Fire and Rain

by Andrew Grey

  “I appreciate your help,” Kip said.

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” Donald called, and Kip waved before closing his door and pulling away from the curb.

  He was dog-tired and glad he only had to go to the other side of town. The five-minute drive took most of the energy he had left. Kip parked in front of his house, and Jos got out, gathering Isaac into his arms.

  “Is this where you live?” Jos asked.

  “Yes. It was my mother’s dream house,” Kip said, watching Jos stand on the sidewalk, looking up at the large house in front of him.

  “I like the porch. I bet it’s nice on summer nights. I remember—” Jos stopped cold and shifted Isaac onto his other shoulder, stepping out of the way. Kip locked his car and walked to the front door, then let them in. He turned on the hall lights, but not the ones to the other rooms. Kip intended to get them all up to bed, so he made a direct line to the stairs.

  “I’ll put both of you in the guest room. I’m assuming Isaac is going to be most comfortable sleeping with you.” Kip opened the first door at the top of the stairs and turned on the light. “Get yourselves comfortable.” He set the bag on the bed. “There are pajamas for Isaac and some fresh clothes for him to have in the morning.”

  “Can I take a shower?” Jos asked longingly.

  “Sure. I’ll get you something to sleep in. The bathroom’s right there.” Kip opened a door across the hall and got out some towels for Jos. Then he went to his room and found a comfortable T-shirt and some light sweats. They’d be too big, but it was something clean for Jos to wear. “I can throw your clothes in the washer if you want. Just give them to me when you’re done, and I’ll put them in before I go to bed.”

  Kip left Jos alone and heard him gently singing to Isaac. Kip went to his room and changed into comfortable clothes. When he returned, Isaac was already in bed, nearly asleep. Jos looked like the walking dead as he shuffled into the bathroom and closed the door. Kip knocked and handed Jos the clean clothes when he cracked the door. Then he left him alone to clean up.

  Kip purposely had Jos use that bathroom. There was nothing in there but the basic things for guests. He didn’t know him that well and hadn’t wanted him to use the other bath, where he kept his various medications. He hoped Jos wasn’t using drugs, but he didn’t want to provide any temptation.

  When Jos was done showering quite a while later, he looked a little revived and smelled a hell of a lot better. Kip took his clothes and carried them all the way to the basement, started the machine, and put in the clothes. He also made a note to remember to see to it that Jos had something to wear for the morning. The clothes he was washing didn’t seem as though they’d hold up much longer. When he climbed the stairs, Kip found the guest room door closed and the bathroom door open, towels hung to dry, and the sink and tub clean. Jos was neat—Kip had to give him that.

  Kip went to his room and got ready for bed. He climbed between his crisp, clean sheets and realized just how much he took for granted. He didn’t want to think about the last time Jos and Isaac slept in a clean bed. Yet he hated it when his sheets were scratchy. Kip rolled onto his side and tried to go to sleep, but he ended up listening to the sounds of the house. Of course he knew he was listening for Jos and Isaac, but they were quiet.

  He fell asleep but woke with a start in the middle of the night. Something wasn’t right, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. He stilled and listened, and a soft rustling reached his ears.

  Kip got up and left his room. The door to the guest room was closed, and the sound came from there. Kip stepped to the door and stood still. Whimpering—he was hearing soft whimpers. He sighed. It was sobbing, muffled by bedding. Tears someone didn’t want heard and was trying his best to keep quiet.

  Kip reached for the doorknob but stopped himself. He wasn’t going to intrude. Even if he wanted to try to help, there were limits to what he could do other than provide them a place for the night and try to see to it that both of them were safe. He went back to his room and climbed into bed, wondering how much he dared try to do to help.

  Chapter 2

  JOSTEN WOKE with a start. It was still dark, but he was too warm and definitely too comfortable. Something was wrong. When he opened his eyes and saw the streetlight-illuminated room with a fireplace and nice curtains, he remembered. Isaac was still asleep, burrowed down into the covers, pressed right against him, but he began to stir. Josten wanted to break into tears, but he’d already done that once and that was enough. He and Isaac had been fed and given a place to sleep that wasn’t on the streets or in one of those dormitory rooms with dozens of other people snoring, crying out, or just plain yelling their fear and terror in the middle of the night.

