ONE MAN ARMY - Part Five: Burning Bed

Jackie called from this mother’s room, out the window facing our driveway.

“Fire!”

My mother was in the kitchen, which also faced our driveway. She heard Jackie and thought, ‘what now?’ But there was something different in his voice this time. She looked out the window. Smoke was coming from Mrs. Quinn’s room like a flag waving.

My mother ran to the Quinn’s house and went inside. Jackie was in his mother’s room fanning the flames with a towel. Embers arched away from their source like a sprinkler. The bed was on fire.

Mrs. Quinn was on the bed. The bottom right corner was on fire. She was naked. There was no sheet on the bed and it was soiled and stained with feces and urine. Jackie keep flaming the towel frantically.

“Jackie, stop that! You’re making it worse! Help me get your mother out of bed.”

Jackie looked at her, dumbstruck and continued fanning frantically. My mother went to Mrs. Quinn. She was curled up and disjointed, a frail body of flesh and bone. Bruises dotted her body from head to toe. My mother got a robe, scooped her up, and took her out of the room. She laid her on the couch and left her softly moaning. She went to the kitchen and filled a pot with water. Back in Mrs. Quinn’s room, Jackie was still fanning the flames. My mother drenched the mattress. The fire was out.

“How did this happen?” my mother asked.

“I don’t know.” Jackie shrugged and pushed the hair out of his eyes. He was out of breath.

“You don’t know how this happened?”

“No, I was just sitting here having a cigarette and talking to my mom.”