AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Drew studied the piece of equipment with wide eyes. “Like a football?”
“If that’ll help you remember, then sure. Pull, aim, squeeze, and sweep. Back up some more. You need to stand eight to ten feet away.”
“Okay.”
Drew moved back fifteen feet. Noah took him by the shoulders and guided him to where he needed to be. “Now,don’t do anything until I tell you. I’m going to describe what I want you to do first. Okay?” He waited for the boy’s nod, then continued. “First is P. You’re going to pull the pin on the fire extinguisher. You know what the pin is?”
“This thing?” Drew gripped the end of the pin between his thumb and forefinger.
“Yes, that’s it. When I tell you to do it, you’re going to pull that pin. For A, you want to aim the nozzle low toward the base of the fire. S, you’re going to squeeze the lever to discharge—No! Not yet. What did I tell you?”
Drew grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. I’m supposed to wait.”
“Then do it.” Noah took a breath to collect his thoughts before he continued. “Okay, once the foam begins to flow, you’re going to sweep—the second S. Sweep the nozzle from side to side until the flames are extinguished. Got it?”
“I think so.”
“Then practice. We’re going to go through it once pretending.”
“But the house is about to burn up!” Drew exclaimed. “Shouldn’t I hurry and put the fire out?”
“I think you should do what I say. Practice. What are you going to do first?”
“I’m going to pull this.” Drew pretended to pull the pin with a flourish. “And then I’m going to aim this hose, and then I’m going to squeeze this trigger, and then I’m going to spray from side to side like this. Can I do it for real now?”
Noah figured he had a fifty-fifty chance of getting hit in the face with foam. “Go for it.”
Drew couldn’t get the pin out. Noah put his fingers over the boy’s and helped. “Aim the nozzle.”
The lever proved to be too stiff for the boy, too, so Noahhelped him squeeze. “Woo-hoo!” Drew called as the white foam arced toward the fire.
“Keep it low at the base of the fire, remember? And don’t forget the second S,” Noah cautioned.
“Sweep!” The boy gleefully extinguished the fire, continuing to spray until the canister had emptied.
“Good job, Drew.”
“Thanks, Mr. Tannehill. That was fun. How do you know all this stuff ? Are you a firefighter?”
Noah went still. Now, there was a kick in the balls disguised as an innocent question.
His mood returning to black, Noah snapped out, “No.”
Then he walked over to the tree stump where he’d left his cane, picked it up, and added, “Wait here. Your mother should be arriving any minute. Don’t touch anything.”
“Where are you going?”
Noah didn’t respond as he started toward the house, then stopped and reconsidered. He returned to the burn site, bent, and scooped up his blowtorch. Sound floated toward him in the brittle winter air. An automobile headed in his direction.
“Mr. Tannehill? Mr. Tannehill, wait!”
He didn’t wait. He picked up his pace. He didn’t want to look at Drew’s bright, curious eyes or see his wonder and ready smile. He didn’t want to hear any more about his having lost his father or answer any more of the kid’s incessant questions. He damned sure didn’t want to speak to the mother. He wanted to shut himself in his cabin, alone.
Alone. That’s what he needed.
What he deserved.
Less than a minute after he entered the house, he heard a knock at his front door. “Mr. Tannehill, can I come in?I need to use the bathroom. I gotta go really bad. Number two. And you’re out of toilet paper in the bathroom in your workshop.”
