today, though, he wanted to go outside. The front porch was still in decent condition.
“It offers a picturesque view of the drug deals and homeless urinating,” Calvin had said.
Daniel only wanted fresh air; the inside of the worn-down house had become suffocating after a few days. He felt like he was risking illness by breathing the filthy air.
Daniel stumbled to the front of the darkened house and opened the front door, the sun hitting his face for the first time in days. He threw up his right arm to cover his stinging eyes, felt for the screen door with his left hand, opened it, and stepped onto the porch. He stood inhaling the fresh air and enjoying the warmth of the sunlight for several minutes before trying to move any farther. His eyes adjusted to the brightness, so he looked around him.
Calvin was right; this neighborhood was nasty. The first house he noticed was the one across the street, but, most of the homes looked the same. The one across from him was puke-green, narrow and ill kept. It had a front yard about as wide as a two-car driveway before running into the street, and there were no trees or shrubs anywhere. Old appliances and rotted chairs littered the front porch. The other houses only differed in color from the green one; most of them had the same layout, the work of a bored contractor trying to finish the row of houses as quickly as possible. He realized that his house looked the same, minus the clutter on the porch. There was a small front yard, and the neighbors to the right and left of him were uncomfortably close.
He looked around the porch and saw a small wooden table and three chairs to his left; the chairs seemed too brittle to hold his massive body. To his right were four old tires, stacked on top of one another. He grabbed at the one on top, but when his arm burned with pain, he let it fall. Determined, he slid the top tire off the pile, stood it up, then wheeled it to a spot behind the wooden table against the wall of the porch. He repeated this with a second tire and stacked it on the first. This will have to do. He sat down on the tires and leaned back against the house. Perfect.
Mystery Man
Taryn was on the street, approaching her house, returning home from school, when she saw a strange man across the street sitting on his porch, leaning back against the wall. Dad… her heart fluttered for a moment, but she came to her senses. It was only momentary shock. The man on the porch wasn’t her dad, but he was big like him. Wait, no, he’s way bigger. The more she studied him, the larger he looked. He appeared to be sleeping. Taryn wondered who this stranger was; she didn’t know many people that lived on her street, nor did she want to, but she had seen no one in the house across from hers since Mr. Henry died. He lived there for years but died a year ago, to Taryn’s despair. A friendly man, he would sit on his porch in the afternoons and smoke his pipe. He would wave Taryn over sometimes, and they’d talk, though his mind was failing him. He’d talk about his son, a man Taryn had never seen, like he was always on his way over to visit. Taryn sometimes wondered if his son was even alive, but then she saw him the day after Mr. Henry died. He was a big man, much like the one sitting on the porch across the street at this moment. Taryn had felt sorrow for Mr. Henry when she realized that he had a son after all, albeit one that never visited his suffering father. Though Taryn didn’t know Mr. Henry well, she liked visiting him. He was her only escape from Gary on some afternoons.
Taryn wondered if the man across the street was Mr. Henry’s son. Maybe he’s moving into his dad’s house, Taryn hoped. She’d love to have another neighbor to visit, someone to delay her going home in the afternoons, even for a few minutes. She figured if Mr. Henry was kind, his son might be too.
Taryn faced an unknown outcome across the street and weighed it against the certainty of what awaited her inside. She glanced once again in the big man’s direction. He’s so scary. But then she looked at her front door, the one she dreaded entering, and thought, Still not as scary as what’s inside.
Meeting
Daniel couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the kid walking toward the porch. She froze when they made eye contact. The kid looked frightened, waiting for his reaction. Daniel’s expression never changed, but his mind was whirring. He realized now it was a girl; she looked like a boy from far away. He studied her curiously. Would she still approach? She gave him a forced grin and moved toward him again.
“You lost?” Daniel asked. Taryn halted, alarmed by his deep voice. She was now close enough to see how massive the man was. Definitely not Mr. Henry’s son. He was bald and had strips of gauze on his head, along with bandages on his arms. He wore a t-shirt that looked big enough to hold six of her, but it somehow seemed just big enough for him. Taryn had seen football players on television that weighed over three hundred pounds and basketball players who were over seven feet tall, but she had seen no one of this stature in person. This guy looked more massive than any football player and taller than any basketball player she had ever seen. Maybe they look bigger in person, she thought. He didn’t have the manufactured muscles of a bodybuilder but somehow seemed stronger than one. He looked immovable. Taryn saw the way his arms strained against the fabric of his sleeves. It almost looked like something was alive inside the way it billowed underneath when his arms moved. Taryn was admittedly apprehensive approaching this strange man, and she still had no good reason to be here.
Taryn looked the man in the eyes and smiled as she climbed the steps; she wanted to appear as unthreatening as possible although the thought amused her. Like this behemoth would ever feel threatened by me. Daniel looked fascinated as Taryn stepped onto the porch, shocked that she had completed her journey there. She extended her hand to shake his. “My name’s Taryn. I live across the street in that green house.”
