NOTE: This is the fictional coming of age story of Jake Grimke as he matures through high school, into college and eventually into adulthood in the Baltimore, Maryland region. It contains and embraces accurate representations of life in Baltimore and its suburbs; Maryland's traditional sport of lacrosse and the career path a firefighter might follow in his profession. All of the characters in this story are fictional and resemblance to any one person whether dead or alive is purely coincidental. If you liked this installment, please send me some feed back; I got a rough idea where this is headed but I am always open to some suggestions. Needless to say, if you are offended by handsome athletic young men growing up gay and the obstacles they will encounter as well their personal triumphs, you should use the BACK button on your browser forthwith.
Several hours after Lt. John Grimke, Jr. left for his Christmas Eve shift at Truck Company 19 in the northwest corner of Baltimore, the elder John Grimke and his wife Margaret arrived at their son's house in the Highland Heights neighborhood of Anne Arundel County Maryland; having driven up from Richmond, Virginia just after that city's morning rush hour tapered off. Jake was racking his brain on what to get his new friend Will for a Christmas present just as the older Grimkes arrived and began to unload their small SUV freshly branded with a new University of Virginia decal in the corner of its rear window, a symbol that their son had once attended and new enough to show that they were equally excited that Jake would be attending UVa in the fall.
Emma greeted her in-laws with open arms, taking a short break from the kitchen preparations. Jake helped them carry the luggage to the guest room on the second floor after having cleaned up the bathroom they would be sharing for the next 24 hours before Jake's grandparents continued their journey on to Pennsylvania to visit his father's sister outside of Philadelphia. Downstairs, Margaret Grimke added a few more gifts to the growing mass of presents under the Grimke tree located in the family room. After an early lunch, John Grimke Senior, found Jake and said, "Hey, how about a road trip up to see your dad, you can drive since you know how to get there."
Jake just about always jumped at the chance to visit his dad at work, proud that his father worked at one of the busiest truck companies in the Baltimore Fire Department and equally as proud to know that his dad would be earning a promotion to captain in the not too distant future. And with John Senior being a retired firefighter from the city of Richmond, it was natural for him to want to see his own son on the job, even if it wasn't in Richmond. John Senior handed over the keys to Jake and after asking the ladies if there were any last minute items needed, they left, promising to be back before Baltimore's rush hour started.
The conversation on the trip was pretty predictable, grandfather asking grandson all about how school was going and was he excited about attending the University of Virginia. And Jake was very happy to talk about all those things and how he and Evan formed a band and now they volunteered at Children's Medical Center.
The ride and traffic into Baltimore were easy enough that they arrived at the firehouse just as the tiller Seagrave was being expertly backed into the apparatus bay with John Junior standing in the middle of Park Heights Avenue to stop the traffic long enough to complete the maneuver. As soon as John walked in the big open doors, Jake turned slowly into the alley way that led to the firehouse's rear parking lot and the youngest and oldest Grimkes walked in looking for a middle-aged Grimke.
"Hey Pop," John Jr. said with open arms and a hug for his father, "we knew you would probably pop in; I told the guys this morning at breakfast that you can't keep an old fire horse from the fire house too long!"
"Son, good to see you, looks like everything is going good here," his father replied.
John Jr. went around the crew introducing each member and their riding position to his father and Jake gave them all a firm handshake since they were his father's extended family outside of the Grimke family tree. Curt Sullivan, the long-time driver in the company remarked, "Damn Jake, how big are you now? Is Severn ready to take on Dulaney this spring?"
Jake knew where the conversation was headed, Sullivan's son played attack for Dulaney High School in one of the suburbs north of Baltimore, answering "6'-1", about 184 pounds, sir. We're not too worried about Dulaney, we got to focus on beating Port Deposit in the state finals this season after they came from behind last year to beat us."
"Well, you better watch out for those Dulaney guys, I heard they have a pretty good kid there named, named, name escapes me now....oh, yeah, that Sullivan boy, " Curt mused, proud that his son had been featured in the past spring's Baltimore Sun All-Metro High School lacrosse special, on the same pages that featured Jake and Evan from Severn.
"How good's his face-off?" Jake asked.
"Not bad, not the best but he can hold his own," Curt said.
