Kenneth looked closely into the face of David Starsky, noting the astonishment there. “You’d better close your mouth,” he said dryly. “You’re gonna catch a fly.”
“Oh...uh...sorry. I didn’t realize my mouth was hangin’ open,” he replied flashing a lop-sided grin. “So, what happened back there? You know that girl?”
“Not until a few minutes ago. I was out here jogging, tryin’ to clear my head when I came upon those two, just in time to see him hit her. I didn’t like it.”
“So I gathered. But, that guy must have outweighed you by at least 30 pounds! How’d you get the best of him?”
“Well,” Kenneth replied thoughtfully. “I guess I was just madder than he was.”
“Remind me never to let you get mad at me like that!” David replied with a chuckle. He was rewarded with a smile from the other man. “Say, is your name really Kenneth Hutchinson?”
“Yeah. At least that’s what’s on my birth certificate.”
“Well, I can’t walk around all the time callin’ you Kenneth Hutchinson. It’s way too stuffy, too formal. Can I call you Kenny?” David asked, eyebrows crawling toward his hairline.
“Not if you want me to answer!”
“Ok. How about Hutchinson? Nah, that’s way too complicated for me. Too many syllables.” David shifted his gaze skyward, scratching his head as if deep in thought. Kenneth found himself looking up at the trees, wondering what was so fascinating up there. Suddenly, David came out of his reverie and snapped his fingers. “I got it!” he exclaimed enthusiastically. “I’m gonna call you Hutch. That’s much better!”
Kenneth again studied the face of David Starsky. He saw those eyes glow with satisfaction, as if Starsky had just discovered the cure for the common cold or something
“Ok,” he said agreeably. “Hutch it is.” Although he would never admit it, inwardly he was very pleased by his new nickname. He felt as if it signified the beginning of a new chapter in his life. He wondered briefly if this man would be responsible for a great deal of that new chapter. “So. As long as we are debating monikers, what exactly should I call you?”
“I’m Starsky. Dave....” Before he could go any further, the two men were interrupted by a little girl running toward them sobbing loudly and screaming for help. She couldn’t have been more that nine or ten years old and tears were streaming down her face.
In a tone that bordered on hysteria, she begged them for help. “Please, you gotta help me! My kitten has climbed up a tree over there and can’t get back down. I tried to get her myself but I can’t reach the branches. Please, please can you get her for me?”
Hutch looked at the little girl with her pleading face and big puppy-dog eyes. He glanced up at Starsky, and their eyes met in silent understanding. “Sure we’ll help you, sweetheart,” he said, putting his arm around the sobbing child. “Just show us the tree and we’ll take care of it.”
The little girl took off down the jogging path, and the two cadets followed. Hutch was surprised at how natural it felt to be walking beside the other man, how easily he had read the thoughts mirrored in those sapphire blue eyes. He was sure that something special was happening here, but his train of thought was cut short as they arrived at their destination.
The trio approached the tree, and Starsky and Hutch assessed the situation. The tree was huge, it’s uppermost branches towering 75 feet above the earth. And there, sitting about 50 feet up, was a tiny calico kitten, mewing pitifully. Hutch felt his heart go out to the little creature and to the little girl who was standing beside him, her features puckered into a worried frown.
“Well,” said Starsky, taking a deep breath and stretching his arms. “Looks like I’m in for a little climb. Tell ya what, Hutch. You stay down here with our little friend and I’ll see if I can’t get that poor kitty out of her predicament.”
The words were barely out of his mouth when Starsky started up the tree. It was Hutch’s turn to be astonished as he watched the fluid, seemingly effortless movements of the man as he swung from limb to limb. Every muscle in his body moved in smooth coordination and although he couldn’t really see from where he was standing, he was pretty sure Starsky was not even breaking a sweat. It was like watching art in motion; Hutch couldn’t remember when he had seen such a graceful display of strength and power. Every move the man made was swift and sure; he never faltered or even hesitated as he easily reached his goal.
With infinite care, Starsky plucked the kitten from her perch and started his descent. Hutch could see that getting down was going to be a little trickier than getting up there had been because now Starsky had only one hand to work with. He watched with growing concern as the dark-haired man carefully climbed down, guarding his little rescuee. Everything was going well until one of his carefully chosen handholds broke off in his hand. Starsky swayed back and forth a couple of times and then to Hutch’s horror, he pitched forward off his precarious perch. Before Hutch could even think to react, Starsky managed to latch onto a limb about 30 feet off the ground and he hung there, suspended between heaven and earth.
Thinking quickly, Starsky took his little bundle and shoved it down inside his shirt, immediately freeing his other hand. Then, in a move that would be the envy of the world’s greatest acrobat, he deftly swung back and forth until he achieved enough momentum to swing himself back onto the limb he had been frantically hanging from just moments before. He took a few minutes to regain his composure, then easily completed his descent to the ground, grinning broadly.
Hutch breathed a sigh of relief as Starsky’s feet hit the ground. The man was amazing! ‘He must be part monkey/part Tarzan or something,’ Hutch thought to himself. He watched as Starsky knelt down in front of the little girl and handed her the frightened kitten. Starsky patted the girl’s cheek reassuringly and began to talk to her about her kitten and where she went to school and what she wanted to be when she grew up. Hutch smiled to himself as he watched the little girl warm up to the dark-haired man and begin to talk animatedly with him.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew through the park and Hutch heard a strange splintering sound overhead. The branch that Starsky had fallen against must have been dead or weak and now the wind loosened it. Starsky and his new friend were so engrossed in their conversation they did not even notice when another gust of wind blew and the tree branch plunged toward the ground, headed straight for the pair. There was no time for Hutch to shout a warning, so he did the only thing he could do. Without a moment’s hesitation, he lunged at Starsky and the girl, pushing them out of the way. A sharp pain exploded in the back of his head and he knew nothing more.