Author: Hank Zarco
"The Crusader"
circa: 1940's
Author: Hank Zarco
copyright: 1-4-2001
He was a small figure of a man, but there was
a certain strength evident in Justin Thill's stride as he paced his room.
Each step, almost military, pronounced his mounting anger. "How did
this world get into such a state!," he said aloud. "War!,
Violence! Anarchy! Where is it all headed! When will it end!"
Justin Thill had always been a staunch believer that right,
and not might was the strength and savior of the world, yet he had no particular
religion that he could base his beliefs on.
Just then Chauncey gave out a chirp from his cage.
Justin abruptly came out of his tirade. His angry expression was replaced
by a soft, compassionate smile as he looked at the sparrow and said,
"Good morning Chauncey, sorry about my behavior, I must show more control
in the future. "
Justin's eyes fell on the bandaged leg of the bird, who
balanced precariously on his swing. The event of that day, five weeks ago
came to mind of the bird in its injured state, flapping its tiny wings while
falling and rolling to make progress. Thinking of it now caused Justin to
wince painfully at each attempt the bird made to escape his capture. But
Justin had rescued the bird from the elements and had bandaged a splint to its
leg and confined it in the cage for its own safety. The thought of his
deed brought a small smile to Justin's face. The sparrow had grown quite noticeably
in that 5 week span and Justin felt that now was the time to remove the
last bandage and splint. After removing the splint, Justin's
thoughts were interrupted by a voice and knocking on his door. "Hey
Thill! Open up! Your rent is due!" It was Bullfinch, the
manager of the building. The only reason Angus Bullfinch was the manager
was because of Tina, his sweet wife, having a brother who owned the
building. Bullfinch was a big, powerful, crude man who Justin despised
immensely because of his unjust treatment of his wife who was his uncommon
opposite, being petite and pretty.
More than once, Justin had heard Tina's screams, from
their room as her carousing husband returned to take out his anger on his
wife. Then the screaming and cursing and thudding eventually commanded
Justin to action because it seemed that Tina's life was in danger. Justin
had entered the room through the unlocked door and charged at Bullfinch with all
the fury that he could muster for a man half of Bullfinch's weight and
height. Justin had leaped on Bullfinch's back and had locked his arms
around the man's neck in a chokehold. Bullfinch let go of Tina's hair and
dropped her to the floor to concentrate on his nemesis. He reached back
and pulled Justin from his back as he would an annoying flea and hurled him
across the room. Then, with the swiftness of a huge cat, he had picked
Justin up from the floor and while holding him by the throat, he began pummeling
him with brutal blows that made Justin's head tattoo a loud rhythm off the wall
by the door. By now, the other tenants had flooded the room not a moment
too soon and subdued Bullfinch. It took Justin months to heal, but he
proudly wore his bruises. It was the evidence of his battle for a just
cause. All the tenants thought so too and expressed their feelings to
Justin with smiles of respect and words of praise.
Justin came back to the present as Bullfinch knocked harder
and shouted louder than before, "Thill, you jerk! Open up this damn
door before I break it down!" "Coming Mr. Bullfinch".
Justin quickly put the bird in the cage and put it in the closet.
Bullfinch did not allow pets. He had already dismissed one tenant
for harboring a cat. Justin got the money from his desk and opened the
door. Bullfinch snatched the money from Justin and after counting it,
grunted and lumbered off down the hallway. Only his clothes indicated he
was not a large animal of some sort.
Things rarely got fixed in the building as Bullfinch spent
most of his time in the basement of the complex, puttering with a chemistry set,
one of his favorite pastimes along with his imbibing. After Bullfinch had
gone to the complex basement, Justin felt this would be the best time to bring
Chauncey out and let him breathe some outside air. Justin sat on the steps
of the building's entrance laughing at delight at the chirping bird hopping on
his equally strong legs. Justin was not aware of Bullfinch coming down the
steps behind him. Bullfinch maneuvered around Justin and before Justin
could respond, Bullfinch stepped on the bird in the middle of a chirp. A
squishing sound escaped beneath the large shoe of Angus while wings and feathers
flattened beyond the edges of his shoe sole. Without looking back,
Bullfinch roared a bestial laugh and was gone. Justin was
horrified. He couldn't believe his eyes. Once Chauncey was alive,
and the next instance, he was no more. Justin vented his grief for what
seemed an eternity and then he got up and with his bare hands scraped up what
was left of the bird and buried it in the backyard. Then, he said a
farewell prayer over its small grave. It was while Justin was trimming the
hedges one day in front of the building that Jimmy Higgins stopped his delivery
truck by the side entrance of the building. Justin greeted him as he
headed towards the entrance door. "Why hello there Jimmy, you seem to
be in a hurry".
"I am Mr. Thill. I am running an hour
late!"
"Can I help?"
"Well...he said
reluctantly, "I need to get this to Mr. Bullfinch."
Jimmy's hand
held a small box.
"Do you need money for the
delivery?"
"No, Mr. Bullfinch has credit at the
store".
"Then I will take the delivery to him for
you." "Here," Justin pulled out his change purse and
while giving Jimmy 2 quarters he said, "For your trouble".
"Thanks Mr. Thill." Jimmy ran to the delivery truck and sped
off, his tires squealing faintly as he turned a corner 3 blocks down the
street. Justin smiled amusingly. Though he was retired, it was a
small price for a little cheer. Justin looked at the box in his
hand. The letters of its contents came at him shockingly, Nitroglycerin
Tablets. Mr. Bullfinch with a heart problem? How
odd!
But he mustn't tarry, Mr. Bullfinch would need his medicine
for no telling when! He must be in the basement. He will check there
first. Justin went to the basement door and opened it. The light was
on. He descended the steps, but did not see Bullfinch. The chemistry
set was spread out on the workbench. Then Justin heard a guttural sound
from the floor on the other side of the workbench. He walked around the
bench and there on the floor, withering in pain, was Bullfinch gasping for
air. Justin looked in horror at Bullfinch and then at the box of
Nitroglycerin Tablets, then back at Bullfinch again. His look of horror
softened, as the realization hit him. The solution! No more
violence! No more conflicts! He stepped back where the light was not
as bright, and as silence finally ensued on the other side of the bench, he knew
his task had been accomplished. Peace had been restored. Familiar
words came to Justin's mind. "An the meek shall inherit the
earth". Then, without looking at the body, Justin put the box of
medicine on the workbench by the chemistry set and said, "Your medicine Mr.
Bullfinch." One hour later, Justin came out of his apartment after
taking a shower and putting on some fresh clothes for his evening
walk.
At the front door, he saw Tina coming up the steps, her arms
laden with sacks of groceries. He opened the door and said, "Here
Tina, let me get that for you". "May I help you carry
something?"
"No thank you Mr. Thill, I can manage".
She was slightly breathless from climbing the steps, but her face had a happy
smile that made Justin comment, "My, you look radiant today,
Tina!"
"Why, thank you Justin, what a nice thing to
say."
Any why shouldn't she be happy? After all, Angus had
stopped drinking now that he knew he was going to be a father. She did
love him so.
Tina looked out the window of her entrance door in time to
see Justin as he walked down the street, it seemed, with the alacrity of one on
a cloud.
Such a nice man! And now she was going to make her
husband the best meal he had ever ate.
I would like to thank Hank for (and his son Gregory) this contribution to my website. I would also
like to invite anyone out there for their contributions as well (after it has
been proofread and approved of course, by both me and the contributor).
This page last updated on:
Thursday, February 19, 2009 05:41 PM
