Chapter 5 – This Old House
Daryl was sanding down an old floor, joking around with his buddy Glenn. Glenn was regaling him with some comedic tale of misfortune that had befallen some guy on their jobsite earlier in the day. The new apprentice had sat on a lid from a bucket of adhesive. It ended up glued to the seat of his pants, resulting in much teasing. Daryl knew how lucky he was to work so closely with his best friend.
Some people around town looked down on Daryl for who his family was. Logically, he could see their viewpoints. After all, if he were them, would he want to associate with a person whose family were criminals? It didn't matter the logic though, because their views still stung. He was a productive member of society who had never gotten so much as a traffic ticket. He never did drugs, which was a first in his family. His daddy and brother were in prison right now for manufacturing and distributing meth. His mama had taken out herself and the family home in a fire when she passed out drunk while smoking.
Growing up, he had been fortunate enough to have either a cabin or trailer to call home. He had always wanted a house though, one he could take pride of ownership in. He dreamed of having a home he would be proud to bring up a family in. He always snorted when he thought of that though, because aside from being hit on by skanks or teenagers, his love life was seriously lacking. Anybody he dared to date shied away from him too much due to his family. No woman was ever comfortable enough around him to make him comfortable with her. And there was the never-ending cycle that summed up his life.
Daryl had thankfully, been the odd duck in the family. He finished high school with a B average. He attended the local community college, then went on to join the local trade union as a carpenter. His union brothers respected his abilities and knew that if there was ever a reason for needing a carpenter with an artistic flair, he was it. He certainly didn't look the stereotypical way of an artist but did fit the carpentry bill just fine.
His eyes and hands had always had a skill for building and fixing things, so he had flourished in his trade. He wanted to bring his abilities to his dream of home ownership though. He finally embraced that a month ago. He had always watched the homes of the Kennesaw area become more modern. He thought that was a shame, therefore his passion lay in renovating older homes. He had lucked out when an abandoned home sorely needing repairs had finally been auctioned off by the county in foreclosure. He jumped at the chance and purchased the abandoned Victorian home in Kennesaw. Every day, he made the fourteen-mile trip from his home in rural Shiloh West to Towne Lake. That is where he worked his day job doing carpentry work on the further development of the planned community. He would then drive the nine miles to Kennesaw to work on his true passion – renovating and rehabbing his future house. He would put another four hours of work in there before driving the four miles home to Shiloh West.
He didn't mind the long days or loneliness most times. But when Glenn started seeing Maggie Greene, his viewpoint of his relationship status had changed. He loved the fact that Glenn worked beside him on the daily jobsite and in renovating the Victorian at night but hearing how much he was in love with Maggie made him yearn for his own chance at love. Glenn always told him his day would come, but Daryl wasn't so sure about that.
Right now, though, Daryl was succeeding in breaking through his melancholy by listening to Glenn recount various comparisons between them and the cast of 'This Old House'. According to Glenn, Daryl was like Norm Abram. Daryl swore that he would change his name in a hot second if he was named Norm. Glenn likened himself to be more like the wonderfully iconic Bob Villa. Daryl just stared at him, unbelieving of the words coming out of his mouth. He was about to really start digging at him when they both heard a woman's scream come from out back.
Exchanging a glance with Glenn, Daryl raced out with Glenn at his heels. Looking around the back yard, they heard a man's angry voice from somewhere further back. Going around the shed, the two came upon an older man beating the shit out of a young woman in the adjacent lot. He was punching and kicking at her now still body. The damage was apparent as the blood seeped out of her mouth, nose and scalp. Her torso was twisted in on itself like she had tried to shield herself from his brutal kicks.
Daryl didn't hesitate. He grabbed the old man off the woman and threw him to the ground. Glenn was staring at the woman in shock. It took Daryl calling out to him for help before Glenn moved. The smaller man was able to keep the older man restrained while Daryl got another punch in, effectively knocking the attacker out cold.
The friends looked down at the woman. Cautiously, they knelt and tried to assess the damage done to her. It hadn't escaped either of their attentions that the woman had her pants pulled half down. Daryl abandoned her long enough to go into the shed and grab a drop cloth. That would be enough to cover her dignity to any further eyes. She opened her eyes long enough for Daryl to catch the fear in those wide blue eyes. Her face turned to panic. He went to hold her hand in comfort and assurance, but she passed out once again. She was probably in shock.
"Glenn, call 911. I gotta try and stop her bleeding. Keep an eye on that asshole, too. If he wakes up, we gotta keep his ass here."
Glenn nodded at the instruction, pulling out his cell. He gave their location to the dispatcher, all the while watching both the attacker and the victim. Daryl was pressing the shop rag from his back pocket onto the woman's scalp injury. They both knew from job sites that scalp injuries were fucking bleeders. Even a tiny cut could make a man bleed like a stuck pig. This was no tiny injury though. They could both see that.
Once it was clear that her attacker was not waking up momentarily, Daryl had Glenn come and help him staunch the bleeding. Glenn was able to get a better angle on things and took over placing pressure on her head. Daryl found his heart breaking for this stranger. His large hand wrapped around hers, holding tight even though she was not aware of that fact right now. He remained holding her hand as others arrived on the scene.
When the deputies and EMTs showed up, Daryl was still holding onto her hand. He didn't let it go as the EMTs evaluated her injuries. He still clung to it when she was loaded onto a gurney. He didn't even consider leaving her side. Instead, he climbed into the back of the rig without asking permission. He knew she would be terrified if she woke up, and he hoped his comfort would help her if that happened. For reasons he was unsure of, he felt a need to comfort this woman. He had no idea who she was, but he wanted to help. He had no idea how much these simple actions would forever change his life's path.