The rain had been beating down on L.A. County off and on – mostly on – and mostly when John Gage was off-duty from his job as a paramedic with the L.A. County Fire Department. Today was different though – he could feel it in the air. The sun was out in full force; the skies showed no trace of clouds. It was a perfect spring day.

"Man, what a beautiful day, and for once it’s not raining!"

Johnny stood on the front porch of his house, fresh cup of coffee in hand, gulping in his first breaths of the early morning air. Unable to sleep in on his day off, he planned to enjoy as much of this fine day as he could.

Thinking over his daily plans, he started to turned back towards the house when he caught a glimpse of a fast-moving blur out of the corner of his eye. The blur turned out to be a young boy on a bicycle whizzing past his house as fast as his legs could peddle.

He’s going way too fast, thought Johnny. Just as he was about to call out to the young man to slow down, he watched helplessly as the bike’s front tire hit a pothole in the road. The boy’s bike flipped, sending boy and machine sailing through the air and landing with a thud in the middle of the road.

Johnny plunked his cup down on the top step, ignoring the coffee that sloshed over the brim. He vaulted over the porch railing and dashed across the front lawn. By the time he reached the edge of the road, the boy had picked himself up off of the ground, swearing a blue streak in the process.

"Hey, are you okay?" Johnny called out.

"Yeah, yeah, I’m alright," the boy mumbled.

Johnny approached the boy and reached out to help steady him on his feet.

"Leave me alone! I said I’m alright!" the boy spit out, pulling away from Johnny’s helping hands. A wild, frightened look flashed across the boy’s face, startling Johnny.

"Well, tell you what..." Johnny said as he held his hands up in a non-threatening manner, "why don’t you let me take a look at you anyway? I’m..."

"What are you? A pervert?" the boy interrupted, glaring at Johnny.

"NO, I’m not a pervert!" Johnny shot back. He stepped back and dropped his hands to his side. "But I might be able to help you. Just let me check you out, okay?" He was fast losing the battle to remain cool and professional with this petulant boy.

"Forget it! I’m outta here!" The boy retrieved his bike from the middle of the road, gave it a shake, and took off on it before Johnny had a chance to get a closer look at the scrape on the boy’s head.

"Yeah, well, you’re welcome!" Johnny shouted after the boy. He stood helplessly in the middle of the road and watched the disagreeable boy take off at the same breakneck speed. "Huh...sweet kid..." he mumbled, unable to hold the sarcasm from his voice. Once he calmed down, he remembered his waiting coffee cup on the front porch and headed back for his house. Turning one last time to watch the boy disappear down the street, he heard himself say, "Hope he’s okay."

Later that afternoon, Johnny noticed his next door neighbor outside watering her garden. She was a sweet older lady who thought Johnny was ‘cuter than a bug’s ear.’ Johnny had always wondered just exactly what that phrase meant...

"Hello, Mrs. Sutton," Johnny called out.

The petite white-haired lady looked up from her watering and smiled at her neighbor. "Oh hello, Johnny! And how are you today?"

"Fine, thanks for asking," Johnny answered as he wandered over to her yard. "Um, you know most everyone in the neighborhood, don’t you?" Johnny figured if anyone knew the boy from this morning, it would be her. Mrs. Sutton wasn’t necessarily a busy body, but she liked to visit with her neighbors and was the best source of information for the immediate area.

"Well, I should, my dear, I’ve been living here for over forty years now, when my dear, sweet husband built this house."

"Yes, Mrs. Sutton." Johnny had heard this tale several times before but never felt compelled to remind her. It would have served no useful purpose other than to embarrass this sweet lady. "Well, there was this kid, a young boy, who fell on his bicycle this morning..."

"Oh dear!" Mrs. Sutton gasped, putting her hand to her mouth.

"Oh, no, no, no, no..." Johnny held out his hands in an effort to assure her that the boy wasn’t seriously injured. "He’s okay, as far as I know, but I was just wondering if you might know him." He kicked himself mentally for giving her such a start. His kindly neighbor had the biggest heart of anyone he had ever met and he knew how sensitive she could be, especially when it concerned a child.

"Well I don’t think I can help you, Dear, I didn’t see anything. But if you say he’s going to be fine, then I’m sure he will be."

Johnny went on to explain. "No, I’m sorry, I know you didn’t see it, but I saw it and when I went out to help him he was...um...well...he was okay and just wanted to leave, but I thought maybe I should try to find out who he was, you know, so I could tell his parents and maybe they could watch him, just to be on the safe side, of course."

"Well, what did he look like, Dear?"

Johnny always smiled when she called him ‘Dear,’ but he suspected Mrs. Sutton used this term of endearment for everyone she had ever met.

"Well, he was about ten years old, dark hair, and eyes too, I think, sort of skinny, I guess..."

"Like you?" Mrs. Sutton filled in.

"Well, yeah, I guess like me...only shorter," Johnny answered with his signature grin.

"Well, no, Dear, I don’t believe I do know him, but then I don’t get out much the way I used to. I’ll keep an eye out for him though, just in case."

"Well, okay, thanks, Mrs. Sutton. I’ll talk to you later then."

"Okay, Johnny. You are just cuter than a bug’s ear, you know that?"

Johnny turned to leave, hoping Mrs. Sutton couldn’t see his face as he felt the blood rush up into a full-scale blush.

Just what DOES that mean? he mused to himself.

Johnny kept himself busy for the remainder of the day, though thoughts of the young boy kept flashing through his mind. What was it about him? He was sour, rude, surly, and downright unpleasant. Johnny was grateful he’d never had any kids of his own if there was even a one-in-a-million chance they’d turn out like this kid. Yet, he had a feeling there was more to this kid than met the eye. For the kid’s sake, Johnny hoped this was the case.

