Chapter 5
” Craig I don’t want to hear about it all right?” Mark DeRosa was looking at his weasel of a neighbor and wished he was one of those people that could not care about other’s feelings and just tell him to go away, forever.
But alas he wasn’t one of those and he was doomed to care about other people’s feelings all his life. That is why a weasel that has no perception of how they affect others always attaches themselves to people like Mark.
” But Mark I feel I should explain.”
” No explanation and no favors today. I am all out of favors for the week. So Good bye Craig.”
” Well I just wanted to say that I appreciate you not saying anything in front of the others yesterday. It’s our little secret you know. I’m indebted to you forever for not saying anything to anybody. You are showing yourself as a true friend.”
” What do you want Craig?” Mark could tell his neighbor was about to ask another favor and purposely ignoring his request to leave him alone.
” Just that I was wondering about that little cabin you guys were sitting in yesterday. Can anyone use it?”
” It is our place of rest and we usually are in there between 1 and 3 o’clock in the afternoon. As far as any other times, well I really don’t care. If you and Paula want to use it, just don’t mess up the middle bale, that’s mine and I would hate to think I was sitting where the two of you were fooling around.”
” Hmm thanks for the info. I will make sure we don’t use your bale. Is there someway I could put up a sign to let you guys know we’re in there?”
” That is asking the impossible Craig. If you two are in there during our anointed time, well you just have to deal with it. Now good bye.”
Mark opened the door and stood to one side with his left arm outstretched in the direction of out.
Craig looked confused at first, then got the hint and left. As he left Mark’s townhouse, he quickly looked both left and right to see if anyone, particularly Betty, was out there and watching for him. To his relief he saw no one, so he slipped over and went back to the weeding he was supposed to be doing on his half of the townhouse.
Betty put down the glass she was holding against the wall in order to listen in on the conversation next door. She learned that whenever her husband seemed too eager to do the weeding or washing in the front that he was actually wanting to talk to the neighbor Mark. She appreciated Mark’s disgust at what her husband was doing, but wished he had more backbone to actually tell him to go away and leave him alone.
Mark finished his tea and toast and got dressed in order to meet his two friends over at Jena’s Cafe. It was how they started their day and tradition had to be met. He shuddered at the thought of one day going into their old barn and finding Craig and Paula making love there, but then laughed at the thought that knowing Craig he never got that far.
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John Alden was sitting on the park bench, reading the morning newspaper. John was a clerk for the county and every morning before work, weather permitting, he sat on this very bench in the town square across from the courthouse and ate a muffin and had a cup of coffee as he read the paper before he went to toil at the daily tasks he had to do.
It was a very nice way to start the day and he really loved the solitude that the early morning peacefulness of the park provided. This particular bench was along a row of huge lilac bushes, that in the early spring provided aromas that sparked the senses. Now it the late summer it provided shade and coolness and comfort.
” You know you let down your defenses. You would have be dead in seconds.”
A strange voice came behind him and spoiled John’s calm. He looked around to see who was talking.
An man, in his mid fifties, came out from behind the bushes and walked around the bench and sat down next to him.
” Yes back in the day, I was a trained killer. Still got it you know. I would sneak up on the enemy and, snap would go their neck,” Arnold Maxwell made a snapping motion with his hands. “Don’t worry I am not crazy or anything. I know the difference between the enemy and civilian.”
” Uhm er what?” stammered John as he saw this man smiling at him.
” Oh I was just thinking about back in ‘Nam you know. I used to have to take care of insurgents and the like. Fully trained killer I am. Of course I do keep in practice, but not killing, just the techniques. One never knows when they might have to be used again.”
” Uhm er right,” said John folding up his newspaper and edging closer to the other side of the bench, keeping his eye on this stranger.
” Oh yes I am a trained killer, but I only use my powers for good. Like back in ‘Nam,” said Arnold. Arnold liked talking about the old days, but in truth his stories about combat and killing came from others as he didn’t join the army until after the war was over. It wasn’t cowardice or anything like that, it was a matter of he wasn’t eligible because of his age.
But that didn’t stop him from adopting the stories that he retells from time to time when he was bored and needed to talk. His friends stop him from telling these stories by pointing out the truth of the matter. But strangers, well they were a fertile source of new listeners.
” Yes everyday going through that jungle was a life or death experience. One slip up and…” Arnold made a slicing motion across his throat as he turned to where John was sitting.
However John had quietly slipped away and was running hurriedly to the courthouse.
Arnold just shrugged his shoulders and then after looking at his watch realized he was running late for his rendezvous at Jena’s. He got off the bench, straitened himself up, like the old soldier he was and marched off in the direction of his waiting friends.
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Kathy Woods was watering her flowers and trimming the old buds and leaves off her rose bush. She sprayed a few bugs and aphids that were eating away at the plants. She prided herself on keeping a very nice and presentable garden.
She loved the early morning except for one little problem.
” Oh there is the love I pine for every night. Why won’t you have me my love?”
Charlie Franklin was that problem.
” You stay on your side of the yard Charlie franklin I am warning you.”
” Oh you act like you could resist my charm, but alas I know underneath that hard surface you are pining for me as well.”
” You’re crazy as a loon. No make that a gaggle of loons.”
” Ah you only say that to protect your heart. You know that I would never hurt you in any way.”
That much she did know. For all the time she knew Charlie, he never hurt anyone. In fact she actually felt safe around him. That was why she put up with all the harassment No not harassment, more of excessive flirtation. Besides she sort of liked the attention, and down deep she did like Charlie a little. He made her laugh, and after the death of her husband George, she appreciated Charlie for that.
