Demon Dancer. Alexander Valdez
Job and Peter
Legend
A. Ballroom
B. Statue Garden
C. Mattress Company
D. Lumber Company
E. Tex's Packard
F. Chinese Grocer
G. Fire Station
H. Alex's house
J. Swamp
K. Brick Pits
L. Congress Street at Interstate 10
Chapter 1
Fire
I had just sat down for my Saturday morning breakfast that mother would always insist on my eating. I loved breakfast, but I was more excited to start my morning with the neighborhood riffraff I called friends. They were gathering at my front gate, yelling for me to hurry up. Taking my last bite, I was already half out of my chair racing toward the door when my mother made me go and brush my teeth. She knew that my friends and I would ride out to the brick pits and not reappear till lunchtime. This day, however, would turn out to be much different.
Racing out the door and jumping on my bike, we now felt that sensation of strength in numbers. My little gang of miscreants consisted of six boys, all sixth graders, all with mischief on our minds.
As we raced toward the brick pits, we swapped insults about one another, laughing as we discussed the previous night’s TV shows that we mutually all seemed to enjoy. Of course, back then, there were only three channels to pick from, and our dads pretty much dictated what the house would be watching.
That suited us boys fine because we all liked Westerns and detective shows or boxing and wrestling. Even the variety shows were great, because television was a new thing, and we sucked up all the visuals we could digest off the three channels.
Today, the quarter-mile ride was interrupted by the fire truck down at the corner fire station and the unmistakable bell clanging from the monstrous water truck that would lumber along behind the actual fire trucks. Fire hydrants in the ’50s were not commonplace, thus the need for this twenty-mile-per-hour slug, filled with a thousand gallons of water, to be on hand for a blaze.
Looking up and glancing over the treetops, we could see the thick smoke rising up higher and higher in the sky. A sudden course change as we now sped off in the direction of the sirens and the smoke. I ask you, what kid doesn’t love a good fire? Not anyone I know of.
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