Lee Fitts Read online

  “Which one of these bozos is Dan Calvert?” Jim Fitts asked as he scoured the crowd.

  His father’s words made Lee’s arms and legs lifeless. He tried to move his mouth to speak but the only words he heard came from Ellie.

  “Dad, I told you coming over here how important this is to Lee. You assured me you would be on your best behavior.” Ellie’s voice lowered and as a trainer giving the reluctant lion one last chance to perform, she whispered to her father that they would leave if he didn’t keep his word. His body jerked when she squeezed his waist.

  “I told you not to do that,” Jim Fitts said as he freed himself from his daughter’s grip and sulked toward the coolers of soda. Rev. Taylor had seen everything; he turned away and walked quickly toward the pavilion.

  “Why did you bring him Ellie?” Lee asked.

  “He insisted, and I was afraid that if we didn’t bring him, he’d get a few beers and come over himself.”

  “We’ll keep an eye on him Lee, you just do what you have to,” D.H. said.

  “Thank you D.H. I have to watch for Andy Herman and Dan Calvert and start the theme from Rocky as soon as I see him. I have never met Dan Calvert so when I see Andy, I’m going to take a quick look at this poster just to make sure it is Dan Calvert then start the tape.”

  “You’ll do fine Lee. We’ll be over by the soda,” Ellie said.

  It wasn’t long before Lee saw Andy’s car. Andy got out, the other door opened. Lee saw the man with Andy and looked at the poster, then the man –now. Lee hit the button and the music started, people turned and some started clapping. Andy and the man with him started to wave. As Lee looked back to see the now cheering crowd, he saw Sanford running towards him, arms flapping fast enough for take-off. Then the one wing stopped and started a slicing motion across Sanford’s throat.

  “What are you doing? What are you doing?” Sanford said still doing the slicing motion across his throat.”

  “I am playing the Rocky theme song. You told me to play the Rocky theme when Andy and Dan Calvert got here.”

  “That’s right,” Sanford said hitting the button to stop the music. But for the love of God man, that’s not Dan Calvert, that’s his brother Dean Calvert.”

  Lee looked at the poster and then at the man with Andy. Same salt and pepper hair neatly trimmed, same sharp nose. It was the eyes, there was no way the eyes of the man in the poster were those of the man who had with Andy now reached the pavilion. Andy waved Sanford towards him and jabbed at the ground twice. Lee looked for Reid and Luis, and Lope. He didn’t see them.

  “No more Rocky theme song. Got it? No more! I’m going to wait for Dan and bring him in. Do not play Rocky!” Sanford said shaking his head gravely, as if the campaign had sustained a fatal blow.

  “I will not play Rocky.” Lee saw Reid and Luis and Lope. They were laughing. Lee wondered if he were still Reid’s best friend, then saw Sanford trying again to initiate flight. It was Mrs. Plennington’s Mustang. Unless there were another Calvert brother, Dan Calvert was sitting in the passenger seat with Mrs. Calvert in the back. They were soon in front of the pavilion. Mrs. Plennington waved. She wore a strapless dress with huge pink and blue flowers and a finely-textured straw hat with narrow ribbons matching her dress. Dan Calvert pointed her way as if to acknowledge that more eyes had been on her than on him.

  Just as Lee wondered if he would actually get to meet Dan Calvert, Mrs. Plennington motioned to Lee to come over. Dan Calvert was shaking hands and back-slapping as he began to move into the crowd. When Lee reached them, she grabbed Dan Calvert’s arm.

  “Dan,” she said, “Let me introduce you to Lee Fitts; he’s one of the hardest workers you have and he’s been out representing you exceptionally well.”

  “He has? Well then, Lee, put it there,” Dan Calvert said as his hand darted out on its own looking for yet another shake to consummate.

  Lee looked at Mrs. Plennington as if to make sure someone was witnessing this handshake. “I am very proud to be part of your campaign team,” Lee said.

  “Well, I’m proud to have you, Lee. If Audrey says you’re doing a good job, that’s a fine compliment. She’s been a strong supporter.” Dan Calvert’s hand had disengaged and it readied itself for –zap – it had found another hand.

