Page 5 of Oleander

“You guys are the ones that pulled it together. The station house, the trucks, the equipment, all of it is amazing. I couldn’t have chosen better gear myself.”

“Any calls yet?” asked Luke.

“A few. Mostly the elderly in the area. Some just plain lonely. We’ve been installing all the smoke detectors and carbon dioxide monitors. A lot of these old houses didn’t have them. Folks were definitely glad we did it.”

“We should have done it sooner,” frowned Eric.

“You boys have had a lot of other priorities,” smirked Mike. “It’s done now and we’ll make sure to check on them regularly.”

“How about the rescue boats? Are they working for you?” asked Luke. Mike laughed, shaking his head.

“Luke, you gave us a rescue boat that’s faster than the Coast Guard’s main vessel. The fire suppression marine boat is top of the line. We couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Luke stared at all the men and women seated before them. They all wore dark blue cargo pants, steel-toed work boots for protection and dark blue t-shirts with the BFFD logo on it.

“We’re happy to have all of you here,” said Luke. “Please don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know if you need anything at all.” There were only smiles and head nods in the audience. Luke and the others shook hands with Mike and mingled with the new crews for a few minutes. When they left the entire room let out a big sigh.

“What’s wrong?” asked Mike.

“We know who those men are,” said Wilder. “They’re legends. All of them.”

“Yeah,” nodded Roderick, “but those are the most humble legends I’ve ever met.”

“Believe me,” smiled Mike, “they put their pants on one leg at a time, just like you and me. Okay, we’ve got some more details to work through and then we’ll break. Let’s do this.”

CHAPTER THREE

Roderick leaned forward, staring at the squares lit up on the television screen. It was phrase, six words, and there were only three letters found. There was only one ‘r’ and the contestant had bought an ‘e’. There five ‘e’s.

“This one is tough Ms. Martin,” he said frowning at the screen. She laughed and shook her head.

“You’re The Apple of my Eye.” Roderick stared at the screen then back at the older woman. Five spins later, the contestant got the puzzle as well.

“No way,” he frowned. “Is this show a rerun. Are you cheating me out of my quarters, Ms. Martin?” The old woman laughed, her loose dentures causing a hissing sound when she did.

“Son, I was a high school English teacher. Don’t test my knowledge,” she laughed. Roderick stood and shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Well, I have to get back to the station, Ms. Martin. Thank you for the banana bread. I’ll be sure to share with the team at the station house. Did you need anything else?”

“No, no,” she said shaking her head. “I’m just fine. I appreciate the company Roderick, truly. You’re a good young man.”

“Obviously not as good as you,” he chuckled rubbing his shaved bald head. Roderick was part of the Creole population of south Louisiana. His heritage was a mix of African, Spanish, French, and Caribbean. He knew that women found him attractive but he never once used that to his advantage. He was raised better.

His honey-golden skin, amber eyes, and tall lean body was appealing to most females. The problem for Roderick was that he didn’t want ‘most’ females. He wanted one and only one and until that one came along, he would remain single.

“I’m off tomorrow, Ms. Martin but I’ll come by the day after,” he said giving her hug at the door.

“Don’t rush to me,” she said waving him off. “I got my Roderick fix, I’ll be just fine for a few days.”

He just laughed, waving at her as he got into the department’s red pick-up truck. Mike knew that he often took it to visit the elderly on the fringes of their district. He saw it as an act of community service and encouraged all of the men and women to do it if they felt the need.

By the time Roderick returned to the station house, dinner was prepared and being placed on the table. A huge pot of goulash. The smell of the smoky paprika and tomato sauce made his stomach growl involuntarily.

Walter was the chef today. He’d made it with a Cajun twist. Instead of just ground beef, he used a combination of beef, venison, pork, and ground andouille sausage. It was a fan favorite.

Hot loaves of French bread were taken from the oven and the team sat for a well-deserved meal together.

“How was Ms. Martin?” asked Jeremiah.