Sendoff

“There’s a hole in my stomach…,” the boy, maybe ten, said weakly.

“Oh, that. It’s OK – they’s so happy you made it through the crash, they gonna throw you a party,” the grizzled homeless man said. Taking off his dirty jacket, he laid it over the young man’s abdomen. “You ate too much for lunch, gotta let some out – can’t go to no party on a full belly... Where ya gonna put all the cake?”

“A party? Will there be a trampoline? No girls, though, right?” A slight smile cracked the blood crusted on Eddie's face.

“No girls, promise.” Nodding, Booker's tangled gray beard bounced on his chest as he reached for the boy’s hand.

“Where’s mommy?”

“That’s why nobody else here, they all getting ready. I’m not s’posed to say, but gonna be a really nice party. They aksed me to stay so you don’t find out before you s’posed to. Promise you won’t tell ‘em I told?”

“I won’t. I smell smoke…”

“Can’t have no party without candles. Heard there might even be fire-breathing dragons!”

“I’m so cold…,” Eddie whispered softly.

“They left the freezer open getting the ice cream. They be closing it soon.”

“It’s so hard to see…”

“Surprise party. That’s why they didn’t want me saying nothin’. You know how it works – they turn off the lights, everybody gots to hide.”

“Where’m I gonna hide?” Eddie’s voice was barely audible now.

“You kidding, boy? You the guest of honor! All you gots to do is lay there and take it all in…”

“I’m tired…”

“Good, rest - save your energy for the party, y’know?”

The old man saw the boy hadn’t heard him. Making the sign of the cross, he pulled the jacket higher, covering the child’s face as the approaching sirens wailed in the distance.