As evening approached, Johnny had finally gotten the morning’s events off his mind and on the projects he’d wanted to complete before his shift the next morning. Settling in for the night, he sat down to see what was on TV when he heard a knock at his front door. Sighing, he dragged himself off the couch, hoping that whoever it was would make their visit a short one. When Johnny answered the door, he found Mrs. Sutton on his doorstep.

"Hello, Dear, hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time." The elderly lady held a fresh baked pie in the palms of her hands, so no, this was not a bad time.

"Mrs. Sutton, what are you trying to do, fatten me up?" Johnny teased good-naturedly.

"Well, someone has to from the looks of things," Mrs. Sutton teased right back.

Opening the screen door to let his neighbor in with the latest offering from her kitchen, Johnny gladly took possession of the pie. He took a good whiff of the fresh baked apples and gave a happy sigh.

"Mmm...smells delicious, as usual."

"Well...this is not the only reason I came over tonight. I have some good news for you," Mrs. Sutton said.

Johnny listened with curious anticipation.

"I got to thinking about that young boy you told me about this morning, so I got right on the telephone and did some calling. Here..." Her eyes traveled to the small piece of paper she held in her hand. "This is his grandmother’s address."

"I won’t even ask how you managed this, Mrs. Sutton!" Johnny said laughingly.

"I’d never tell anyway, Dearheart." Mrs. Sutton knew everyone in this block and if there was someone she didn’t know, the information was generally only a phone call away.

"How is it you didn’t know him?" Johnny thought his kindly neighbor was slipping in not knowing who this boy was before now.

"Not my fault, mind you..." She winked mischievously at Johnny. "He’s only been at his grandmother’s a couple of weeks or so. This is her daughter’s son. From what I understand, the father has never been around and the mother just couldn’t handle the boy, not that she ever tried very hard in the first place. She’s been in and out of his life most of his life, or so I hear tell, and the poor kid’s been in and out of foster homes. The mother, a young one you know, dumped, imagine that, just dumped that poor little boy off at her mother’s house. Poor woman, as if she can do a better job. I tell you, people just don’t raise kids to be responsible these days. That boy needs a stable home, and someone who cares about him. I tell you I just don’t know what the world is coming to."

Johnny stood in awe of this woman. For not being a busybody, she was an expert at gleaning information from people.

"Here, Dear. Here is the grandmother’s address, if you still wanted to check out the poor little thing and make sure he’s alright." Mrs. Sutton handed him the piece of paper she’d been guarding in her hand as if it had been a Crown Jewel.

As Johnny devoured his second piece of pie, his mind kept wandering back to that slip of paper with the address on it. He pulled the paper from his shirt pocket. He was no longer certain that he wanted to get involved with this kid after everything his neighbor had told him about the boy’s past. A kid with this much baggage was bound to be bad news. Johnny just hoped it wouldn’t cause trouble in his own little neighborhood, or for him.

Finished with his dessert, he set his dishes in the sink and flung the piece of paper onto the countertop. He was halfway through the kitchen door when he stopped. Letting out a deep sigh, he hesitated, then dropped his shoulders in resignation. He knew he had to stop over at that grandmother’s house. He felt it was his duty to follow up on the boy. Reaching over, he swiped the note from the counter, grabbed his keys and headed out the back door before he could change his mind.

Paper in hand, Johnny read the numbers on the houses he passed. I must have passed it already, he thought to himself. Making a quick U-turn in the next intersection, he began to backtrack down the road. The fading sunlight made it difficult to read the house numbers as shadows enveloped themselves around the houses.

Peering into the increasing darkness, Johnny slowed his car to get a clearer view. There it is! 4231Edgemont. This must be the place.

The lights were on in the house, but the shades in the windows were not yet drawn against the dusk. Johnny climbed out of his Land Rover and approached the house with the definite feeling that he’d had better ideas than this backfire on him in the past. His rapid knocking on the door brought no immediate response.

Good! No one’s home. At least I can say I tried...he tried to convince himself as he turned to leave.

Just then, the door opened and an attractive, but tired looking, older woman appeared.

"Yes? Can I help you?" she asked.

"Um, yes, ah, Mrs...?" Johnny realized that when he’d gotten the address from Mrs. Sutton he’d neglected to ask her if she knew this family’s name.

"Well, you’re the one who knocked on my door, now what do you want?" The woman was suddenly suspicious and guarded with this young man who was standing in her doorway.

"Um, I’m sorry, Ma’am. Let me start again. My name is John Gage. I live a couple of blocks down the road and this morning, a young boy fell on his bicycle in front of my house and before I could help him he got up and took off again. My neighbor lady was just trying to help and asked a few questions and found out that this boy might be your grandson." Johnny knew he was rambling but also felt the need to get the purpose for his visit out quickly. He did not wish to scare this woman any further.

"Did Billy hurt something?" she questioned cautiously.

"Well, I’m not sure, Ma’am, as I said, he left before I could check him over thoroughly."

"So...he didn’t hurt anything of yours though..."

"Ma’am?" Johnny wasn’t sure where she was heading with her question.

"Well, it’s just that…noone ever comes over here to talk to me about Billy unless he’s done something...to them, or to something they own."

"Oh no, Ma’am, nothing like that at all. I was just concerned about Billy is all. You see, I’m a paramedic with the L.A. County Fire Department and well, it’s sort of an occupational hazard worrying about people, even those who refuse treatment." He flashed a quick smile in an effort to relieve the tension in the air.

The grandmother seemed to relax considerably upon hearing his explanation for his visit then opened the door and motioned to him to come into the house. Johnny nodded and smiled, and suddenly wished he had just stayed home. He had hoped for a simple, "Yes, he’s fine, thanks for asking." Instead, the grandmother excused herself, and disappeared down the hallway.

