AMEN 2
Dick pulled the bike up on the beaten earth front of the diner. The sun was getting low in the sky, casting long smudged shadows. The lights where still burning in the diner, hopefully it would still be open for business.
Swinging his leg over and standing, stiffly upright, he stretched as he undid the strap on his helmet. The rigours of riding for so long had left him stiff and sore.
A bell tinkled as he pushed open the door and he was met by a pleasantly warm aromatic odour. At first glance the place seemed clean, although it looked a little worn around the edges. As he approached the counter a woman poked her head around the door at the back.
"Take a seat; I'll be with you in a jiffy." She instructed him.
Dick turned and surveyed the seating. Choosing a booth he slid into it, placing his helmet on the bench beside him. Sighing with some relief he pushed his hands though his hair, trying to keep the stray lock of hair that always flopped down out of his eyes.
"What can I get you?"
Dick looked up a little startled, he had not heard the woman approach.
"Oh, er sorry, just coffee please."
"Right you are." The woman turned and returned a few moments later with a large white mug of coffee. "Anything else?" she asked. "How about some pie to go with that coffee?"
"No thanks, just the coffee." Dick replied a little wistfully. He would have loved to order some food but he needed to conserve his money. He had not brought his credit cards with him, simply because he knew that if he had used them Bruce would have had a way of tracking him. He had not really thought through how he would manage, but had a vague idea that he might be able to find some casual work to keep him going.
The woman disappeared into the back of the diner again. Dick sat hugging the mug with both hands staring into the steam, watching the ethereal wisps twist from it. Taking a tentative sip, he was mildly surprised to find it was actually a decent mug of coffee, unlike the insipid dishwater he had experienced at other places.
The woman appeared at his side again.
"Are you sure I can't interest you in a piece of pie?" She asked sliding onto the bench across from him.
"No it's alright." Dick looked across at her a little annoyed that she had disturbed his reverie. She did not get up. "I don't suppose you know anywhere I can get a room for the night?" He asked her.
"Now, well, I'm afraid there's no where in the town. The only lodgings are closed up; Maude who runs it has had to go out of town to a family funeral. There may be somewhere in Sommerville, but that's quite a way, and could be a bit pricey."
Dick looked down at his coffee again. It looked as if he would have to spend another night in his small tent. Not a very comfortable prospect.
"Look, forgive me for asking, but you have a look of being on the run from something. It's not the law I hope."
Dick looked up at her with a little bewilderment.
"No not the law." He proffered, not wanting to get into his reasons for being on the road with a stranger.
"On well I guess we all have some reason to want to escape something" the woman got up wearily from the bench and retreated back to the counter.
Dick retreated back to his own private contemplations.
"Here you go." The woman had returned and slid a plate with a huge wedge of lemon meringue pie across the table to him. Before he could protest she added. "It's on the house. You look like you could do with it, and anyway as I reckon you're my last customer of the day I would only have to throw it away."
"T, thank you." Dick mumbled.
"You're welcome. At least I'm not aiding and abetting a criminal." She sat down again. "Look I know this may sound a bit rash, but well, forgive me for saying this, although you look like a traveler, you seem a bit more, what's the word? Well bred? Sophisticated? Than the usual traveler we get in here. I don't know what it is about you but you do seem different."
"I don't know about 'well bred'." Dick managed a smile. "I was actually raised in a traveling circus." He offered.
"Hmm, no there's more to you than that. Never mind I can see you don't want me to pry and I respect that. Ok look I have a proposal for you. You need a place to stay the night at least, and its obvious you are running short of money, so, I can offer you my spare room."
Dick's eyebrows went up with amazement.
"That's very generous of you given you don't even know me."
"I'm Jean, pleased to meet you." The woman offered her hand.
"Er, Dick." He shook the offered hand.
"There now we are acquainted." Jean smiled.
"I guess? I would be grateful for the room, but, well how much…..?"
"I dunno? Maybe we could work something out. How about I offer you room and board and the offer of some odd job work. I couldn't pay you a lot, but the room and board would be part of the payment."
"Well, I don't know. I mean how much work is there? Not that I wouldn't be interested."
"Well, this place is in dire need of redecorating for a start."
Dick looked round.
"So I would need to stay for more than one night?"
"It looks that way. Look finish your pie and decide while I close up."
"Why are you doing this? I mean how do you know you can trust me?"
"I don't really, but I'm usually a good judge of character, and, well I think it would be mutually beneficial."
