Chapter 13: The Pink Post-It
And here is the last chapter of the Litchfield book club. Thanks to you Ms S and When-A-Sprite-Unicorn, for reading and commenting on each chapter. Thank you for reading despite the language errors which remain despite my efforts to provide acceptable translations. Thank you, Ms S, for your precious advice on the English language.
In this chapter our characters live in Wonderland for a bit, but hey we all need to go to Wonderland every now and then. Good reading.
XXX
At daybreak, the atmosphere is calmer at JFK airport. Even the suitcases slide silently on the linoleum in the hallways. These are the moments favorites of Joel Luschek. His customer dropped off, he allows himself a coffee at the Starbucks located near the gates of Terminal 4. The overpriced cup in his left hand , he checks that his small vial of wiski is in his right pocket by looking for a free table. He thinks he's enough made the driver for today. He stops as soon as he sees a table, because after all he doesn't fucking care from where he sits. This job as a taxi driver has it all. He is his own boss, he chooses his scheduls. He no longer needs to find strategies to not to do his job or for others to do it for him. Often, alone in his car, he thinks maybe that's what he's missing more. What else could he miss? He doesn't really know. But he told himself that if he were offered to resume his work at Litchfield, even at Litchfield Max, he would be deeply relieved.
Luschek sighs, the light of the rising sun coming through the window disturbs him. Its rays playon a piece of pink paper lying on the table. He wants to laugh. Maybe someone as lazy as him forgot it here. He reads, and does not understand.
The pink post-it talks about an Italian book set in the 1950s. It says that it's great. Surely written by a girl. Seeing the PS, he knows it.
"" I will try to post that on my Youtube channel, like that, no need to read it at the Flaritza Café. "Joel Luschek smiles. This sentence is surréaliste. However, he hadn't drink wiski.
xxx
FIVE MONTHS LATER
Nicky remembers this dream. She is lying in the grass, that of Litchfield Camp. Chapman and Vause are on either side of her. They talk to each other, they talk to her. Their words don't make sense but it doesn't matter. Then, the automatic watering starts. A delicious mist with the taste of water cool envelops them. Nicky knows without seeing her that Red is not far away. The dream only lasted a few seconds, maybe a minute, but Nicky remembers of the deep feeling of peace that invaded her when she woke up.
This Friday morning, she feels something like it. She walks by Red's side in Litchfield Forest. In front of them, Shani asks her why there are no mushrooms to collect while September has arrived. Autumn leaves creak under their feet. She thinks of Lorna, alone with Gloria at the coffee shop for the first time since June. She hopes all will be well. But today,Red knows who she is, and she knows who Shani is. She tells them about her life with Dmitri. The rest of the world doesn't really matter to Nicky at this moment.
XXX
Joe fills the dishwasher meticulously, finding the perfect spot for each thing. Leaning against the counter, Natalie looks at him. Everytime, she feels a deep sense of tenderness seeing him do that. it's so ridiculous that she looks away as soon as he catches her gaze
"It's amazing she told you that. Joe's voice, continuing their conversation, comes from the depths of the machine but she guesses he is smiling.
"You want me to tell you the story one more time," she scoffs.
He doesn't say anything but she knows the answer is yes.
"When I told Linda that I was leaving Polycon to join Freedum for Immigrants, she said it was okay. When I suggested to her to call back Ward, she didn't realize I was kidding her. And she did. "
"I still can't believe Tamika agreed to take over your job," Joe says with a smile.
Finally decided to help him, Natalie grabs a handful of cutlery, rinses them then hands him.
"I don't understand either, but it's a shitty job, and she knows it. It's too bad for Tamika that Linda doesn't understand my sense of humor.
Joe is still smiling and Natalie knows what makes him happy. It was not her sense of humor but her cinism that had enabled her to get Tasha Jefferson would be her assistant last spring. All he had to do was tell Linda that a migrant secretary should be replaced every month, but that Jefferson was in Litchfield for life. So after the departure of Natalie Taystee would stay. As she talks to him, Natalie knows that Joe is imagining the reunion of his protected with Tamika. She can't help but be sarcastic.
"Yes Joe, Taystee and Tamika will meet again. They will never leave each other again, and will work hand in hand until the end of time."
"You're happy too, huu", he laughs in turn.
"I'm taking a long leave before starting at the Association. How can I not be happy?"
The wing-dishwasher door makes a sharp click as Joe closes it. He joins Natalie and they stay there for a few minutes, sat down in the comfortable kitchen.
XXX
On this Friday afternoon Gloria Mendosa thinks of fate. She wonders if she believes on it. But, as the Book club just ended, she thinks to herself that yes. Because how else to explain that so many people she has known in a past life are gathered in the small room of Flaritza with a so happy air. Jess, the girl of the book club who sometimes reminds her of Daya, walks between tables, distributing lemonade, her voice barely louder than a breeze when she speaks. Natalie Figueroa is sitting on one of the sofas, her little daughter sprawled up to her. The little one rubs her eyes and yawns, not really in a hurry to leave. Instead of working, Nicky and Aleida look at the latest photos from Colombia that Flaca sent.
"I think there's a cake to be taken out of the oven?" Shani tells her timidly.
"Ho yes, that's right," Gloria sighs. She glances the hall again. She sees Luschek, who came initialy to change a light bulb in return for payment, but dozing in an armchair, since the beginning of the afternoon. She told herself that she should go to him, shake him, and remind him that she doesn't pay thim o sleep and make questionable comments during a book club but gives up. She gets up and goes to the kitchen.
"If you still have ten minutes, the chocolate cake is coming," she announces. Her voice is unusually soft. She knows it because Aleida answers her something sarcastic. Gloria looks at the golden pastry through the oven glass. She hears Nicky clapping in her hands, and calling Luschek in a loud voice. He mumbles something incoherent. Aleida laughs. Natalie Figueroa tells little Vanessa that "of course they can stay eat chocolate cake. "Gloria thinks that next week she will take the time to bake something with Red, and that they will eat it together at the Book club. She also imagines that Sofia could come. She imagines her talking about poetry with Sister Ingalss. Gloria knows this is fleeting, that tonight or tomorrow, everyday worries will once again be at the center of her life. But, right now, a strange group is having a peaceful time in her coffey shop, and she wants to enjoy it too.
XXX
Blanca holds back a few swear words as she crosses out the accounting book. A motorcycle taxi has just whirled past the shop. This is the third time in the afternoon, and therefore the third miscalculation that she must rectify. Diablo looks at her.
"Please don't say that in front of the girls. They reapeat it all," he tries to tell her with his eyes.
Blanca smiles. The last time their old neighbor, Mrs. Jimenes, heard Diana curse, he had scolded them both, at length with reference to God and to the Devil. