My Friend and Protector - Prologue. Prologue

I've known Karl Marlow since he moved into town the summer before first grade. I saw the moving truck go around the corner, so I went to that side of my house, I wasn't allowed to just wander off. Fortunately for me, the truck stopped at a house about four or five houses down the side street. We lived on a corner, so I could see in all four directions. A few houses down and I wouldn't have to cross the street to watch.

I ran inside to tell my mother about the new people and where the house was. I asked if I could go watch. She said OK, for a little while but don't get in the way. I ran back out and around the corner. I stood on the sidewalk just before their yard started. A line of bushes marked the property line. I was watching for a few minutes and a car pulled up and parked at the other end of their yard. Four people got out. I assumed a mother, father, sister, and brother. The girl looked a bit older than me, she was maybe 9 or 10. The boy only looked a little older than me. Maybe 7 years to my six.

The boy looked like he kept getting in the way. His mother looked around, apparently frustrated with him and saw me watching. She leaned down to tell him something and pointed at me. I hoped she didn't ask him to come chase me away.

"Hi, I'm Karl, with a 'K' Marlow. My mom said I should introduce myself. What's your name, and do you live close?"

"Yeah, right on the corner there. You can't really see my house from here because it faces the other street. I'm Carlo Marini. Our names are almost the same. 'Cept mine starts with a 'C'. How old are you? I'm six."

"Me too."

"You look big for six."

"Yeah, my mom said I was a big baby. Not like you'd call someone who's older and crying. She meant I was born big."

"Neat. I'm going into first grade."

"I am too. But I don't remember the name of the school."

"Rockaway elementary?"

"That's it."

"Neat. We can be best friends. Want to come over to my house while they're bringing everything in?"

"Let me ask my mom. Wait here."

His mom came over to make sure she knew where I lived. When I said right on the corner, she said OK, but only for about an hour. She told him come back at 12 for lunch.

That's how we became friends. The protector part comes later. After a couple short stops along the way, the story will pick up approximately 10 years later.