Mattapan, Boston. Blanchard's Diner.
"It's almost six. Just a couple more minutes and she can go home to her son. She wiped the diner table again, hoping to look busy so that customers won't ask for her. Especially that annoying couple with the baby. What exactly are they doing with a baby at this time of day, in Mattapan of all places? She used to live in Roslindale when Henry was a baby but the prices were too high. Too high for a single mom with no college qualifications, anyway.
"Excuse me, miss? Can we get a refill?" asked the mother of the baby. Emma almost slammed her head into the table. It's probably the third time the woman has inquired about refills. When will she learn that refill's are only free with coffee, tap water or soda's? She strutted over to the table, too tired to ignore the woman and have to face the wrath of manager Louie. "Yes ma'am, what can I get you?" she inquired, pencil and notepad in hand. She faked a smile for the couple.
"Uh, can I get a refill of my hot coco?" she asked again. Emma nodded her head, and wrote down on the notepad.
"Sure, but you are aware that will cost you?" Emma questioned. The woman looks back shocked, chocolate brown curls of hair falling from her bun. "Excuse me, but that signs say's that they're free" the woman stated, pointing a manicured finger at the sign. Oh, the days when she could afford to have her nails painted, they were glorious. Well, at least compared to now, when all her money went on rent. "Yes, ma'am, but refill's are only free for coffee, water and soda. If you have a problem, take it up with management." Emma replied. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It's four minutes till six. Four minutes. A lot can happen in four minutes. "Don't take that tone with me, miss," the woman shouted. "I am a customer here, and is the customer not always right?" she asked loudly. Emma sighed. A common misinterpretation, she thought. Sometimes the customer is a bitch who really needs an attitude adjustment. " Listen, ma'am," Emma said, gritting her teeth in frustration. "This is diner policy. If you want another hot cocoa then you will have to pay the same price as you did before. I am sorry, now, if there is anything else I can get-"
"CAN YOU GET ME A REFILL ON MY HOT COCO? BECAUSE THAT WOULD GREAT!" The woman yelled at Emma. The baby gurgled and looked up with its big blue eyes. Emma stared at the baby, then at the mother. Suddenly, Louie entered from the kitchen. "Emma, mind telling me what's going on?" he asked, walking to the table. He smiled over eagerly at the couple, and pet the gurgling baby on its head. "Louie, I was just telling this... lovely customer that she can not get a free hot cocoa as it is not part of the refillable menu" Emma remarked, restraining herself from having to wrap her hands around the pompous woman's neck and wringing it like a chicken. God, all she really wanted was money for taco's. Was this really worth it? "I am so sorry for the inconvenience ma'am, but I'm afraid that what your waitress is saying is true, we simply can not give you hot coco for free" Louie politely responded. Emma looked at him; shocked. Usually, she'd be in trouble. She turned back to the woman, smiling smugly. The woman, in turn, gave her the most venomous look she'd received for a long time. Then she smiled, her lips thinning like a snake. "Mr, Louie is it? Yes, well, Mr Louie, I ordered a cheeseburger with fries as my meal, and when this so-called waitress appeared with my food, there was no cheese on my burger, nor was there any 'slaw with my fries, which I believe was promised. Now, I overlooked this little blunder at the time, however, I don't believe that it is fair for me to have to pay for another mug of coco when the correct meal was not even delivered to me and I have already paid for that." The woman smirked, batting her false eyelashes at Louie. Emma drew in her breath, fighting the urge to smack the eyelashes off her face. She checked in her notepad. There was one order of a hamburger with fries and one order of a burrito. No mention of cheese anywhere. "Emma, is this true?" Louie asked, with a disapproving eye. Emma showed him her notepad.
