Page 17 of Night Blind

Naomi didn’t understand. She asked her father, “Daddy, what is he saying? I get to shoot the Grandpa Man in the butt and take his flag?”

Mark bent down to one knee, raising the cover on the face plate of the helmet. “Yes, if you can shoot me, little one because I am very Slippery When Wet.”

She frowned at him, not understanding, but she wanted to play the game. She looked at her parents, then at her grandfather, back to her mother, then her father. Her eyes had questions and suddenly, she turned to look at her grandfather once more, staring at him mutherfuckingly, then she smiled wide, showing off her tiny teeth. “Okay, Grandpa Man, let’s do it!”

“Naomi, if we play, this means you can get shot with the paintballs. They do hurt,” Cherry explained.

“Not if I shoot him first,” she said, mimicking the wink her father did earlier, only her wink required the entire small head to bob.

Zeke blew the whistle, calling for places. Both teams headed to the starting point, moving to the wood line. Huddled together, Mark provided his team instructions, as did Slow, giving specific directions to his daughter, who gave a tiny thumbs up. Helen’s eyes were scanning, keeping watch on Rebecca as he spoke. Rebecca in turn sent menacing hand gestures to Helen with threats of bodily harm in sign language. Helen returned the conversational chatter with a hand gesture of her own, making Rebecca laugh.

The whistle sounded with two short blows. The teams came to the starting line. A louder single blow sounded from the whistle and they were off. Naomi stayed in the lane, runningaround the targets, making her way to the flag for capture, but a booming voice called.

“Oh no you don’t!” Mark yelled, startling the child, who tripped over her feet.

Naomi tumbled forward, landing on the ammo belt, her paintball weapon under her body. She cried out, loudly, wailing at the top of her voice. The cries echoed through the wood line. Mark, concerned she’d injured herself by falling on the weapon, ran at full speed, coming to her side. The crumpled body folded, her tiny form wracking from the tears.

“It’s okay, Bunny, I got you,” Mark said, reaching for the child. He turned her over to see where she was hurt, only to come face to face with a mini paintball gun aimed at his chest.

Her tiny teeth smiled at him as she pulled the trigger. “Gotchu, Grandpa Man,” she said, scrambling away and going for the flag.

She nearly made it to flag, when Michelle, hiding behind the pop-up target of the child, aimed through the arms of the metal target, shooting Naomi in her handful of bottom.

“Owww! That smarts!” Naomi said, falling to the ground and rubbing her butt.

Michelle moved forward, flanked by Ruth coming from the wood line, who was halted by a cherry red paintball in her chest. Cherry didn’t cover herself fast enough, as Rebecca got her in the arm, taking her out of play. Helen closed in on Cherry’s side, swung around then aimed, popping Rebecca in the thigh with a blue paintball. She double-tapped, popping Michelle in the helmet, and moving quickly, secured the flag.

Slow emerged from the wood line, cradling his paintball gun like an infant, pleased with his team and the victory. Mark, outdone with his granddaughter, sat in the grass in defeat. He scowled at everyone, upset with himself, announcing, “Theoldest trick in the book and I fell for it. Me, the slippery one, fell for that trick,” he said, disgusted with himself.

Ruth, no worse for wear, walked over to help her husband off the ground and get on his feet from his wounded pride. Naomi, proud of herself for taking him out, came over and tugged on his arm. He bent down to meet her smiling face as she removed her helmet, and to his surprise, she gave him three small butterfly kisses on his cheek.

Mark sniffled a little bit at the affection she offered, surprised that it caught him off guard, tugging so hard on his heartstrings. “Well, that does soften the blow a bit.”

The love fest came to a grinding halt as Tameka arrived in the golf cart. The speed at which she drove caught everyone’s attention, making Slow, Zeke, and Mark move to the cart. Tameka’s attention went to Slow.

“The fax machine went off,” she announced.

Cherry asked, “Which one, left or right?”

“Both,” Tameka said.

“Cherry, on me,” Slow called out, taking off at a trot. Cherry, hot on his heels, followed, making a beeline for the home.

The two sheets of paper sat on the respective machines like sour omens in the center of a perfectly good afternoon of family fun. In the middle of planning to cook hot dogs and burgers, notices came in for work orders requiring the handling of some sick bastard who’d gotten too big for his britches. Cherry was due in Evansville by nightfall. Slow was headed to Bowling Green.

The family arrived at the home, the mood somber, as they entered the back door. Helen knew the procedure and drill after having supported her cousin’s life for so many years. She took command of the situation.

“Mark, let’s fire up the grill. I chopped a heckaton of firewood last week, so we’ll get some burgers on the flame. Ruth, thereis butter, flour, sugar, and I’m sure baking powder. I will leave it to your magical hands to create a lovely dessert. Tameka, if you would, get the girls cleaned up and settled, please,” she said, looking at Zeke. “Sir, if you’d be so kind to get the meat ready for the grill. It is in bowls in the fridge. Just add the seasoning and shape the patties for burgers. We can get this afternoon moving. Rebecca, on me, as we extend the dining table and get out the paper plates and utensils. This is a day that the Lord has made.”

Everyone looked at the calmness of Helen in the middle of the change in the tone of the afternoon. All replied, “Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

“Very good, everyone,” Helen said, turning her attention to the kids, “Naomi, maybe you should show Michelle your room?”

Naomi, ready on cue, took up the call, her hand on a tiny hip as she waved to Michelle. “Come on, girl. I have a Princess Poppy bedroom,” she told Michelle, who followed along while removing her wet shirt.

Cherry was motionless, her mind now on the target of the evening. It was time to go to work and her burger would be to go. Tonight, if she were lucky to make it back to tuck her child in, would not have the same feeling. Naomi did well today, as did Michelle, but she couldn’t celebrate her daughter’s accomplishment. She was being pulled away to go and terminate the life of a scumbag who was more than likely not only doing an illegal thing but an immoral thing as well. Helen, saying no words, stood toe to toe with her cousin, who looked up. The eyes were distant. Helen shook her head, no, and Cherry nodded, moving away slowly to gather her gear.

Zeke watched the children walk away, but his focus was now on Helen and Cherry. The closeness between the two did not go unnoticed. Unlike himself, doling out affection, he walked over to Helen, his arm going around her shoulder. “I can only hopeand pray that Michelle and Naomi will have what you have with Abigail.”

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