Chapter 5
Standing outside an hour later, Charlie held Carson’s hand in his as he stood at the foot of the steps looking up at Daisy and her family. “Thank you again, so much for welcoming us into your home.”
“You’re welcome any time, Charlie. You and Carson feel free to stop by any time you want to,” Janie said.
“She’s right. Y’all just come on whenever it occurs to you,” Bane said.
“Thank you. I appreciate that. I don’t want to be a pest, though,” Charlie said, with a soft laugh.
“See? He doesn’t want to be a pest,” Daisy said to her parents with an incredulous tone in her voice.
“Oh, you’re not a pest. We miss having a little one around,” Janie said.
“Besides, you owe me a chocolate shake,” Bane added.
“You didn’t teach me a protection trick,” Carson added to the mix.
“Oh! You’re right. I didn’t,” Bane said, jogging down the steps quickly.
Carson pulled his hand free of his father’s and hurried to meet Bane.
Bane squatted down to Carson’s level. “Okay, now I’ll teach you a lot more next time you come, but for now, put your hands right here,” he said, taking Carson’s hands in his and laying the boy’s fingertips against the pulse on either side of his neck. “You feel my blood flowing through there?”
“Yes, sir. It feels like a heart beat.”
“Exactly! Now, turn your hand like this,” Bane said, holding his hand perfectly straight.
“Hold your other hand out and practice hitting your palm with it, like this.” Bane held his hand out just like he’d showed Carson and brought down the outer edge onto his own palm.
He watched Carson repeat the action a few times before he nodded.
“Good. That’s good. Now, I’m going to pretend to hit you like that, but not really. So, you’ll see how to do it.”
“Okay,” Carson said.
Bane moved very slowly, reaching out with both hands, gently bringing the outer edges of them down onto the arteries in Carson’s neck.
“See? You hit on the pulse in both sides of their neck, at the same time, as hard as you can, keeping your hands straight and hard, like a piece of wood. And I mean, hit them hard!” Bane said, as he brought his own hands back to rest on his thighs.
“Okay!” Carson said, reaching out quickly and chopping his hands into Bane’s neck on either side.
“Carson!” Charlie exclaimed, horrified as he grabbed Carson and pulled him away from Bane.
Daisy laughed, as did Janie.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Bane!” Charlie said.
Bane was wheezing and Charlie really thought Carson had hurt him. But when Bane finally looked up, it was clear he was laughing so hard it was causing him to wheeze. “That’s it! That’s exactly how you do it!” Bane exclaimed, holding his hand up for Carson to high-five him.
Carson just looked at his hand not knowing what Bane expected him to do.
Bane took him by the wrist and slapped Carson’s hand against his. “High Five”
“Why is it called that?”
“Lift your hand, slap your friend’s, you got five fingers. High five,” Bane said.
“Wouldn’t that be high ten. If your friend has five fingers, too?” Carson asked.
Bane’s smile fell immediately as he thought about it. “Yeah. I think it would be. Okay, high ten!” he said, holding his hand up.
Carson slapped his hand against Bane’s.
“Okay, next lesson, but do not test it on anybody. Only use it if somebody lays their hands on you.”
“Yes, sir,” Carson said, waiting eagerly for whatever Bane would teach him next.
“Alright, place the heel of your hand right here,” Bane said, holding the heel of his hand against the underside of the tip of Carson’s nose. “You know how you used the outer edge of your hand to hit my neck?”
“Yes.”
“You use this right here, it’s called the heel of your hand.
And you hit out and up at the same time, just as hard as you absolutely can, right under the tip of the person’s nose that was stupid enough to put his hands on you.
I promise you he’ll start crying and won’t be able to see.
You can go get an adult, or you can get away, or you can keep hitting him with some other things I’m gonna teach you next time I see you. ”
Carson smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Bane.”
“You’re welcome. Am I going to see you soon?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. I’ll look forward to it.”
Charlie started loading Carson in his car, but Carson stopped him and looked back at Bane. “What do you do if somebody tries to trip you? Or knocks your books out of your hands?”
“Same person all the time?”
“Yes.”
“Knocking your books out of your hands, you know where he’s going to be, right?”
“Yes.”
“You walk up to him like you don’t remember what he’s going to do.
He stops you and reaches out to slap your books out of your hands.
You know what’s coming. You’re ready, right?
You snatch your books out of the way so he looses his balance just enough to lean forward, then you bring your books down on the back of his head.