  Mrs. Plennington smiled at Lee and continued on with Dan Calvert while Mrs. Calvert advanced on a group by the barbecue grill.

  “Looks like you finally got to meet the big man,” Reid said. “What do we do if we want to meet him, just go up to him or what?”

  “Yes, Reid, you and Luis and Lope should just walk up to him. I know Dan Calvert will shake your hand,” Lee said as he looked at Dan Calvert whose hand was zap, zap, zapping like a machete through the brush.

  “Okay, let’s go,” Reid said. “What’s he saying?”

  “Lope thought we should get something to eat first; he’s afraid they’re going to run out,” Luis said.

  “Tell him there’s plenty of food, let’s go shake hands first.”

  Lee looked for Sanford. He hoped he wasn’t still mad about the Rocky theme song. Lee wasn’t sure what he should be doing at this point in the rally. He saw Sanford over with Dan Calvert. It looked like they were discussing some papers Sanford had in his hands. Sanford seemed to be losing patience because Dan Calvert kept getting interrupted by other people.

  “Lee.”

  Lee turned toward the sound of a voice he knew but had never heard that way. “Christie. It is good to see you; I am so glad you could come to our rally. I mean, I did not think you even knew about it.”

  “Oh, we had one of the posters in the spa window and every time anyone went into Audrey’s office this week she was on the phone talking to someone about the rally. I can’t stay long, but I thought I’d see if you were here and say hello.”

  A slight breeze nicked the edges of the leaves on the tree behind Christie. The wind fluttered against her hair and skirt.

  “I am so glad you came. We have burgers and hot dogs and soda. Would you like some burgers and hot dogs and soda?”

  “No Lee. I already ate. You wouldn’t want me to get fat, would you? Why don’t I take a rain check.” She realized quickly Lee might not know what a rain check was. “You know, maybe I’ll take you up on your offer some other time.”

  “I would like you to have a rain check. Does that mean we would go out on a date?”

  The wind continued to flutter at her hair and skirt. “Yes,” she said, just short of a giggle she had not expected. “We can go out on a date, but I have to run now. Call me at work.”

  “I will call you at work, Christie.” Lee’s eyes followed her quick steps up the path and away from the pavilion. Behind his back, Audrey glared. Lee thought this day, the day of the rally, might be the happiest day of his life.

  “Can you hear me Lee? Lee?”

  “I am sorry Ellie. I did not see you.”

  “I wanted you to know that Dad left. We wanted him to stay and drive him home but he said he wanted to walk. He really ate though, two hot dogs and two hamburgers. It was good to see him eat. But he was complaining to the guy serving the ice cream that they should have had other flavors besides vanilla. Matter of fact we heard several other people saying the same thing. It was good ice cream though. Was that Christie Veit you’ve been staring at?”

  “I did not know I was staring. She wanted to see how the rally was going and she had to leave and she wants me to call her.”

  “Smooth operator there, Lee,” D.H. said.

  “I haven’t seen her in a long time, She’s a very attractive young lady. I remember you had a crush on her when you were in junior high school,” Ellie said.

  “She smiled at me first,” Lee said. “And today she smiled at me the same way.”

  “I remember Mom really liked her and spent long hours at the Veit’s house after Christie lost her brother. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go back to that day. It was tough for all of us. That’s why with Dad, I know how he gets
sometimes. His world just changed so much that day and he’s never been able to get back on his feet. He doesn’t mean some of those things he says to you. He gets so angry; I don’t know if he even knows how angry he gets. He has a son and daughter who love him. And I know he’s drinking too much. His hand was shaking today when I held it. But Mom said his world was changing even before that day. Your accident just pushed him over the edge. I’m sorry Lee, I’m going on here. Sometimes it just comes out of nowhere.”

  “Ellie, I do not want to talk about the accident and hear about changes and how I am different now. You know it is hard for me to remember old things.”

  “I know, I’m sorry Lee. But, you did remember Christie Veit’s smile.” Ellie put her arm around her little brother. “Lee this is a very nice rally and you should have heard all the nice things Mrs. Plennington was saying about you and what a good worker you were. She said that right in front of Dan Calvert when she introduced us to him. We’re going to go. Call me tomorrow.”