“Daniel,” he said as he released her hand.
“You live here?”
Daniel shook his head. “Just staying here for a few days.”
Taryn was studying him. “What happened to your head and arms?” she asked, referring to all the bandages and gauzes.
“I fell.”
Taryn rolled her eyes like she had heard the excuse a million times. I’ve used that one myself.
Silence fell between them. Taryn picked up a chair, moved it to the opposite side of the table, and sat down. Daniel still had an amused look. He didn’t know what to make of the girl.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Taryn offered.
“Sorry, kid. No coffee machine here.”
“We have one at home. I’ll go fix us some!”
Before Daniel could protest, she slid off her chair and shot across the street to her house.
Daniel watched her approach her front door and pause before entering. It looks like I found a friend. Daniel didn’t mind kids, not anymore. He made the mistake of underestimating a kid once before, and he wouldn’t do it again. He liked Taryn’s spirit, anyway. She earned his respect by walking all the way over to him and climbing the porch steps despite her fear.
Daniel had been abnormally large all of his life; at every stage of development, he was always the biggest in the room. People teased and avoided him all his life, so when a person showed the
ability to see beyond his sheer size, he respected it.
Coffee
Taryn snuck into her house and entered her bedroom. Gary and her mom were locked in theirs, so as long as she remained quiet, they wouldn’t wake up. She reached under her bed and pulled out a shoebox; inside were various items that belonged to her father: his watch, his favorite baseball cap, even old gloves he used to wear. She removed two small containers from the box and slid it back under the bed. One contained vanilla caramel creamer, her dad’s favorite; the other was decaffeinated coffee, her preferred drink. Taryn had preserved both in airtight containers after her dad died, and this would be her first use since. She had no idea what she had been saving them for, besides the sentimental value, but this seemed like a worthy occasion. She was excited to make a new friend, even if he was scary and mysterious. And although he appeared dangerous, she doubted he posed any threat to her.
She prepared Daniel’s cup of coffee the same way she used to make her dad’s: three teaspoons of sugar and a healthy scoop of vanilla caramel creamer. Her dad loved the way she fixed his coffee although she now suspected that perhaps he wanted to make her feel special. Either way, he always seemed to savor every sip as they sat on the back patio and drank together.
Tears filled her eyes as she stirred Daniel’s coffee. It had been three years since she last prepared a cup this way. How she wished she were bringing this mug of coffee to her father on their peaceful patio where they’d talk and giggle and watch birds and squirrels play in the yard. Neither of them had a care in the world that could overshadow the joy of those moments.
Taryn fixed her cup of decaf, grabbed Daniel’s, and headed out. She had to set one cup down on a nearby lamp-stand to open the front door, but she managed. She hooked the front door with the toe of her shoe as she exited, giving it a sharp enough tug for it to click closed, and was on her way. Daniel hadn’t moved and was smiling as she returned. She set his coffee down on the table in front of him and sat down on her rickety chair, cradling her coffee in her hands like a seasoned coffee drinker. It wouldn’t take long to cool in this weather, and she liked hers hot.
“Thanks, Taryn,” said Daniel.
Taryn nodded. She looks anxious, Daniel thought. He figured maybe she was waiting for him to take a sip, so he did. The coffee tasted weird; he tried his best not to change his expression, but his taste buds were protesting. After he swallowed, he realized she had put flavoring in his coffee. I didn’t tell her how I took it, he thought.
“Did you put candy in my coffee?” he asked, smiling.
Taryn returned the smile. “It’s vanilla caramel,” she admitted.
“It’s candy,” he joked again.
“I fixed it how my dad liked it. I should’ve asked you.”
“Nah, kid, it’s okay. Anything warm is great.” Daniel didn’t want her feeling bad. “It’s growing on me.” It was true; he was three sips in now, and each sip was a little more tolerable.
Daniel wondered how a kid like her ended up in a neighborhood like this. He figured her parents might be the explanation. He saw a man’s face peek around the curtain of the window next to Taryn’s front door. “Is that your dad?” He motioned toward the house.
Taryn looked over her shoulder. She had a disgusted look. “No. That’s Gary.”
Daniel noticed her deflated look; whoever Gary was, it was clear she didn’t like him. Daniel started to ask a question, but the kid looked agitated.
“I’ve gotta go,” she said. She took her coffee cup and ran down the steps.
“Hey! You want your coffee cup?” Daniel shouted at her.
She stopped and looked over her shoulder. “You can keep it.” She scurried away and disappeared into her front door.
Daniel couldn’t shake the bad feeling. Something about the entire encounter seemed off. I think she’s scared.
Calvin arrived with Daniel’s dinner at 7:00 p.m., a steak and salad from a family-owned diner. “You found your way out here to the porch, I see.”
“I felt smothered. It stinks in there.”