Johnny stood alone in the living room. To ward off his growing discomfort, he looked around the modest home in hopes of finding something to distract his attentions. On every tabletop and shelf sat pictures of obviously happier times. Black and white snapshots of a happy little girl adorned every crook and crevice, with later, colored photos sprinkled throughout the room – pictures of a teenage girl with a wide smile on her face. Despite the numbers of pictures, there seemed to be none of a small boy in the mix. No pictures of Billy. Odd, he thought.

When he heard someone behind him clearing their throat, Johnny turned to see the grandmother with a surly looking boy standing alongside her. Wonderful, he’s just as sour a kid in his own home.

"Mr. Gage. I’m sorry. My name is Anita Roberts. And this...this is Billy." She nodded in the boy’s direction. "What do you say, Billy?" she addressed the boy. There was no answer, merely a glare on the boy’s face.

"Hi, Billy. How ya’ doin’?" Johnny asked as cheerfully as he could. Still, there was no answer.

"Billy," Anita Roberts spoke to the boy firmly. "Tell me again how you got that scrape on your head." The boy remained silent, but his face turned downward to avoid his grandmother’s gaze.

"Mr. Gage, Billy told me he was beaten up by a group of bullies in the neighborhood, probably to illicit some sympathy, I’m sure, since he’s been grounded from that bicycle of his and wasn’t supposed to be on it in the first place."

Uh-oh, and I blew his cover. Johnny grimaced with the thought. This kid is really gonna love me now! Trying to keep this visit on a professional level, and choosing to ignore the grandmother’s implication, he moved closer to Billy and knelt down next to him. "Mind if take a look at that bruise, Son?" Johnny reached over to examine the boy’s head.

"I’m NOT your son!" Billy spat back.

"BILLY!" his grandmother admonished. The boy sighed and looked downward again as Johnny reached up and carefully felt the area where a good sized bruise had formed."

"Any headaches, or dizziness?" Johnny asked. Billy shook his head. "How about any nausea...ah, I mean...your tummy upset at all?" Again, Billy just shook his head.

"Well, Billy," Johnny smiled at the boy, "looks like you’re lucky. Just a big bruise and little bit of scraping there." He stood and spoke to the grandmother. "I think he’ll be just fine, Mrs. Roberts. But if he complains of dizziness, nausea or headaches, I think you should get him to your family doctor." The grandmother said nothing but nodded gratefully.

Real talkative bunch here, Johnny thought. Growing more uncomfortable by the minute, he backed up closer towards the door.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Billy, Mrs. Roberts." Johnny nodded to both of them. "I’ll just let myself out. Billy, careful on that bike now, Bud, okay?" Johnny turned on his heels and let himself out. Whew! Free at last!

Closing the door behind him, Johnny was halfway to his car when he heard his name called out. I don’t believe it...

"Mr. GAGE!" Mrs. Roberts scurried down the sidewalk to catch up to him.

"Yes, Ma’am?" Johnny turned to face her.

"I...I want to apologize. I’m afraid I wasn’t being very...neighborly. That was a wonderful thing you just did. It’s just that...well, ever since Billy moved in with me, it’s been one problem after another. I’ve never met so many neighbors in my life as I have these last two weeks. Only they aren’t here out of concern for Billy. To tell you the truth, I think most of them would take great glee in adding to that bruise on my grandson’s head."

"Ah, Mrs. Roberts..." Johnny wasn’t interested in hearing any more of their personal tragedy.

"Mr. Gage, please, let me explain..." she pleaded. Johnny reluctantly gave her a nod of permission to continue. "Billy came to me two weeks ago. I have no idea where his mother, my daughter, is. I just found him sitting on my front step when I came home from the grocery store one day. I’ve only seen the boy twice in his life, once when he was born, and again when he was about two years old. I wasn’t even sure he was my grandson, till I read the note his mother left with him."

Johnny could understand the grandmother’s plight concerning her grandson but he had no idea what she expected him to do about with the information.

"Mr. Gage, I...I just really want to thank you for your concern. I just never, never expected it." She extended her hand in a show of thanks, and Johnny returned her heartfelt handshake.

"Mrs. Roberts, you don’t have to thank me. It’s just part of my job, really. Billy’s not such a bad kid. He’ll be fine, I’m sure." Johnny had no idea if he was saying the right thing or not, but it was the best he could come up with for now. Mrs. Roberts seemed pleased with what he had to say and smiled appreciatively.

This is the last time, John Gage, the LAST time you get this involved.

When Johnny returned home, he vowed to forget the events of that day. He never gave another thought to the boy and his grandmother, except for the times he stood at his front door watching for a certain ten-year-old on a bicycle. Or when he heard children shouting and looked to see if Billy was one of them. Or the countless times he just happened to drive by their house. For some reason, this kid and his miserable attitude had gotten to Johnny. Whether it was the fact that his mother had abandoned him and dumped him at a grandmother’s house he barely knew, or something he had seen in the boy's eyes, Johnny wasn’t sure. For whatever reason, Johnny was unable to get this kid out of his mind.

A couple of weeks later, Johnny was in his driveway washing his Land Rover. The intermittent rainy weather had turned the dirt road in front of his house into a regular mud hole. Ultimately, the mud ended up caked all over his car.

Standing back to admire his handiwork, Johnny’s eyes popped open as an object sailed past his head, splattering into the side of his freshly shined car. Red particles of sticky goo oozed down the side of the driver’s door. Turning in the direction of the unidentifiedflying missile, he ducked in the nick of time as the next round headed straight towards his head.

"What the..." he shouted, then fumed when he spied a familiar little ten-year-old who took off running from his stance between the bushes. "Why you little..." Johnny swore under his breath. He threw his rag in the bucket and took off running after the boy.

Billy had obviously plotted his course of escape well before the altercation. By the time Johnny turned the corner of the house, the boy was nowhere to be seen. The rain from the last couple of days had made the ground soggy and Johnny’s feet were sinking into the soft grass. Looking down, he noticed that not only were his footprints visible, but also a smaller set of footprints that had preceded his. He followed the tracks to the shed at the end of his property.

