For those who are interested, Part one is at the link below.
http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=28882.0Homecoming (Pt 2)
When the old man had hurried up half a block from the corner he slowed down and glanced back over his shoulder. Seeing no one coming he slowed down to a more comfortable walk. Out in public he always walked very carefully, never allowing anyone to see a hesitation in his walk. That was why his movements seemed so fluid to those who even noticed him. Out of the habit of a lifetime, he always was aware of everything in his immediate surround. Any change in the surface he was on, how furniture was arranged, which way a door swung to open, how high the rise in the steps he had to climb, anything which might be an obstacle was silently assessed and catalogued for future reference. By doing so, he could adjust his angle of approach, or even change the way he turned so that every motion was efficient.
When he had gone another block the old man turned and cut through a service alley behind a row of houses. He picked up his pace a little and when he neared a gate at the back of one of the properties he glanced up and down the alley to be sure he was alone. He had done this so many times he wasn’t even aware of doing it. Reaching behind a low bush next to the gate he pulled a string and the gate swung open for him. Stepping through he quickly closed the gate behind him. The old man leaned for a moment against the gate thankful to be in his own yard. The gate was a shield against the outside world and he was grateful for it. He had built it himself when he had moved in here so many years ago to keep prying eyes from looking into his world.
Looking around the back yard, he silently checked everything there to be certain that nothing was moved, or missing. It had been a long ways back that the kids came in and disturbed things, but he still checked anytime he left and came back. He liked things to be orderly; it just made life simpler that way. Way back he had been called obsessive for wanting things to be in the right place, now he just considered it being neat. Having done his mental inventory, the old man walked to the back door of the house and opened the door. He moved carefully in the door sidestepping so the light streaming in the doorway didn’t silhouette him. There was no real reason for doing so, but old habits die hard, even in an old man. Reaching down the old man hiked his shirt up and pulled the old worn holster off his belt. Purely by reflex he drew the 1911 out of the holster and dropped the mag into his left hand. He ejected the round from the chamber and fitted it back into the magazine. He picked up a different mag and clicked it into place in the pistol and slid the action to pick up a round from the mag. He carried some high power hollow points anytime he was away from home, but changed to a lower power load for home defense. He sure didn’t need to deal with anything leaving his house and hurting anyone, or thing, needlessly.
Only when finished with this ritual did the old man relax. Crossing the room he settled into his recliner. It sat in the one corner of the living room from which he could see the door and windows. Living alone, he only used the kitchen and living room and the bathroom in the hall. The front of the house was closed off, with curtains drawn and door securely locked. He had thumbscrew locks on all of the windows in the front and rooms he didn’t use and pieces of steel rod in the windows of the rooms he used. If he opened the window, it was only as far as the steel rod would allow. He figured if someone were to try getting in, the steel rod would be handy right when he needed it. The chair fitted the old man like a glove and he settled in for a nap. Just as he was starting to doze off a soft paw came up from the floor and touched the old man’s arm. The man lowered his arm and came up with an old longhaired cat. The cat’s eyes were glazed over with age and the man thought most likely the cat was blind, but like the man, had lived for so many years in the house he didn’t need to see to get around. “Well Thomas, I wondered where you were. I thought maybe you didn’t want a nap today.” The cat purred and walked around on the old man’s lap, getting settled in for this afternoon’s nap. The man and cat both dropped off to sleep, keeping each other company as they had for many years.
Standing at the bus stop with the small case and flag, the young man looked bewildered. The bus driver was about to get back on board when the young man reached out and stopped him. “You really don’t know who he is? Somebody must know!” The young soldier was so insistent that the driver turned around and looked hard at him.
“I never said no one knows who he is. I only said that I don’t know. I don’t live here and only stay long enough for my passengers to get off and leave, or go across the street to the drugstore to buy something to eat or drink, or maybe a magazine or paperback. If you want to find out more, I suggest you go over there and ask them. Now if you will excuse me, I have a schedule to keep. Are you staying in town or just waiting for the connecting bus? Depending on which way you are headed, the next bus won’t be along for a couple of hours, which ought to give you time to ask around.”
