"Look, Carl, here comes little Willy Ericsson."
"Not so little, Ed, it seem to me," said Carl.
"Remember when we made Willy fire chief?" I asked.
"What?"
"Remember when we made little Willy the fire chief? When he was going to Disneyland?"
"What? Oh, yes, fire chief," said Carl. "Those were the days, wern't they, Ed?"
"Those were the days."
Carl and I were sitting on the porch talking about poor old Harry. Harry was the fire chief. I mean, he had been the fire chief until he died.
"Harry just died," Carl said.
"Yes, he died," I said.
"Weren't no reason for it," Carl said. "No special reason. Just did. That's how it is sometimes, you know."
"No reason at all," I said.
"Could have been a burning roof beam fall in on him. He was gettin' kind of slow, you know. Man was near 75, you know."
"Could have been," I said. "Went to all the fires, same as us. Could have burned, could have fallen. Would have been a hero."
"Harry didn't want to be no hero," Carl said.
"'Course, he was," I said.
"Was what?" siad Carl.
"A hero," I said. "Sort of a hero."
"Never would admit it, though."
"No."
"What about the fire chief, now?" Carl asked.
"What about it?" I said.
"Well, now, who should be chief?" Carl asked. "Last meeting couldn't agree no how."
"No, sure couldn't," I said.
"You want it?" Carl said.
"Not me," I said.
"Me neither," said Carl.
"Who does?" I said.
"Joe does. That's sure. Frank, too," Carl said.
"That's sure," I said. "Wonder why."
"Don't matter why," Carl said. "Point is, they both want it. Can't agree. Can't have a fire department without no chief."
"Lose the insurance," I said. "Lose the license."
"What?" said Carl.
"Can't be certified no more if we don't have a chief," I said. "State rules. Got to have a chief if we want to have a department."
"That so?" Carl said.
"That's so," I said.
"What we gonna do, then?" said Carl. "Ain't nobody gonna change no minds before Thursday. Meeting Thursday."
"Don't know," I said.
Carl and I sat on the porch looking at the folks walking by.
"There's Willy," I said.
"Who?" said Carl.
"Willy Ericsson," I said. "Leona's little one."
"Oh, Willy," Carl said.
"Going to Disneyland." I said.
"Who?" said Carl.
"Willy," I said. "With his Mom. Josie told me yesterday."
"Josie always knows," Carl said. "Never figured how she knows."
"Willy!" I said.
"What?" said Carl.
"Make Willy fire chief," I said.
"Why'd we do a fool thing like that?" Carl said.
"Need a chief; can't agree. Willy'd like it; his Mom would sure be tickled."
"Give us a name for the papers?" Carl asked.
"That's it," I said.
"Chief never does nothing no how," said Carl.
"Sam's still deputy chief anyway," I said.
"How long's Willy going to be gone?" Carl asked.
"Two, three weeks," I said. "Leaving Thursday. Josie said."
"Josie'd know," Carl said. "Never figured –."
"Give us time to sort it out," I said.
"Maybe could agree in a couple weeks," Carl said. "Can't agree now."
"Maybe could. Worth a try," I said.
"Might as well," Carl said.
"Can't hurt," I said.
"Don't see how," Carl said.
"Let him wear the hat once," I said.
"When he gets back," Carl said.
"Take a few pictures," I said.
"For his Mom," Carl said.
"There goes Willy," Carl said.
"There he goes," I said.
"Hear he's up for fire chief," Carl said.
"What?" I said. "Again?"
"Those were the days, weren't they, Ed?"
"Those were the days, Carl."
March 29, 1987
(October, 2002)