"All right now, I know you’re in there! Why don’t you just save both of us the trouble and come on out of there on your own." Johnny, rather pleased at himself for tracking down the culprit, waited for a minute, but there was no response. "All right then, if I have to come in there after you, it won’t be a pretty sight!"

Johnny’s hand was on the door when it bolted open, knocking him off his feet and into the sopping wet grass behind him, making a ‘splat’ as he landed. "BILLY! When I get my hands on you, you’re gonna regret it!" Johnny yelled after the boy. He jumped to his feet, swiped at his rear end, and raced after the renegade boy.

Longer legs and temper-induced adrenaline helped Johnny close in on his prey. Diving for the boy, Johnny caught him by his shoulders. The sudden stop flung them both to the ground. Billy kicked and struggled to free himself from the clutches of his captor, while Johnny tried to hang on and avoid the flailing arms and legs of this midget fighter.

"Would you hold STILL?" Johnny muttered through his teeth. "Ahhh!" Johnny howled when Billy’s left leg cut loose and smacked him across the face. Dazed for a second, he grabbed the wayward limb and pushed it under his own legs.

"Stop it already, you little Twit!"

"Why? What are you gonna do, HIT ME?" Billy challenged Johnny as he lashed out with all his might.

"NO! I’m not gonna HIT ya’!" Johnny said, stunned at the boy’s remark. Billy stopped fighting, though he was breathing heavily from the struggle. Johnny put his hand to his face to inspect the damage and realized the kid had drawn blood. He could feel his lip beginning to swell. "Great!" He thought of the ribbing he was going to take back at the station if he ever admitted he was decked by a ten-year-old in his own backyard.

Billy’s attitude changed drastically when he saw the blood on the man’s face. The combative, defiant hellion suddenly transformed into a scared, anxious little boy.

"You gonna tell my grandma I got into trouble again?"

"No, I’m not gonna do THAT either!" Johnny shot back.

Billy frowned at Johnny, wondering what this guy was going to do to make him pay for his actions. He was used to getting hit, or ignored, or dumped, but this guy didn’t seem to want to do anything to him. It’s a trick, he thought.

"What ARE you gonna do?" Billy asked.

"Well, as soon as I’m sure you not going to bolt on me, or hit me, I’m going to get off of you!" Johnny looked deep into the boy’s eyes.The defiance was gone, replaced by a look of fear, the same look Johnny had first seen on this boy’s face when he had taken that spill on his bike. Taking a chance that the boy wasn’t going to run away as soon as he was freed, Johnny slowly rolled off of him, but kept one hand on his arm, just in case.

Billy sat up slowly, eyeing this strange man with skepticism. Slowly, the two raised themselves off the saturated ground and scrutinized each other. Both man and boy were a sorry sight to behold. They were soaked from the wet grass and mud stains covered their clothes.

"You going to stay put?" Johnny asked, gesturing at his hold on Billy’s arm. Billy looked down at the ground and nodded his head slowly.

"Are you gonna tell?" The tone of his voice was quiet and subdued.

"No, but you are going to come with me!"

Johnny led the way back around the corner of the house. He glanced back every few steps just in case he had to take off after the boy again, but Billy kept up with his longer strides. Nearing the driveway, Billy slowed his pace. By the time, Johnny got to the vehicle, Billy was several feet behind him. With his head down and his clothes soaked, he reminded Johnny of a dog he had once found when he was a kid – abandoned, tired, hungry, and downright miserable. He had taken this mutt in against the express wishes of his mother and nursed him back to health and good nature. His reward had been the best pet he had ever owned. Johnny knew that this was no forlorn animal standing in front of him, but if a little kind treatment worked for an animal...

"Here," he said as he handed a rag to Billy. "Wash!"

Billy looked up with disbelieving eyes. Just when Johnny was sure he wasn’t going to comply with his demand, Billy walked up and grabbed the damp rag. He dipped it into the bucket of water and proceeded to scrub off the remains of the tomato already drying on the driver’s door. It took a fair amount of scrubbing, but the car was soon shining as it had before the tomato attack.

"Now, GO HOME!" Johnny ordered and Billy took off like a shot. Smiling after the boy, Johnny hoped he wasn’t going to be the recipient of more of this kid’s antics. He had nothing concrete to base his feelings on, but he felt that Billy wasn’t as bad of a kid as he tried to make himself out to be. Rubbing his hand over his ever increasingly swollen lip, he hoped he’d remember that feeling on his next shift.

It was several weeks before Johnny saw Billy again. He found himself keeping a watchful eye out for him whenever he was out, but no signs of the boy, or tomatoes, were apparent.

Johnny was washing his car again when he looked up and saw a familiar sight. There was Billy on his bicycle, watching him from a distance by the curb.

"Hey! Do I need my catcher’s mitt, or an umpire’s shield?" he hollered at the boy.
When he received no response, he shrugged his shoulders and pretended to ignore Billy as he continued his wash job.

"Are you really a fireman?" a timid voice asked.

Johnny wiped the smile off his face before he turned around to face the boy sitting on his bike a few feet away. "Yeah…I’m really a fireman." He nodded in reply.

Billy’s face remained expressionless, holding no clues to his thoughts. "You put out fires and everything?" he asked.

Alright! A conversation! Johnny thought. Let’s see what we can do with this.

"Yeah, I put our fires and everything, but I also help people. Do you know what a paramedic is?" he asked his young guest. Billy shook his head.

"Well," Johnny explained slowly, wanting to keep the boy’s attention, "when I’m not putting out fires, if someone is injured, I help them out."

Billy thought for a minute, absorbing the information. "Like rescuing them?"