"Is there a catch to this?" Dick asked her somewhat suspiciously.
"No catch, just a straight offer, bed and board, and a small wage" Jean assured him. "Now finish up while I lock up and I'll show you the room. That's if you have decided to take me up on the offer."
"I think I will, if that's alright. I've been on the road for quite a while; I reckon a break would do me good."
Jean stood up and patted Dick's shoulder.
"Good to have you on board."
Jean showed Dick into the bedroom that was to be his. Although a little feminine in its décor, it looked like a very comfortable room. A double bed sat against one wall and a large wardrobe against another flanked by a chest of drawers and a dressing table with a large mirror. The window looked out over the back yard and garden.
"I hope this will be alright for you." Jean asked.
"It looks fine to me."
"I've got a spare TV you can use if you like. That way you can have some privacy. I would just need you to move it in for me."
"Thank you." Dick went and sat on the edge of the bed, testing it.
"Now the bathroom is just along here." Jean pointed through the door. "I'll get you some towels. I reckon you could do with a nice long soak. There are plenty of toiletries you can use. I'm afraid they're mostly woman's stuff but I will get you some of your own when I do the shopping."
"That's ok, I have some stuff in my backpack anyway, but thanks all the same."
"If you're sure. Look there's a shed out back there, you can stash your bike in there it will be safer than parked out front."
"Thanks again. I'll do that first."
"Right you are. Look come back in through the back door it will be easier."
Dick opened his eyes and stretched, at first he was unsure as to where he was then he slowly realised he was in the bedroom above the diner.
He had fallen asleep as soon as his head had hit the pillow, due partially to the long hot bath he had enjoyed, and the fact that it was the first time in a long while he had been able to sleep in a proper bed.
The aroma of frying bacon wafted up from below, making his stomach growl. Apart from the piece of pie the night before, he had not had a proper meal in what seemed like ages.
Dragging himself from the bed, he hurried to the bathroom and then back to the room to dress, before descending the stairs. He had no difficulty in navigating his way to the diner, the aroma of frying bacon guiding him.
"Good morning, did you sleep well?" Jean greeted him as he came into the kitchen.
"Yes, very, thank you."
"Good, good. Now go and sit down and I'll bring your breakfast out." Jean nodded in the direction of the diner as she handed him a large glass of orange juice. "The others will be here soon too."
Dick climbed onto a stool at one end of the counter and idly flipped through the local newspaper as he sipped his juice.
He half turned at the sound of the front door opening. Two women entered, one probably around the same age as Jean and the other a girl who looked around sixteen.
Jean bustled through from the kitchen.
"Morning both of you, breakfasts almost ready. By the way, let me introduce you. This is Dick, he will be staying with us a while. Dick, this is Sophia and Ellie. They both work here."
Sophia raised an eyebrow.
"Glad to have you on board." She said with what was a distinctive Italian accent. "Where did you come from?"
"Sophia!" Jean chided. "He needs somewhere to stay and to earn a bit of money. I need someone to help out do the odd jobs that have needed doing around here long enough." She added, the last part of the sentence trailing from the kitchen. Jean re-emerged with our plates of food.
"Now eat. The rush will start in about half an hour." She told Dick. "Most of the workers from the canning factory call in for breakfast, lunch or dinner, depending what shift they are on."
"So what would you like me to do today?" Dick asked.
"Well I'm not sure where you should start with the odd jobs, but well how are you at washing dishes?"
"I reckon I can manage that."
"Good, that will free up one of us to serve on. Ellie are you ok?"
Ellie's mouth snapped shut almost audibly. Dick looked round at her suddenly aware she had been staring at him.
"Ellie it's rude to stare." Sophia admonished. "I'm so sorry; sometimes this girl has no manners."
"It's ok." Dick smiled. Being stared at was one thing he was used to.
"Not in my book it's not." Sophia chided again.
"If you have finished eating I'll show you the ropes in the kitchen." Jean interjected.
"You know Ellie is a good girl, but she has, what do they call it nowadays? Learning difficulties. Not that she is overly bad, just a bit slow at times, and very innocent." Jean explained. "Her Dad is a bit of a bully, disappointed that she was a girl and disappointed she has problems. It's one reason why I employ her. She's ok with taking orders and serving on though."
"You seem to have a habit of taking on waifs and strays." Dick grinned.
"Don't you know it? But I'm very selective." Jean laughed. "I only take the best."
Dick had settled into the routine of the diner, filling his days with the various jobs Jean asked him to do. In fact he actually began to feel happier than he had done since he had lost Terri.