"Not according to my notepad, Louie" Emma said, looking back at the woman with an equally malicious glare. "Well, then, you must have forgotten to write it down, you silly goose" the woman chuckled. Louie nervously laughed too, looking at the clock on the wall. "You know what, Emma? Your shift is over now, so why don't you go home and I'll deal with this?" Louie suggested. Emma was more than happy to get away from that vile woman, and felt that she'd got off lightly. Sometimes customers try to haggle for free food, but if they had Emma, they usually ended up with spilled milkshake. Just as she turned to get her coat, Louie came up behind her and, whispering in her ear menacingly, declared "If you're going to make mistakes like that again, don't bother coming in tomorrow". Emma shuddered at his voice. Or maybe it was the cool wind blowing in from the open door. Either way, she knew she had to get out of there before that woman made another remark. She slipped on her red funneled neck coat, grabbed her leather purse and rushed out the door, into the blustery winter weather.
Approaching Christmas, this was always a bad time for Emma. A bargain Christmas buffet, a maximum of fifty dollars to spend on presents, and discount decorations. No family to go to, which helped costs stay down. Still, it was no real way to celebrate the holiday's. Henry seemed to enjoy it, but that could have been the two weeks he got off from school. Which required her to find a babysitter's or time off work. Less money coming in or more money coming out, it was always a stretch on her wallet those months. As long as Henry was happy, that was all that mattered. Of course, he always was. Their holiday's together had always been the same, right from his very first. She supposed that, not knowing anything different made him enjoy it more. Poor kid, Emma thought. Even when she was in care, they had had decent food, and a really big tree with a beautiful silver angel on top. She always fought to put that angel on the tree, but at all the times she had stayed at that specific home; she never got to. When Emma was pregnant, and had decided to keep the baby, she had a lot of spare time in prison. One time, when it was Christmas, they had an arts and crafts course to help them make decorations for their loved ones. Emma at first thought about sending Henry's father a bauble with some choice words to show her 'appreciation', but after the teacher saw what she did, she changed her mind. Didn't she want something nice for her baby, a family heirloom? The teacher had asked. Emma thought of the angel on the tree and made one out of glitter and paint and paper and ribbon. It wasn't quite as professional as she had hoped, she was only eighteen, but it was hers. She remembered feeling Henry kick her in thanks.
Walking down the streets, watching shoppers madly rushing by, teenagers wielding imaginary guns and knives at their friends, streetlamps illuminating kissing couples. Emma was at peace. She knew she could handle Louie. Since she had started her new weekend cleaning job, she had a little extra money. Maybe they could get a turkey to themselves this year. Buy Henry that games console he was always going on about. A new superstore was opening just around the corner from their apartment, she could always go there. Heck, she'd even invite Ruby to dinner. She knew she'd need a break from looking after her senile grandmother, this would be perfect. They'd be like a real family.
Emma turned the corner, and the pleasant atmosphere disappeared. She buried down further in her coat, ignoring passersby like she ignored Gloria the 'Deputy' Manager at Blanchard's. The distant sound of a police siren chilled her to her very core, more than the weather itself. Mattapan was not a good neighbourhood. To be fair, she was right on the edge, practically in Dorchester. However, pricing was too steep in there. Luckily, it still entitled Henry to go to a Dorchester school, and for her to work at a Dorchester diner. God only knew what the schools were like in Mattapan. It's nick-named Murderpan because of the high crime rates. Not the best place to raise a child, Emma knew, but Henry was a smart boy. He didn't talk to strangers, or the police. Kept it brief when conversing with the locals. Never opened the door for anyone he didn't know, no matter who they claimed to be. He took karate lessons once a week at the local community centre, and stayed up-to-date on the latest crime statistics. Stayed out of places where felonies had recently been committed. Spent most of his time at home. A little anti-social, maybe, but better than dead. Emma shuddered at the thought.
As she arrived at the apartment block, she could hear a loud commotion coming from inside. Instantly fearing for her son's safety, she rushed as fast as she could on the icy November pavements. The door was opening, mean cold air would whistle through their apartment for the rest of the night. Mr Mills, the landlord, was shouting at No.101. Emma didn't know No.101's name, only that she was a beanpole of a woman with black and white hair. She also had about a five dozen dalmatians puppies that peed in all the hallways and chewed up her mail if she didn't get to it in time. No. 101 was mumbling something and avoiding eye contact, and Mr Mills sighed dramatically, his hands on his hips. "Everything okay?" Emma asked. No.101 started yelling at her to mind her own business and stomped off in a huff. Emma turned to look at Mr Mills. "Sorry, but she didn't like the letter she received today." Mr Mills said. He gave Emma a warm and gentle smile, then preceded to climb the stairs, motioning for her to join him. Emma took this as her cue "What did the letter say?" she asked.
