Good Hearted Ch. 02

"I am not making any promises, but I will give it some consideration. You should too. I have never been part of a gang and I have never been a leader. There would be a bunch of changes in the way you operate. But I will give you an answer Monday, same time, same place."

"That sounds fair Ethan," replied Ant. "Right guys?" They all agreed or murmured something that didn't sound like objections.

Ethan spent the rest of the period completing more of his overdue assignments. At the end of the school day, he met Alexa outside.

"I'll be done at the library around 6:40. I'll be at your house around 7:00. Will your dad be home by then?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so." Alexa still wasn't convinced this was a clever idea.

Ethan watched her walk to the end of the block, turn and smile, and then disappear. He ran the eight blocks to the library before he realized he never ran anywhere. When he pulled up, he wasn't breathing hard. Whatever was happening to Ethan, he was beginning to see the benefits.

Ethan spent the afternoon tutoring Hector in algebra. When his father arrived to walk him home, Ethan greeted him warmly. After they left, Ethan went down to the circulation desk and pushed two carts onto the dumbwaiters again. As they rose up the center of the building, Ethan sprinted up the steps. Again he realized he wasn't winded. He dashed through the stacks, instead of pushing the cart, he carried an arm's length of books. He slipped them back into place and dashed to the fifth floor. In no time he was back on the ground floor.

"Ethan, you can't possibly be done shelving those books. Are you certain you are putting them back where they belong?" asked Mrs. Walters.

"I solemnly swear that I put each and every book back where it belongs, no mistakes," he replied with a grin. "I would not break the librarian code to never incorrectly shelve a book."

"You know there's no such code!" laughed the circulation librarian.

"There should be!" chortled Ethan as he grabbed he coat and book bag. "The Helen Walters Shelve It Right Code."

"Oh you are cheeky! Good night Ethan. We will see you tomorrow," she called to his disappearing shape as it left the library.

Ethan zig-zagged through the blocks to Alexa's. He'd been to her house before, when he was in the third grade and she had a birthday party. She invited the entire class.

The house was part of a row of houses that lined the streets in this part of the neighborhood. He opened the iron gate and climbed up onto the stoop and rang the bell. Alexa opened the door.

"Hi Ethan," she whispered. "I was hoping you changed your mind." She smiled wistfully and touched his arm as he entered.

"Who is it Alexa?" came a voice from down the hallway that separated the first floor of the home into two sides.

"It's Ethan Rome," responded Alexa.

"Ethan Rome? That boy from your class? What does he want?" His voice was getting louder. Mr. Wilson appeared two doorways down, wiping his hands on a dish towel. "What do you want?" It was more a challenge than a question.

"I've come to speak to you, Mr. Wilson," replied Ethan, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.

"You have, have you? Well, come on back. I'm busy with dinner. Alexa set another place at the table, this young man looks famished. You'll join us for dinner." It wasn't a request.

"I'd be honored, sir."

"Sir huh?" replied the lawyer skeptically. "We'll see."

Wilson led the way into the kitchen and Ethan followed. Once in the kitchen, the smell of dinner was overwhelming Ethan's senses.

"What is that you are preparing?" he asked. "I've never smelled anything so wonderful before." He followed his nose to a pan simmering on the stove.

"Chicken Cacciatore. You mean to tell me you've never seen Chicken Cacciatore before?"

"No sir. My mom works nights and I usually make my own meals. We don't eat out very often." Getting take-home Chinese food was a big splurge at Ethan's, on those rare occasions he and his mother sat down for dinner together.

The look on Wilson's face began to soften. He showed Ethan what he was doing and how he used the knife to mince the garlic and parsley to add to the dish. Ethan seldom strayed far from the stove and its wonderful smell. Soon the chicken had simmered long enough, Ethan helped carry the food to the dining room across the hall.

Alexa appeared when she heard the kitchen door open. She searched Ethan's face for some kind of sign but he gave the barest of shrugs in reply. Soon they were all seated and Mr. Wilson turned to Ethan and asked if he would like to say grace.

"I'm sorry, sir. We don't say grace at our house. I don't know how to say grace." Ethan knew this wasn't a good impression to make.

