on, back at our house on 15th.
âStep back, kid,â one of the firemen on the street said to me as I tried to get into the yard to help Dad move our stuff.
âThatâs my house,â I said.
âJason!â Dad called to me. âStay back there. Iâll be with you in a minute.â
So I stood and watched while the firefighters threw more of Johnâs stuff out the window onto the lawn, and Dad kept hauling our stuff to safety. Once he was done with our things, he started bringing Bethâs belongings out and putting them in another pile. I kept looking over my shoulder, expecting Mickey and Kurty to come and watch the whole thing, but they didnât even come back to the street to wave at me. Either this was a lot less interesting than I thought it was, or their parents had told them to come inside.
After a while my dad seemed satisfied that heâd saved as much from the house as he could, and walked over to where I was standing. He looked sweaty and annoyed, but not nearly as angry as I would have expected.
âWe canât stay here tonight,â he said. âIâll have to find us a place.â
âOkay,â I said.
âIâll need to move our stuff, too,â he said. âWe canât just leave it out here on the lawn. Itâd be easier if I could leave you with someone. What about those kids you were playing with? Could you stay there for a few hours?â
âI donât know,â I said. âThey donât like me that much.â
âWhat about their parents?â
âI was talking about their parents.â
âOh,â he said. âCome on. Iâll talk to them.â
So I walked down the street to Mickey and Kurtyâs house in the afternoon twilight, and my dad knocked on their door. When Mr. Wagner answered I got the same feeling of vertigo I usually experienced when Dad talked to straight people. Seeing him standing there in his flamboyant hippie clothes while Mr. Wagner stood in front of him in a Lycra polo shirt and plaid slacks, arms crossed, biceps flexedâit was like matter and antimatter were about to collide. I didnât hear much of the conversation but Mr. Wagner seemed to appreciate that our house had caught on fire, and I went inside while Dad ran off to make arrangements for us and our stuff.
Iâd never actually been inside Mickey and Kurtyâs house before. It seemed not to have enough windows, and the dining room table was directly beyond the front door. The whole family was sitting there looking at meâthe kids and Mrs. Wagner.
âWonât you join us?â Mrs. Wagner asked.
âUh,â I said. Then I looked at the table and felt my pulse quicken. It was covered in pretty much my favorite foods ever: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli, carrots, and peas. Iâd never seen that much fried chicken in one place in my life. Everyone was still staring at me, and I remembered Iâd been invited to share this bounty.
âSure!â I said. I started for the table, but Mrs. Wagner looked horrified and I paused again.
âThe bathroomâs through here,â Mr. Wagner said, guiding me to a small room off the dining room that had a toilet and a sink in it. I went in, because he seemed to expect me to, but after he closed the door I just stood there until I remembered that Grandma had sometimes told me to wash my hands before eating. So I rinsed my hands quickly under some cold water, toweled them off, and went back out. By then theyâd made a place for me at the table.
âThis looks great,â I said, sitting down and reaching for the nearby platter of chicken. âYou guys eat like this all the time?â
Mickey and Kurty exchanged an embarrassed look. Mr. and Mrs. Wagner were giving each other looks, too, but I couldnât read them. I paused and looked at everyone elseâs plates. Theyâd all been eating, so I knew they werenât
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