Iron-clad Friendship

Dan had suffered enough of the world around him. His job at the factory ended years ago, and he was barely making ends meet with his meager social security check and odd jobs as a handyman. His friends called him “Dan the Man,” but his friends were moving away or dying on him. His wife divorced him and moved back home to her parents’ home in Ohio, and his sons and daughters lived in distant countries: Japan, Germany, Switzerland. He couldn’t just hop on a plane and visit them. He felt alone and decided to do something about it.

The days grew longer, and Dan found a good time to break away. He sold his house when the market was right and with the proceeds bought a plot of land in the center of Florida. He didn’t want to worry about tidal surges, crowds, or the ever-growing spiders of roads being built around him. He had become the typical curmudgeon – leery of strangers, teenagers, politicians – the whole lot of them frustrated him.

He was lucky to find a piece of land in Myakka near the Crowley homestead, one of the original pioneering families of Florida. He knew he’d find some piece and quiet there, a mindful return to the basics. On the land stood a cabin, small by modern standards but big enough for one person to live. He didn’t expect his family to visit, so nature became his new family. He donated most of his belongings to a veterans’ organization and kept only the things he needed: basic clothing and shoes, material, his prized cast iron pots and cooking utensils, and other things he might need to make it on his own.

After moving his meager belongings into the cabin, he took a short hike in the woods around his cabin. He heard some noise in the distance and went toward it. Dan walked down a worn path toward a group of cabins with a common fire pit. On the porch of one of the cabins, a tall man with a long beard shouted out to him. “Howdy, neighbor. We heard you moving in the other day into Callie’s old house. I’m Finn, and my wife Emily is inside. Next door is my brother, Owen, and his wife Stephanie.” He continued whittling as he leaned on the porch support.

Dan the Man was surprised; the realtor hadn’t told him he had neighbors within walking distance. “I’m Dan. Yes, I moved in yesterday. I didn’t know I had neighbors,” he said with a chuckle. “I suppose that’s a good thing.”

“It is,” Finn replied. “My wife was trained as a nurse, and my brother is a carpenter. I can fix just about anything. You?”

“Cooking. I can make just about anything in an iron pan.” Dan said. “Are there more people out here?”

“Yeah. It’s like a small village out here. Everyone has a special skill or trade, and we barter. We keep our space, but we also watch out for each other. It’ better living like this than we did in town.” Finn walked down the stairs to shake Dan’s hand. “Living on the land off the grid ain’t easy, but it’s better than dealing with all those chuckleheads out there. Glad to meet you.”

The door to the other house opened. Stephanie stepped out and peered out into the opening. “Finn? Who do we have here?”

Finn answered, “This is Dan. He took the Callie house. He cooks.”

Stephanie smiled and came down to greet him. “Nice to meet you, Dan. It’s nice to have someone in the area who can cook.” She looked at Finn. “My brother-in-law is not good at that at all.”

Finn gave a laugh. “Thanks, Stephanie. At least you’re good with needle and thread. Your eggs aren’t all that good, either.”

Stephanie bent down, picked up a pebble and tossed it at Finn. “Next time you need your pants fixed, don’t come crying to me.” She walked back up the stairs and shouted into the house. “Owen! Come out here for a second. Owen!”

A few loud footsteps preceded Owen’s appearance at the door. He was taller than his brother, and his shoulders barely fit through the door. He had a piece of wood he was sanding down with him, and Dan looked at him with awe.

“Oh, hi,” Owen said. “New?” Owen was a man of few words.

“Dan. How do you do?” Dan said.

Owen brushed his hands off and shook Dan’s hand. “Pardon the dust. I was just repairing a chair leg that broke. That’s what I get for bringing furniture with me instead of making it myself.” He looked down at the piece of wood. “I wonder if Tom has wood glue.”

Dan looked at Owen inquisitively. “Tom?”

Finn replied, “Tom lives on the outskirts of our little village. He goes into town to get sundries and groceries that we can’t get or grow ourselves. If you ask him, he can get pretty much anything you need.”

“Nice to know,” Dan replied. “This place has more than I expected. Tomorrow I’ll make some a nice ham dish for you.”

“Much obliged,” Finn said. “You’re welcome to use this pit if you like. Or do you have one set up at your place?”

“I have a tripod that was left in the fireplace in the house. I brought a large Dutch oven I can use.” He laughed. “All that cast iron was the heaviest stuff I brought with me. I can make just about anything in them.”

Stephanie cast a smile. “I hope you can share some recipes. We’ve tried to cook what we catch around here, but everything tastes gamey and off.”

“Can Tom get a hold of some spices? Dan asked.

“Sure, he can get whatever we need. You give him a list; he’ll get it to you. We check our mailboxes once or week or so at his store; that’s how we get the cash when we can’t barter.” Stephanie gave her husband the look that said there’s something else that needs to be said.

