Leo and the Red Sea
Leo Lieberman sat at the wooden kitchen table with his four youngest children and wonderful wife. Although it was dark outside, the moon seemed to shine like the sun across the tile floor. It was a shame Jay and Marla could not be at the family dinner, but nothing could put a damper on Leo’s mood. The children were all laughing while his youngest, Brian, reenacted an overly dramatic scene of his father saving the young boy. His wife smiled at him across the table, proud as a wife should be. He was her green-eyed hero, her superhero. In that moment, Leo was enamored of his life.
…

“What you need to do is find a job that makes you proud. That makes your heart feel good inside,” insisted Leo’s father from behind the front desk of his small shop. Leo’s father was a simple tailor, but a man of wisdom. He was a hard worker and his eyes were always filled with passion and love. “Some type of service work,” suggested his father, “A job that is secure, but where you can do something for others.” Right then and there it was decided Leo would become a policeman.

Leo knew, having little education, he would have to work hard to become a successful policeman. To him, the job was more than just stopping the crime found in Brooklyn, New York. His dream was to make his family proud. He worked long hours to gain respect from his peers and eventually became a common rookie.

However, the policeman life was not the life for Leo. One day, he stopped gray-haired Billy Wright on the street. He was speeding in the local school zone, meaning Billy got a ticket and a large fine to pay. When Leo reported his weekly tickets to the captain at the station, he was clipped in the nose. “What was that for?” inquired Leo. “No one gives Billy a ticket. Plain and simple,” retorted the captain.

After that day, Leo dreamed of becoming something more. He was completely and utterly unsatisfied. The system was full of injustice. If someone broke the law, he believed he or she should be punished. Not only that, Leo felt as if he was not fulfilling his service as a citizen.


The next week, it was as if Fate had heard him and was stepping in. Leo walked to work as it was good for his health and gave him a chance to think. Plus, paying for gas on a policeman’s salary did not equate. Every day, on his walk, he passed by the local fire station. How extravagant it was, with it’s silver letters, brown brick, and shining red fire trucks. However, it was not the building that appealed to Leo, it was the people. Each day, when he passed, the young, buff men would be playing cards and laughing together in the garage. Leo was purely jealous- he did not have any connection with his coworkers like these men had.

“Hey, Leo,” yelled one fireman as he passed by that week, “why don’t you join us?” Although Leo had to decline, he decided then and there he would become a fireman. It was almost as if his father was standing right there with him outside that brick building, whispering in his ear, “This is what you are made to do. This is what will make you proud.”

After discussing it over with his family- his mother always needed to be consulted with- Leo decided it was his destiny to become a fireman. The next day, he went down to the station and talked to the captain.
“So, you’re interested in becoming one of us,” stated the captain, “well it’s not hero’s work. We do what we do because we want to help people.”
“I understand,” replied Leo, “I’m not in it for the glory.”
“That’s good to hear. However, you are just too short for the job. You’re only 5’7”. Get a little taller and we’ll talk,” said the captain with a little hint of remorse in his voice.

While most men would have been discouraged, Leo wanted to prove his heart and passion would change his fortune.

For three months, Leo continued his job at the police station. He needed money not only for himself, but also to buy his fiancé, red-haired Holly, a gorgeous ring. She wanted a loving husband and a beautiful family, and he wanted to give it all to her. However, he never gave up his goal of being a fireman. During those three months, Leo slept on the hardwood floor of his bedroom. To many people, this would have been absurd, but Leo’s father had told him when he was a boy that sleeping on the floor made every man tougher and taller. After three months, Leo was 5’9”. He walked into the fire station, and was offered the job on the spot.

Leo immediately fell in love with the job. It was not just the rush of putting out the fires, it was the rush of saving someone’s life and knowing he made a difference. Not only that, his crew was his family. There was an inseparable bond between the men, one that cannot be described in words. They were his brothers, plain and simple.
Leo worked hard to move up in the system, putting in extra hours and learning from his peers. As Fate stepped in, he became Captain of the New York City Fire Department. He was in charge of Engine Four Ladder Fifteen, which patrolled the Twin Towers. Leo had found his true destiny.
Meanwhile, Leo had six children- three boys and three girls- with Holly. His wife and children grew to know the familiar smoke smell, and Leo was one proud father and husband.

The job came with many joys, but also many tribulations. He saw families’ lives disappear as houses crumbled. The sight of mothers and fathers and children and aunts and uncles crying never left him at night. The heat of the fires could be felt at the back of his neck at all times. His nose picked up miniscule traces of smoke from insignificant sources that caused his heart to race. However, Leo was completely and utterly satisfied with his career.

The event that prompted Leo to realize he was completely in love with his life happened one cloudy, miserable day. It was as if the clouds were suffocating the sun, making it hard for anyone to feel lighthearted. Around three o’clock pm, Leo’s station was playing cards and watching a little television. The sound of the siren blasted over the speaker. This siren seemed more rushed and panicked than usual; however Leo knew it was always the same noise. Nonetheless, Leo set off to gather his gear in a rare feeling of trepidation.

The red, shining fire truck flew threw the streets. To Leo, riding on those trucks was always a weird experience- knowing everything the men passed was alive and bright but feeling as if life was paused in that moment. When they reached the burning house, the familiar fire was a stark contrast against the pale grey sky. It was a red sea, trying to drown those around it.

A panicked mother ran up to him and quickly cried out, “He’s missing. I can’t find him. My son-.” She broke off crying falling into her husband’s arms. Leo wanted to take off running into the house, but he knew that would be irresponsible if he did not inspect the area first.

After inspecting the area, Leo realized he could not send his men into the house. If they went in, everyone would be in danger. At any moment, the house could collapse. However, Leo decided he had to go in and risk his own life- it was almost as if his own children were stuck in that house.

Running into the drowning building, he was aware the parents had no idea where the child was when the fire started. He carefully maneuvered around the burning flames, checking every place he could think of. No luck. Leo was stuck in a burning building with hot waves trying to drown him. The smoke started to thicken, and Leo knew he would have to get out soon.

Think hard, thought Leo. He’s a child. A scared child. Where would my own children hide? Suddenly, Leo had a flashback to playing hide-and-seek with his children a few years back. Immediately, he wished he could be back in that moment, safe with his family. Where would they hide?

Leo dashed upstairs quickly, knowing the stairs could collapse at any moment. His eyes scanned across the hallway, calling out to the little boy. He burst through a room and could barely see around him. The smoke was enveloping him quickly, and he knew he would have to look blindly. He swam through the air, keeping his arms out around him to feel for anything. Under his thick gloves he suddenly felt a rounded bedpost. It almost felt out of place in the burning room. Leo quickly dropped to his hands and knees, trying to feel under the bed. He has to be under here, thought Leo. It’s the perfect hiding spot. His searching hand quickly came upon a shaking boy under the bed.
…

Leo scanned his wooden dinner table once more. There were his four youngest children and his wonderful wife, all safe and sound. The bright moon reflected across the tile, breaking out from behind the clouds that had suffocated the sun earlier that day. His children’s laughter and friendly chatter were all background noise to his thoughts. Little Brian’s smile brought back to him all the emotions of saving the young boy earlier that day. In that moment, Leo was completely and utterly enamored of his life.