Broken Justice: Book I of the Justice Files by Ralph Gibbs

Author:Ralph Gibbs [Gibbs, Ralph]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-03-16T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 32

Danica, dressed in her father’s trooper shirt, sat on the red brick steps of her parent’s house and up against the long black iron railing. She was sipping a large glass of sweet ice tea in the late hot afternoon sun, watching a group of young boys and girls play basketball on one side of the cul-de-sac while a group of younger children played hopscotch on the other. The laughter, encouragement, teasing and the occasional curse, followed quickly by the enviable scolding from a nearby adult, made it seem to her as if this were any ordinary summer day. Add a bit of fireworks and it could easily have been an Independence Day celebration.

In some ways, it was a celebration. Over the last week, heavy storms kept the growing community indoors. The storms, wind and rain were so intense that many feared the coast had been hit with a hurricane which was now rushing inland. Danica had to admit, due to the time of the year, it was a possibility, yet history was on their side. Situated two hundred miles from the ocean, Charlotte had only once been menaced by a hurricane. However, the same could not be said of the effects of hurricanes. Just because a hurricane didn’t directly cross your path didn’t mean it couldn’t indirectly kill you. Wild storms, tornadoes, flooding and falling trees were just some of what a hurricane could whip up to make sure you had a bad day. Now, with the children laughing and playing under clear the skies, everyone seemed to be in a celebratory mood.

Across the yard, Toscana and Matthew tended three large pots of stew cooking over several propane grills. Toscana, wearing a short yellow flowered sun dress that showed off her black underwear and bra beneath, dipped a wooden spoon in the stew and sipped the concoction. She dipped again and placed the spoon next to Matthew’s lips.

“Blow,” she said. Matthew did as commanded, then took an offered sip. “What do you think?”

“Needs salt,” he said reaching for a bottle.

“Next bottle to the right,” Toscana said. “That’s the pepper.” Matthew corrected himself and handed over the salt. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said smiling.

“Always so polite,” she said as she cupped his chin playfully.

Since returning to the housing complex, Toscana and Matthew formed a close bond. Danica was heartened to see the two get along so well and, truth be known, relieved. The fact was, she felt uncomfortable around Matthew because she didn’t know how to deal with his blindness and she always thought she was going to do something wrong. She felt inadequate to the task of caring for the boy and knew it.

“Know your limitations,” her father always told her. She did, and this was one of them. Toscana’s and Matthew’s connection was not an uncommon development. The community now consisted of nearly forty people and fair number of them were children. A rare few were from other parts of the neighborhood, but most were discovered in their search of the city for children.

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