I know it has been a long time since I have updated... What can I say? Life happened. The boys have been in my head with all sorts of ideas, but I just couldn't get them down. It's hard to do when they pester you while driving, trying to fall asleep, take a bath, or any other thing you are doing where stopping to write or type just isn't in the cards. Hope you enjoy!

Little Boy Lost

Chapter 23

by GCS

Things went smoothly for Johnny during the summer.

He fell into a routine of work, tending the yard and flowerbeds at his apartment complex and hanging out with Jimbo or the guys at the fire station he'd had dinner with at Jimbo's. He didn't have as much time to do all the lawn work he had done before, just to survive, but he did still take care of a few of his best customers. He had furnished his small apartment with a cornucopia of furniture found at thrift shops and the storage room he had cleaned out for Ms. Sanders. The storage room had been filled with things previous tenants had left behind. Ms. Sanders explained to Johnny that her husband had been a bit of a hoarder when it came to cleaning out apartments when tenants moved out. He had told her many times that someday they might have a tenant that just couldn't afford all the little things that make an apartment a home. As it turned out, Johnny was one of those people who was glad to have some of those very things. There were coffee tables, lamps, and even a kind of recliner bed chair. The chair wasn't very comfortable really, but it was good enough for him.

Johnny had drawn the line when it came to the mattress set he now had on the bed frame he'd pulled from the storage room. Those he purchased new. Sleeping on so many cots and thin mattress pads at the shelters had not been pleasant. There were so many stains and who knows what else on those things. He just couldn't even consider used mattresses. He had made some shelves from milk crates he had gotten from Mr. Wong's store and some boards. Those now sat against the wall with an array of paperback novels from the used bookstore down the street.

Next, Johnny hoped to have enough saved up for a car or maybe a motor cycle, but that might have to wait until he had a better paying job. He would need transportation once he got a job further from his apartment. But for now, he was happy to walk. He rarely took the bus, except when he made the trip down to the shelter from time to time to check on his friends, or grab a meal or two when he was short on funds. He ate with Jimbo or Ms. Sanders often, but he would never ask them for food if they hadn't extended an invitation. One thing Johnny still stood by was his determination never to accept handouts. He was perfectly able and willing to work for things. Hard, dirty work. He had even proven that to the guys down at the fire station the many times they had asked him to eat with them. He had scrubbed the rigs, mopped the bay, and helped with the laundry more times than he could count. He loved being there, and the guys seemed to enjoy his company too.

Johnny had started stopping by the station on his way to one of the yards he was still tending. First, he was hesitant to go in. He would walk back and forth on the sidewalk in front of the open bay doors, trying to get a glimpse of the goings on inside. Until one day, the shift captain had stopped when he stepped out of the office and saw him walk down the street, hesitate, slowly turn around and walk back toward him. When Johnny had looked up from his feet and into the bay, he had made direct eye contact with the waiting captain. "Well what are ya waiting for, Johnny? Come on in and visit a while." It was all the invitation the young man had needed. Since that time, he was at the station at least twice a week, when his friends were on shift. He worked side by side with them cleaning and cooking. He had played basketball with them regularly, even winning from time to time. And, best of all, they had shown him a few things about firefighting. They had shown him how to uncap a fire hydrant and connect the hoses. They had shown him how to tie many different knots in the ropes. They sometimes held mock drills with him to see how he was doing with his newly developed skills. Johnny could tie knots faster than any of the guys. He still fumbled some with the hydrant, but he had done as well as some of the newer firemen. He loved the ladder drills. Climbing seemed to be second nature to him.

Today as he walked toward Jimbo's to visit and have dinner; he felt every bit of the pull in his arms, neck and shoulders from the camping trip he had been on with one of his new friends from the fire station. He continually rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck from side to side. Even though it was a warm California day, he had worn long sleeves, hoping Jimbo wouldn't see the bruise on he left shoulder and upper arm. It looked way worse that it really was. He had rolled the sleeves up just past his elbows. He could just tell him he hadn't done his laundry and was out of t-shirts to wear. Johnny scratched the side of his nose at that thought. He was a terrible liar. Maybe he could avoid the subject and not have to explain. He was fine. Convincing his good buddy Jimbo of that would not be so easy.

A smile spread across his tanned face when he thought about the fun he'd had learning to climb and rappel down the face of the cliffs.

Gary Phillips was a good teacher. He had been working with Johnny during his visits to the fire station on how to tie the ropes and set up the climbing gear… belts, anchors, clips, and belay devices. He had explained the importance of regularly checking the ropes for frays, weak spots, or any other obvious imperfections and especially after every use.