“Yeah, thanks, I guess I will do that. I appreciate you me giving some extra time.” With that the bus driver stepped up in the waiting bus and closing the doors, rolled away from the bus stop heading west. The soldier shook his head as if to clear it and started across the crosswalk. He was so deep in thought he didn’t see the truck coming up the street and jumped back quickly at the sound of the horn blast, almost losing his balance in the process. After the truck had passed he started up again and without thinking reached down and rubbed the back of his hip where it still throbbed if he moved wrong or too quickly. The doc had told him it would take a long time to heal fully, but he was surprised when he wrenched his hip how much it still hurt after this many months since the injury.
Entering the drugstore, the young man walked up to the cashier and waited quietly while she rang up the purchases being made by the young woman in front of him. Apparently she had not heard him enter or walk up and as she turned to leave she bumped into him. He tried to back up to avoid the contact, but as he did his hip gave out and he fell backward to the floor. Yelping in pain, he grabbed at his hip and rolled over to the other side. Without meaning to, he tripped the young woman, causing her to fall on top of him. Embarrassed and confused, he apologized profusely to the young woman who was struggling to get out of the entanglement so she could stand up. Doing so she reached down and helped him up. Straightening out their clothes they each tried to apologize at the same time and ended up laughing at each other. “I am so sorry, I should not have been standing so close to you,” he said.
“No, no it wasn’t your fault at all. I just wasn’t paying attention and knocked you down. Are you ok, you yelped pretty loudly when you fell?”
“It’s just this hip of mine. I got hurt awhile back and it still isn’t very strong. I have to be careful what I do, and I am afraid backing up quickly isn’t one of the things I have learned to do yet. It is ok most of the time but I wasn’t expecting anyone as pretty as you to knock me down.” Realizing how that must sound he tried again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so familiar, I was just trying to say you startled me when you turned around.”
“Are you taking back your comment about me being pretty?” she asked, laughing as she said it.
“Oh no, I meant it, only I shouldn’t say something as personal as that when I don’t even know you,” he replied, smiling at her as she laughed again. Her laugh was infectious and he laughed just because she was. “My name is Alan. I have leave for a couple of weeks and have to wait for the next bus to get home.”
“I thought you must have gotten off the bus, there aren’t many guys in town as cute as you.” Blushing at what she had let pop out of her mouth she tried to apologize only to have Alan break out in a big grin.
“Oh no you don’t. You aren’t taking that back. I don’t get called cute very often; in fact it has been a long time since I have even talked to a pretty young woman with no name.”
“My name is Alice. I live here in town; in fact I have been here my whole life. I guess I will be here the rest of it at the rate I am going” she added sadly.
“This seems like a nice little town to me, in fact it reminds me of my hometown, and I think it would be a great place to live the rest of my life. I really like the square out front, it is a pretty place.” Realizing why he had come in the store, he added, “When I got off the bus an old man gave me this,” holding out the small triangular case with the flag folded so carefully inside it. “Do you know who he is?”
“I think everyone in town knows Old Bill,” Alice replied. “He has been here forever!”
Speaking up for the first time, the clerk said, “Well no that is not quite true. It probably seems like forever to a young one like you, but truth is he has been here about 35 years.”
Glad to talk with someone who seemed to know something about Old Bill, Alan turned to Alice and apologized again and then turned back to the clerk. Alice stood there for a moment looking puzzled and then turning quickly walked out of the store.
“My name is Ruth”, the clerk said, smiling at Alan. “I think Alice might be a little upset with you. She is not used to young men turning away from her. By the way, she knew you were there. She bumped you for an excuse to talk with you. I don’t think she meant to knock you down though.”
Looking out the window, Alan grinned and said, “She doesn’t need to bump into guys to get noticed. She really is a very pretty young woman. I am just not in the market. Anyway, I have something else on my mind right now.”
Pointing at his hand Ruth said, “You want to know about Bill, the man who gave you that. I am afraid I don’t know much, but I will tell you what I know.”
“Thank you. I really want to hear about him. He gave me this and then disappeared.”
To be continued. GS 4/6/2011
