Front Porch Rambles

In the darkness, he heard the quiet crying of a baby.  3 am wakings were not unheard of in the Gabler household, but Charles wasn't usually out of bed when they happened.  He got up from the rocker and threw down his cigar.  Inside, he heard nothing but the loud breathing of the first-grader.  He stood outside the door like a ninja bodyguard, ready to pounce in silently and swiftly if the need should arise.  The silence persisted, he guessed the baby had settled back down.  With all three boys asleep in one room, it was seldom worth creaking open the door for an actual look. On his way out, he caught sight of the beer bottles left behind when date night relocated.  As he tidied up he thought he heard the cry not from within, but seeping through the screen windows on the front of the house. The moment he stepped outside, he knew the baby was somewhere nearby.  It was outdoors too, or he'd never have heard the low but clear garbles and squeaks. ...

 He could hear them coming up the street, and this time he was determined not to miss it.  The profane word that was shouted grated on his ears. Someone must have been walking on the next block down. It wasn't the profanity that bothered Jeremy, but the abrasive desire to disturb the peace.  The dark gray extended cab pickup rumbled closer.  Somewhere down his street, an confused  neighbor was doubtless having an experience that Jeremy was familiar with.  He hadn't really been picked on as a child, not like some of his friends had been.  Those unfortunate enough to look or act different than the rest were ostracized severely sometimes, but Jeremy had long perfected the art of ignorance, or rather, ignoring.  He had been very short until the last year of high school, being the youngest in his class year after year had been a source of pride for him, but also a way of being different than the rest.  This was not always a good thing.  Anyti...