got up and threw some clothes on, deciding that I might as well get up and going. I was about to leave when I heard the kids rush out of the apartment and slam the door behind them. While I was locking my door, I could hear David talking to Hazel at the end of the stairs.
“Your shift already started. Louise will crawl all over you if you take off just to take us to school. We’ll just walk or take the stupid bus. It isn’t a big deal.”
Hazel’s voice was strained with worry when she said, “No. It’s just too risky. I’ll just take you. It won’t take long. Maybe Louise won’t notice …”
I’d had about all of the fussing back and forth that I could take, so as I started down the steps, I announced, “I’ll take them.”
When I got to the bottom of the steps, they all stood there staring at me until David said, “Cool. That’ll work.”
“Umm … no. I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Hazel protested.
“You didn’t ask, but I’m offering. Just gonna need the keys to your car.”
“Are you sure about this?” Hazel asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” I held out my hand. As soon as she placed the keys in my palm, I shouted, “Load ‘em up, guys. We gotta roll.”
The kids rushed out the back door. I was just about to follow behind them when Hazel called, “Clutch?”
“Yeah?”
When I turned to face her, she gave me a sweet smile and, with her eyes full of warmth, she said, “Thank you.”
And there it was. She’d finally shown me a glimpse of that softer side she’d shared with everyone else, and I wanted nothing more than to hold onto that moment for just a bit longer. Unfortunately, time was not on my side. The kids were waiting for me outside, so I said, “Anytime.”
By the time I’d gotten the kids to school and returned the car, it was almost eight. I headed straight to the garage, and when I got there, several of the guys were already there and working. After I’d returned the tools I’d borrowed the day before, I went back over to the Ford I was trying to get finished and set to work. I’d been at it for almost an hour when I heard Blaze talking at the front gate. I stuck my head out from under the hood of the car and saw him standing next to a young woman, maybe in her early twenties, and she had a little boy with her. After a few seconds, Blaze reached down and took the boy in his arms, then placed the palm of his hand on the child’s forehead. The girl turned to leave as they started walking towards the main office.
I went back to work, but it wasn’t long before my attention was diverted from the engine to the little boy who was standing next to me. When I looked down at him, it was like seeing a mini version of Blaze with his sandy blonde hair and big brown eyes, leaving no doubt that it was his kid. He lifted up on his toes as he tried to get a peek under the hood, and when he couldn’t get a good look, he turned to me and asked, “Whatcha doin’?”
“I’m working. What are you doing, little man?”
“I’m waiting on daddy to get off da phone … but he talks a lot. I think it’s gonna be a while,” he explained. He started to cough a little, then sniffed. “I got a fever so he’s called my Gammy to come get me.” Before I could get a word in, he asked, “What’s your name? I haven’t seen you here before.”
“My name’s Clutch. How about you? You got a name?” He was a cute kid, maybe six or seven, but he talked like he was much older.
He wiped his runny nose with the back of his hand as he scanned the body of the old Ford. “My name is Kevin, but everyone calls me Mini since I look so much like my dad. My Gammy says I look like my momma, but …”
“Kevin!” Blaze shouted.
“I’m over here wit’ Clutch,” he answered.
Blaze walked over. “Sorry, man. Been one of those days.”
“No problem. I was enjoying the company,” I told him.
Blaze looked over to Kevin. “Your grandmother will be here in a minute. She’s gonna run you up to the clinic.”
“Aw, man! Do I have to go to the stupid doctor?” he whined.