Fires

      I walked into Sam’s Pub that blazing’ mornin’ with the usual in mind, a cheap cup of Whiskey to cool me off. He owned it so long my father went there to get drunk.  As usual there was only Sam in there amidst the dust and wood that had been left unpolished for years now. I would like to say that I was the only day customer. Nearly every day I walked into that Pub. Soon as I sat down Sam slid a nice cool one from behind the counter and as always I didn’t think before taking it all in at once.
      “How’s Susie?” His voice was deep and dusty
      “She’s at home, she’ll be turn’in fourteen in three days.”
He approved with a smile and a nod.
      “Well that’s just great.”
      “Yea, I remember when she was so small she would stand under the stool and grab my leg just to mess with me.”
He began polishing a glass.
      “Now you know damn well nobody that tiny, not even little baby Susie.”
      “You were there you old hick. Looks like you’re getting too old, me and the towns folk might have to send you the way of old yeller”
He smiled and looked at me trying to think of something smart to say; instead he poured another cup of brandy.
      “This one’s on me.”
He continued to polish the glass as I drunk in victory. When I was done the squeaking of Sam polishing stopped, I looked up and his eyes were set on something behind me, something coming in. I was supposed to be the only day customer.
      This man walked in, he was wearing one of those nice black suits and he was holding a brief case. The boy wore glasses and was wearing one of them Jew hats, the ones that only cover the back of your head.
      When he walked in he knocked the sand from his pants and looked up at us and said hi. Me and Sam just looked. He walked over and took the seat next to me.
      “A cup of scotch please.”
Me and Sam looked at each other, neither of us was paying him no mind. Sam continued to polish
      “We’re out.”
He smelled rancid. I heard about those northern boys and how they spray themselves to make themselves smell good.
      “Well let me get a cup Whisky please.”
I wished that he would go back to where ever he came. Not once did I have any intention of acknowledging him, so I sat eyes facing the table only looking at the corner of my eye. I felt bad for Sam having to answer to such scum.
        “We’re out of that too.”
I felt him look at me
      “Then I’ll have whatever he’s having.”
I wanted to break my glass in my hand across that face of his.
      “He has the last of what he got.”
      “Well then some water will do just fine.”
I guess Sam gave up. He turned his back to us and filled a cup of water, I knew the look on his face when he gave it to him said that he had spit in it. I looked at him for the first time only long enough to see him drink it.
      “That’s great.”
He turned my way and smiled with his hand out
      “Dale Kowalski.”
He was fresh fish. I let his hand stay there.
      “Monty Ross.”
      “Pleasure to meet you.”
That boy kept his hand to himself. It was silent for a minute.
      “Now is it hot or is it just me?”
Sam grabbed another dish and started up polishing again.
      “It’s Ju-ly.
He started to unbutton his tux
      “You’re right.”
He took it off, folded it and placed it on his lap.
      “You’ll have to excuse me.”
He took another drink, and wiped the sweat from his forehead
      “You see in New York it’s rarely ever so…blistering hot.”
Me and Sam both shot smug smiles. He turned to me again
      “You seem to be quite the silent fellow.”
      “There ain’t nothin to talk about.”
I had to take another drink.
      “So is that the whole ‘Southern Hospitality’ thing?”
I said all I had to say, so it was silent a while longer. He finally got up
      “It was a pleasure meeting you gentlemen”
He picked up he briefcase
      “Me and my son moved in so I figure we’ll be seeing more of each other.”
He closed the door and walked away. I knew things had changed. No one new has been here that wasn’t born here since I was born here.
      “What is he doin’ here Sam.”
      “Things done got tough up north and some of them Yankees gotta come stay down here now.”
      “…And all them damned hymies come down here and bring all that northern mess down here.”
Sam chuckled
      “you know you sounded just like your father just then?”
      “Shut up!”
I slammed the glass on the table and I left. Sam knew not to say such a damned thing.

