Chapter Fourteen
June 19th, 1922
Miles City, Montana
The fire department had the fire under more control when Valentina and Rose departed from the kind old woman's house half an hour later. The smoke was still rather dreadful, but the Dawson girls walked with their backs to it. Rose draped her arm around Valentina's shoulders as they walked for the first few minutes in silence.
"Momma, this is awful," Valentina finally said, still staring straight ahead, "This wasn't just an accident."
"What do you mean?" Rose peered down at her daughter, "What happened?"
Valentina's sandals crunched over some pebbles loose on the street and she sighed, shaking her head, "We were all just having a good time, Momma. It was a beautiful day, the weather was just right, the water was perfect," Valentina paused for a moment and looked up at her mother, "Someone started throwing firecrackers at us. I don't know from where, but it was from a really high point. They started coming down and everyone started running from the water. And then there was another one of those pops and... a tree was on fire."
"Someone was purposely throwing fireworks onto all of you?" Rose asked, furrowing her brow, "You didn't see anyone that seemed unusual, did you?"
"Whoever was firin' them wasn't really in the fishing hole," Valentina shook her head.
...
Jack returned to the front porch to find his boy glued to the same spot. He was gripping the railing of the porch tightly and standing on the tips of his toes to see over the hedges. The dark smoke barrelled through the town masking what began as a beautiful day. Jack seated himself in a wicker chair and stared at the back of Charlie for a moment.
"Charlie, why don't you sit down and drink some water?" Jack suggested, holding a glass out towards him, "It's not good for you to be inhaling all of this smoke."
Nervously, Charlie tore his eyes away from the street and complied with his father. He seated himself and took an unsteady drink of water. He perked up when he saw movement beyond their fence, but was disappointed to see it was the elderly couple from down the street, hurrying away from the commotion not too far off on the main street.
"Shouldn't they be back by now?" Charlie asked, looking towards Jack.
Jack was doing everything in his power to remain composed and patient. He wanted nothing more than to see the well-being of his daughter and the assuring look of his wife. Jack did his best to focus on wanting a cigarette or needing a drink. He looked at his son, with his flushed cheeks and worried composure.
"Give them some more time," Jack replied.
"But... shouldn't we go looking for them?" Charlie continued, "What if Valentina is still in the fishin' hole?! What if Mom couldn't find her? What-"
"Charlie," Jack sat forward, pressing his hand to his son's knee, "now is not the time for a hyopthetical question bowl. We shouldn't go looking for them yet. What if we leave and they come back? Then they'll wander out to find us. It's better if we stay put. Have some faith in your mom and sister."
Charlie wasn't able to remain seated for long. He set his glass down and went to the railing again, gawking up at the smoke billowing past. He ran over the words Lawrence had said to him. The vulgar sharp words resonated deeply inside him.
"Where have you been today?" Jack asked, drawing Charlie away from the street again.
"Just at the park," Charlie told him, his go-to excuse, "I was with Ivan."
"What were you two doing?"
Charlie was quiet for a moment, "Just skippin' rocks... climbin' trees... like we normally do."
His father only nodded and then went quiet. Slowly, Charlie turned back towards the street, his blood pulsating in his ears. After a few moments, a vibrant shade of red caught Charlie's attention. Valentina, donned in her swimsuit, alongside Rose, entered the neighborhood, talking quietly with their arms draped around each other.
"Mom! Valentina!" Charlie shouted, catching their attention. The young boy bounded off the porch and raced towards the fence as Rose opened it, "Thank God you're alright, Tina!"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Valentina nodded, "I lost my beach bag, though."
"That's alright," Rose smiled, setting her hand on Valentina's shoulder, "We can replace that but we certainly cannot replace you."
...
It was nearing midnight when Jack and Rose found themselves on the back porch that night, beer, wine, and cigarettes gathered between them on the outdoor table. The noises of night time chirped all around the couple as they finally came down from the day they had had. The smoke covering Miles City had thinned, but the distant smell of charred pine made it to their nose every few moments, reminding them of the afternoon that had caught them off-guard.
Jack was reclined in his chair, a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. He inhaled slightly, the end lighting up, "I think he's lying, Rose."