"You don't? Well to be honest, neither do we. All the blessing I could ever want is in that young lady right there. Hand me your plate." Wilson heaped a generous portion of chicken in red sauce, over a huge helping of pasta. Ethan helped himself to the salad after Alexa had served herself.

"Care for a glass of wine to wash it down?" Wilson asked, waving a bottle of Italian red at Ethan's stemmed wine glass.

"No, thank you. I don't drink."

"Never?"

"No sir."

"It's impolite to refuse an offer made by your host. The proper response is to hold out your glass and say, 'Just a small glass for me, thank you.' Now would you like a glass of wine?"

Ethan held out his glass, "Just a small glass for me, if you please." Wilson poured just over two ounces in the eight-ounce glass. He poured the same for his daughter and filled his nearly full.

"Dig in."

The trio ate in silence and Ethan was glad. This was the best meal he'd had in a very long time. He savored every bite. He struggled to finish the huge portion he'd been given, but he didn't want to stop. He slowed but continued to enjoy every bite. He even managed a sip or two of wine. When he finished he realized the Wilson's were both watching him with a look of admiration.

"Well done, young man," stated Wilson. "Alexa clear the dishes, your young man has something he'd like to ask."

Alexa did as she was told and disappeared into the kitchen across from the dining room.

"Well, Mr. Rome, you've come to ask a question. Out with it."

Ethan nearly panicked. In the end, he decided the best course was direct and straightforward.

"Mr. Wilson, I've come to ask your permission to take your daughter on a date." He raised his eyes to meet those of her father and waited from the explosion that was about to come.

"Ethan, before I give you my answer, I am going to ask you a few questions. Fair enough?"

"Yes sir," he replied evenly, wondering what kind of questions he was about to be asked.

"Are you a good student?" he started.

"Yes sir," Ethan replied without any boast.

"Do you have a job?" Wilson continued.

"Yes sir," Ethan replied without embellishment.

"Why do you want to take my daughter on a date?" he asked evenly.

Ethan was caught flat-footed. He tried to think of the right answer to the question.

"Well sir, I've never been on a date before. I've always been shy around girls. I've never even asked one out before. Alexa is the only girl who I would even consider asking on a date."

"Even if her father is an over-protective bear who would like nothing more than to tear anyone limb from limb when they ask for permission to date his daughter?" His question was more of a veiled threat. "One last question. Did you nearly kill a gang-banger last night?"

"No sir. But I did break both his arms and both his legs," Ethan admitted.

"Was that supposed to be funny?" asked Wilson, unimpressed with Ethan's nonchalance.

"No sir. It's what happened. He and his gang were going to kill me to keep me from testifying against their members who jumped an old man and then jumped me in an alley not far from here."

"I know all about that, Mr. Rome. I am the prosecutor who is going to put those three in jail for two counts of attempted murder." He paused before he gave his answer. "You are an honest young man, I can appreciate that. You have a good heart and I can appreciate that too. But this is my only daughter and letting her go, even for a moment, is a big step for me. To let her go on a date with someone who appears to attract trouble with gangs wouldn't be wise at all, would it."

Ethan said nothing. He prayed Alexa's father was asking a rhetorical question. So far, he hadn't heard yes or no.

"I'll permit you to take her on ONE date, to a place I approve of, for a duration I approve of, on the day and time I approve of. And that will be after I am certain you are free and clear of the gang that's after you."

The door from the kitchen burst open and Alexa came flying across the hall and leapt into her father's lap. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

"Oh Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! You've made me the happiest young woman in the city!" Wilson couldn't help but smile. He glanced over her shoulder to Ethan.

"If she's ever less than this happy after a date with you, they won't find enough of you to bury."

Ethan smiled thinly and nodded in agreement.

"Yes of course, sir. Thank you, Mr. Wilson," he said standing up. "I should be going. I still have some homework to catch up on. I'll come back again when I am prepared to ask Alexa on a date and then you can finish laying down the rules. Good night. I'll show myself out."

They insisted on walking him to the door. Alexa walked him to the gate. Before she let him go, she pulled him close and put a demure peck on his cheek.

"Ethan, I am so proud of you! And so happy for us! I can't wait. I'll hardly be able to sleep tonight I am so excited!" Ethan wished her good night and that he hoped she slept well. Then he turned into the chilly night, the chill that didn't seem to reach him anymore, and jogged towards home.