Johnny had soaked it all in. He was eager to learn, and to remember. He had always loved camping with his parents and grandfather as a small boy. He knew how to find food in the forest, wild berries that were safe to eat, trap small animals like squirrel or rabbit. He also knew a lot about which insects were good for survival, though he himself had never eaten any of those. His grandfather did though. He told Johnny of stories of his ancestors foraging for natural delicacies and living off the land. Johnny shuddered at the thought of eating bugs, but he knew if it came to life or death, at least he would know which ones to look for.

"Hook it there Johnny," Gary yelled down from the top of the cliff he'd just scaled. He was pointing down at an anchor he had set on his way up. "That's right." Johnny hooked his rope and continued up the face. He'd done pretty well following Gary's instructions and safely made it up. "Good job, Johnny." Gary had patted him on the back. "Now we go back down." Johnny looked at Gary with a look of dread. "Relax man. Down is easier. We get to rappel down. Now, all you have to do is…" Gary explained how to descend the cliff face in a controlled vertical drop while pushing off the face as needed to prevent hitting it. "You keep the rope tight and let it slide across your back and just slide down the rope." Then he had moved over to the edge, secured his rope, tugged it across his back, and stepped off, disappearing over the edge and gliding down to the bottom. "Off rope," Gary hollered up to Johnny. "Now your turn." Johnny mimicked Gary's movements and edged over toward the drop off. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled. He flew off the ledge and glided to the bottom like he'd done it a million times.

"Wow! That was amazing! Let's do it again!" Johnny turned to Gary as soon as his feet hit the bottom.

"I told you!" Gary smiled back at his new friend. "But let's go to a different place. This cragging spot is about to get crowded. We were lucky we got here early. This spot fills up pretty quickly, because it is so close to the parking lot. I know a place about an hour hike that you're going to love."

Johnny had readily agreed and the two had set out on their hike.

Now, thinking back on that idea, Johnny wondered if it had been a good plan. He was still very green at climbing and rappelling. When he had slipped and missed hooking his rope to the anchor and felt himself falling, he knew he would feel it later. He'd slammed into the rock face with his shoulder, knocking the wind from his lungs, but he knew he was not about to stop. Climbing was too much fun and challenging. He loved it. He rubbed his shoulder now as he neared Jimbo's diner. No… he just had to keep his mouth shut about that little slip. What Jimbo didn't know was all for the better.

Johnny slipped down the alley behind Jimbo's. Ever since they started their Wednesday night dinners, Jimbo always left the kitchen door unlocked for Johnny. He had always come through the front and waited for an invitation to come through to the kitchen. Jimbo knew Johnny had a shyness about himself and was very respectful, but he wanted him to feel at home… welcome… wanted at the diner. So, in an effort to ease the tension and open the door so to speak, he told him to come in through the back when he came for dinner. They had made a habit of eating in Jimbo's office for privacy and also, in case Jimbo was needed in the kitchen. They met on Wednesdays when the regulars were attending church services so it wouldn't be as busy. That way they could visit while they ate. Sometimes Johnny would stay and help with the after church crowd.

Johnny had gotten over his aversion to that particular alley after the boys that had mugged him were securely behind bars. He did look behind the dumpster and made sure to arrive before dark though. He pulled open the door to the delicious smells coming from inside. His stomach growled right on cue.

"Hey Johnny," Jimbo called from the grill. "How's it goin'?"

"Good," a crooked grin spread across Johnny's tanned face. "Real good. How's the crowd?"

"Slow day," Jimbo smiled back. "Steaks are almost ready."

Johnny began gathering drinks and silverware and taking them to the office. He grabbed the TV tray from the corner and set it up for his plate. Jimbo always sat at the desk.

"How was the camping?" Jimbo asked as Johnny came back out.

Johnny stopped and an even broader grin spread across his face and his eyes lit up. "It was amazing! Gary taught me a lot about climbing and rappelling. We hiked to a place that no one else was at and set up camp. Then we climbed up and came down several times. It was… just… great!"

"So you like climbing?" Jimbo slipped past Johnny with two plates heaped with food.

"Like it? I love it! Rappelling back down, feeling the rope as it glides through my hands, across my back as the breeze blows up my neck… it… it was just fantastic! You wouldn't believe the view from the top of the cliff. Wow!"

Jimbo came up behind Johnny and gripped his shoulder. Johnny flinched and stepped aside. Jimbo knew something was up. "What's going on here?" He pointed to the shoulder.

Johnny looked at his feet. A telltale sign of discomfort. Then he stuttered his answer. Another sign he did not want to tell the truth but couldn't lie. "N…nothing'. I w…was j…just, uh, getting out of your way. Yeah, uh, movin', uh, over here." He waved his arm in the direction he had moved. "So, uh… are we ready to eat?" His hands went to his hips, and his eyes met Jimbo's.