  “Are you going to listen to Dan Calvert’s speech? I think he will be giving his speech very soon.”

  “No, we’ve got to get going. Love you Lee.”

  “Bye Lee. Don’t eat too many hot dogs,” D.H. said.

  “I will make sure I do not D.H. Good bye everybody. Love you.”

  Towards the top of the field two boys throwing a football stopped so Ellie and D.H. could walk past them. Lee watched, noticing that the older boy threw a perfect spiral pass, and then another; all the passes were perfect. And when the other boy ran to catch the ball, the older boy’s pass seemed lofted in a trajectory just like that of the rock Reid threw years ago when he hit the squirrel sitting in the oak tree just down the way. Reid said he never thought he’d hit a squirrel. The older boy threw several more passes. He could have wiped out all the squirrels in the park if he wanted to, Lee thought. Lee looked at his foot and then at the pavilion. Calculations started whirring inside his head.

  “Amen,” came Rev. Taylor’s voice suddenly. Lee hadn’t heard anything before that.

  “Sorry, having a little trouble with the PA system,” Andy Herman said, as Sanford fiddled with some switches on the control board. The theme song from Rocky blared out then cut off. Lewis Talley pressed several buttons and the sound system did what it was supposed to. Lee thought Lewis Talley might have learned that during all his years with the Boy Scouts.

  Andy Herman welcomed everyone to the rally and then introduced a well-tanned man in a striped, short-sleeve shirt who read from a list of good things about Dan Calvert. The man said he knew Dan Calvert since when they were in kindergarten.

  The man started clapping and said, “And now I’d like to introduce our next councilman, Dan Calvert.”

  Lee heard only applause and cheers. Sanford must have changed his mind. He had told Lee they would play the Rocky theme song after Dan Calvert was introduced.

  Mrs. Plennington and the other sponsors were standing behind Dan Calvert as he walked up to the microphone. He waved to one side of the crowd and then to the other, then he started waving at will.

  “Friends! Friends! Thank you so very much for an introduction as warm as our weather. I hope you get plenty of that good ice cream back there. Andy Herman, my good campaign manager here, has just told me that in response to popular demand, we’ve gotten some other ice cream flavors. Hope you enjoy them.” The manager of the ice cream store was waving his scooper. Sanford just looked upward.

  “Friends, I come here today asking for your help, not for me, but for our good city. I’m only the means to help our city and I want you to join me in never forgetting that. Your vote is not for me; it’s for our city. My opponent has something different in mind. He wants you to vote for him. That’s a major difference.”

  Dan Calvert seems to be a very unselfish man, Lee thought. He would rather have his supporters vote for the city instead of him. Lee was glad he was working for that type of man. Dan Calvert’s subsequent words collapsed in Lee’s ears. Something hard caught the muscle next to his shoulder blade and Lee grimaced as he turned around.

  “And furthermore, friends . . .”

  “Friends, my ass. Kick the ball, Lee. Go on kick the damn ball.”

  “Dad. Ellie said you left. Why did you throw that football at me?”

  “Yeah, I left,” Jim Fitts said as he half-staggered toward his son. Had some business to tend to. But walking back, I said to myself, I don’t want to miss that clown Dan Calvin give his big speech.”

  “Dad, you cannot talk so loud. His name is Dan Calvert,” Lee said, visibly anxious as several people near him started to stare at his father.”

  “Who gives a rat’s ass what his name is?”

  “And friends, your vote for me, I mean the city, the city will . . .”

  “I’m just telling you one thing Lee. What the hell you looking at?” Jim Fitts snarled at an elderly man who quickly turned away. “I’m telling you one thing Lee, kick the football. I told those two boys over there that gave me the ball, that they’d see one hell of a kick. I know you don’t give a damn about me. Everything I was doing for you and then all you would ever say after that day was you don’t want to kick the football. I pleaded with you and all you ever said was no. Well, what about those kids over there. I told them they would see someone kick the football like they wouldn’t believe. You going to make a liar of your old man? Go on, the older boy is all set to hold for you.”

  Lee froze, afraid even to try to work out the cramp in his shoulder. More people were staring. Mrs. Plennington looked at Lee; Andy Herman did also.