"About what?" Rose asked, turning her eyes on her husband. She had been staring at the cluster of stars belting above the dark looming mountains.
"About his whole damn summer," Jack replied, lowering the cigarette from his lips. He let out a long sigh, exhaling a plume of smoke. He readjusted his head that rest lazily against the cushion of his chair, "Even if he's not lying... he's not telling the whole truth. This new group of friends... it's all too convienent, Rose. We're lying to ourselves if we say Charlie's not messed up with Lawrence Freedman."
"Well, what do you suggest we do?" Rose took a small sip of wine, "I'm all ears."
Jack tapped the ash off the end of his cigarette and then rubbed at his face deeply, sighing in exasperation yet again, "I don't even know..."
Rose looked back out towards the darkened beauty of Miles City, "We're losing control, Jack."
Jack was quiet for a moment, inspecting the hazy ribbon of smoke peeling away from his cigarette, "You know... a really bad thought crossed my mind today."
"What's that?"
Jack looked at Rose, "I think Charlie had something to do with that fire today."
"What?" Rose furrowed her brow, "Our own son?"
"I know," Jack took a sip of his sweaty beer, "Like you said, though: No parent wants to admit their kid is bad."
"Charlie may be mischevious but there's no way I could ever believe Charlie was apart of that fire," Rose told him, "Jack, he loves nature. How could I believe that the boy who draws me beautiful landscapes is also burning them down?"
"I'm not saying it was his intent," Jack adjusted himself in his chair, "I just think he knows more than he lets on. Lets wait for the fire department's ruling. They said they'd be speaking at Town Hall about it tomorrow right before noon."
Rose sighed and sank into her chair, holding her wine glass close. They were silent for a few moments, only the cicadas could be heard. Rose took a long drink of her wine, "What if you're right, Jack?" She shook her head, her eyes glassy as she stared out at the darkness surrounding them, "I'm watching my little boy change so rapidly right before my very eyes."
"Yeah..." Jack nodded, smoke trailing from his lips, "People think the toddler stage is a nightmare... puberty is a whole new level."
"I think we should meet the Freedman's," Rose said, sitting up in her chair and pouring herself another glass of wine. She didn't sleep anywhere in her forseeable future, "Maybe there's something we can do."
"I dunno," Jack shrugged, finishing off his beer and opening another, "It could go wrong in so many ways."
"I have a better idea then," Rose declared, setting her wine glass on the table. Jack lifted his red eyes towards his wife. He saw she was ready to give a presentation and he sat up in his chair, taking a long drink of his beer, "When I was talking with Maggie and Betty, they wanted to do option A: Confronting the parents," Rose explained, "But, like you said, it could go wrong at the drop of a hat. So, what if, we throw a neighborhood-wide party?"
"You mean from Evergreen Terrace all the way to Blossom Lane?" Jack's eyebrows knitted together, "Rose, that's six blocks and who knows how many houses. The biggest you three have ever done is a block party."
"Oh, but a neighborhood-wide party will require a larger planning committee than just Betty, Maggie, and I," Rose replied with a grin, "Denise Holland over on River Row Ave loves to plan socials, oh, and Reese van Maan over there on Blossom Lane. Can't forget Penelope Hargaver either, can we? And, of course, Eleanor Greene. Perhaps I could get Mrs. Freedman to join us, too."
Jack was quiet for a moment. Rose could see he was contemplating. Finally, he licked his lips and said, "So, you do all of this for what? Just to put some eyes on who we're dealing with? Doesn't that seem a little elaborate, Rose?"
"It's not just about getting a visual," Rose replied after a curt sip of wine, "It's about forging a connection, Jack. Who knows how many towns they've tried to live in with those boys. How many times do you think those people were confronted with a biligerent parent on their front porch? Don't you think a better approach, one they're not expecting, would be coming with arms wide open?"
"So... we make friends with them and that's the answer to fixing Charlie's acting out?"
"I think it could open a variety of options," Rose told him.
"Why not just ground him?" Jack shrugged. Rose gave him a look.
"You know that's not my style," Rose replied, still grinning softly.
"Yeah, yeah," Jack laughed, reclining in his chair again and lighting another cigarette, "You're a mother of justice."
