SIX
"What is this place?" asked Montgomery. "A soup kitchen?"
"Something like that," said Leo. "It's run by a woman who's
devoted her life to helping those less fortunate than others. All
because of something that happened to her years ago."
"Let me guess," said Montgomery. "I taught her how to cook or
something."
"Not exactly," said Leo.
They watched as homeless people filed through a line getting
something to eat. Behind the serving line was a woman about
Montgomery's age. She was smiling and chatting with the people as
they passed by her. She seemed to radiate all over.
"Wait a minute," said Montgomery. "I know her. Patricia.
That's Patricia Sterling. We went to high school together. In fact,
we dated through most of high school."
"That's right," said Leo. "You had even talked about getting
married."
"Yeah, I remember," said Montgomery. "I haven't thought about
her in years. I once gave her a locket for her birthday. Egotistical
me, I even put a picture of myself in it so that she'd always have me
near."
"That's right," said Leo. "Then you went off to the army."
"Yeah," said Montgomery. "I had been out of high school for a
year and still hadn't found anything I wanted to do. My dad said if I
didn't get a job, I had to get out of his house. So I figured I'd go
into the army. Patricia and I lost touch after that. I wondered what
had happened to her."
"She went to college," said Leo. "After college, she went to
law school and became a criminal defense lawyer. About six years ago
she was representing a defendant who was accused of kidnapping and
murdering a homeless child. She got the guy acquitted."
"She must have been a good attorney," said Montgomery.
"She was," said Leo. "Except that this guy was guilty. After
he was acquitted, he kidnapped and murdered another child. Patricia
couldn't forgive herself for what she had done. She gave up law and
opened this soup kitchen. A lot of homeless people can find a hot
meal and a warm place to sleep at night because of her."
"What does that have to do with me?" asked Montgomery.
Leo turned and walked outside. Montgomery followed. As they
passed through the doors of the soup kitchen, they both flashed
slightly. Leo knew that meant the potion Piper had made had worn off.
Outside the kitchen, Leo turned and looked up at the building.
Montgomery turned to see what he was looking at. Over the door to the
kitchen was a sign that read "Montgomery Soup Kitchen".
"Is this a joke?" asked Montgomery.
"No, it's not," said Leo. "Patricia named it after you. She
always thought you had the most compassion of anyone she had ever met.
You inspired her to open this soup kitchen. To help those who needed
it when they needed it most."
Just then, Patricia came out of the building. She looked
around, and then turned to Leo and Montgomery.
"Did you just see a flash out here?" she asked. "Someone told
me they thought they saw something flash. I was afraid another
transformer might have blown."
"Uh, no," stammered Montgomery. "I, uh, didn't see a flash."
"Don't I know you?" asked Patricia. "You look so familiar.
Have you been here before?"
"No, we haven't," said Leo. "But you do know him. Doesn't she,
Charles?"
"Charles?" questioned Patricia. "Charlie? Charlie Montgomery?
It is you. Oh, Charlie, it's been so long. How have you been?"
"I've been better, Patty," said Montgomery. "But things aren't
as bad as they were a while ago."
"Come inside," she said. "Everyone is welcome here. No one
gets turned away. I'm sure everyone would like to meet the man who
inspired this place. And I have so much to tell you. Will you join
us, too, Mister . . ."
"I'm afraid I can't," said Leo. "I have to be going. Charlie,
take care of yourself."
Patricia linked her arm in Montgomery's and they walked inside.
Leo watched as Patricia pulled a locket out of her blouse and opened
it for Montgomery to look at. Montgomery looked at it, and then
looked back at Leo. Leo just smiled, then orbed away. As Leo orbed
away, he saw an old friend put on a ring and step up to Patricia and
Charles.
"What is this place?" asked Montgomery. "A soup kitchen?"
"Something like that," said Leo. "It's run by a woman who's
devoted her life to helping those less fortunate than others. All
because of something that happened to her years ago."
"Let me guess," said Montgomery. "I taught her how to cook or
something."
"Not exactly," said Leo.
They watched as homeless people filed through a line getting
something to eat. Behind the serving line was a woman about
Montgomery's age. She was smiling and chatting with the people as
they passed by her. She seemed to radiate all over.
"Wait a minute," said Montgomery. "I know her. Patricia.
That's Patricia Sterling. We went to high school together. In fact,
we dated through most of high school."
"That's right," said Leo. "You had even talked about getting
married."
"Yeah, I remember," said Montgomery. "I haven't thought about
her in years. I once gave her a locket for her birthday. Egotistical
me, I even put a picture of myself in it so that she'd always have me
near."
"That's right," said Leo. "Then you went off to the army."
"Yeah," said Montgomery. "I had been out of high school for a
year and still hadn't found anything I wanted to do. My dad said if I
didn't get a job, I had to get out of his house. So I figured I'd go
into the army. Patricia and I lost touch after that. I wondered what
had happened to her."
"She went to college," said Leo. "After college, she went to
law school and became a criminal defense lawyer. About six years ago
she was representing a defendant who was accused of kidnapping and
murdering a homeless child. She got the guy acquitted."
"She must have been a good attorney," said Montgomery.
"She was," said Leo. "Except that this guy was guilty. After
he was acquitted, he kidnapped and murdered another child. Patricia
couldn't forgive herself for what she had done. She gave up law and
opened this soup kitchen. A lot of homeless people can find a hot
meal and a warm place to sleep at night because of her."
"What does that have to do with me?" asked Montgomery.
Leo turned and walked outside. Montgomery followed. As they
passed through the doors of the soup kitchen, they both flashed
slightly. Leo knew that meant the potion Piper had made had worn off.
Outside the kitchen, Leo turned and looked up at the building.
Montgomery turned to see what he was looking at. Over the door to the
kitchen was a sign that read "Montgomery Soup Kitchen".
"Is this a joke?" asked Montgomery.
"No, it's not," said Leo. "Patricia named it after you. She
always thought you had the most compassion of anyone she had ever met.
You inspired her to open this soup kitchen. To help those who needed
it when they needed it most."
Just then, Patricia came out of the building. She looked
around, and then turned to Leo and Montgomery.
"Did you just see a flash out here?" she asked. "Someone told
me they thought they saw something flash. I was afraid another
transformer might have blown."
"Uh, no," stammered Montgomery. "I, uh, didn't see a flash."
"Don't I know you?" asked Patricia. "You look so familiar.
Have you been here before?"
"No, we haven't," said Leo. "But you do know him. Doesn't she,
Charles?"
"Charles?" questioned Patricia. "Charlie? Charlie Montgomery?
It is you. Oh, Charlie, it's been so long. How have you been?"
"I've been better, Patty," said Montgomery. "But things aren't
as bad as they were a while ago."
"Come inside," she said. "Everyone is welcome here. No one
gets turned away. I'm sure everyone would like to meet the man who
inspired this place. And I have so much to tell you. Will you join
us, too, Mister . . ."
"I'm afraid I can't," said Leo. "I have to be going. Charlie,
take care of yourself."
Patricia linked her arm in Montgomery's and they walked inside.
Leo watched as Patricia pulled a locket out of her blouse and opened
it for Montgomery to look at. Montgomery looked at it, and then
looked back at Leo. Leo just smiled, then orbed away. As Leo orbed
away, he saw an old friend put on a ring and step up to Patricia and
Charles.