Post by Victoria Alexander on Jan 15, 2008 18:30:23 GMT 1
The sounds of the world outside seemed to damper Victoria’s mood. Sitting at one of the booths as the small restaurant she found herself working in. She had found that the two, Sally and Bob where really nice people. They lived above the restaurant in their own apartment and had been married for some time now but from her stand point seem to be newlyweds. They had no children but she had found that their family visited them quite often. She couldn’t help but like the couple.
Victoria counted up the totals and kept a record just as Sally had instructed her to do. She seemed rather glum as she flipped through the little yellow slips. Her eyes adverting towards a calculator ever so often to add the figures up.
Tomorrow was her birthday. She was going to be twenty three in just a few hours. The thought seemed to not only depress her but want to wish that birthdays didn’t exist. Two years ago she would have been excited maybe a little but then she didn’t have to face the real world. Tired nights after fights. Broken ribs and bones that would take months to heal. Days where she would be with no home, no food, no friends. Things changed and she hated it.
Sitting straiter in the seat Bob came out from behind the kitchen. She knew he had cleaned it twice by the time she was done with her counts. The big man stopping at her booth only to pull a chair from another table and sit down by her.
“You know Victoria. You have been a big help these past few days. Im sure without you Sally would be pulling out those pretty little strands of hers.”
His eyes seemed to fall on her rather glum looking face.
“Hey now, you look rather low today. What’s the matter?”
Victoria didn’t feel like talking about it, or having the big man that’s been helping her think about pitying her. She tried to force a smile as gathered up the receipts.
“Nothing, just thinking that’s all”
She could see his big head nod as she looked down at the receipts.
“Thinking can get you into trouble you know that little gal. Now my pappi used to tell me. ‘Now don’t you go uh thinking to yourself it don’t cause you nuttin but grief and sorrow.’” He tried his best old man impression that seemed to make Victoria smirk a little. “Mmhmm that seemed to be his favorite lecture. Always knowing when a person has a heavy heart when they start to think of all the bad things they couldn’t fix.”
She looked up at him. “I guess your pappi is right.” She handed over the receipts and started to rise.
“Victoria” She stood there looking down at the man that was twice her size. He could probably kill a man in a bearhug if he wanted but his gentle eyes gave him away. “Me and Sally can’t help but notice that you haven’t had a different change of clothes and when we offer you a ride to where your staying you always deny. I cant help but think your all alone out here. That you don’t have a place to go.”
Victoria tried to look as honest as she could as she tried to disagree with him but he knew and she knew that he knew. “No, I don’t have no place to go.”
“Where have you been staying?”
She pointed out the door. “In the alley next to the restaurant.”
“Tisk, Tisk that wont work at all. Now you listen to me little lady.” Victoria tried to object but he heard no word of it. “You come back with me.” He got up from his seat, the chair probably happy with the weight lifted off as he made his way back to the back.
Victoria followed unsure of what he had in mind. Surely there wasn’t anything wrong with her sleeping in the alley, for the most part that’s where she has been for the past two years. If he knew that surely he would be disappointed. He seemed to know his way better around the dark kitchen than she did as she followed behind him. Walking through a doorway she found herself moving down a set of stairs. Presumably a basement.
“Bob can I ask where were going?” She said a little quietly as the wooden stairs creaked under their feet. He didn’t say a work but it wasn’t soon after did light spill into the damp room. “Now it ain’t much but Im sure I have one of those fold out cots and some bedding for you.”
“You didn’t have to do this really Im fine.” Bob shook his head and kept looking for the fold out cots. “No, I insist, no sense of you getting a death of a cold sleeping outside when I have something a little better for you. Call it part of your pay for helping me out.”
Pulling the metal cot out, he unfolded it and locked it into place fixing the mattress that came with it. He went onto his business finding some spare blankets in a box and took them out to give them a little shake. “Now they probably don’t look so pretty but they should do the job. Now if you need anything you just give me a holler I’ll be with Sally, Im sure shes got some spare clothes for you, and If you need a shower, you have one in that corner over there. You might want to clear the cob webs out of it but it sure will put some pressure out for ya.” As he walked past her, he patted her on the shoulder. “Good night Victoria.”