” Ah my darling Kathy just say the word and I’m all yours,” he crooned on.
” Tell me what word that is Charlie and I’ll strike it from my vocabulary.”
” Ah you wouldn’t dare. Besides I am going to prove to you that I am worthy of your love.”
” What harebrained scheme have you concocted this time?”
” Harebrained scheme? Oh you wound me my pretty pet. That hurts right here,” Charlie put both hands over his heart and threw his head back in mock disgust. “I’ll have you know that I have never ever come up with or participated in any harebrained scheme in my life.”
Kathy shook her head and smiled. Charlie was always doing something to show off for her, and that is the main reason she played along. He kept life interesting, and the only person he would be hurting or would come to harm, was himself.
” I’ll just have you know Kathy darling that I am going to ride for your love in this weekend’s bicycle race for charity.”
Kathy looked surprised. “I didn’t know you rode a bike. I guess I had you all wrong.”
” Hah, that’s right. I’ve been secretly training for this event for months,” he lied. “You’ll see how it impresses the girls, and then you’ll be jealous when you see the accolades as I cross the finish line.”
” Well I’ll tell you what Charlie. If you do cross the finish line I’ll give you a victory kiss.”
” Promise?”
” Promise,” she replied knowing that he would probably fall off the bike or tire out before e hit the halfway mark, so she was safe from any promises she made.
However if he did finish, well there were a lot worse things she felt she could be doing other than kissing Charlie, again.
Besides, when cleaned up, which was rare, he wasn’t a bad looking guy, and he was one helluva a dancer. And yes he did act like a perfect gentleman when he needed to, so what the heck, she thought, encourage his good behavior.
Charlie smiled at her and bowed as he tipped his hat while he backed out of the yard to head over to Jena’s. “See you at the finish line my love. See you there.”
He ran off floating like he was on cloud nine. Kathy returned her full attention on her garden.
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Mark was the first to arrive and found their favorite booth ready. Jena smiled as he came in and nodded. She was busy behind the counter, as this was the town’s favorite downtown, if one could call the small business district of a little town like Holmton MN a downtown, eating destination, especially for breakfast and afternoon snacks.
Jena’s opened up around 6 A.M. And closed around 4 P.M. Breakfast, lunch and mid meal snacks were her forte. The snacks being some of her wonderful and handmade pies that people who had a slice of any variety, and there was great variety, swore as the best ever.
That made the 10 o’clock A.M. and 2 o’clock P.M. Snack times a very busy time indeed.
Jena was a single woman in her mid thirties. She was engaged to Jimmy Hargreaves the town’s biggest computer and UFO geek. Her great-great grandparents started the cafe when the town was first being settled, and it was passed down from generation to generation along with the recipe and technique for making the pies.
Though she freely gave out her recipes, including publishing a book, no one could really match her techniques or make them just the same. So the fame and business flourished.
Mark was pleased that as soon as he sat down a pot of coffee, three cups and a plate of bacon, eggs, hashbrowns and toast with grape jam were placed in front of him.
” You’re the first one here,” said Audrey putting the plate of food down on the table.
” Good, I’ll have some peace and quiet to eat my breakfast then.”
Mark really meant his second breakfast, much like a hobbit he preferred an early morning toast and tea, then a full breakfast when he went out. It fortified him for the day’s activities of waling around and doing whatever harebrained scheme Arnold came up for them that day.
He was just glad that today’s scheme revolved around Charlie and buying him a bicycle. He wasn’t so glad that it meant going to Olsen’s resale shop to do so.
” Ah Mark, so you beat me here today I see, well should be expected as I was delayed by a young man in the park dying to hear one of my old army stories. He practically begged me to tell him one, in fact the wanted more, but alas I had to tell him I had no time as I was needed here.”
” Ah good morning Arnold. As you can see I started without you. However your reasoning is false I am sure as no one wants to hear one of your old made up war stories, let alone asking for more.”
” Nonsense, everyone likes to hear my old war stories, and they are all true.”
” Well I don’t like to hear them and neither does Charlie, or Jena or Jimmy or….”
” Okay so not everyone, but there are a lot of people who do.”
” Like coma patients for instance?”
” Very funny, where’s the waitress I want to order some food.”
Arnold pouted at Mark’s observation about his old war stories, as he realized that mark did know the truth that he wasn’t in combat, but that didn’t mean he had to say anything in front of other people. Besides the stories were true, they just happened to someone else that’s all. He was doing his old comrades a favor by retelling them in such a fancy to inspire the youth of today not to forget the sacrifices of he past.
He got his order in, he often wondered why Audrey would always have Mark’s breakfast order ready, while he had to wait even though they both ordered the same thing every time, when Charlie came floating into the restaurant. He was definitely on a high as he pushed his way into a chair at eh end of the booth provided by Arnold’s quick feet dragging it over.
” So what’s with you?” asked Arnold scowling.
” I bet’s it’s Kathy Woods,” aid Mark in a mock sarcastic voice. “It’s always Kathy Woods when he is like this.”
” You are so right my friend, it is Kathy. She said she would meet me in victory lane if I finish the bicycle race on Saturday. Yes she actually promised me a kiss. Crossed her heart and everything. No crossed fingers either.”
” So what does that mean?” asked Arnold.
” That I am ready to enter into that race. I am going to let you buy me a bicycle and train me for the race.”
” I told you it would work,” said Arnold smugly. “After breakfast it is off to Olsen’s Resale Shop and find you the perfect racing bike.”
Mark gulped at the mention of Olsen’s name.
” Do we all have to go?” he asked worriedly.