Chapter 7

Friend or Charity Case

Johnny was true to his pelage. He made a concentrated effort to talk with Elizabeth when ever he saw her. Helped her carry her groceries or anything he found her carrying. As the months past Johnny could see that Elizabeth was showing more trust in him, she would follow him into her apartment when he was helping to carry something and he was also able to place his hand on her shoulder as an offer to comfort when she seemed to need that. Though as time passed Johnny realized that there was no evidence of anyone else being in her life. When spring came around and the Fireman's Picnic was just around the corner Johnny decided to invite Elizabeth to go with him, as a friend of course.

When he asked her the first time she said, "I'm sure there is someone else you would rather be with."

"Zibbeth I wouldn't have asked if I had someone else I wanted to go with." Johnny stood firm.

"Well, will see." Was the only commitment she was willing to make. Every time Johnny saw her he would remind her that he was planning on her going with him to the picnic and she would smile and say, "Will See."

The picnic was a couple of days off when Johnny reminded her that she was going with him and he wouldn't take "Will see," for an answer, after talking with her for a while she agreed that she would go with him and offered to bring a macaroni salad for the event.

On the day of the picnic Johnny had his Ice chest loaded into his Rover as well as a big blanket. Then he knocked on Elizabeth door, when she opened it she was standing there, her hair pulled back into a ponytail and a baseball cap and wearing a pair of plain jeans and a baggy tee-shirt. "You look great," Johnny lied. She had a salad bowl in her hands and looked ready to go. Johnny offered her his arm and walked her down to the Rover and opened the door for her then he took the salad and put it in the ice chest and climbed in behind the steering wheel. Then before he started the engine he asked, "Did you think to put on some sun screen or bring some with you?"

"No, can we stop at a store along the way and I'll pick some up."

"There no need for that," Johnny told her as he handed her his bottle of sun screen. "Use mine."

"No that's okay we can stop and get some along the way."

"There is no need, I don't burn I just keep some on hand because it easier to pre-treat with sun screen then to treat a sun burn. She took the sun screen with a smile and thanked him and began applying it on her face and arms as Johnny pull out onto the road.

Johnny parked the Rover and they both climbed out and moved to the back. "Here can you carry these for me?" He handed her a blanket and a baseball mitt, Frisbee and a large well worn denim blanket. She took them with a nod of her head and then stepped back while he pulled the ice chest out of the back and closed it up. "This way," he told her and she stepped in behind him. As they approached the picnic area where he found Joann DeSoto, Beth Stoker and Emily Stanley had laid out their blankets. Between the three women, they always made up a kind of a home base for the A-shift of fifty-one at these picnics. Johnny called out a greeting to the group as he placed his cooler down near Joann. "Great day for a picnic."

Joann turned with a large smile on her face and gave Johnny a hug. "Who's your friend?"

"Zibbeth this is Joann DeSoto My partner's Roy's wife. Beth Stoker, wife of our Engineer Mike Stoker and Emily Stanley wife of my Captain, Hank Stanley." He introduced her to the others as he pointed to each woman. Then he turned to her and said, "Ladies this is my neighbor and friend Elizabeth, Zibbeth to me, Christensen.

"Nice to me you," Joann said as she was the closest.

"Welcome," Beth said, "I hope you have a fun day."

"Nice to meet you," Emily greeted as she shook her hand.

At them moment a small girl came running out of no where, calling out Uncle Johnny, Uncle Johnny as she leaped into his open arms and gave her a hug. "How is my little Jenny Bean."

"Great can you play with me?" Jenny asked with a look of eagerness on her face.

"I'm sure we'll have plenty of time for that." He told her then he turned to Elizabeth. "Zibbeth, this Jenny DeSoto. Jenny this is my friend Zibbeth."

Jenny looked over to the woman with a look of skepticism, "Is your name really Zibbeth?"

Both Johnny and Elizabeth laughed. "No Jenny. My name is Elizabeth. Zibbeth is a nick name Johnny gave to me."

"Can I call you Zibbeth too?" Jenny asked sincerely.

"I would like that," Elizabeth told her.

"Who do we have here Johnny," The small group turned to see Roy and Chris approach the group.

"Roy this is my neighbor and friend Elizabeth Christensen . . .

"We call her Zibbeth though," Jenny piped in with a big smile on her face as she hung on her Uncle Johnny's neck.

"Jenny it not polite to interrupt," Joann scolded.

"Sorry," she said with a contrite look on her face.

"Zib this is my partner Roy DeSoto and his son Chris."

Roy stepped forward and shook Elizabeth hand, "Nice to meet you Elizabeth."

"Thank you," she said with a nervous smile.

"Can we go play now," Jenny asked.

"Okay, what would you like to play?" Johnny asked setting Jenny down in front of him.

Jenny shrugged her shoulders and Chris said, "I want to play too."