“Have you smelled yourself, big guy? It might be you.” Calvin smiled, but he meant it. Daniel needed a shower. He hadn’t bathed for days.
“Believe me, I can’t wait to get this stink off,” said Daniel.
Daniel and Calvin ate at the porch table and talked a while. Calvin knew the neighborhood well, so Daniel asked about his neighbors across the street.
“Gary Connelly. He’s lived there several years now,” said Calvin. “He’s a real piece of work, that guy.” He was digging steak out of his teeth with a toothpick as he talked.
“What’s wrong with him?” asked Daniel.
“Low-life dealer. He’s just sleazy. Likes to get vulnerable women addicted and take advantage of them.” Calvin smacked on a piece of stray steak and swallowed. “There’s a woman that lives there. Anna, I believe. He screwed her up.”
“What about the girl there?” asked Daniel.
Calvin looked confused. “Girl? I don’t know any girl that lives there.” He paused, going after another stubborn piece of steak with his toothpick. “No child belongs in this neighborhood. And no child, under any circumstances, deserves to live in the same house as Gary Connelly.”
Deepening
Daniel was waiting on the porch the next afternoon when he saw Taryn walking down the street, returning home from school. She saw him and waved, and he beckoned her over.
“How about another cup of coffee?” he asked. Her smile faded into a frown, and she looked embarrassed. Daniel realized that she likely got in trouble yesterday.
“Sorry, Taryn. No coffee. It’s okay; I can’t drink that candy crap, anyway.” He saw a renewed smile form as she sat down.
“Gary didn’t like me taking a coffee cup out of the house,” Taryn said.
“Does he mind you sitting over here with a stranger?”
“He doesn’t care about that. He’d rather me be out of the house, anyway.”
Daniel saw the fear in her eyes, the way she looked down as she spoke. He imagined that at one time this vibrant young girl probably had little or nothing to fear, a time before Gary. “Where’s your real dad at?”
Taryn looked down and said nothing, but he could feel the sadness emanating from her. He’d hit a soft spot.
“My dad died three years ago. Car accident,” she said. She was holding back tears.
Daniel looked at the green shack and remembered Gary’s face in the window. Calvin’s words echoed in his head: No child deserves to live in the same house as Gary Connelly. He wondered how many times this kid had, in the past three years, been able to talk to anyone about her loss, her pain. He needed to offer her something, anything.
“I know what it’s like to lose someone close to you.” He was telling the truth. His loss had sent him spiraling out of control. A spiral that sent him on a violent rampage, the same one that resulted in him being near death. “They take a piece of you with them. To the grave.”
Daniel’s words seemed ominous and hit home with Taryn. She had never spoken to anyone about her father’s passing; she had cried herself to sleep so many nights and struggled through even more days, fighting, resisting the current of sadness that tried to pull her under. If she succumbed to her depression for even a moment, she would never return.
But she had tried to hold back her tears long enough, so she let them flow, not caring that Daniel saw or what he might think. She was tired of trying to be strong. The tires rubbed together, and Daniel emitted a low grunt, but she didn’t look up. She buried her head in her hands and blocked everything out. Moments later she felt a massive hand come to rest on her left shoulder. No one had touched her affectionately, much less a man, since her father died. It felt good; for the first time in three years, she felt a connection to someone else.
Daniel sat at the table on the porch every day, only going inside to use the restroom and to sleep at night. Often, he’d see Gary come out of the green house, but he never saw Anna.
Gary would get into his beat-up car and drive away, returning hours later with bags of groceries, and other times he would carry duffle bags into the house. Daniel figured there were drugs in those bags.
Daniel had dealt with plenty of men like Gary. In fact, Daniel had seen all types of criminals in his lifetime. A criminal boss took him in when he was just a teenager, and though he wasn’t directly involved in any of the illegal activity until he was older, he witnessed many things. Daniel had done his share of wrong in his life but had never hurt innocent people, especially children. This Gary fellow didn’t care about Taryn or Anna; he was just using them to conduct business and was likely abusing Anna, and maybe Taryn. He could see it in the man’s walk, his demeanor. Daniel wondered if Gary would ever come over to introduce himself, maybe try to score a drug deal with him. Maybe Gary wouldn’t take kindly to Daniel’s dismissive attitude, and perhaps he’d even feel good about his chances of overpowering a bandaged man. That’d be too easy, Daniel thought.
Every day that week, Taryn came by after school and sat with Daniel. Calvin brought over a coffee machine, sugar, and some creamer. He couldn’t find any vanilla caramel, so Daniel had to settle for regular creamer.
“Yuck! What is this crap?” Taryn exclaimed after taking her first sip.
“What’s wrong with it?” Daniel asked, smiling.
“It’s real coffee!”
“Has a bite to it, right?” Daniel hadn’t known she only drank decaf.
Taryn didn’t mind the different creamer; she wasn’t prepared for the caffeine rush. The effort meant a lot to her, though she picked at him the first time she saw his coffee maker.
