Home is a Fire Read Online Free

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    “Haha! It’s good to have you back, Derek,” he said. “We missed ya, man. We all love ya, you know that, right?”
    “Shut up and get out of here before I kiss you,” I laughed.
    He threw me that Tommy smirk, tipped his forehead in a sign of respect and turned back to his car.
    “I’ll give you a call tomorrow after I see Bammy at the school,” I called after him as I headed towards the house.
    “You really think that’s a good idea?” he asked. “Getting a job at the high school we graduated from?”
    “Hey, I need a job,” I said. “I may as well put that Theatre Arts major to work, since it didn’t get much action in New York. And now that Miss B. has retired, well, there’s a job opening. I promised Bammy that I’d consider it, at least. She can be damn convincing. Or maybe that was the whiskey talking.” We both smiled as he shut his car door and he waved.
    Tommy’s headlights became small fireflies blinking in the distance as I stumbled towards the house and headed towards the side door. As a true Southern family, we never used the front door. That was reserved for salesmen, Christmas carolers, and other assorted strangers.
    Mom left the light on for me in the kitchen, and as I crept towards the stairs I heard Uncle Barry call out in a stage whisper.
    “Hey, Mr. New York City!” He smiled at me. “Get over here and let me take a look at you.”
    Barry was seated at the dining room table, cupping a glass of brandy in his hands. He always had a flair for the dramatic.
    “Is that a kimono?” I asked.
    “What, this?” He held one hand up and looked himself up and down. “This is a dressing gown, kid. Some of us still know how to look stylish, you know. You will most certainly never see ‘Juicy’ spelled out across this ass.”
    He stood up and gave me a real bear hug. He felt soft and cushy and smelled of aftershave. Barry had been a real looker in his day: dark wavy hair, a barrel chest, skinny waist and big, strong legs. Jeans cuffed just the right way, with sturdy brown boots. Blue eyes you could swim in and a smile that would set girls’ hearts aflutter from fifty paces. Your average Tennessee Mountain Man. To hear my mom tell it, her younger brother was at the top of every girl’s Homecoming list, but Janey was the one who lassoed him. The story goes she asked him out for the Sadie Hawkins’ Dance their junior year, and the rest, as they say, is history. They were married straight out of high school.
    “Well, look at you,” he said, eyeing me up and down. “So damn skinny. Don’t they feed you up in New York?”
    “I’ve discovered the best diet, Uncle Barry,” I said. “Vodka and being poor.”
    “Cheers to that!” and he raised his glass.
    I pulled out a chair and sat next to him. “Mom said you were at a Bears’ Club meeting. How’s that going these days?” I asked.
    “Well, I don’t talk about it too much with Audrey. I don’t think she’s that interested. But tonight was very exciting. Very. I don’t mean to brag,” he said as he placed his brandy on thetable and looked down, as if he were acting humble, “but you are looking at the newly elected Supreme Grizzly of the Bears’ Club, local den 342.” A smile spread across his face and I could see how proud he was.
    “Congratulations! That’s pretty cool.” I clinked imaginary glasses with him, then stood up, walked in to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water to dampen the impending hangover. “You need anything before I head up to bed?” I asked.
    “No, I’m off to bed soon, too,” he said. “It was a very full day. Elections for Supreme Grizzly and Grizzly Court. We promoted a few Cubs to Brown Bears and some Browns to Black. Very exciting stuff. But that’s all I can say. Club secrets, you know,” and he winked at me as he lifted his glass to his lips, once again.
    “Of course,” I said. “Lips sealed,” and I made a show of locking them and throwing away the imaginary key.
    “I