Gary Canfield looked out toward where the black cloud of smoke
rose as he leaned out the front door of his house and said to himself,
"I have to get down there. Mac's in some kind of trouble!"
Vera came into the living room and heard what her husband said
and replied, "Honey, whatever you do be careful. I heard sirens
going down that way so whatever is going on please stay out of the
way."
Vera put both hands on her husband's shoulders and went on, "I
know how close you and Mac are as friends and you are right to be
concerned about him. I like Mac, too. He's such a blessing to our
children. I just don't want you to get hurt in the process."
Gary looked into his wife's pale, blue eyes and replied, "Vera, I
would lay down my life for Mac if the opportunity presented
itself. He's like the kid brother I never had. I can't get hold of
him on the phone nor his cell phone. I can't stand by with this gut
feeling that something's wrong."
"I understand," Vera said, "Just be careful, will you please?"
"You bet I will 'hon," Gary replied and then kissed his wife
on her forehead and added, "I love you."
"I love you, too," Vera replied as Gary turned and headed out
the front door. She went over to the front door as Gary got into
his car, a late model Toyota Camry and backed out and headed
west.
At an apartment building on Oak Street, which turns off of
Newberry Road five miles into town, Wilfred Templar was
placing candles all about the tiny living room of his one bed-
-room apartment when he saw another emergency vehicle
go by, this one an ambulance. In about three minutes another
one roared by.
"Good heavens," Wilfred exclaimed in a British accent,
"Something catastrophic has happened. Must have to
do with the electricity going out no doubt."
Wilfred Templar was one of the greeters of Newberry
Community Church, which he performed with all the
politeness and ettiquette of an English butler. In fact he was
one until he came to know Christ and decided being among
rich folks wasn't for him. He now works as a custodian for
the Newberry municipal courthouse. He now uses his
ettiquette and mannerisms learned as a domestic servant to
serve the common folk of Newberry Community Church, a
duty in which he loves to the uttermost.
Wilfred looked out his living room window as the second
ambulance ran past where Oak Street entered Newberry
Road and thought to himself, I wonder if a motor vehicle
struck a utility pole?
If Wilfred only knew how right he was in his guess.
Gary headed west on Newberry Road, worry lines forming on
his brow and his hands clenched tight on the steering wheel as
he tried his best not to speed through the downtown area in
his haste to get to Mac's home. He noticed people milling about
on account of the power failure, which must have halted business
activities in the assorted shops, offices and other small businesses
which lined either side of the street. He noticed the large display
windows were darker than usual in some shops. He also noticed
the barber pole outside Rob's Barbershop was not swirling as it
always did. The yellow fluorescent sign in the window of The Elf
shoe repair shop was out as well.
"Great Scott," Gary exclaimed as he took in the darkened stores
along Newberry's business district, "This power failure is all over
town!"
Gary then drove on toward the west end of town to the outer city
limits where Mac lived and as he got near the end of town a van
coming in the opposite direction slowed down and the driver stuck
out his hand as the van pulled over to the side.
Gary knew the guy driving the van when he saw the markings on
the side panels which read, Ye Olde Chimney Sweeps, a chimney
cleaning and masonry repair service.
The driver, wearing a black sweeps' overalls and chimney pipe hat
as was the fellow in the passenger side, said to Gary, "Gary," the
sweep said, "You're gonna have to detour around Sleepy Hollow.
There's been an accident and Newberry Road's totally blocked."
The sweep went on, "A car struck a utility pole and caught fire.
It knocked the pole down clear across the road."
Gary, relieved it wasn't Mac's home that was burning, asked, "Did
anyone get hurt, Jack?"
"I couldn't tell," Jack replied, "I saw two ambulances pass us in the
opposite direction so someone could have been."
Two ambulances, Gary thought, I don't like the sound of that.
Jack the chimney sweep then added, "There was a house across from
the accident sight, it wasn't touched near as I could tell, but Officer Hunt
turned us back so we couldn't get a closer look."
"I see," Gary said, looking west, "Well thanks for telling me Jack."
"Say," Jack said suddenly, "Isn't that Mac Davenport's house?"
" Yea," Gary replied, still looking toward the west, "It is."
This concludes Chapter Six.
Newberry Road five miles into town, Wilfred Templar was
placing candles all about the tiny living room of his one bed-
-room apartment when he saw another emergency vehicle
go by, this one an ambulance. In about three minutes another
one roared by.
"Good heavens," Wilfred exclaimed in a British accent,
"Something catastrophic has happened. Must have to
do with the electricity going out no doubt."
Wilfred Templar was one of the greeters of Newberry
Community Church, which he performed with all the
politeness and ettiquette of an English butler. In fact he was
one until he came to know Christ and decided being among
rich folks wasn't for him. He now works as a custodian for
the Newberry municipal courthouse. He now uses his
ettiquette and mannerisms learned as a domestic servant to
serve the common folk of Newberry Community Church, a
duty in which he loves to the uttermost.
Wilfred looked out his living room window as the second
ambulance ran past where Oak Street entered Newberry
Road and thought to himself, I wonder if a motor vehicle
struck a utility pole?
If Wilfred only knew how right he was in his guess.
Gary headed west on Newberry Road, worry lines forming on
his brow and his hands clenched tight on the steering wheel as
he tried his best not to speed through the downtown area in
his haste to get to Mac's home. He noticed people milling about
on account of the power failure, which must have halted business
activities in the assorted shops, offices and other small businesses
which lined either side of the street. He noticed the large display
windows were darker than usual in some shops. He also noticed
the barber pole outside Rob's Barbershop was not swirling as it
always did. The yellow fluorescent sign in the window of The Elf
shoe repair shop was out as well.
"Great Scott," Gary exclaimed as he took in the darkened stores
along Newberry's business district, "This power failure is all over
town!"
Gary then drove on toward the west end of town to the outer city
limits where Mac lived and as he got near the end of town a van
coming in the opposite direction slowed down and the driver stuck
out his hand as the van pulled over to the side.
Gary knew the guy driving the van when he saw the markings on
the side panels which read, Ye Olde Chimney Sweeps, a chimney
cleaning and masonry repair service.
The driver, wearing a black sweeps' overalls and chimney pipe hat
as was the fellow in the passenger side, said to Gary, "Gary," the
sweep said, "You're gonna have to detour around Sleepy Hollow.
There's been an accident and Newberry Road's totally blocked."
The sweep went on, "A car struck a utility pole and caught fire.
It knocked the pole down clear across the road."
Gary, relieved it wasn't Mac's home that was burning, asked, "Did
anyone get hurt, Jack?"
"I couldn't tell," Jack replied, "I saw two ambulances pass us in the
opposite direction so someone could have been."
Two ambulances, Gary thought, I don't like the sound of that.
Jack the chimney sweep then added, "There was a house across from
the accident sight, it wasn't touched near as I could tell, but Officer Hunt
turned us back so we couldn't get a closer look."
"I see," Gary said, looking west, "Well thanks for telling me Jack."
"Say," Jack said suddenly, "Isn't that Mac Davenport's house?"
" Yea," Gary replied, still looking toward the west, "It is."
This concludes Chapter Six.
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