Page 6 of Oleander

“She’s good,” laughed Roderick. “That woman is solid upstairs. She beat me in every damn game we played. Legally. Did y’all know she was an English teacher?”

“I did,” snorted Gus. “She failed me in tenth grade. Man, I hated that woman. Then she volunteered to tutor me so I wouldn’t have to go to summer school. I had to sit with her for an hour three days a week after school and retake the exam.”

“And?” smirked Walter. Gus laughed, shaking his head.

“I made an ‘A’. After that, I went to her all the time if I needed help. She changed me and I’ll never forget it.” Roderick nodded at his friend, smiling.

“She’s pretty cool but she’s damn sure lonely,” said Roderick.

“I’ll make sure to check on her when you can’t,” said Gus. “I meant to go by there sooner. She still looks exactly the same to me but then again maybe that’s my way of trying to stay young.”

When they’d filled their bellies and the leftovers were carefully put away, the team split up the dish duty and cleaning the counters and stove. No one escaped keeping their place in tip top shape.

As fire departments go, theirs was quiet for the most part. They only received a few night calls and most of those were about gas pains, strange noises around their property, or just being lonely and scared. No one minded those calls at all.

When their shift was finished at 0700 the next morning, they reviewed the logs with incoming team and left for home.

Part of their compensation was that anyone who wanted to live near the station was given a cottage similar to those found at Belle Fleur. Most of them accepted, only a few choosing to drive the distance back into New Orleans where the nightlife and bar scene was livelier. Those people were younger and still desiring that kind of life. It was not something everyone else wanted.

The little cove where the twenty-five cottages sat was peaceful and quiet. There was a dock where several small boats were parked. Many of the firefighters enjoyed fishing on their day off and having a dock right outside their door was like opening a candy store for children.

For others, it was just a peaceful place to watch the sunrise and sunset on their front porches.

Roderick was in full-on decorator mode. He’d painted the interior of his cottage and was now working hanging paintings that his own grandmother had done years ago.

The cottage had come furnished with masculine leather furniture, dark wood side tables and coffee table, and simple black iron and wooden bar stools for the long island that stretched the entire length of the kitchen.

He’d been so caught up in decorating, he’d lost track of time. When the light inside the cottage dimmed, he frowned, wondering if a storm was coming in. Instead, he laughed at himself noticing the time.

“Damn,” he laughed. “I guess that’s a good sign.”

With his gear ready for the next mornings’ shift, he showered, crawled into bed and slept like a baby. This was the life he’d always prayed he would have.

He woke at 0600, poured his coffee and scrambled four eggs and two links of chicken sausage. By the time he’d finished, it 0640 and he was out the door for the five-minute drive to the station.

“Today is going to be a great day,” he grinned to himself.

“Hey, Roderick!” yelled Jeremiah. “Call just came in from Mr. Sampson. He says Ms. Martin is in her chair on her porch.”

“Okay. So?” he smirked.

“Brother, she’s not moving.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Roderick stared at the elderly woman, her head tilted to one side, her hands folded on her lap. She was wearing a simple cotton shift, just like she always did. Her things were old, but never dirty and always placed neatly in the small home.

She looked as if she were sleeping in the old rocker but the lack of a pulse and the ashen skin color told him otherwise. As if she were alive, he brushed the hair away from her face and felt the sting of tears coming to his eyes.

In his mind, he was replaying the first time he’d met her.

Mike inspected all the equipment one more time and then checked on the men who were rolling the hoses. They were all relatively young, physically fit, and some of the best firefighters in the state.

Several were married, several more were single but they were all dedicated to their new role and more than happy to be there. They’d all been happy to be there. Especially Roderick.

Compared to their city roles, it was quiet being part of the Belle Fleur fire department team. Most men were able to stay in their own homes at night, leaving just two men at the station to drive the equipment should it be needed.

In the last two weeks there had been only two calls. One was Mr. Couvillion who was bitten by his pet pig. Of course, he was trying to retrieve his watch from the pig’s mouth but nevertheless it was a reckless thing to do.