That cloudy day in Milwaukee, Arthur Fonzarelli rode his black motorcycle in the rain home. He'd just finished taking a couple of girls he'd been seeing back to the high school because they had class but they did wish they could skip their afternoon classes just to hang out with their Italian date. Fonzie arrived to the two – story brick house he was now living in.
After parking his motorcycle in the driveway and taking his helmet off, Fonzie opened the screen door. He found a tall, red – haired man in his late forties in the kitchen. He slammed the screen door when the two of them heard a clap of thunder.
"Just in time, Fonzie," I said.
"Thanks, Red. I just dropped off my dates at the high school since they had classes this afternoon," Fonzie said.
"I'm happy I see one person – my wife," I told him.
The next minute or so, before Fonzie or I knew it, the electricity went out.
"Great," I said.
"Can you figure a way to turn the power back on?" I asked him.
Fonzie didn't answer me. All he did was stomp his left foot and the power came back on. I was surprised to see this.
"I don't get it, Fonzie. How did you do that? Too bad the others missed this," I said, amazed at what Fonzie had just done.
He decided not to say anything, so he stayed quiet. I decided to tell their friends what Fonzie had just done.
"The gang is coming over for supper tonight, Fonzie. Thanks for turning the power back on like that. The gang has to hear this," I said.
I could see Fonzie didn't answer me. All he did was going to the kitchen to grab an apple from the kitchen.
I watched as Fonzie took a seat on one of the living room couches.
"Do you want to watch 'Comeback Kid' with me, Red?" Fonzie asked.
"Thanks, but I have to pick up Richie Jr. and Sarah from school in an hour," I said.
He remembered his younger cousin, Chachi Arcola was working as a private investigator. The phone rang the minute I sat at the computer. I decided to let Fonzie
answer the phone. I was right because he heard his voice in the kitchen. He had no idea who it was but I was sure Fonzie would tell me.
After a second or so, I heard Fonzie put the phone back. He walked into the office.
"Who was that?" I asked.
"Joanie. She said she can't join us tonight because she has to work tonight."
"Okay," I said, remembering our r red – headed teacher friend.
I knew my best friend Potsie was coming that night. I was happy to see Potsie taking it easy because last Christmas Potsie had to spend in the hospital because he had an accident and needed physical therapy.
I remembered Potsie needed about five or ten appointments of physical therapy and then he would be one hundred percent back to normal. I had known Potsie Webber since the two of us had been in school, before we had been friends with Fonzie. Unlike myself and our friend, Ralph Malph, who are redheads, Potsie was like Fonzie who had dark, black hair, and had Fonzie being the oldest of the gang.
It was now time for me to pick up Richie Jr. and Sarah from school. I got up from the computer and walked into the living room where I found Fonzie watching television.
"I'll be back soon, Fonzie. I'm going to the school to pick up Richie and Sarah," I said.
"All right."
Fonzie watched me leave. The phone rang in the kitchen.
Fonzie got up and said, "Hello?"
"Hi, Fonzie. Is Richie there?" Lori Beth asked.
"He just left, Lori Beth. He went to get Richie and Sarah from school."
"Will you tell Richie when he gets back I'm on my way home?" Lori Beth asked.
"It's a bit early to come home, isn't it?"
"I know it is, Fonzie, but with the power out, we can't do anything. I'm calling from the cell," Lori Beth told Fonzie.
"I'll tell Richie when he gets back," Fonzie told Lori Beth as he put the phone back.
He never thought about the power being out in town but he knew this neighborhood was out for sure except this house. Before he knew it, Sarah, Richie Jr., and I walked into the house a few minutes later.
"We're back," I said.
"Hi, Red. I have a message for you," Fonzie said.
"What?" I asked as he watched Richie Jr. and Sarah head up the stairs to do their homework.
"Lori Beth called. She said she's on her way home now because the power is out," Fonzie told me.
"Okay. I can't wait to see Lori Beth again," I told Fonzie.
Fonzie gave me a look.
The doorbell rang. I answered the door. I saw one of his neighbors from across the street was standing at the door. I remembered her because she lived in the Spanish – style house across the street that dated back in the 1700s. I saw my neighbor wearing a yellow raincoat carrying a candle.
"Hi, Richie. Sorry if I'm disturbing anything, but I'm not making a social call," the thin, tall, gray – haired woman named Susan Cash said.
Fonzie could tell Susan didn't look familiar to him.
"What are you here for, Susan?" I asked.
"I wanted to see if the other houses had their power back on, but so far yours is the only one on. How did you get it back on?" Susan asked.
I didn't say anything so all he did was nod his head in Fonzie's direction.
