It's been a while since I have mentioned Miss Mary, the grandmotherly lady Tony visits every week. Recently the visits are on Friday afternoons after school
Yesterday, just as soon as my other students left, Tony and I got into the van, traveled up the block and a half to Miss Mary's. I had other errands to run, so I kept my visit short. As I left, I looked across the street and saw a police officer talking to a high-school aged girl. She had a cell phone in her hand and seemed nervous or worried. Not sure what was going on, and remembering a recent police event my parents were involved in, I called out to the cop asking if it was OK to leave. I didn't know what was going on.
He told me that if I wanted to leave I'd better leave NOW or else I'd be trapped. That's when I saw a couple wisps of smoke sneak out around the front door of the house they were standing in front of. I also heard quickly approaching sirens, so I jumped into the van and scooted out of the way just in time.
As soon as I turned onto another road out of the way of the approaching fire engines, I called Miss Mary on my cell phone and told her to keep Tony inside because the house across the street was on fire. The first fire engine had already arrived and she and Tony were watching the events going on outside the window. Miss Mary seemed to think it wasn't going to be a big deal.
About a half hour later as I drove past Miss Mary's street while returning from my errands, I found it choked with three or four fire engines and cars from the volunteer firefighters. Water ran down the street I was on, and people were milling around. The acrid smell of smoke was in the air. I knew that when I picked up Tony in about 45 minutes, I would be walking the short distance to Miss Mary's house.
Sure enough, at 4:3o, there were still engines and cars and people around, though the activity wasn't as feverish as before. I got several curious looks as I walked purposefully between the fire engines and the knots of fire fighters cleaning up in the street.
I came around the back end of a fire engine partially blocking Miss Mary's driveway and found my son and our friend sitting on her step watching the activity. Tony jumped up and ran toward me excitedly telling me all about the events he had witnessed. Miss Mary and I talked a few minutes before bidding each other a farewell.
Tony eagerly took my hand as we walked down the driveway and onto the middle of the road. Tony's eyes darted back and forth as we walked between the fire engines and the groups of firefighters. Suddenly one big man in his turnout and boots stood in front of Tony, putting his white fire chief's hat on my son's baseball cap covered head. Tony stood with mouth gaped open and his eyes just about as big. The firefighter stepped back, looked at Tony for a second and quipped, "Yep, you'll be ready for that in a few years." Tony just stood there in a daze as the man gently took the helmet off his head. "Thank-you," he whispered in a starry-eyed tone of voice. The man smiled, and turned back to his duties.
Just a few feet further up the road, another firefighter stepped in front of us, knelt down to Tony's level, reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a button pin. "Here, would you like this?" he asked my mesmorized son.
Tony could only silently nod as he reached out and took the gift. He did manage to find another "Thank you," somewhere in his beating heart. I helped him put the pin on his shirt as that man turned back to the engine he had emerged from.
You can imagine what conversation dominated our walk home. Tony was just thrilled beyond words.
About the house? I guess it started in the basement, though I'm not sure the cause. Tony and Miss Mary never did see any flame, just lots of smoke, but I did notice the flag that was mounted next to the front door was burnt pretty bad. I don't think the house will have to be demolished, but I'm sure it is unlivable right now.
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