Page 9 of Stone Blind

“How good is he at plumbing? We will need at least a water closet,” she said.

“Ahead of you. I have some blueprints in my truck, but what this place is, or what it will become, should remain simple,” Apple said.

“My training, will it remain simple as well?” she asked, looking him directly in the eye. Helen held his gaze, waiting for him to flinch or adjust, and he didn’t.

“Nothing in life is ever simple, Cranberry. We like to believe it is, but it’s not,” Apple told her. “At the end of the day, you end up with either the person you want to become or a sad representation of an outdated model, refitted for purpose to serve the greater good.”

“And which are you?”

“I am the proverbial Bad Apple,” he said, watching Ricky Collins climb from the truck.

Before she could say any more, another vehicle arrived, a white passenger van driven by the stereotype of a social worker. A frown covered her face before she even stepped out of the van to approach the house. Her eyes squinted as she looked at Ricky, then squinted as she looked at the house. Helen stared quietly as the car doors opened and out poured three boys—the youngest of the three she recognized.

Apple spoke, “Yeah, he was sent to me. Having you here will help him get settled in.”

“Settled into what? What is this, a group home for boys?” Helen asked.

“It will be,” Apple said .“Come outside and meet the family.”

Helen followed behind him observing the two older boys. One was Asian and effeminate. The other, she put him at about 16 or 17, who seemed pissed off with the world. She knew the third one since she’d rescued him from a closet, chained up byThe Collector. He spotted Helen and a smile came to his small face. A small hand waved at her, and she waved back.

“His name is Oscar; he’s 12, tiny for his age, and in need of more than I can start to say,” Apple said as they reached the small group. “Stephen is 16, and Jeffrey is 17. Guys, this will be it. Today, we will all do a walkthrough together and have you pick out your rooms. I will order pizza, and we will make a plan, start cleaning, and around six, our beds will arrive. The rest of the furniture, we have to buy or build.”

Stephen, the Asian boy, twirled in the dirt, “Mr. Milton, who is she?”

“This is Helen,” Apple said. “She is your den mother for the next three months. Her job is to get you settled; Ms. Helen will add in that support element you need as you start your new school. Helen will also be responsible for keeping us all sane as we turn this place into a home.”

He looked at Helen, who was staring at him with a no the fuck I’m not look, which nearly made Apple burst into laughter. She found nothing funny about it at all. Neither did the social worker, who began unloading raggedy suitcases onto the dirt drive. A nod from her head and in a flash, the woman was gone.

“What is happening here?” Helen asked Apple.

He turned, pointing to the house for the boys, who each picked up their suitcases as if this were a thing which happened every week of their lives. They marched silently with Oscar struggling to carry his case. A silent Ricky materialized next to the kid, holding up the back end of the case as they filed inside of the home.

“They were on the streets of Milwaukee, doing whatever it took to survive,” Apple said. “No one wants them in Foster Care and they will age out soon, anyway. I am given three of four teens per year to get through school and teach a trade and how to be men to make their way in this world. From here, they can goto trade school or the military, but my job is to give them a new option and perspective on life.”

“And what is my role in this happy household where I am supposed to be training as an operative?” Helen asked.

“You look like a suburban housewife,” Apple said. “Taking a life is easy. Living life is a real as the world can get. For three months, you’re going to live the life. People underestimate stay-at-home parents and the skills they possess. Quite honestly, no one knows first aid better than a mom.”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

“Do I look like a man with a sense of humor?”

Ricky, who’d been silent until now, spoke with a voice so deep, she thought Barry White had snuck into the house to add his two cents. “He has no sense of humor at all. I once saw him smile in 2003 when he ate the last donut in the box, but that was it.”

Oscar, who’d said nothing until now, asked “We have donuts?”

Stephen with his hand on his hip added, “That man looks like he wouldn’t even put sugar in the Kool-Aid. He is not going to let us have sugar in the house. What is this house and how soon will I be able to run away from it?”

“Young man, here you will be safe and learn how to live and make your way in the world by using your brain. Out there, nothing waits for you but death at the hands of a trick who sees no reason for you to remain on this Earth or by disease, given to you by a reckless adult on their way out of this life, but wanting to take one more with him,” Apple said. “Your choice. Stay, be safe, and learn. Leave and take your chances. I’m not forcing you either way, but this is the mark. Stay. Learn. Blaze your own trail or head back to the life you know that offered you little.”

Helen knew he was also talking to her. This is not what she had signed up for, but honestly, she didn’t know what the fuckshe had signed up for. Oscar had moved closer to her, nearly leaning against her. Instinct made her raise her arm to place it around the child’s shoulder. He wanted reassurance, and this was all she had to give.

Apple spoke, “We need to pick bedrooms. Windows will need to be washed and floors mopped tonight, and tomorrow, hopefully Ms. Helen can head into town for some curtains, rugs, and dishes.”

As they walked the space, Helen realized the home was actually two separate living quarters, and the property had been used for a rental income. She also discovered the second bathroom which could easily be made into an en suite. This room she wanted for herself, but a new idea formed.

“Mr. Milton,” she said, using the name the boys had used for Apple. “How would you feel about making this space a common room? The boys could watch movies, do homework, play video games, and hang out here. The bedrooms can be a safe space for them to get away from the noise of the household.”

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