      I got home and Susie was there.  It was just the same as Sam’s, wooden and dusty with a penetrating sunlight. She was cooking that pork I like. I sat down at the table and she knew I was upset.
      “What’s the matter Paw?”
I didn’t know how to tell her that the kikes were comin in so I didn’t
      “Don’t you mind it.”
      “Don’t tell me you’re mad about them northerners comin’ in”
She started to fix me my plate.
      “I saw ‘em walking past here a while ago. One little Jew can’t hurt nothin.”
      “He has a son dammit!”
She stood. She was scarred to give me my plate so I went over and took it from her, she looked at me like she wanted to say something. I stuffed my mouth with pork chops. Susie sat down next to me.
      “All I’m sayin is maybe it’ll be good for us…”
      “Good!?”
      “Yea good, maybe…”
I stood, and I yelled
      “Now you tell what good a couple of goddamned Christ-killers can do for me!”
It was quiet, I was scared of what I just said, and I knew why, I couldn’t look at Susie anymore
      “You eat the rest.”
I walked into my room.

      I remember my Pa. Big man, big fat strong man. He walked with authority and when you lived with him you could hear every step he took and it would make you shake with fear. I lived with him in the same home me and Susie are livin. He had told me “Boy, men aint got no fear, they get feared” and boy he did mean it. He said if they aint good, white, and Christian they don’t belong here.

      When I was a young little thing, way before Susie was born, I could barely hold a rake he took me out the yard and told me to come spend some time with my old man. In the front of the house was his hicks all drunk and all on horses and one of em was holdin a rope. I mounted Paws stead behind him and for a while I loved being with him, we rode and they all let out drunken howls like wolves at the full moon only drowned a little by the sound of the horses trampling. I closed my eyes and dun drifted off to sleep.
      Now when I woke up I was slapped, clean of the horse. Paw picked me up and I saw the brightest burning home I had ever seen in the night time, his hicks were in a drunk party. The rope I saw before, a man brought it out and he put it around another man’s neck. The man was wearing nothin but a gold lookin necklace with two triangles one on top of the other, he was yellin in some gibberish.  The rope was tied to my dad’s horse’s tail and they all beat him, my paw had stopped it and he grabbed me, pushed me closer to the man. He handed me a whip and kneeled down next to my and looked me in the eye.
      “Be a man Monty, make Paw proud.”
I walked forward and looked at him and he was bloody. I held the whip close because it was the only thing to hold.
      “Go ahead boy!”
His voice thundered and echoed. I closed my eyes and swung with the little muscle I had and I had missed. I swung again and again but I just didn’t want to hurt him, I fell to my knees and cried like a woman.
      The men laughed but I knew they weren’t laughing at me. Someone had just slapped the horse and Paw dragged me all the way back home leaving his boys behind.
      He threw me in the basement and made me stand in the corner. He stripped me down to the skin and took that same whip and used it on me till it was bloody, I stayed in that basement that night.  He left me that morning with no one.

    I heard Susan’s laughing when I was in my room; there was a boy in my house. I got up and I rushed to Susie’s room and I knew who just walked into my house. He looked just like him. Him and his dad smell just alike, and now he sitting in my house laughing with my daughter on her bed their hands on top of each others. I stayed silent and it didn’t take them long to notice me.
      “Paw! This is Benjamin, he’s…”
      “I know who he is.”
He looked at me with the same smirk
      “Mr. Ross I’m sorry if I’m causing any harm I had stop by to say hello…”
      “And you have, you’re free to go now.”
He nodded and reached to shake my hand, Susie took his arm and shook it quick
      “See you around.”
He walked out the door and Susie walked to me in shame.
      “Paw?”
I shushed her, she was so beautiful and pure, and she was my daughter. I grabbed her and caressed her head against my chest.
      “The Kowalski’s can come over tomorrow.”

      It was grey and raining when they came in with huge smiles and Ben gave my daughter a hug, and I finally shook Dale’s hand. Me and Susan showed them the entire house. I even let everybody look in the basement; no one has been there since I lived with my dad.
      “Make me proud son”
        I noticed how burning always makes thing pure. Like the fire that faithful day, that there was cleansing, washing. They were just filthy even my own daughter had touched them…And so did I. They loved it in the basement. When you turned on the lights you could see that whip, and you could see the matches and that kerosene they used right there on top of a dresser with our own southern flag.
      “Make Paw proud Monty”
      I don’t know why’d they try to leave they were having so much fun with that whip, like filthy little children. All them years ago all Paw wanted was to clean. So I cleansed them and all four walls with the kerosene and they tried to leave me. Susan tried to run upstairs but I stood my ground in that stair case like a man should, I had to push her back down. I grabbed a match and I dragged it against that wall and it made the most beautiful flower you'd ever see.
I’ll make you proud Paw.