  “And I know that with your support; well, we’ll make a great team as we work to make this city a . . .”

  “KICK THE BALL!!”

  “That’s a good one. That’s the spirit. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do. If you’ll help me; if you’ll hold that ball for me, I’ll kick the ball right between the goal post and on to victory in November.”

  Rev. Taylor had reached Jim Fitts’ side and began to place his shepherd’s arm around a troubled member of his flock. It was a struggle to keep Jim Fitts steady, but the reverend’s arm seemed to initially have a calming effect on him.

  “Together we’ll get that ball where it’s supposed to go. Thank you. Thank you for your support.” Dan Calvert was clearly fired up and so was the crowd. Andy Howard smiled and clapped.

  “What’s he saying?”

  “Lope wants to know who the drunk was making the noise back there.”

  Reid turned. “Holy shit, it’s Lee’s father.”

  Reid moved quickly past people wearing Calvert for Council badges and toward his friend. Luis and Lope followed.

  “Friends, friends, there’s so much we can do if we work together, put our shoulders to the wheel and make this city a place to be proud of again,” Dan Calvert said as he regained the crowd’s attention.

  Reid didn’t want Jim Fitts to see him and Rev. Taylor seemed to have the situation under control. Reid knew that if Lee’s dad saw him, Jim Fitts would start again. Reid stopped, ready to help if need be. Luis and Lope stood behind him.

  “Jim let’s take a little walk. I haven’t seen you in so long. I think about you often and well, I’d like to catch up on things,” Rev. Taylor said as he gave the stone-still Lee the slight “it’s okay nod and wink.”

  “I’ve got nothing to say to you Warren. I think I made myself pretty clear about how I feel about you and your church.” The sight of Warren Taylor had sobered up Jim Fitts much as if he’d been thrown into an icy pond.

  “. . . and thank you again for joining us today. It’s on to . . . ” Dan Calvert formed a wiggling V with his fingers, “Victory.” The crack of Jim Fitts’ outburst had melted away much like the remaining vanilla ice cream.

  “Now Jim,” Warren Taylor said as they headed in the opposite direction of those leaving the rally. “I know we spoke at great length back then and I thought you were beginning to understand, or least accept what had happened. Remember
how we talked about the parents that lost their children that day? Remember how we spoke about your blessing, about how your son was spared?”

  “Save your breath, Warren,” Jim Fitts snapped as he stopped abruptly. “You don’t know what I lost. Save your sermons for Sunday morning. They’re worthless during the week when a man’s just trying to get by.” He brushed past his son. Lee had never seen his father’s face as red as it was when his mouth spit those words at Rev. Taylor. Jim Fitts’ eyes were open, but they saw nothing; not Reid, not the crowd, not Dan Calvert, not the boys who were again throwing the football.

  “And that guy screaming ‘kick the ball,’ well, I wish I could take credit for planting that guy in the crowd. What a great line, and Dan, like the clever orator he is, picked right up on it,” Sanford said.

  “Yeah, I thought the guy was some kind of nut at first. But it all worked out and Dan was happy, that’s the main thing,” Andy said as he sat down at a desk filled with folders, oversized charts, and proofs of newspaper ads.

  Lee thought about the man asleep in his chair at home that Sanford and Andy were talking about. The chair cradled that man in a sleep that tried to repair the damage from the anger that controlled Jim Fitts’ waking hours. Lee would not let them know the footnote to the rally was his father.

  “Lee, thanks for your help. I didn’t get a chance to thank you yesterday. One day, mark my words, one day you might be able to choreograph a rally. I must admit, yesterday was one of my best, a rally that sucked everyone into a perpetual vortex of political energy. Don’t think you’d be stealing my ideas; you’re welcome to them all. There’s something about my rallies that is just pure genius. Just don’t let the bad guys privy to the secrets of Sanford Black.”

  “I will not Sanford. But the person who plans our church’s picnic must have found out the secrets. She always has people saying that was the best picnic they’ve ever been to. Her picnics have more people than the rally, and she has games and prizes, and all kinds of food, and singing and last year we had pony rides for the kids.”