Chapter Fourteen
AARON
I’d finally finishedthe last coat of varnish, so I went outside to get away from the smell. I sat on the front steps, people watching and drinking a bottle of water, occasionally raising my face to the warmth of the sun.
Birds chirped like mad in the open lot on the opposite corner, and a bunch of neighborhood kids played ball in the street. I grinned to myself, listening to them yell and laugh. I don’t know if I was ever that innocent and happy.
Frankie had said I could plant some flowers in the yard, and I’d spotted a little gardening and flower shop down the block. Now, while the floors dried, seemed a good time to go take a look. I ran down the wooden steps, wondering if I should fix them eventually. In front of the driveway I noticed a young boy standing off to the side, watching the kids play. I walked over to him, and he gave me an uneasy glance.
“Hi. I’m Aaron. What’s your name?”
He took a few steps away. I understood his parents probably told him not to talk to strangers.
“I work in the house at the corner. The one with all the rose bushes.”
He shrugged.
A woman with a determined look on her face came out from the third house down the block. “Who are you?”
Careful to keep a respectful face, I left the boy and joined her at the foot of her front steps.
“Hello. My name is Aaron, and I’m helping renovate the house on the corner. I know the Marone family. I’m friends with their son, Frankie.”
Visibly relaxing, she still gave me the once-over, probably memorizing my features. “Oh, okay. I was sorry when Josephina passed away. She was a lovely lady.” She made the sign of the cross. “I told Roberto—that’s my son you was talking to—never to talk to no one he don’t know.”
“You can’t be too careful these days. There’re a lot of crazy people out there. I was on my way to the garden center down the block to get some flowers to plant. If you need anything, I’m happy to pick it up for you.”
“Aren’t you sweet?” Bestowing a smile on me, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I can’t think of nothin’ at the moment, but I’ll take you up on it another day, especially if it’s raining.”
We shared a laugh and stood watching the boys playing. I wondered why Roberto wasn’t with them but didn’t want to ask.
“What kinda flowers? Josephina sure loved her roses.”
“I know. Jeannie told me not to touch them or she’d kill me.”
“Oh yeah. And she probably meant it. She’s a tough cookie.”
Ain’t that the truth.
“I was thinking pansies and maybe some geraniums for the flowerpots in the front.”
“Nice.” She nodded with approval. “If you need a helper, Roberto will do it. He’s always grubbing in the dirt. I tried to get him to play with the other kids, but they’re all a few years older than him, and he’s not that into sports, so…” She shrugged.
“That’d be great. I’d love a helper.”
“You don’t gotta say it just to be nice. But he’s a good kid, and it hurts to see him standing by himself. Kids can be cruel, ya know?”
My heart went out to her and little Roberto. “Yeah. I know. When I come back, if you tell him I’m safe to talk to, he can come join me. I’ll be planting on the side of the house, out in the open, so you can always see him.”
“Okay, good. I like that you get it.”
“Not a problem at all. I should be back in about forty-five minutes or so.”
I waved to her and Roberto, who’d been sneaking glances at me while I talked to his mother. More lighthearted than I had been since I’d lost my job, I walked back to the house, got in the car, and backed out of the driveway, careful to make sure no kids were nearby. I sat at the light, wondering if anyone at my old job ever thought about me, or if Lennie had told them the real reason I was let go. I hadn’t heard from him again, except to get my last check in the mail. No note or anything. It made me sad to think he was such a bigot and so afraid to work with me.
Berger’s Home and Garden Center was a beehive of activity with people picking out flowers and supplies. With the nice spring weather finally upon us, it was the perfect day to begin planting. Frankie was meeting Austin and Cort for a guys’ day out in Brooklyn somewhere, and I’d go back to the apartment for dinner with him before heading to Man Up. He was taking on as many nights dancing as he could, along with teaching the kids again at Tyler’s studio.
I found a parking spot, put in money for the meter, then joined the throngs in the outdoor area where all the flowers and shrubs were located, and spotted the section with the annuals. It might be a bit more expensive than shopping at the Terminal Market where I used to work, but I’d rather cut my nuts off than ever show up there again.