"Well, yes, that too. But, if they’re hurt, like in a car accident, I talk to a doctor at the hospital. He tells me what to do, and then if they need to go to the hospital, I go along with them until they’re safely in a doctor’s care."

"So, you’re like a doctor?" Billy seemed intrigued.

"No, Billy, a paramedic isn’t a doctor. We’re just the eyes and ears for the doctor when we’re in the field. The doctor decides what kind of treatment they need. We just do what the doctors tell us to do."

"Oh," Billy replied. He turned his bike around to leave but paused. He swiveled around on the seat of his bike and looked at Johnny with a dead-serious expression. "Thanks, Mr. Gage...for not telling my grandma about the tomato, and the, um, you know..." Billy raised his hand and rubbed his lip.

Johnny’s face broke into a broad grin as he rubbed his hand over his own lower lip. "The fat lip, you mean? No problem, Billy, but there’s one thing..."

Billy face fell, fearing he was not getting off as easy as he’d hoped.

"My friends call me ‘Johnny.’"

To Johnny’s surprise, Billy returned a similar crooked grin before he turned around and sped off down the road.

Hmm…that wasn’t so bad, Gage. Maybe he is a good kid. Maybe no one’s just ever noticed before.

Several times after that last encounter, whenever Johnny was off-duty and happened to be outside, Billy would ride up on his bike and stop by the curb. Each time, Johnny would wave and smile. Each time, Billy would wait a few minutes, return the greeting, then ride off down the street in that continuing breakneck fashion of his.

Finally, one day, Billy got off of his bike and walked it down the driveway to where Johnny was digging out a dead bush from the front yard.

"Whatcha doin’?" he asked a surprised Johnny.

"Well, I killed this bush here so I thought I’d give it a proper burial."

"Don’t you know, when you kill something, you’re supposed to put it in a hole, not take it out?" Billy deadpanned with a poker face that would make the best of card players proud

"Well then, smart aleck, just for that, you can do the honors." Johnny handed the shovel over to Billy. To Johnny’s amusement, the boy readily took the shovel and started to dig around the bush.

It took three times longer to watch this pint-sized kid dig the bush out than it would have taken him to dig it out himself, but Johnny was not about to deprive the kid of his pride either. For some reason, he sensed that it was important to Billy to prove to himself that he could handle the job. Instead, Johnny busied himself around the immediate area so it wouldn’t look as if he was keeping an eye on him, which was exactly what he was doing.

"I GOT IT! Johnny, I got it! Look!" Billy screamed at the top of his lungs.

"You had any doubts?" Johnny asked. He smiled with pride at the boy in front of him, a very different boy than the one who had thrown that tomato at his car.

Billy beamed with excitement over his accomplishment, pleased that with the fact that Johnny thought he could handle the job on his own. Dirt covered his small body from head to toe, as was the grass around the now defunct shrub.

"Come on, Junior, let’s go get us some lemonade." Johnny put his arm around the boy’s shoulder and the two of them walked around to the back of the house where they cleaned off the layers of the dirt caked on Billy. Afterwards, they sat on the deck and refreshed themselves with two ice-cold glasses of lemonade, satisfied with a job well done.

After that day with the bush and the lemonade, whenever Billy rode by and caught Johnny outside, he always made a point to stop. Sometimes they just chatted in the driveway for a few minutes. More times than not, Billy helped Johnny with his current chore.

Johnny looked forward to seeing his new little friend and helpmate. He liked this kid, and Billy’s spirits seemed to grow with each visit.

Johnny’s job as a fireman fascinated Billy, and Johnny was more than willing to embellish story after story about his experiences on the job; his partner Roy; the other guys at the station; even the jokes that the Phantom had pulled on him.

At the station, Johnny’s exceedingly chipper attitude was apparent to the rest of the men. When Roy tried to question him about his obvious good mood, Johnny only admitted that things were ‘good.’ Of course, Roy and the rest of the guys assumed that Johnny’s increasingly improved mood was due to a new woman in his life. At the same time, they thought it odd that there were none of the usual phone calls from his new ‘mystery’ lady. Whatever the reason, Roy was enjoying the new, improved version of his partner. Even Chet’s routine pranks were not having near the effect they usually had, which exasperated the resident Phantom to no end while amusing everyone else.

Billy’s grandmother couldn’t help but notice the remarkable change in her troubled grandson. He was slowly, but surely, becoming a charming, helpful, and delightful little boy. She had assumed that his marked change in attitude was due to a new friend he might have made in the neighborhood. A couple of times Billy had slipped and mentioned the name ‘Johnny.’ Who this Johnny was and where he lived, she had no idea, but she couldn’t wait to meet the kid whom she held responsible for this welcome turn of events.

"Billy," she brought up at dinner one night, "why don’t you invite this Johnny over for dinner one night this week?"

Billy looked up at his grandmother in surprise. How did she know about Johnny? he wondered.

"Ah, I don’t think he can come, Gramma," he said simply.

"Oh nonsense, I’ll call his mother and make sure it’s okay with her, but I’m sure it will be fine." She was insistent.

"No, Gramma, I don’t think he can come." Billy buried his face in his plate, intent on the food in front of him. He was afraid that if his grandmother knew whom his friend really was that she would forbid him to see Johnny again. He had heard all about ‘Stranger Danger’ from school, though he knew Johnny was no threat to anyone, except himself maybe, on the job. Billy loved hearing Johnny’s adventurous stories and about the friendship between him and his partner, Roy. He smiled, thinking of the story Johnny had told him about trying to break in a reinforced door which promptly set him on the ground.

Billy’s grandmother noticed the smile too.

"Billy?" she asked, "What’s so funny?"

Realizing he was close to blowing the whole thing, Billy immediately wiped the smile off his face. "Nothin’, Gramma."

Billy’s grandmother eyed her grandson curiously, but decided not to push the matter. However, she was not about to give up on inviting his ‘little’ friend over for dinner. Over the next several days, she continued to persuade Billy to call his friend, but Billy continued to insist that he wouldn’t be able to make it.