"You mean to tell me that he turned your power back on? That doesn't make sense," Susan told me.
"Well, it's true. Tell her you turned my lights back on, Fonzie."
"It's true and he ain't lying," Fonzie said to Susan.
"I still think it makes no sense because the other houses are still dark. If you're so smart, Mr., why don't you turn the rest of the neighborhood on?" Susan asked.
"Hold it!" Fonzie said.
It caught both my and Susan's attention.
"What, Fonzie?" I asked.
"I just don't do it for strangers like her," Susan heard Fonzie tell me.
I understood what Fonzie meant.
"Do your phones work, Susan?" I asked.
"Not the house phone but the cell does. Why?"
"I was wondering if the other houses have the house phones working because of this storm," I said.
"I don't know. I've been at work this morning and came home before it started to rain," Susan told me and Fonzie.
I had a thought. I looked in Fonzie's direction.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Fonzie asked me.
"If you could turn my lights back on, you could do the same with the rest of the neighborhood," I said.
Susan agreed with me and told me she would like to see Fonzie turn the lights back on.
"You will, Susan," I said.
"So, will you do it for the neighborhood, Fonzie? It's easier this way than to call the electric company," I said.
Fonzie said he would.
"Thanks, Fonzie. I knew you wouldn't turn my neighborhood down," I said as they watched Susan leave.
That's when the cell phone rang.
"Hi, Richie," we heard Potsie Webber's musical voice say.
"Hi, Potsie."
"I tried calling your house phone just now, but I got no answer," Potsie said.
"Don't you know, Potsie? We're having a power outage and the lights went out in the neighborhood and at Al's. Aren't the lights out at your place?" I asked.
I waited for Potsie's response as he watched Fonzie leave the house.
"No. I have a flashlight. It doesn't have much power but it's the best I can do," Potsie said.
He asked about Fonzie.
"You won't believe what Fonzie did, Potsie. I wish you and the others were here to see this," I said laughingly.
"What did he do?" Potsie asked.
He hoped this was good. I was trying to find the right words on what to tell his best friend about Fonzie and the power outage.
"Do the others know about this yet?" Potsie asked.
"No, they don't, Potsie. You'll be the first."
Potsie could tell me was still in giggles when he was talking at the same time.
"You mean Fonzie did something funny?" Potsie asked.
"I think you might find it funny, Potsie."
"You're only giggling, Richie. You still haven't told me what Fonzie did that made you laugh."
"Sorry, Potsie. I'm not sure if anyone else is going to believe or not, but when the power went out at the house with the rest of the neighborhood, my lights didn't last very long. Fonzie turned them on again by stomping his left foot," I said laughingly.
Potsie couldn't believe what he had just heard. He didn't know what to say so all he did was join me in the laughter.
"You have to show me that, Rich," Potsie said giggly.
That's when I heard the door open.
"Potsie, I've got to go. Lori Beth's home," I said, still in laughter.
The two hung up.
"Hi, Rich," Lori Beth said when she walked into the kitchen.
"Hi, Lori Beth," I said in between giggles.
"What's so funny?" Lori Beth asked, finding it hard to kiss me.
"It's about Fonzie."
"Where is Fonzie?"
"I'm not sure, Lori Beth. I think he said something about dinner and the movies with a few of his dates," I said.
That night during dinner, I laughingly told Lori Beth and Richie Jr. and Sarah about Fonzie and the power outage.
"The minute Fonzie stomped his left foot, the lights came back on. The lights have been on ever since," I said in giggles.
"I don't get it. How can you turn the lights back on with your foot? I'd like to see that," Lori Beth said.
"You will next time this happens."
When supper was over, Richie Jr. and Sarah were sent to their rooms to work on their homework.
"Do the others know?" Lori Beth asked.
"About Fonzie? Only you and Potsie so far," I said.
"I hope our lights stay on," Lori Beth said.
"So do I," I agreed.
One thing Lori Beth and I didn't know was that the lights would be out that night when the family was asleep.
A little after midnight, Fonzie walked into the dark house. He always came to this house after his dates were over, finding a light house instead of a dark house. He remembered they usually left a light on for him but he wondered why the house was dark. When Fonzie locked the front door behind himself, he found the kitchen clocks clicking back and forth, so it told him this house recently had another power outage while he was out.
Didn't he just turn the power back on in this abode? He remembered doing so. He didn't worry about the clocks blinking in the kitchen because he was going to bed. Upstairs, I was awake and heard Fonzie downstairs. I didn't bother getting out of bed so I fell asleep again after hearing Fonzie head to the attic.