"How about a game of Frisbee?" Johnny asked as he looked at the kids and then to Elizabeth.

"Yah," both Jenny and Chris agreed. When he looked at Elizabeth she gave a little nod of her head.

"Well then all we need is my Frisbee, Chris, Jen can you help me find it?"

Both kids hurried over to where Johnny stuff was sitting, Chris got there first and grabbed the Frisbee. "I got it."

"Hey, I wanted to get it." Jenny pouted.

"Tell you what Jenny, you can carry it back when we're done okay?" Johnny offered a compromise which was quickly accepted and they moved over to an open area of the park and passed the Frisbee to each other in turn. An hour later Elizabeth was begging to stop. "I need to rest and get something to drink."

"There's sodas in the cooler, help yourself." Johnny told her as he turned and threw the Frisbee to Chris. But when Chris turned to throw it to Jenny she was following after Elizabeth, shrugging his shoulders he threw it to Johnny.

Elizabeth stopped to lay out Johnny's blanket only to be told politely by Jenny that she had it in the wrong place. "Johnny always puts his blanket next to ours. I'll help you move it." She bent over and pick up an end and waited for Elizabeth to pick up the other end so they could drag it over to the Desoto blanket. Then Elizabeth got a soda out of the ice chest and asked if Jenny wanted one too. With a smile she nodded and picked out one for herself then they went and sat under the shade of a large and old maple tree and drank their sodas while talking.

A little while later a large group of people came over to join the group and Johnny and Chris stopped their game and came over, "Hey Mama Lopez," Johnny called towards the group, "I hope you remembered the tamales."

"Don't you worry Johnny," Mama Lopez called back, "I would never forget you or your favorite food."

Chet and Marco came through the crowed carrying one of three ice chests the group was carrying. Jenny came hurrying over with Elizabeth in tow. "Hi Chet, Hi Marco," Jenny called to the two men who worked with her daddy. Then she ran up to Mrs. Lopez and smiled, "Hi Mama Lopez."

"Well good morning Jenny, are you ready for a day of eaten and fun?" Mrs. Lopez asked as he placed a hand on the top of Jenny's head.

"Yes Mama."

Chet and Marco set down the Ice chest they were carrying and Chet came over to respond to Jenny's greeting. "Hey Pip Squeak who's your friend?" Chet asked indicating Elizabeth.

"This is Johnny's friend Zibbeth. She's going to play with me today." Then Jenny received a greeting from Marco too, and then she grabbed Elizabeth's hand and pulled her off to go look at the booths and games that were set up around the park. Elizabeth went willingly; she had fallen in love with this little girl already and felt like being herself with Jenny more then any of the adults.

Noon came and everyone gathered around to eat. After the younger children were settled down with their plates, the adults dished out plates for themselves; both Elizabeth and Johnny sat with the DeSoto family Jenny right between Johnny and Elizabeth. Everyone made comments about the various dishes that were being shared. "Hey who brought this salad," Beth Stoker asked indicating the macaroni salad Elizabeth had brought. "Elizabeth brought it." Johnny spoke up on her behalf.

"This is really good can I get the recipe?" Beth asked and the other women in the group echoed that request.

"Um sure," Elizabeth answered timidly. "I'll get it to Johnny and he will see that you get it."

After everyone had eaten their fill and the food was put away Jenny grabbed Elizabeth's hand and pulled her off calling, "Come on Uncle Johnny."

"Hey don't go too far we are going to be starting the baseball game in about 20 minutes." Roy told her. Elizabeth changed their destination with that information and directed Jenny over to the big Maple tree where they both sat down and Elizabeth began showing her how to weave the long grass blades that grew around the base of the tree.

The firemen gathered to talk about the ball game and practice throwing the ball back and forth to limber up. Then when they were about ready to head for the ball diamond, Chet cornered Johnny and asked, "Hey Gage what's with your date? You doing some kind of community service or some thing?"

"Chet," Johnny scolded as he glanced over to where Jenny and Elizabeth sat, "She a good friend."

"Yah okay, but that doesn't mean you have to date her." Chet exclaimed. "Look how homely she is. With all the babes in the world you don't have to make do with some one like her."

"What do you know, she may not be babe material but she a very nice person and I thought she would enjoy coming to the picnic." At that point Jenny came running up.

"Uncle Johnny, look what Zibbeth showed me how to make." Jenny exclaimed as she ran up the two men. "It's a friendship knot and I made it for you."

"Thank you Jenny," Johnny said with a smile and he knelt down to her level and took the woven grass from her. "The game is going to start soon. Why don't you take Zibbeth over to the bleachers?"

"But Uncle Johnny, Zibbeth said she had to go," Jenny said as she turned and pointed over to the bus stop where Elizabeth was stepping onto a bus, before Johnny could get halfway over to it the doors closed and the bus pulled out.