Four Rubbings

Chapter Thirteen: Blaze 911

I rest on a curb outside the cemetery gates, phone pressed to my ear. Blaze hasn't paused since I answered his call, and he continues to rant. He's mad for good reason. He came home from school to find his rubbing ripped off his bedroom wall. It had to be his mother. Who else would do such a thing?

Blaze continues, "I just found a note from her, too. You're not gonna believe this. It says, Blaze, we will talk about this later. M.' Really? You think?" He sounds like a stranger, angry, wild and out of control.

My ear feels hot, so I switch the phone to the other side. "Man, Blaze. I knew she'd be irked, but this sounds way, way worse."

"It shouldn't be this big of a deal. It's not like I'm quitting school to join some ministry somewhere. It was one night, like literally ten stupid minutes." Blaze huffs into the phone. "What'd she do with it anyhow?"

In the background I hear the sound of general rummaging and clattering glass. "It's not in the garbage or recycling. Where the hell is it?"

"Blaze, it sounds like you're breaking stuff. Talk to me. What's happening?" I feel helpless. Blaze is the calm, cool, and collected one of us. He's never extreme. His emotions stay in the middle range.

"I'm looking for my rubbing. Oh, God, Miso! What's this?" Blaze growls.

"Did your dog rip down the rubbing?" I ask. He's a Shiba Inu that stands about has high as my knee.

Blaze says, "No. He had an accident. Ah, man. Now I gotta deal with dog pee. Bad dog, Miso. Outside!" I hear more background noise. "Sorry, Josie. Can I put you on speaker?"

"Yeah."

There's a crackle on the line and then his voice returns. "Okay, you there?" he asks. "God, it smells like smoke in here."

"Where, Blaze?"

"I'm still in the kitchen. Just a sec, I've gotta let Miso back inside. Come on, boy." Blaze shakes something. "Biscuit! Come on, Miso. Inside!" he commands. "I guess I scared him. He won't come." I hear the door shut. "I think the smoke smell is coming from the front room."

"Check the fireplace," I suggest. So helpful, Captain Obvious.

"I can't believe this. Mom burned my rubbing in the fireplace. What is wrong with her? A priest's tombstone is that offensive? Really? You're pathetic." He grumbles something else, but it's not clear.

"She doesn't like church, Blaze. Never has. Have you ever asked her why?"

The cold seeps into my backside. I shiver and curl my feet beneath me in attempt to warm up. The concrete hurts my back. I'm losing light fast. I had better find Owen's stuffed animal while I'm on the phone. I stand up and walk inside the cemetery.

"You burned it? Really?" Blaze continues talking in my ear. "What are you afraid of, Mother? That I brought God into your home?" He huffs into the phone. "If you don't believe in Him, how can one piece of paper threaten you? Or be powerful enough to influence me? It makes absolutely no sense! Rrrrr, I'm so pissed!" I pull the phone away from my ear. "I have to get out of this place!"

"Good idea. Meet me at the cemetery. We'll make another rubbing of the Father's grave, K?" I think about Miso. "And let Miso in. Bribe him with cheese. He'll come inside for that." I try to sound calm and confident. I want to see my friend, give him a hug and make sure he's fine.

"Okay. Good idea. Do you still have paper and chalk, Jos?" Blaze asks.

"No. But we'll make due with what I've got in my backpack. Notebook paper and the side of a pencil should work just fine. Hurry here, though. It's almost dark."