"Well, maybe he'll be facing off against me then," Jake replied, watching his own father and his father's father walk around looking at the equipment. Before long, there were some neighborhood kids in the firehouse with their parents, begging to look at the fire trucks as well as the train garden that had been meticulously assembled weeks before and now set up behind the pumper which was miraculously re-activated after the double fatal fire 24 hours before.
The bliss of the afternoon was interrupted by the sound of the house bells ringing and the speakers announcing, "Local alarm, Engine Company 24 and Truck Company 19 respond for the investigation of an automatic fire alarm. 2322 Ford Road, near Park Heights Avenue, those units switchover to Channel 2."
Jake gave his dad a quick hug and John Senior watched the nine firemen scramble to get on their rigs, reminiscing about his bygone days in the fire service as the units turned out, mechanical sirens winding up over the throaty roar of the Detroit Diesel engines punctuated with a few blasts from the air horns. Jake knew the drill and made sure the neighborhood kids and parents were gone, that the big stove in the kitchen was turned off and that the big bay doors were closed before they started the drive home.
"Miss it don't you Grandpa?" Jake asked,trying to steer the conversation away from the current events in his own life.
"Sure do, but don't miss some of the other stuff that comes with the job; and listening to your dad, it sounds like the job is getting harder and harder to do. He told me about that fatal fire the other day. It's sad when cities have to play roulette with firehouses on the wheel, close a company and just hope the fire doesn't land on that number that day," the retired fireman explained from is point of view, "but, let's hear about you, what's new in your life Jake?"
Jake cringed a little but sucked it up as he drove his grandfather's SUV. "Not sure if Dad told you but he and I had a talk about a year ago," Jake started, "I told him I thought I was gay and over the last year or so, I pretty much confirmed it to myself that I am; so, don't be expecting any great grand-children soon on my account."
John had told his father about the talk they had but neither let on to Jake that it had occurred. The grandfather listened without judgement and concluded with, "listen, I don't know much about all this homo stuff; but, don't let it define you. It's gonna be a part of you, just like lacrosse is or that you are a smart kid. Don't let anyone of those things or anything else define you Jake. Just be the best of all those parts. You'll see there's a time and a place for all of it and it will all come together for you."
Continuing on, John told Jake, "Margaret and I always knew you were a great kid, and continue to be. And if this gay thing is bugging, for God's sake, get somebody to help you; it's not the end of the world as you know it."
Jake nodded, "I know. Mom and Dad have been pretty cool about it and well, I found out just the other night that most of the people at school are cool with it too. Just got to take it a day or two at a time until I know what to expect out of all this, if that makes any sense."
"You've always had a good head on your shoulders Jake," John Senior added, "and we have always supported your mother and father so you can count us to support you too."
"Thanks Grandpa, it's reassuring to hear from one more person each day that I still got friends and family," Jake said before detouring the conversation, "mind if we stop at the mall for a minute, I want to get a last minute present."
"Sure," John said double checking his watch, "I think we got a little extra time since your Dad and all had to run the bells call."
Jake piloted the car into the crazy shopping center traffic and parked at a seldom used mall entrance, and; with his early sixty plus year old grand dad keeping up with the lacrosse player, they walked apace into Annapolis Mall headed for the Brooks Brothers store. Jake quickly got his bearings in the store and found the men's accessories and a beautiful cashmere muffler and took it to a young college-aged man working the register.
"For your father?" the clerk asked, not sure if the man with Jake was his father or some other paternal figure.
"No, for a friend," Jake replied with a bit of a smile, adding, "a special friend."
"Lucky friend," the clerk said the smile, putting a gift box and other wrapping material in the bag with the scarf while Jake completed the transaction with his bank card.
Less than an hour later, Jake and his grandfather were home and about 3 hours later, John Grimke, Jr. was home from his day shift on Truck 19. They ate an early ham supper and then all headed early to St. Michael's for the 11:00 pm Christmas Eve service. Of course, Evan and Annie Harmes sat with all the Grimkes except for Emma who had organ playing duties for the high holy.
The service ended with "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" for the traditional Anglican recessional and was followed by a movement from Bach's Christmas Oratorio for the postlude as the rest of the parishioners streamed for the solid red wood doors in the back of the nave. Standing in the back of the church waiting to shake the rector's hand was Carson Whitelaw, deputy chief of the Special Operations Command within the Baltimore City Fire Department. Whitelaw, a large athletic black man waited with his wife, Charlotte, just ahead of the Grimke clan who were straggling as they waited for Emma to close up the organ and gather her belongings after slipping out of the traditional robe she wore while playing.