As Ethan jogged, he took a moment to realize that he wasn't really a jogger. And the jogging didn't seem to tire him. He sped up. He covered the blocks easily with a loping stride. Still he didn't tire. He hardly increased his respiration. He ran flat out, stoops and trees flashed by as he ran through pools of light and spans of darkness. He felt exhilarated. This must be part of the inheritance that Zefs had promised.

"Help me! Help me! Somebody please help me!" Ethan skidded to a stop. He heard a voice but he couldn't tell what direction it had come from. "Oh my God! I don't want to die like this! Why won't someone come?" Ethan looked all directions in a panic. The voice seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Ethan lowered his head and closed his eyes. He tried to concentrate on where the cries for help originated. He slowly turned around, hoping to hear another clue. He was certain that somewhere a woman was in trouble. "Leave me alone! LEAVE ME ALONE! Just go away!"

There it was again. Ethan crossed the street and pulled on the door to an apartment building. It was locked tight. He was certain that the woman in trouble was behind the door. He wished he could get to her. In desperation, he grabbed the handle and yanked. The door burst open. Ethan ran past the row of brass mailboxes to a doorway under the stairs. He pulled it open and plunged down a staircase into the darkness below. He could hear muffled cries below. When he reached the bottom of the stairs he could see a man in a dark hoodie holding a blonde girl down with his body. He was struggling to take her pants off and hold his hand over her mouth at the same time.

"SHUT UP, BITCH! Just take it and I'll let you live. If you keep yelling, I am going to crush your fucking throat!"

Ethan grabbed the man by his hood and yanked him off of the terrified girl. His mind was a maelstrom of rage. His fist flashed out of the darkness and struck the attacker in the throat. The girl saw her attacker's eyes grow wide as he realized the blow had crushed his windpipe. She watched as he struggled to breathe. She could see he only had minutes to live. She screamed.

The scream penetrated the rage controlling Ethan and brought him back to reality. He looked at the dying rapist with no emotion at all. The man had brought this fate on himself when he attacked an innocent. Ethan felt justice was being served. Ethan looked at the girl.

"Is he dead?" she asked in a breathless whisper.

"Not yet. Soon. Do you want to tell him anything before he departs this earth and descends into the hell he has bought with his actions?" Ethan was propping up the man now, keeping him from collapsing.

"Does... Does he have to die?" she asked with more concern than the man deserved.

"No, I suppose not," Ethan answered after a brief reflection. "But I suspect the world is better off if his story ends here."

"Please mister, if you can save him, would you? Please?" She was begging mercy for a man who had shown her none. Ethan felt something in his heart for her. He whispered into the dying man's ear.

"You will live. You will never attack another human being again. You will spend the rest of your life attempting to be worthy of the gift she is giving you. From now on, you will serve only others. You will never think of yourself first. You will live a life of redemption and celibacy. Should you ever disobey my command, I will know. No matter where you go, no matter how much time passes, I will know. And when I catch up to you again, I won't kill you quickly. I will end your life so slowly, so painfully, I will make you beg for death a thousand years before I send you to hell." Ethan grabbed the man's throat with his right hand and immediately he took in great breaths. The rapist wretched and spewed his stomach's contents on the dirty basement floor. He fell to his knees sobbing.

"I'm so sorry!" he said through spasms of sobs and pain. "I am so sorry." Ethan took the woman by the hand and guided her out of the basement and out of the building.

"Are you ok? Where do you live?" She gave him the address. Ethan walked her home. On the way he introduced himself and she introduced herself as Carrie Church. She thanked him profusely for coming to his aid and begged him to let her do something to show her appreciation. He refused he offers and watched her as she finally relented to go inside and shut the door. When he heard it lock, he turned back towards home. In a few strides he was running. Running and wondering how he had heard the girls screams so clearly when she was trapped in the cellar of that apartment building, being smothered by her attacker.

Ethan nearly ran past his own building before he broke his reverie and his stride. He mounted the stairs quickly and emptied his books onto the table in the kitchen. Ten minutes later he was deep into the last of his past due assignments.

Ethan felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Ethan honey, you should go to bed," his mother said softly. "You fell asleep at the table. You are doing too much, honey. You should slow down. You've only been out of the hospital a few days."

