Adnan's Triad

The first call Sara made was to Joe. “Hi honey, do you remember that dream I’ve been having about a fire?” “Yes, the one with the kid from the feed store?” “That’s the one.” “Oh, no,” Joe sighed. “Yep. The poor guy lost his home, his uncle, and everything he owned.” “Oh that sucks,” Joe said. “I brought him here.” “To the house? To OUR house?” “Yep.” “Are you nuts? You brought a strange kid to our house? He could rob or murder us! Or both.” “Yes, he could, but I don’t think so. He has nowhere to go. His uncle died in the fire. He has no coat, nothing but the clothes on his back. The poor guy couldn’t even take a shower. I think of all the people who have let me use their showers over the years when I was hitchhiking, and homeless. Bringing him here was the right thing to do. Besides, if he stole something, where would he take it? Under a bridge? I’ll keep an eye on him. He could be a smooth con man, or diabolical axe murderer, but I don’t think so. And IF I am wrong and he is an axe murderer, you can pay off the house with the insurance money, sell the movie rights to the appropriate TV channel, and take your new girlfriend to Vegas. Listen, I’m going to call around and see if I can find where they took his uncle’s body.” “Okay. Great. I got to get back to work anyway. Be careful, Sara. And remember, if he kills you, I will give all your chickens to the colonel as fryers.” “Love you, bye,” she said tenderly. “Love you, bye,” he replied. There was one crematory listed in the phone book, so that is where Sara started. She talked to the fella for a few minutes and learned that the hospital did have a morgue. She called them next. That is where she found the remains of James Thomas Elkhart. She remembered a thrift store that gave victims of fire free clothes and she called them. The thrift store lady told her they required a letter from the fire marshal as proof that Adnan was a fire victim so she called the fire marshal, too. After the calls, she took a loaf of bread out of the freezer, made a couple large mugs of steaming herbal tea and set them on the dining table hoping the gesture would comfort him. She moved a box of tissues to the side table, in case it didn’t. Looking around the kitchen, she searched for anything else that might help him to feel better, but empty egg cartons, olive oil, and raw pasta offered no solace. A clean Adnan opened the bathroom door and was startled when he spotted the mean reincarnated-Doberman cat, Darius, sitting in the hallway growling at him with one paw raised and claws out ready to strike at the nearest human body part. “Down, Darius,” he said hopefully, but the cat didn’t obey. Adnan stepped back and leaped across the area of the hall where Darius was standing guard. Sara watched as Adnan quickly emerged from the hallway carrying his dirty clothes in a bundle in one hand and his new toothbrush in the other. The blue sweat shirt she had given him ended above his belly button and the grey sweat pants ended high above his ankles. And, yes, his bare feet really were big enough to fill his boots. On any other day, she would have had a good laugh at the sight, but not today. “Are you warm enough?” she asked. “Yes, thank you. Thanks for the shower and everything. How much do I owe you?” “Nothing. It was just a shower.” She led him into the dining room. The curtains and table cloth were of a gold color that matched the walls. Even the mugs of tea had little gold flowers and butterflies along the rim. “Here have a seat. I made some herb tea. My own homegrown blend.” She pulled out a chair for him. “Are you hungry? Can I make you something to eat?” “No thanks,” he replied as he watched for the mean cat to emerge from the hallway.