Jimbo knew Johnny was done with is excuses when he looked at him. "Uh huh." Jimbo stepped up to Johnny, stood right in front of him and tugged on the long sleeve shirtsleeve. That kid's face told all. He'd never be any good at cards with a face like that. "And why are you wearing a long sleeve shirt on a day this hot?"

Johnny dropped his chin and looked back to his feet. "L…laundry. I hadn't done laundry. I… it… was all I had clean." Jimbo reached for the top button on the shirt. Johnny stepped away and brushed his hand away. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to take a look at that shoulder." Jimbo reached again.

"It's fine."

"I'll know that once I've looked. What happened? What have you done to yourself now?"

Johnny felt the heat rise in his neck and knew he was probably red in the face. He wasn't really angry with Jimbo. At least he didn't want to be. He didn't want to do anything that would be disrespectful to this man that had been so kind to him, but he really was fine. "It's just a bruise."

"A bruise?" Jimbo stepped back and put his hands on his hips. "Ok then, let me take a look at the 'just a bruise' as you say." He waved his hand toward the shoulder in question.

Johnny huffed, "Ok, but I'm tellin' ya it's just a bruise. Looks way worse than it is." He unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it from his thin shoulders revealing a colorful dark bruise that stretched from his shoulder almost to his elbow. Jimbo whistled and began looking, feeling around on Johnny's arm and shoulder. He sighed, stepped back and dropped his hands to his side. "I told ya." Johnny said softly. "I'm fine. I slipped on my first trip down from the bigger cliff. Slammed into that face and…" He leaned his head toward the bruised extremity.

"Well, now that I know your fine," Jimbo pointed to the office. "Come on foods getting cold. Let's eat and you can tell me more about your adventure to the woods."

They dug into their steaks and continued to talk about Johnny's learning to climb, rappel, and how he hoped to spend a lot of time in the San Gabriel Mountains outside the city someday when he had his own transportation. He had ventured a little ways into the forest areas around Griffith Observatory where he camped when he was on the streets, but he had never been to the mountains.

"Gary said one of the tallest peaks in the mountains was called Mount Baldy. I doubt I would ever hike or climb that one, but he said there were some beautiful water falls along a place called Devils Backbone. San Antonio Falls, I think he called them. He said he had traveled all over from LA to San Bernardino. Someday when I have my own transportation, I'd like to do that too." Johnny rambled on about his new friend. "Gary showed me some pictures he had taken of some of the canyons. They look like they would be fun to explore, but there are lots of places to climb and rappel back down. There are streams to fish. A guy could live out there for weeks."

Jimbo smiled at how animated Johnny was in his recount. He was very pleased to see him happy. The kid deserved to be happy. "I'm glad you found something you like to do. It's important to have a hobby, something to do on your days off." Jimbo rose from his seat at the desk and began clearing away his dishes. Johnny also rose and began the same. "I used to love to ride my motorcycle in the San Gabriels. I would head out through the Angeles National Forest and up."

Johnny jumped on the fact that Jimbo had said he rode a motorcycle. "You had a bike?"

"Yes, it may come as a surprise to you my young friend, but I too was young once." He chuckled. "I had myself a Harley. I rode every chance I got until this." He pointed to his bum leg. "I had to stop after that. I sold her after a couple of years. They just start having problems if you don't use them. Boats are like that too. You have to use them, get them out of the garage and let the engines run, or they start having engine trouble, flat tires, you name it."

"I think I would like to have a motorcycle." Johnny said thoughtfully. "I could afford one, I think."

"Well you should look at 'Wheels and Gears' magazine. You can see what brand you like, and they have articles sometimes about how to work on them. What the different specs are. Interesting details about engines and mileage… that sort of thing. As a matter of fact, I think I have the latest edition in my desk drawer. Remind me before you leave. You can have it. I already looked it over."

"Ok. That would be great." Johnny grabbed the tub of clean cups and glasses and headed toward the dining room to put them away. A few minutes later, he was coming back through the swinging door with a load of dirty dishes to load the dishwasher back up.

"Isn't your birthday coming up?" Jimbo asked as Johnny whizzed by.

Johnny stopped and turned slowly toward Jimbo, still holding the full tub. "Huh?"

"Your birthday, we all have 'em ya' know."

"Yeah, I know, but how did you know?"

"That we all have birthdays?" Jimbo quipped back. Johnny rolled his eyes and turned back to the sink. Jimbo chuckled. He knew he was teasing the kid, but it was so much fun. "You must have told me, or it was on one of the police reports after the mugging or fire, or something. Do you have any plans to celebrate? 18 is a big year."

"No plans." Johnny said softly. It was an important year. He would be legal. He stopped loading the dishes and turned toward Jimbo. "I was still thinking about signing up for the fire department. Do you think they would let me once I'm 18?"