"Mom, tell me about my father," he said as he pulled her down to a chair at the table. "I only remember he left when I was young, and I don't remember what he looked like."

"Ethan, the man you remember as a youngster wanted to be your dad," she began.

"Wanted to be? You mean he wasn't?" Ethan had a sinking feeling in his stomach.

She shook her head no. "He was a good man, and he wanted to be a good father. But one day he changed his mind and left. I never saw or heard from him again."

"What about the old man? He told me he knew my father."

"What old man?" she asked.

"He said is name was Zefs. He said it was an old family name," Ethan explained.

The look on her face told Ethan she knew the old man. "You've met him? You've met Zefs?" He nodded. "Zefs knows your father very well."

"Do you mean my father is still alive?" he blurted out.

"Yes I suppose he is." She looked at her hands. Ethan waited for more information but she wasn't giving him any.

There were so many questions and Ethan didn't know where to start.

"I know you have a thousand questions, but you need to get a couple hours of sleep before school and I am dead tired. We can talk about this on Saturday. You need to get to bed. Now go!"

Ethan rose and followed his mother's order. When he got to bed, he was certain he wouldn't be able to sleep but he was wrong. He went to sleep like struck by a thunderbolt and drifted into dreamless slumber.

In the morning Ethan went through his waking routine on auto-pilot. It was only when he checked on his sleeping mother that he remembered her revelation. He looked down on her sleeping form and for the first time looked at her as a woman. He imagined what she was like when she was younger. As a woman, Ethan could see why men found her attractive. She was attractive. Her scantily clad shape exposed without covers showed promising curves and dips. As he looked at her, Ethan felt a strange arousal. He blushed and step across the room and covered his mother modestly. And then he quietly left, guilty for having sexual thoughts about his mother.

The jog to school cleared his mind and as he approached the outdoor commons, he thought only of Alexa Wilson. His heart swelled with affection. He spied her waiting near the door.

"Ethan, you were so brave last night. No one has ever come to our house and fit right in with my father before. I was afraid it was an act. Ethan, what's wrong?" She could see he was a thousand miles away. She reached up and stroked his cheek. Her gentle touch brought him back to the present. He told her about the night before. Then he told her everything else since the attack in the alley. When he finished, the bell sounded and everyone filed in. He left out a few details, particularly where Becky Hearn took part.

"We will talk more at lunch," she promised, pulling him down and giving him a peck on the cheek. "So much has been happening around you, we can surely figure out a way to make sense of it."

Ethan spent the morning turning in his completed assignments from his time in the hospital. In between classes he noticed that the mood of the high school had changed. Students he didn't know where smiling at him, offering casual greetings, being more, well, polite. It wasn't only Ethan that students were being politer to, they were politer to each other. The normal tension between cliques of students seemed to have lessened or disappeared altogether. Ethan put it down to just another bizarre occurrence that had to have some logical reason.

When he entered the cafeteria for his lunch with Alexa, Ethan took note that many of the implied boundaries were being flaunted. Athletes were sitting nearer to math nerds, hair chicks were conversing with the goth chicks. Gang bangers were, where were they? Ethan wondered. The football players were laughing and talking to other students like the old friends they used to be, instead of overprivileged assholes.

Ethan pulled up his customary seat across from Alexa and shifted his focus onto her. Even Alexa was different. She had her hair pulled back and held in a clip behind her head. Ethan even detected a little makeup around her eyes. Instead of a sweatshirt, Alexa was wearing a button front shirt with the top two buttons undone. It wasn't exactly showing off her cleavage, but for Alexa it was as racy as he could remember seeing her.

"You look so beautiful, Alexa. Glowing. Like there's a light inside that's leaking out," he stated after taking her all in.

"I feel like there's a light inside me Ethan. I can't help it if it leaks out," she admitted with a giggle.

Ethan didn't want to hope that she was glowing for the same reason he was glowing. He said nothing. Alexa continued.

"Of course it's because of you Ethan. I've had a crush on you for forever. But now it's different. Now it feels like all my dreams are coming true. My dad even acted, well, normal at breakfast this morning. I didn't get a three-minute reminder speech to hurry straight home after school. In fact, when I asked if I could go to the library after school to work on my homework he said it would be fine, as long as I had someone to walk me home after. Would you walk me home after?"