“Good night Bob.” She stumbled out before he made his way up the stairs. She couldn’t believe it. She sat on the fold out cot and fell back on it. So much better than the cement. Sooo much better. She thought and before long she had the blankets wrapped around her tightly “Happy Birthday” She said softly to herself knowing that it was no doubt the next day. And with that she fell quickly asleep.
Victoria counted up the totals and kept a record just as Sally had instructed her to do. She seemed rather glum as she flipped through the little yellow slips. Her eyes adverting towards a calculator ever so often to add the figures up.
Tomorrow was her birthday. She was going to be twenty three in just a few hours. The thought seemed to not only depress her but want to wish that birthdays didn’t exist. Two years ago she would have been excited maybe a little but then she didn’t have to face the real world. Tired nights after fights. Broken ribs and bones that would take months to heal. Days where she would be with no home, no food, no friends. Things changed and she hated it.
Sitting straiter in the seat Bob came out from behind the kitchen. She knew he had cleaned it twice by the time she was done with her counts. The big man stopping at her booth only to pull a chair from another table and sit down by her.
“You know Victoria. You have been a big help these past few days. Im sure without you Sally would be pulling out those pretty little strands of hers.”
His eyes seemed to fall on her rather glum looking face.
“Hey now, you look rather low today. What’s the matter?”
Victoria didn’t feel like talking about it, or having the big man that’s been helping her think about pitying her. She tried to force a smile as gathered up the receipts.
“Nothing, just thinking that’s all”
She could see his big head nod as she looked down at the receipts.
“Thinking can get you into trouble you know that little gal. Now my pappi used to tell me. ‘Now don’t you go uh thinking to yourself it don’t cause you nuttin but grief and sorrow.’” He tried his best old man impression that seemed to make Victoria smirk a little. “Mmhmm that seemed to be his favorite lecture. Always knowing when a person has a heavy heart when they start to think of all the bad things they couldn’t fix.”
She looked up at him. “I guess your pappi is right.” She handed over the receipts and started to rise.
“Victoria” She stood there looking down at the man that was twice her size. He could probably kill a man in a bearhug if he wanted but his gentle eyes gave him away. “Me and Sally can’t help but notice that you haven’t had a different change of clothes and when we offer you a ride to where your staying you always deny. I cant help but think your all alone out here. That you don’t have a place to go.”
Victoria tried to look as honest as she could as she tried to disagree with him but he knew and she knew that he knew. “No, I don’t have no place to go.”
“Where have you been staying?”
She pointed out the door. “In the alley next to the restaurant.”
“Tisk, Tisk that wont work at all. Now you listen to me little lady.” Victoria tried to object but he heard no word of it. “You come back with me.” He got up from his seat, the chair probably happy with the weight lifted off as he made his way back to the back.
Victoria followed unsure of what he had in mind. Surely there wasn’t anything wrong with her sleeping in the alley, for the most part that’s where she has been for the past two years. If he knew that surely he would be disappointed. He seemed to know his way better around the dark kitchen than she did as she followed behind him. Walking through a doorway she found herself moving down a set of stairs. Presumably a basement.
“Bob can I ask where were going?” She said a little quietly as the wooden stairs creaked under their feet. He didn’t say a work but it wasn’t soon after did light spill into the damp room. “Now it ain’t much but Im sure I have one of those fold out cots and some bedding for you.”
“You didn’t have to do this really Im fine.” Bob shook his head and kept looking for the fold out cots. “No, I insist, no sense of you getting a death of a cold sleeping outside when I have something a little better for you. Call it part of your pay for helping me out.”
Pulling the metal cot out, he unfolded it and locked it into place fixing the mattress that came with it. He went onto his business finding some spare blankets in a box and took them out to give them a little shake. “Now they probably don’t look so pretty but they should do the job. Now if you need anything you just give me a holler I’ll be with Sally, Im sure shes got some spare clothes for you, and If you need a shower, you have one in that corner over there. You might want to clear the cob webs out of it but it sure will put some pressure out for ya.” As he walked past her, he patted her on the shoulder. “Good night Victoria.”
“Good night Bob.” She stumbled out before he made his way up the stairs. She couldn’t believe it. She sat on the fold out cot and fell back on it. So much better than the cement. Sooo much better. She thought and before long she had the blankets wrapped around her tightly “Happy Birthday” She said softly to herself knowing that it was no doubt the next day. And with that she fell quickly asleep.