  “Josten,” Isaac whined from next to him. “I have to go.”

  “Okay,” Jos said and lifted Isaac out of the bed. He quietly opened the door and walked as softly as he could across the upstairs hall to the bathroom, where a nightlight burned. He set him on the potty so he could go.

  “I like it here. It’s warm and there are no scary people.”

  “I know.”

  “Can we stay here? Mr. Policeman seems nice.”

  “I doubt it,” Jos said. This was only for one night, and after Kip gave them some food in the morning, he and Isaac would be on their way. Maybe he could find a way to make some money so the two of them could get to a place where they might have a chance. What he needed was a job and a place to live. He’d had both of those not long ago, but then everything had gone to hell in two days. Two fucking days was all it had taken to pull his life away from him and put both him and Isaac on the streets. He hadn’t known it could happen that fast, but it had, and Jos didn’t know what to do to fix it. “Are you done?”

  Isaac nodded, and Jos helped him off the toilet and helped him wipe. Then Jos pulled up his pajamas and lifted him into his arms. When he opened the door, he found Kip coming up the stairs with a glass of water. Jos smiled and took Isaac back to the bedroom and closed the door. He heard Kip go back to his room, and then the house was still once more.

  “This is really nice,” Isaac said as he burrowed under the covers.

  “I know it is, but we can’t get used to it, okay? I don’t know where we’re going to have to sleep tomorrow, but I’ll do my best for you. I can promise you that.” Jos hugged Isaac to him. “Now go to sleep, okay?”

  “Okay,” Isaac said and laid his head on the pillows. They were too soft for the likes of them. It had been longer than Jos wanted to admit since he’d slept someplace as nice as this. His fears for tomorrow kept him awake for a while, but fatigue eventually won out.

  JOS WOKE to a rumbling stomach and the scent of food hovering in the air. The next thing he noticed was that he was alone. He threw back the covers and jumped out of the bed, then raced down the stairs in a blind panic. They had come for Isaac after all. Kip had promised nothing would happen to them, and…. He should never have trusted a police officer, no matter how nice he’d seemed on the surface.

  Laughter rang from the bottom of the stairs, and Jos slowed a little, making his way toward the sound, which rang out again. “You like that, huh?” he heard Kip say, and damned if the sound of Isaac’s laughter didn’t spear hard at Jos’s heart. He hadn’t heard that sound in a long time. “Have some more if you want.”

  Jos walked into the kitchen and stopped cold. Isaac sat on a stool by the table shoveling bacon into his mouth as he waved another piece in the air.

  “I likes bacon,” Isaac said when he saw Jos and then extended his hand, offering the piece to him.

  “You eat it,” Jos said, his stomach protesting because the house smelled good and there was food on the table and on the stove. He’d learned a while ago to avoid restaurants like the plague when he didn’t have anything to eat. The scent only made him hungrier, and while food was just a few feet away, none of it was for him… or Isaac.

  “Sit down,” Kip said, motioning to the table. “I have eggs if you wa
nt some.”

  Jos just nodded, afraid to say anything or he’d…. Fuck, he had no idea how he’d react, and that scared the shit out of him, so he sat down, and Kip put a plate of eggs, toast, and bacon in front of him. He even added a huge glass of juice. “Go ahead.”

  Jos didn’t have to be told twice. He tucked in and ate, his belly not knowing quite what to make of two big meals in a row. “Thanks… for me and for him.”

  Kip sat down with a cup of coffee. “I ate with him,” Kip said, making faces at Isaac that sent him into more peals of laughter. “How long were you and Isaac without food?”

  “I take care of him. It’s what I’m supposed to do, and I do the best I can.” Jos’s defenses were instantly high and at the ready.

  “Whoa, slow down. I was just asking. Not judging,” Kip said, immediately disarming him with his kind tone. “I’m only concerned.”