Owen waited a moment, and then said quietly, “Oh, and then there’s Dave. He lives about a mile north of you. He’s cantankerous, hates everybody, and he got worse after his hunting buddy Callie died. Then you bought Callie’s house.” Owen shuffled his feet a bit and continued. “He’s an older guy, about yea high, and keeps to himself. His daughter keeps him company from time to time. She’s about your age.”

Dan looked toward the north. “Thank you for telling me about that. If you don’t mind, I’m gonna go finish unpacking. And I’ll work on that casserole for tomorrow.” He nodded toward them in respect and then headed back toward his cabin. Along the way he thought about his new neighbors; it was like a pioneering village, people surviving on their own without the addition of cell phones and internet service. This suited him just fine.

He got home and began unpacking some of his boxes. He didn’t have many to unpack as he moved them from his beat-up pick-up truck. That was the most modern thing he had; he thought he might need it in case of an emergency. Emily was a nurse, but some things he knew needed more precise care. He lined his pans of varying sizes along the wall and placed the bigger ones underneath the sink. His grill pan and Dutch oven he placed in the pantry by where his canned goods would go. He brought along a box of coarse salt and hand towels to clean his cookware; he was a fanatic with those pans.

He heard a knock on his door and thought it was a little soon to be entertaining guests. Putting the box aside, he got up to answer the door. A lady with brown hair and sparkling hazel eyes greeted him at the door with a basket of oranges. He opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.

“Howdy,” Dan began, “I’m new here. My name is Dan.”

She held out her hand to shake his. “My name is Penny. I’d like to welcome you to our little village (I guess you can call it).” She handed him the oranges. “These come from the grove on my dad’s land, and he has more than he needs.”

Dan took the basket. “Thank you, Penny. That’s mighty kind of you.” He placed the basked on a plant stand outside his door. “I met Owen and Finn today, and everyone around here sounds friendly. More than I expected. I might start to believe people are good at heart.”

Penny’s smile darkened a little. “Um, not everyone. My father, Dave, can be reclusive and protective of his space. He’s had a string of bad luck recently, and he can be, well, kinda ornery. He means well.” She wasn’t sure if Dan was getting her message; he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. “Well, if you need anything, Tom at the general store can get just about anything you need. I’ll see you around.” With that, she turned around and walked back down the stairs and back onto the dirt path. Dan was dumbstruck with her beauty.

He turned around and headed back to the chore at hand, unpacking. He carefully took out a pair of kerosene lamps, one for the kitchen and one for his bedroom. He had some battery-operated lights, some solar batteries, and some candles for lighting. There was one single 110 electrical outlet for the refrigerator, but he knew that when he bought the house. There was a hand-pumped water well on the property. The only thing he wasn’t looking forward to was the outhouse in the back. Typical of the ones from yesteryear, it had a moon and star on the door for its only light. He knew he’d need some light handy there.

He finished putting away his belongings and retired for the night. After extinguishing the last of the lights, he lay his weary head down on the pillow and fell asleep, exhausted from the heat and work of the day.

In the middle of the night and his peaceful dreams, he awoke to a sound at his door. He jumped out of bed and picked a pan off the wall for protection. It sounded far away, but he recognized her voice. Penny was knocking at his door and calling his name. Dan threw on his shoes and a proper shirt to answer the door. Penny looked frantic. “My father, he’s fallen and broken his ankle. It looks serious. Can you help? Can you get Emily?”

“If he’s that hurt, he needs to go to hospital. I have a truck. I’ll take you and him there.”

Penny indicated to Dan where their house was, and Dan went in to help Dave. He heard the unmistakable rack of a Remington shotgun that stopped him in his tracks. Penny spoke. “Stop it, Dad. This man is going to take you to the hospital. Put that gun down.”

Dave was a wiry old man, not more than five feet tall but full of spit and fire. He looked at Dan and said, “This guy? This guy’s gonna take me to the hospital? He looks like he couldn’t move a bushel of oranges.”

“Dad, no arguing. You’re going. NOW.” Penny led Dan to her father and together they helped him up, his foot swollen. “Let Dan help you, Dad. He can carry you.”

“I’m not having no man carry me. I’m not getting married,” Dave retorted. “It’s bad enough you’re not married.” Dave reluctantly allowed Dan to carry him. “I don’t like this one bit.”

“Neither do I, Sir, but your daughter insists,” Dan said. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Dan. We’re going to the hospital.” Penny and Dan helped the old man into the truck, and Penny played navigator getting them to the hospital. “Thank goodness it’s not far away.”

They met up with a nurse who brought out a wheelchair, and Penny watched helplessly as they took him in to the ER. “I hope he’ll be all right,” Penny said. “He’s all I have.”

Dan changed the subject and replied, “They usually have coffee here. Let’s get a cup while we wait.” They wandered through the hallway down to the cafeteria to get some second-rate black coffee. “What happened?”