"John Grimke," Carson said, "how's one of my favorite recruits doing on this Christmas Eve, how's the rest of the family?"
"We're good, chief," John replied, "how's Nathan doing in law school?"
"It's been a little bit of a shock at first for him but he's starting to get it right now," Whitelaw said before continuing, "I got a proposition for you."
Charlotte Whitelaw sensing where the conversation was headed quickly interjected, "for the love of God, can't you two just leave the fire department alone for one night?"
"It's okay, dear, I just want to plant a bug in John's ear and give him something to think about as his name moves up towards the top of that captain's list," Carson said to his wife.
Whitelaw turned to Grimke, "Lon Whitmer on Rescue 1's got a bad ticker, had some sort of arrhythmia when they did his last stress test at the clinic a couple weeks ago. He's going to work light duty in Special Ops for me until he gets his twenty five or gets medically-retired. Anyway, I want you to think about coming back to Rescue 1 as the boss, that's all."
John Grimke thought about a response, he wanted to go back to Rescue 1 a while back when there was a lieutenant's vacancy but got into a good gig when he was transferred to Truck 19. "Let me think about it for a day or so and talk it over with my family. I know it's going to mean some more off-duty training and meetings and stuff but I got it pretty good where I am at now."
"John, we can skip a few names on that list, reach down and get you for that job," Carson embellished his offer, "you got an impressive resume, street cred, and prior time on that company; just say yes and boom, you are Captain Grimke."
John Senior and Jake smiled as the accolades were heaped on John Junior by the deputy chief. "Chief...Carson, I promise I'll call you with my decision before we go on days off."
"Fair enough John, fair enough," Whitehall concluded, "and Jake, this is going to be a big year for you at Severn, going to be starting this spring?"
"You bet sir, me and Evan on the front line," Jake said with a nod to Evan who was standing behind him.
With a final nod, Chief Whitehall bid a happy Christmas to all the Grimkes as he strode out with his wife clutching his arm in the tailored suit he wore rather than a uniform. Emma slipped out a side door and met the rest of her family waiting to pile into the SUV that John's parents drove up from Richmond for the ride back to Anne Arundel County.
John Grimke's work schedule dictated when the rest of the family would gather by the tree to open the presents. Most of the time, they were opened on Christmas morning but an occasional workday falling on Christmas Day necessitated opening them after church on Christmas Eve.
All of the Grimkes were tired and headed directly to bed right after they got home from church.
Jake did too, right after he finished wrapping the beautiful cashmere muffler for Will. He had remember hearing Will say he lost his scarf and thought this would make a nice replacement. Soon after, Jake fell asleep, in just a pair of soft nylon mesh lacrosse shorts without a care in the world; just a recurring vision of Jose Valdez in his Christmas dream.
Down the street from the Grimke's on Lakenheath Way lived Naomi Lindsay, a widow who tediously kept her prized flower gardens up very neatly, year after year. Jake cut the lawn for her and sometimes together, with his father, occasionally helped her with yard tasks she couldn't complete on her own. Not long after the death of her husband, her Parkinson's disease worsened to the point where she was no longer able to drive. She eventually gave away her late husband's car to one of her children and the garage sat empty save for her gardening equipment and trash cans.
Jake's parents had persuaded the widow Lindsay to help them hide Jake's big Christmas present. John and Emma, under the ruse that the old Saab had seemed not be running right, had taken Emma's car to their favorite mechanic for the necessary work. Weeks before, they took the car to him and ordered all the parts necessary for the mechanical and body work: Overhaul the turbo and brakes, new canvas for the roof, new leather for the seats, new wheels and tires, new paint and of course, a new stereo. It wasn't exactly going to be a "Pimp My Ride" moment but Jake really did love the quirky car and John and Emma had agreed to purchase themselves a new car and hand this one down to Jake.
All the work had been completed and the mechanic had dropped off the car to the Lindsay house while all the Grimkes were cooking or in Baltimore. Emma contacted Naomi and she quickly stashed the car in the neighbor's garage and brought the keys home to hide them from Jake. Just before 6:00 am, John slid out of bed, quietly dressed and walked five houses down to the Lindsay's house, let himself into the unlocked garage and started up the Saab and pulled it up their own long drive way a few minutes later. With the mission accomplished, John started to make a pot of coffee for everybody that would be waking up soon to open their presents.