  “A day, I guess. I found a dollar so I got Isaac something at that place on Pomfret. They have these cheesy crackers that Isaac likes, and I got him two boxes that he ate,” Jos answered quickly. “It came to a dollar and one cent, and the guy behind the counter gave me the penny. You can ask him. I never steal anything.”

  “I never thought you did, otherwise I wouldn’t have let you stay in my home,” Kip said.

  Jos nodded. “Sorry.”

  “When was the last time you ate?” Kip asked.

  Jos shrugged. “Yesterday morning. I had breakfast at the mission shelter, and then they cleared us out for the day. You have to leave, and then you can come back at night for dinner, if you get there fast enough. Last night I wasn’t fast enough. Everyone opened early, and Isaac and I were out of luck… until we met you, I guess.”

  Kip nodded and sipped from his mug, which Jos was grateful for because it gave him time to eat. His stomach kept growling, and when he emptied his plate, Kip filled it again.

  “Slow down. There’s plenty, and no one is going to take it from you.” Kip got up and opened the refrigerator door, then pulled out a huge bowl of strawberries that had Isaac’s eyes boggling. Jos knew his half brother loved strawberries, and Isaac reached into the bowl as soon as it came close to him.

  “You like those?” Kip asked as Isaac was already shoving one into his mouth, reaching for another. “Take your time, buddy.”

  Jos finished his second plate, but he didn’t reach for a berry. Kip pushed the bowl his way, and Jos watched him, reaching for a berry, expecting the slap or rebuke that always came when he reached for something that they didn’t think was for him. Granted, they never said, they only hit, so he never knew when it was coming. Jos bit into the berry and grinned. It was good, cold, and slid easily down his throat. He picked up the bowl and handed it back.

  “Don’t you want any more?” Kip asked, and Jos blinked a few times. “Eat them—I can get more.”

  Isaac threw his hands in the air like he’d won a prize and dug in. Soon Jos was doing the same and felt himself smile. Fuck, he must be totally pathetic if a bowl of strawberries could make him this ridiculously happy.

  The doorbell rang, and instantly Jos was on his guard. He moved closer to Isaac, who was completely engrossed in what he was eating, and watched the doorway, wondering what was going to happen next.

  “Hey, Donald, come on in. We’re just eating.” Kip’s voice boomed through the house, and Jos turned his chair slightly so he could see better. The guy from last night came into the kitchen carrying a bag in his arms. He walked closer and handed it to Jos.

  “I brought you some things you might need. Toothpaste and stuff like that. There’s also some hand sanitizer and an extra change of clothes for Isaac.” Donald turned and spoke to someone out of sight. “You can come in too. Don’t be shy.”

  A boy a little older than Isaac came into the room. He stopped next to Donald, staring up at him and then at Isaac, who whined and looked at the floor. Alex walked over to Isaac and started talking. After a few hellos and tentative smiles, Alex asked if Isaac wanted to play Legos, and they were off together.

  “Play nice,” Donald said gently and sat down at the table.

  “Are they going to be okay?” Jos asked.

  “Alex just went to get his blocks,” Donald said, and sure enough Alex came back into the room with Isaac right behind. He scoped out a section of the floor of the large kitchen, emptied the bag with a crash of Legos, and the boys were off.

  Donald leaned over the table and turned his attention to Jos. “I’m with child services here in the county, and the reason I’m here is to try to help you. But in order to do that, I need some information.”

  Jos wasn’t sure he wanted to tell anyone anything about himself or Isaac. “Do I have to?”

  “No. You’re welcome to go. But if you want to have a chance to take care of Isaac and give him a chance at a life other than on the streets, you need to trust someone and let us help you. I know you’ve been through a lot—”

  “You don’t know shit about what I’ve been through,” Jos countered. “You don’t know me at all.”

  “Don’t I? You’re about twenty. You used to have a job, but it was probably eliminated in some of the recent cuts that were announced. You’d just been hired recently so you were the first to go. You had an apartment, but as soon as the landlord heard you’d lost your job, he kicked you out.”