“He tripped over his anvil.”

“Pardon me – his what?”

“His anvil. Like in the old cartoons. Before he inherited the grove, dad was a blacksmith and could make anything with metal. He’s just not as strong as he once was so he leaves it in the middle of the room.” Penny shook her head a little. “He knows it’s there. He forgot, and wham! Scared the cat out of his wits.”

Dan tried to reassure her. “I’m sure an ankle’s easy to fix. Maybe I can move the anvil to a place where he won’t trip over it again.” He watched the dim light from the cafeteria dance with the shadows on her face. “He’ll probably need some extra help. Can I-“

“Oh, I’ve already bothered you enough. You’ve done so much for us already.”

“I can cook. I can over some meals for you two.”

Penny looked into Dan’s blue eyes. “Thank you. I think he’d like that.”

They chatted for an hour or two until the morning sun was about to rise. The doctor came out and addressed Penny. “He’s lucky it’s not worse. Just a sprain. But he’ll have to stay off his feet for a couple of weeks until it heals. Here’s the discharge papers; I’ll see him back next month.”

Penny thanked the doctor and watched as the nurse wheeled her father out. “I don’t need any stinkin’ chair,” as he started to nod off from the pain meds. The nurse smiled and wheeled him outside to Dan’s truck. They transferred him into the vehicle, and Dan drove them home. Once home, getting Dave out of the truck was more difficult because he didn’t want to move. “I don’t wanna…” and he fell asleep again. Dan brought him into the house and placed him on the sofa.

“He’ll be all right for a few hours. When the medicine wears off, he’ll be irritable as hell.”

She laughed. “Nothing out of the ordinary.” She looked at her father, and then back at Dan. “Thank you for everything.”

“My pleasure. I’ll see you later with some corn casserole.”

“My dad’s favorite. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. We appreciate it.”

On his way home, Dan could think of nothing else but her smiling eyes and the way her hair fell across her eyes. This could be dangerous, he thought. That man has a gun and knows how to use it.

The next morning, Finn paid Dan a visit. “I heard there was some medical trouble last night.” He sat down at Dan’s table, and Dan poured him some coffee out of the cast iron pot. “You risked a lot going out to Dave’s house at night. He mighta shot you.”

“I know. He almost did.” Dan sat down with his cup. “What’s his story?”

“Well, I don’t know everything,” Finn began, “ I just know he’s been here longer than anyone else we know. He made the best horseshoes. He could probably fix any of your pans. He just gets a little forgetful. And he’s very protective of his daughter.” He sipped the hot coffee and stared at it. “This is good. Really good.”

“It’s the iron,” Dan replied. “Everything tastes better in it.”

“Well, thank you. For the coffee, for taking care of Dave. It’s nice to know we have someone trustworthy. And can make a damn good cup of coffee.” Finn finished his cup. “I have to head up to Tom’s. Anything you need?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. Here’s a short list of items I can use.” Finn looked the list over. “I can pay you when you get back.”

“No need. You helped Dave, and Dave will help you.” Dan wasn’t sure what he meant but agreed to the deal.

Later that day, Dan put the Dutch oven over the fire pit and poured in a mixture of cornmeal, fresh corn and creamed corn, sugar, eggs, and sour cream. In about half an hour, the meal was cooked. As he waited for it to cool a little, he dashed into his bathroom, combed his hair, brushed his teeth, and threw on his favorite plaid shirt and khaki pants. I feel like I’m going on a date, he thought.

When the Dutch oven was ready to carry, he put it in the back of his truck and wedged it between some bricks he kept in his truck. He drove carefully over to Penny’s house, or rather Dave’s house, and parked in the front. Lifting the heavy pot in one arm and using the other one for balance, he walked up the sidewalk and knocked on her door.

Penny opened the door, and her smile lit up the porch. “You weren’t kidding. That smells delicious. Please come in,” and she opened the door. Dan brought the pot in and set it on a hot plate on the table. He opened the lid and smell of fresh corn casserole filled the room.

“What’s that I smell?” Dave yelled from the sofa. “Oh, it’s you.” He looked humbled and said, “Thank you, Dan. You’re a big help. I misjudged you.” Dan thought to himself – how? “That envelope on the sideboard is for you. I insist you take it.” Dan opened the envelope and found five one-hundred-dollar bills. He was about to refuse the generous offer, but Penny shook her head vehemently. “Is that corn casserole? Sweet Lord I’m starving.” Penny set the plates out and dished out the sweet goodness to her father first. “Oh….mmmpph…this is ...really good…” Dave didn’t wait to finish to give his compliments. “Son, you’re welcome over any time,” he said.

Penny smiled at Dan, and he winked back.

Dave looked up, “But no funny business, you two. Can I have some more casserole?”