"Well," he began, "You should know soon enough, you've got one too. All the tenants have." He looked at her cautiously, perhaps worried that she might have peeing puppies as well. Emma, though, was too busy running up the stairs to her floor to notice. Finally arriving at No.23, she unlocked the door, found the letter on the floor and, ignoring her son's hello's, tore open the letter. A mystified Henry got up from the floor, where he had been doing his homework from whilst also watching TV; and came up behind her. "Mom, what is it?" he asked anxiously. Emma didn't respond, just read the letter over again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mr Mills passing her door on the way up to the top floor. "HEY, HEY, HEY! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING, WE NEED TO DISCUSS THIS!" Emma shouted at him. He stopped, mid-step, then slumped back down to face her. "Emma, I'm sorry, if I didn't have to then I wouldn't-"
"Two weeks notice! Seriously, two weeks notice! It's December next week, I have barely enough money as it is, and you give me two weeks notice? I mean, a months notice would have been better than this! You know I can't afford to pay the bills without my extra job but this... this is just plain ludicrous!" Emma ranted. She smacked her hand against the wall and immediately regretted it. Mr Mills just shook his head, apologised some more, and, back hunched over with worry, climbed the stairs. Emma slammed the door shut and tossed her purse on the dining table, then shrugged her coat off and sat down on the recliner. Henry perched at the other end, looking at her curiously. "Mom?" he inquired simply. Emma finally looked up from the letter, acknowledging her son. She looked at his ruffled brown hair, his sweet hazel eyes, his scruffy pajamas. Her little boy. She had to protect him, take care of him. But they had agreed a long time ago, not to keep secrets from each other. With a heavy sigh, Emma stated the truth, "Henry, sweetie, they're kicking us out".
"What?" Henry asked, confused. Emma couldn't handle the somber look canvasing his face, and hugged him. "It's okay kid, we'll find somewhere much better in time for Christmas; don't you worry about that" she said, arms enveloping him in warmth and love. She held him tight, afraid to let go, afraid of the questions. How was she going to find somewhere new in time? "But, I don't understand," Henry started, removing himself from his mother's comforting embrace. "Why?" he asked, puzzled. Emma gathered her thoughts, trying to find the simplest way to tell her son the inevitable. "Henry it's, it's... y'know that new superstore that they're building around the corner?" she asked, unsure of her train of thought. Henry remained puzzled. "Well, that superstore has... increased the value of the surrounding area or something like that. And that means that the price of everything has gone up. Like, a lot. And kid, well, we can barely afford it now. Once this comes into action, in two weeks, we won't be able to afford it. Do you understand?" Emma inquired. Henry got down from her lap and looked at her. He tilted his head to one side, then to the other. Emma knew he was thinking. "What if I quit school and get a job?" he asked earnestly. Emma laughed emptily.
"No, Henry. You're too young, and have so much potential. I'm not letting you waste that. It's fine sweetie, don't you worry about it, okay? I'm going to sort this mess out" Emma said. She hugged Henry again, then marched to kitchenette, attempting to look purposeful, and got out the cold pizza from yesterday. "Sorry kid, looks like this is all we have" Emma said, as she chucked some slices on a plate and put them in the microwave. In a matter of minutes, their supper would be ready. Emma opened the fridge and searched for something to drink. There wasn't much in, she knew she had to go shopping soon. She grabbed a can of soda and handed it to Henry, resigning herself to a glass of water. She picked through her purse as Henry cleared away his homework and sat down, patiently waiting. Henry knew better than to complain about old pizza, especially when his mother furrowed her brow. Emma found an old magazine stuffed in her purse and some mints. Nothing inspired her. She felt herself falling into a black pit of despair. Just as things had been looking up, they fell down. Hard. As they always seemed to. Emma wondered who she had angered in the universe to deserve this kind of punishment.