The two of us were still laughing when Crystal got back. Watching the replay in slow motion, we found the exact moment when boot met balls. Andy thought he might use that still as his screensaver. Once he'd downloaded the clip he'd send me a copy, he promised, asking for my number. I rattled it off so fast he had to get me to repeat it so he could get it in his phone. He gave me his number. I nodded. Andy looked at me quizzically.
"Aren't you going to put it in your phone?" He prodded.
"I don't need to. I'll remember it."
"Really?"
He refused to believe that until a couple of hours later when he sprang it on me. Asking what it was, thinking he'd catch me out. I reeled it off along with a list of other numbers. Some of which he checked online. He was impressed.
That's getting slightly ahead of things. Because Crystal was examining Andy closely. Eyeing him up. Weighing him in her scales. Whatever the answer was she eventually gave a jerk of her head and went into the garage. She was sorting out her camping gear, which she'd been doing when I got back with my new friend. That was it. A one sided fight and a hilarious retribution from Crystal and we became friends for life. It took a while for us to bed in together, but he was pretty eccentric. In different ways to me. All of which would become apparent as we grew closer and closer over the succeeding years. I'd die for him and he'd die for me. That's all that really matters.
The two of us sat on the rockers on the porch. The batteries were running low on his drone so he flew it back to him. Rather than risk piloting it to his own home. I was bombarded with questions. He genuinely had an interest in me. I was light on details, but I think he didn't expect a full exposition of my life. Some of it had come out in the local newspaper when it covered the incident with Karl Jenkins. Once he'd pumped me dry, Andy moved on to Crystal. His admiration for her rivalled my own. In less than a month she'd killed a violent intruder and squished a lying cockroach, spreading false rumors about her. He'd admitted he was quite scared of her. Having also seen her in action at the Krav Maga classes, where the owner of the school said she could have taught. That confession had only just left is lips when Crystal emerged from her garage. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him.
"Do ya wanna stay for lunch? It's reheated stew and biscuits."
Delivered in a tone slightly short of an ultimatum. Take it or leave it. Andy Vadash was an unknown quantity, as far as she was concerned. Much as I'd been. She was guarded rather than hostile, although he might not have got that.
"Yeah sure. I'll just have to check with my parents that it's okay with them."
Crystal approved of that at least. Him? Only time would tell. Obviously he passed muster eventually. For now he was still under suspicion. Andy's mom told him it would be fine. As long as he was back well before dark. Him wiping his feet before he went in, received acknowledgement from her. He had manners. And an appetite. Asking for a second helping of her delicious homemade stew, after cleaning his plate.
"Luke are we clear?" Crystal asked me.
"Yes. You'll take care of your business."
"No more fights, because some kid mouths off about me?"
"Under protest, I agree to your conditions." I grinned. My face didn't hurt as much a it used to.
"This is really good Ms Goodbody. The meat especially. Is it chicken?"
"No. Squirrel."
The spoon stopped halfway to his mouth. He gave me a questioning glance. I nodded. It was squirrel. Very tasty indeed. She'd shot it the previous day. Several emotions played out on his face, before he shrugged and resumed wolfing it down. I think that got him extra credit with my foster carer.
After lunch I showed him my room. That was where he sprang the telephone number quiz on me. Whistling as I did my party piece. We sat on the bed, and by this time my child mind had come up with good reasons for associating with him. It couldn't be purely be down to him being someone I found likeable or that he didn't probe my answers to his questions too deeply. His father was a lawyer. One who'd worked as a public defender and was now concentrating on civil law. Andy didn't really know what his mother did. I later discovered she dabbled in fund raising for worthy causes. His 12 year old explanations of his parents were diffuse. As much about him as them. What young child truly knows their parents? They are mom and dad. Their jobs, their personal lives and their characters submerged in parenting.
When I met Mr and Mrs Vadash I found them to be far more interesting than Andy realized at his young age. His father was a damn good lawyer. His mother an iceberg. Not cold and remote. In the sense you could only see one tenth of her. Outwardly she came across as pretty shallow. A stunningly attractive blonde who spent most of her day lounging by the pool drinking cocktails. That illusion vanished if you heard her on the phone with potential donors and socializing at fundraisers. Boy, could that woman network. Watching her work a room full of the rich and powerful you felt sorry for them. They'd be spending money they never intended to. Charitable donations were tax deductible. That made them seem far more generous than they were. And when the donors appeared in the papers it was the headline amount readers noted.
He had a younger sister, Helen. She was six. The same age as Chloe. For no rational reason that was a symmetry I liked. Andy loved his sister dearly. Even though she was used by his mom to keep him in check. If she was worried what he might get up to, Helen would be tagging along beside him. As his parents fascinated me, so Crystal fascinated him. After we'd familiarized ourselves with one another, the two of us went to offer a hand to her in the garage. One of the reasons why Crystal and I meshed was our not talking to fill the silence. We could both sit in the living room silently for hours. Spend the day hardly exchanging words. Unless either of us had something to really say, we were silent. We had spells where we talked for an hour or more, only about things which mattered to one or other of us. We spent the afternoon washing, drying and airing out the tents.
"My dad takes me and my sister camping sometimes." Andy announced. "We love it. Mom refuses to go anywhere they don't do room service. Are you planning on going anywhere soon Ms Goodbody?"
Crystal was sorting out the bed rolls.
"Most years I go away for a coupla days around this time. Reconnect with the land."
She stopped herself from saying more.
"Why not this year?" I asked. When she didn't reply quickly enough I knew. "It's because of me isn't it?"
"Kind of." She admitted. "There's all the crap with the CPS and the damn schooling they insist you need. Then there's... You're used to flying off around the world... It's complicated. I can always go next year."
"I like camping.... It's what we were doing when... you know. Oh I get it. You think I can't take it, because of what happened the last time."
Andy kept quiet. Crystal kept busy, until she threw down the bed roll.
"Alright, yes. I thought you might get upset."
"When have you seen me upset about anything? Camping didn't kill my parents. I spent my first two years being carried around the wilderness on my mothers back. If you want to go, let's go." She still looked reluctant. I had a sudden insight. Not sure where the intuitive leap came from, but I knew it was correct. "Sorry. I understand. You like to be alone. It's not recreational, it's spiritual for you. Having me tagging along, I'd only be in the way. Like I am here." That flash of pain on her face and I knew I'd been hurtful, without intending to be. "Sorry. That didn't come out right. You've never given any impression you didn't want me here. It might have seemed like that at first, but it's what I represent more than me. I apologize Crystal. I'm an ungrateful idiot. Your personal space is more important than my childish tantrums."
After my long inadequate speech I was bereft. Not wanting to continue. I didn't have the words to repair my thoughtless actions. Why did I keep hurting her?
"Of course, if I went with you, me and Luke could keep each other company while you do what you want to do. Mom and dad would be happy to get me out of the way for a while. I don't think even a grizzly bear would risk tangling with you. Not after what you did to that guy Garrett." He chuckled.
"First of all how do you know what happened with Garrett?" Her eyebrows raised.
"I've got a drone. There's a video. You can see the precise second his balls were crushed. It was awesome, would you like to take it look?"
Andy, like his mother, had the ability to wear you down with his good natured charm. Five minutes later we were watching the drama unfold on the big screen of the TV. First rate comedy entertainment brings people together. In this case it led to a camping trip. One of the many we'd go on in the coming years. The first time only exceptional and memorable because it was the first time. I know a lot of it was about me though. The reason she agreed was mostly to do with the growth of my new found friendship with Andy. Another debt I owed her. The tab kept on growing.