"You know this place could do with a compete revamp." Jean announced as they ate breakfast. "Well at least a lick of paint, both inside and out."
"I'm sure I can manage that. We can have a 'design' session tonight, and I could price up what's needed." Dick agreed.
"Well there are paints and some other stuff in the barn, you could have a look and see if any of its any good."
"Ok. I'll have a look today." Dick nodded. "Outside can be done anytime with out too much disruption to the customers, but how are we to organise inside?" He added.
"Hmm, well I suppose we could do a lot after we close, if we start say a Saturday evening and then Sunday all day. We don't have many customers on a Sunday so it would be ok to close for the day." Jean mused. "If we ask Sophia and Ellie to help too?"
"OK, I'll check the barn and we can go from there." Dick swallowed the last of his coffee.
Dick surveyed the interior of the barn. It was dim and dusty, but dry. It was full of what at first looked like junk, but as his eyes adjusted to the gloom, he saw that the 'junk' was gardening equipment, storage boxes and the like. Against one wall were a row of large cupboards. Jean had indicated that she believed the decorating stuff would be in them.
Opening the first Dick was amazed to see paint tins stacked on each shelf. Some had obviously been used, but the majority looked unopened. Jean had said that there had been plans to redecorate before, but the death of her father had put paid to those plans and she had never had the time or help since.
The next cupboard contained brushes, rollers and all the tools needed along with cleaning fluids.
Dick went back to the paints and perused the colours available. Although he had yet to discuss with Jean what she wanted, at least he could get an idea of what was available. Someone had diligently put all the exterior paints together and the interior ones separate, which made life easier. At the bottom of the cupboard there were smaller tins of paint and some spray cans.
The exterior paint appeared to consist of mainly large cans of a deep blue, which were unopened. It looked as if this was the colour that had been intended for the outside. There were some tins of white too. Dick shuffled through the small cans and uncovered some gold metallic paint.
"Hmm." Dick thought to himself. "I'm sure I can do something with this lot."
"So I think I can do something outside with the paint I found, that's if you agree." Dick explained to Jean.
"You know, I like the blue, well I guess that's why it's there. Look I'll give you free reign to do what you think best. I mean basically it just needs a good rub down and repaint."
"Ok, if it's ok by you. I mean if it's not I suppose it can be done again."
"Go for it." Jean laughed, "I'm happy with everything else you've done so far. You've turned out to be a proper Jack of all trades."
"Hm, master of none eh?" Dick smiled.
Dick stood back and stretched as he surveyed his handiwork, looking for anywhere he had missed.
"Done!" he announced to himself with some satisfaction.
He collected all the brushes and put then in a bucket of white spirit to clean them. Then wiping his hands on a rag he went into the diner.
"All done out here." He called to Jean who was in the back.
"Ok give me a minute." Jean called back.
"Lets have a look see then." Sophia smiled as she went through the door, followed by Ellie.
Dick joined them and stood back as they both looked at his work with amazement. He hoped it was happy amazement.
Jean emerged through the door and joined Sophia and Ellie.
"Oh my! Oh my!"
"Do you like it?" Dick asked anxiously.
"Oh my….. It's amazing, honestly." Jean hugged Dick.
"It's lovely" Ellie and Sophia chorused.
The front of the diner was now blue, with details picked out in white. Under the windows the word diner, in slight relief, was picked out in white and gold, one letter to each panel. At either side in the two remaining panels was a swirling design in the same colours.
"When I began to rub down the panels I found the letters underneath all the layers of paint, so I was able to pick them out." Dick explained.
"I'm really pleased with it. It certainly makes the diner stand out. I can't wait to see what you do with the inside."
"Oh boy, hold on, I'm not an interior designer or anything, besides that's up to you. I'll just try and deliver what you want."
"Ok operation revamp under way!" Jean laughed as she watched Dick, Sophia and Ellie line up in front of her. They all threw her a mock salute.
Ellie and Sophia stared to cover the tables and seating with dust sheets. Dick and Jean began to take down all the mirrors, pictures and fittings from the walls.
"OK let's get started." Jean declared wielding a paint roller.
"Oh boy, I'm glad that's finished." Sophia sighed rubbing her forehead with her arm.
"It's been hard work, but at least it looks good." Jean agreed.
"It looks lovely." Ellie enthused.
"Yup, we have all worked well to get this done so quickly. I Propose we all get washed up, then a slap up meal is in order I think." Jean suggested.