Theme Week 10

I always wanted to be the leader of the pack, leather jacket, wind in my slicked back hair, Camel in the corner of my mouth, loud pipes announcing to the world, “Here comes Trouble.” Well not all always. That phase hit in the early teens but before that the pack I was in was a Cub Scout pack. Imagine the scouts selling at a roadside lemonade stand, the sign reading “Profits To Benefit Widows and Orphans”. Pipes roar to a halt at the stand bringing the alert den mother to the fore.

“Peroni’s Bar and Grill is another mile that way,” she says pointing.

Behind her a half dozen scouts stand wide eyed while one scout on the end sneaks forward for a closer look at a lagging gang member just stopping. Dust settles on his greasy hair as he notices the kid’s curiosity.

“What’s your name kid?”

I look back at the den mother who is engaged in animated discussions with the gang leader. “Stevens,” I say and venture a question, “How fast can you go?”.

“That all depends on who’s chasing me Mr. Stevens.” He said shaking an unfiltered cigarette from a pack inside his leather jacket and lighting it with a shiny sliver Zippo. “They call me Snake.” My eyes gave away my fascination with the lighter and he held it out to me. “Betcha you could light some campfires with this baby, no more rubbing sticks together.”

I took it in hand and felt its warmth and weight. I tried to spin the coarse wheel and hold it with one hand. When that did not work I tried with two hands but still found it unwieldy.
I felt Snake’s calloused hand like the wheel on the lighter as he grabbed it back saying, “Like this kid, watch”. He quickly held it in one hand and clanged the top open with the heel of the other and in the same motion sparks flew as he wheeled the flint along the thigh of his denim pants. He held the lit wick up to his wide smile showing a gold front tooth. I stood staring at the flame half fascinated, half terrified. Snakes display began to attract attention from a couple of his compatriots.

“Stevens get back from those hooligans right now,” shouted the den mother.

I awoke from my trance but the spell was cast. I guess that spell was not as strong as the ones put upon me by the scouts. Today I am preparing for my son’s Cub Scout meeting in our garage and there is plenty of room in there since there is no motorcycle to get in the way.