Drop your books after you hit him. Looks like you dropped your books on him by accident.
Somebody trying to trip you. Same thing.
Be prepared. Keep your eyes on the ground as you get closer.
He sticks his foot out trying to trip you, you lift your foot and you stomp his right on top, right here,” Bane explained, pointing to the arch in the top of his own foot.
Carson grinned at Bane. “Yes, sir. I think I can do that.”
“No matter what, you hit, you kick, you fight for as long as they’re trying to hurt you. Eventually they’ll decide you’re too much trouble and pick somebody else to be mean to.”
“I’ll have to help protect whoever they pick on next.”
“Because you’re a good man.”
“I’m a little kid.”
“Don’t matter how little you are. You’re learning to be a man.”
Carson looked at Bane for a minute then nodded. “I am.” He then allowed his father to put him in the car.
Charlie looked over at Bane as he turned to get in the driver’s seat of his car.
“You know, he doesn’t talk to strangers, and he only eats chicken nuggets and pizza and macaroni and cheese.
I get here and he’s having barbecued ribs, and talking to all of you like he’s known you all his life.
I don’t know how, and I don’t understand it.
But I’m so thankful. Thank you for taking time with my Carson.
He struggles sometimes, and it breaks my heart. ”
“He’s a good boy. He reminds me so much of my brother, Bam, when we were kids,” Bane said.
Charlie huffed a laugh as he thought about how he’d found Carson with all kinds of new attitude that evening. “I can’t get him to even wrestle with me, but he’s asking you to help him learn to fight a bully.”
“Hope it’s not too much. If so, I can tell him that there’s other ways to deal with bullies, but I’ll be honest, none of them work but whipping their asses. They already know he’s a soft target, so it’s not going to stop until he puts them in their place.”
“You know, there’s all kinds of opinions on how to address bullying.
I’ve been trying to do it through the proper channels, the right way so to speak, up at the school, and nobody’s done a damn thing about it.
Do I want Carson to fight? No. But do I want him to fold further in on himself as they take away what little self-confidence he’s got?
Hell no. Like you said, he’s learning to be a man.
I want him to be a man who can defend himself and anyone he loves. ”
“That’s how we see it. Daisy and her brother, and all her cousins were raised that way. Peaceful, and respectful. But if somebody pushes it, they can handle it.”
“I’m thinking that’s the best way to be.”
“It is for some people.”
“I can see that,” Charlie said, lifting a hand in a wave as he opened his door.
“We meant it now, Charlie. Y’all come back and visit,” Bane said.
“We will, sir. Thank you for everything.”
Bane went back up the steps and stood there with Janie and Daisy, waving as Charlie backed out and drove away.
Daisy was the first to go inside.
Moments later her parents followed her in.
“He’s such a nice young man,” Janie said.
“Carson is a sweet little boy,” Daisy said as she picked up the last few dessert dishes and carried them toward the kitchen.
“I meant Charlie,” Janie said.
“Yep. I like him,” Bane said.
“What? You don’t even know him!” Daisy exclaimed.
“Don’t matter. I like him.”
“You should go out with him,” Janie said.
“Mom!”
“What? You should. He’s nice, and we like Carson, too.”
“Your mother’s right. He’s good for you. You should go out with him.”
“You don’t know him and you’re trying to set me up with him!” Daisy exclaimed.
“He’s a good guy,” Bane said.
“He is,” Janie agreed.
“Why? What makes you think that?” Daisy demanded.
“He brought you a strawberry shake,” Janie said, like he’d brought her a million dollars.
“A strawberry shake?” Daisy asked.
“Mmhmm,” Janie said, gesturing toward the now empty cup the shake had come in.
“Dad! You can’t seriously believe that because he brought me a strawberry shake I should mate him for life,” Daisy said.
“No. But I talked to him. There’s no lie. He really cares, Daisy. There’s no bullshit with him.”
“And I should mate him for that?”
“No. You should date him. Give the boy a chance. He’s good. And he’s kind, and he cares about you. Don’t let whatever it is you’ve been shoving down deep inside you steal the rest of your life from you. And I really like Carson.”
Daisy opened her mouth to respond, but closed it when she realized if she continued this conversation, questions that she didn’t want to have to address would come up. “I’ll think about it.”
“You do that. Besides, he’s promised me a chocolate shake, and I want my chocolate shake,” Bane said, winking at her as he walked past her.