  “How?”

  “Gordon Powers, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “The man’s a slumlord. He packs as many people as he can into his buildings by renting them tiny apartments, and let me guess, when you first rented, he said he liked you and that you had an honest face, so there was no need for a lease or anything like that. He was your friend, after all.”

  “Jesus,” Jos breathed.

  “It’s the way he operates. If you ask for a lease, then he says he’s just remembered that he rented the apartment the day before and he’s sorry you couldn’t do business. He’s a piece of work, and Kip and his coworkers have been trying to get something on him for years.”

  “Okay. So you guessed some things.”

  “Yes, I did. But what I really need to know about is you and Isaac. I need your full names and Social Security numbers, if you have them. I also need to know what happened to Isaac’s parents.”

  “Well, his dad hasn’t ever been in the picture. My mom….” Jos shrugged. “She was a loser magnet. If there was a loser within ten miles, she drew him in. I guess my dad was loser number three. Isaac’s was loser number six or seven. She died a few months ago after loser number nine or so. I lost track. He shot her and then realized what he’d done and killed himself. I have a wonderful family.”

  “So you took custody of Isaac?” Donald asked.

  “Yeah. There was no one else. Mom had a sister she hadn’t talked to in years, and I hardly knew her. There was a will that I begged her to draw up after Isaac was born, and she left custody of Isaac to me. We had to leave the house we were living in because I couldn’t afford it. I think she got money from the losers to help pay for it.” Jos shrugged. “I knew what the will said, so I got Isaac out.”

  “Where is the will?”

  “It was in the apartment, and when I lost all my stuff….”

  “Yeah,” Donald said, turning to Kip. “That’s another of his tricks. He kicks people out with no notice and then uses their stuff to furnish his apartments so he can get more tenants. This guy’s a real piece of work.”

  “The apartment wasn’t much, but it was all I could afford, and I made room for Isaac. I even got him in day care while I was working. I wasn’t sure how I was going to pay for it, but I managed.”

  Donald nodded. “Okay. First thing, I need Isaac’s Social Security number and that of his mother. We also need to try to find that will. Kip, maybe you can help with that. Gordon most likely just left the stuff there.”

  “So if someone hasn’t rented it yet, the paperwork might be there?” Kip asked. “Is there another copy of the will? Like with the attorney who drew it up?�
�

  Jos shook his head and shrugged. “Why do we need all this stuff?”

  “Because your mom worked, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then if I have the paperwork, I can help you apply for Social Security survivor benefits for Isaac. I can also work with social services to try to get you some assistance and help get both of you off the streets. They can then help you find a job. It isn’t hopeless.”

  “Then why are there so many people out there on the streets?” Jos asked. “They’re everywhere.”

  “The system isn’t perfect, and I only work for child services, but because of Isaac I can try to help you too. But you have to trust me and Kip.”

  Jos wasn’t sure he was ready to let go. “Can I think about it?” he asked. He needed time to figure things out.

  “At least give me your old address so I can try to find your things,” Kip said.

  Jos thought about it for a few minutes, then told Kip where the building was. “It’s on the third floor, guaranteed to freeze in winter and roast in summer. But it was mine and….”

  Isaac must have heard his plaintive tone and hurried across the room, sliding between his knees. “Don’t be sad,” he said. “I made this for you. It’s a horsey.” The blob of red and blue Legos looked nothing like a horse, but Jos smiled and hugged Isaac tight.

  “Thank you. Why don’t you make a corral out of Legos for the horsey to live in?” Jos watched Isaac run back and drop to the floor with Alex. He stared, eyes filling as he wished for so much more. Isaac deserved to have a life like this, where he could play and have friends. He didn’t deserve to go hungry and wonder where his next meal was coming from, and he certainly deserved a house instead of living outside and trying to find shelter from the rain in doorways. “I promised I would take care of him,” Jos said, half under his breath. “He still misses Mom something terrible, and I’ve tried to be good to him.”