Finally, Billy’s grandmother had had enough. Suspicion and doubt started to plague her mind, wondering if this ‘Johnny’ was just a figment of Billy’s imagination or a real little boy. One final time she would insist on meeting this kid or forbid Billy to see him again.

"I mean it, Billy, either you invite Johnny over for me to meet or you don’t see him again until I do." She was adamant.

Billy began to panic. Not see Johnny? She couldn’t do that! Fearing that his grandmother would do just that, Billy reluctantly agreed. He knew that Johnny was on-duty the following day, but promised he would be over the day after that. Now, he just had to figure out what to tell Johnny.

Johnny had just pulled into his driveway after his shift when Billy rode up on his bike.

"What’s wrong, Partner?" Johnny asked a little apprehensively when he noticed the troubled look on Billy’s face. He got out of his car and leaned against the door waiting for an answer.

"Oh, nothing," Billy lied.

"Well, if that’s what you look like when nothing’s wrong, I’d hate to see you when you do have a problem." Johnny frowned as he looked into Billy’s face.

"Um, are you...I mean...can you...ah..." Billy stammered.

"Can I...what?" Johnny prompted.

"Can you come over for dinner tonight?" There, he said it, though he dreaded the reply.

"Is that all?" Johnny wanted to laugh but thought better of it when he saw the expression on his face. "I’d love to!" A grin broke out on his face in spite of himself. After all, this seemed like a relatively minor request.

"You CAN?" Billy looked up in surprise.

"Sure, you had doubts? I’d loved to see your grandma again. Just name the time..."

"Um...about six?" he asked hesitantly.

"Sure thing, Junior!"

"Alright! See ya’, Pally!" Billy cried out as he spun his bike around and raced for home. Johnny smiled when he realized that Billy picked up the nickname he’d been called many times by his own partner.

Oh man! thought Johnny. Now I have to call Roy and cancel the dinner I promised at his house!

Earlier that morning, Roy had given Johnny a hard time about ignoring him and made his partner promise to come over for one of Joanne’s home-cooked meals. Readily agreeing, Johnny explained that he was just trying to improve his own cooking skills at home, with little luck. Roy had called Joanne from the station and set things in motion. It was not going to be easy to explain why he was canceling dinner, but he had to do it. He knew that everyone assumed he was having some torrid love affair and, for the sake of his reputation, continued to let them think just that. It wouldn’t be hard to continue this charade with Roy, maybe...

At six o’clock prompt, Johnny stood outside Billy’s front door with bouquet in hand for the lady of the house. He wanted to make a good impression on the grandmother, even though they had already met. Taking in a deep breath, he rang the doorbell. He felt more nervous than he ever would have imagined. This was an important night for Billy and he didn’t want to blow it.

The door opened, and Billy’s grandmother smiled when she saw the visitor on her front step.

"Why, Mr. Gage! How nice to see you again!" She seemed quite pleased to see him, which relaxed Johnny considerably.

"Hello, Mrs. Roberts, nice to see you again. These are for you." Johnny offered the fragrant flowers to his host for the evening.

"Well, aren’t you the nicest young man," she beamed. "Billy, come see who’s here!" Directing a smile at Johnny, she motioned to him to enter. "Please, do come in. Billy will be right here."

When Johnny entered the room, he immediately noticed the change in decor. Billy’s crooked little grin beamed from familiar frames, replacing many of the older photographs of the little girl. Most were recent pictures, though there were a few baby pictures of the boy mixed in as well. Johnny picked up a photo of Billy on his bike. This was a happy little boy, so unlike the boy he first met.

"It was high time to update my pictures." Billy’s grandmother smiled as she spoke.

Johnny was still holding the picture when he heard a small voice behind him.

"Hi," Billy said shyly.

"Well, hey there," Johnny answered as he set the picture back on the shelf. Billy seemed a little out of sorts, but Johnny could understand his nervousness. He had felt it himself just before he walked in.

"You’ll have to excuse me, Mr. Gage, I have something in the oven. Please sit, I’ll be right out. Billy, would you entertain Mr. Gage while I’m gone?" Billy’s grandmother exited the room, leaving Johnny and Billy to themselves.

"You okay?" Johnny asked the boy, who shook his head in reply. "Nice pictures, Kiddo. You never told me you were so photogenic!"

"Huh?" Billy looked confused.

"Photogenic...Means you take a mean picture!" Johnny laughed.

Billy relaxed when he heard Johnny’s laughter. With great pride, he showed Johnny the rest of the pictures, telling him the story behind each one. The two were deep in conversation when Billy’s grandmother returned. She stood for a moment and watched her grandson with this man. They seemed very comfortable with each other. She was pleased with Billy’s progress in relating to other people in the last few weeks and credited Mr. Gage with the change. She believed it was his initial concern over Billy’s bicycle accident that proved to the boy that there were good people in the world.

"Well, Mr. Gage, to what do we owe the pleasure?" she inquired.

"Ah...excuse me?" Johnny asked in confusion.

"Yes, is there a reason for the visit? Did Billy have another accident?" she asked with increased concern.

"Um...I’m sorry...I must have misunderstood...It was tonight, wasn’t it?" Johnny looked over at Billy who looked as if he wanted the carpet to swallow him whole.

"Tonight? I’m afraid I don’t understand. We’re expecting a little friend of Billy’s over for dinner tonight. Perhaps you know him? A boy from the neighborhood...Johnny."

Johnny narrowed his eyes as he eyed the boy sinking lower and lower. "Billy? Do you have something to tell your grandmother?" he asked pointedly.

It was Mrs. Roberts’s turn to look confused. "Billy?"

"Gramma? I’d like you to meet Johnny..." he said in a small voice.

Johnny suddenly wished he had kept that dinner invitation with the DeSoto’s, was on duty, or really was having that wild love affair everyone thought he was having. Running his hand through his hair, he sighed and smiled uncomfortably towards the woman staring at him with her mouth agape and eyes wide.

"Ah, Mrs. Roberts, I’d like to apologize. I thought you knew I was coming tonight. I mean...me...not...I mean..." Oh man!

"Mr. Gage..." she said thoughtfully, "John Gage, wasn’t it? You’re Johnny?" She looked at him as if he had grown horns, or so he thought.

"Mr. Gage..." she repeated. "I really think you need to go home now."

Sighing, Johnny nodded in agreement, then glowered at Billy. "Yea, Ma’am. I’m so sorry!" He turned and let himself out. Sitting in his car, he took hold of the steering wheel and laid his head against the steering wheel. Oh man! She’s gonna think I’m a...what did Billy call me that first day?...a ‘pervert’! Grown man hanging around with a little kid! Oh man!

On Johnny’s next shift, his abrupt change in attitude was obvious to the others. He was forever thankful that he had never told the guys about his budding friendship with this kid. They would never have let him live down the fact that a grandmother thought him a ‘pervert.’ To their credit, the guys said nothing about John’s attitude. They, including Chet, figured they would give him a little leeway in view of the ‘fact’ that he had obviously broken up with his ‘mystery lady.’ No, better to let it alone for now. There would be plenty of time, later, to tease him relentlessly.

Three days went by with no sign of Billy. Johnny knew the story wasn’t over, but he was beginning to wish that Mrs. Roberts would get the tongue lashing out of the way already. The suspense was killing him.

The doorbell rang as he sat down to eat a meal he wasn’t keen on eating. Relieved for the interruption, he quickly changed his mind when he opened the door to greet Mrs. Roberts.

"Mrs. Roberts!" he said a little too loudly and a little too quickly.

"Mr. Gage," she greeted him in return. "Do you have a few minutes?"

Nodding his reply, he held the door open as she entered. Neither one of them spoke as he led her into the living room.

Taking a deep breath, she began. "I’m afraid I owe you an apology."

"Excuse me?"

"About the other night."

"Please, you have no need to apologize to me, but I feel I owe you..." he began but Mrs. Roberts interrupted him.

"No, please, let me continue." She paused as she gathered her thoughts. "I was not a very good hostess, I’m afraid, Mr. Gage."

"Please, would you call me Johnny?"

"Johnny," she said softly. "It’s just...I was expecting another ten-year-old boy… and then you..."

"Mrs. Roberts..."

"No, please, let me finish, Mr...Johnny..." she corrected herself. "You see, I was expecting another ten-year-old boy, and then you walked in, and when I finally realized that you were the Johnny that was occupying all of my grandson’s time...well, I just...I was thrown."

Johnny felt extremely uncomfortable in his own home, but felt badly for the woman sitting in front of him, realizing she felt just as uncomfortable.

"I just never gave it a thought that this ‘Johnny’ could be anyone other than one of the neighborhood boys."

"Mrs. Roberts, let me assure you...if I’d had any idea..." Johnny wanted to tell his side of the story to relieve this woman’s mind that nothing out of the ordinary had happened while Billy was in his company.

"No, please...Johnny...you have nothing to explain. Billy and I had a long talk that night. He told me...or rather confessed...about the tomato bomb on your car, the fight in the mud, how you made him clean your car, the bush he dug out, the lemonade, and many, many other things. He told me about all about your job and the other men you work with, and someone called… the Phantom? I’m not really sure I understand that one yet, but from the looks of things, you’re the one who’s responsible for his apparent turnaround."

Johnny sat, listening intently while Mrs. Roberts tried to explain.

"Several times I had asked Billy where he spent all his free time and all he would tell me was he had met a new friend. Quite frankly, he was so happy and becoming so content, I was elated that he had found a new playmate."

Johnny smiled and was a little embarrassed at the reference, accurate though it was.

"Johnny, I want to thank you."

Johnny’s mouth dropped at the words. "Thank me? For what?"

"For being there for my grandson. For listening to him when he had no one else. For believing that he was a good kid. You said it yourself that first night. And for being his friend, in spite of his...well...first encounter with you."

"Mrs. Roberts..."

"Please, if you want me to call you Johnny, you must call me Anita." She paused to let him continue, but he was at a loss as to how to respond.

"I don’t know what to say...Anita. To tell you the truth, I half expected to be arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor."

"I could never do that, Johnny. You have made such a difference in Billy’s life in the short time you’ve known him, and for that, I am forever in your debt. I was almost to the point of turning the boy over to Social Services if I couldn’t get control of him. He was, well, you saw him at his finest. He was impossible."

Johnny shuddered at the thought of any kid who was handed over to Social Services and stuck in foster care. Not that there were not good homes in the system, but it was still tough on the kids.

"Johnny, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Ask away." He wondered what she could ask of him.

"Could you spend regular time with Billy?" she asked.

Johnny smiled. "That’s it? Well, sure, I mean, we were doing that anyway!" He was relieved to hear it was such a simple request and one he relished filling.

"Well, there’s a little more to it than that," she continued. "I’ve put Billy’s name in for a Big Brother. There’s a program in this area. Have you heard of it?"

Johnny nodded.

"Billy’s met a couple of potential candidates for a Big Brother, but never quite seemed to hit if off with any of them. And, after talking to Billy, and meeting you, I think I know the reason why..."

Johnny rubbed his hand over his chin in embarrassment. "I’m sorry, I had no idea."

"And no reason you would know. I’m sure Billy never told you."

Johnny shook his head in acknowledgement.

"Well, would you be his Big Brother, officially?" She pleaded more than asked.

"Oh, Mrs...Anita...I don’t think, I never, I mean, I was never exactly a Boy Scout myself when I was a kid. I don’t know if I could be Big Brother."

"But don’t you see? That’s what makes you so perfect. You understand a boy like Billy. You seem like the sort who remembers what it’s like to be a boy and the pitfalls they can get into."

"But we already spend time together. That doesn’t have to stop," he started to explain.

"Yes, I know, and I agree, but Billy needs...no, I need to know that you’re not going to disappear on him. I have some brochures if you could just look at them and think about it. When you commit to being a Big Brother, you agree to see the child at least once or twice a month..." she paused, hesitating a moment, afraid she might scare him off, "for a period of one to two years."

The idea of spending time on a regular basis pleased Johnny more than scared him, but he was still unsure of his qualifications for the program. Nevertheless, he took the brochures from Billy’s grandmother.

"Would it be all right if I think about it and get back to you?" he asked.

"Of course! Please, take your time. I know I’ve asked a lot of you. I really should go now. And, Johnny, thank you for listening to an old woman."

"Well, I’d hardly call you ‘old,’" he said with a grin.

"Please, Johnny, you don’t have to try to impress me. I’m already impressed. Meanwhile, please feel free to call anytime if you have any questions, and, if it’s all right with you, Billy is more than welcome to spend whatever time with you that you deem fit. Now, I must go. I’ve already taken enough of your time."

Johnny saw Mrs. Roberts to the door, and stood in the doorway long after she’d departed wondering what he’d gotten himself into this time. It sounded like a huge commitment. He just wasn’t convinced that he was up to it.

Johnny spent a sleepless night, tossing and turning, mulling over the conversation he’d had with Mrs. Roberts. When he finally got up before the sun, he fixed himself a pot of strong coffee. Sitting at the table, he fingered the brochures she’d given him. His mind was so tired at this point, he didn’t know what to think anymore. If he said yes to her proposal...what if it didn’t work out? He’d only known Billy for a short time. He was a great kid, and Johnny enjoyed spending time with him, but for now, it was on a voluntary basis. Would things change if it turned into a have-to situation? If things didn’t work out, could he disappoint the boy? Could he live with himself if he didn’t at least give it a shot?

Moaning, he went back to bed, knowing he’d get no more sleep, but he was too tired to think about it anymore, too tired to do anything.

It had been several days since Mrs. Roberts had stopped by and Johnny noticed that Billy wasn’t coming over as he had been. Worried that he might be sick, Johnny called Billy’s house. When there was no answer, he decided to drive by and see if anyone might be outside. Nearing the house, he stopped his car down the street and sat, waiting to see if there was any movement, though he couldn’t see much from his vantagepoint.

This is stupid! he scolded himself. Just go on up and see if they’re home. The worst they can do is tell you to leave.

He felt guilty that he hadn’t called the house sooner, or stopped by. He knew that Mrs. Roberts was giving him time to think about his decision, but it didn’t explain why Billy had been so conspicuously absent. Just about the time he’d decided to drive up to the house, he noticed a boy on his bicycle riding down the driveway. Billy!

Anxiously looking around, he was afraid of what Billy might think if he saw him just sitting in his car, watching from a distance. When the boy turned his bike in the other direction, Johnny sighed with relief. Well, at least he knew Billy wasn’t sick. Turning his car around in the closest driveway, Johnny headed for home.

Back at his house, he tried to get some yard work done, with little success. His mind was too preoccupied with other things to concentrate on the task at hand. Disgusted with himself, he gave up, went back to the house, and grabbed his car keys.

A nice drive in the mountains will help clear my head. It’s always worked in the past.

His car, however, seemed to have a mind of its own. Instead of heading for the hills, as Johnny had fully intended, he ended up in front of a small, grey office building. Closing his eyes for a moment, he drew a deep breath, got out of his car, and entered the main door.

A week later, Johnny and Billy were outside working together again . As they set out to replace the dead bush that Billy had dug out some time ago, Johnny’s neighbor walked over with refreshments in hand.

"Hello, boys!" she called out to the two hard workers. "Looks like you could use a bit of a treat." She smiled at the two as they grinned back at her in hungry anticipation.

"Hi, Mrs. Sutton. Man, are you a lifesaver!" Johnny smiled as he took a whiff of her fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.

"And hello to you, young man," she addressed Billy.

"Mrs. Sutton. I don’t think you’ve met my new friend. This is the boy you found for me. The one who fell on his bike outside your house." Johnny nodded over to Billy.

"I thought as much," she said as she offered the plate of cookies to the boy. Billy snatched two cookies and shoved one into his mouth.

"Billy, I’d like you to meet Mrs. Sutton. She’s trying to fatten me up!" Johnny said with a laugh as he popped a cookie in his mouth.

"Looks like it’s not working yet," Billy teased.

Johnny gave him an amused frown and then turned back to Mrs. Sutton who was smiling at the comment.

"And Mrs. Sutton, I’d like to you meet Billy Roberts, my ‘Little Brother.’ We’re official. I just signed on for a stint with the Big Brother program."

"Oh good!" Mrs. Sutton said to Johnny, "You need someone reliable to look after you." She winked in Billy’s direction and the two of them started to giggle.

Johnny placed his hand over his heart with dramatic flare and exclaimed, "Why, Mrs. Sutton! I thought that was your job!"

"Oh, you!" Mrs. Sutton waved her hand at Johnny to dismiss such a notion but all the while her face turned a light pink. "You two will do just fine together. Just cuter than bug's ears, both of you!"

Billy turned to Johnny with a quizzical expression and opened his mouth as if to say something. Johnny raised his hand to ward off the inevitable question and shook his head with a smile.

Mrs. Sutton left the plate of cookies with Johnny and Billy, leaving them to their work. Johnny grabbed the spade and handed it to Billy when an idea struck him. With his face all aglow, he asked, "So, Junior, you like baseball?"

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Guest Dispatchers                Stories by Dianne Bay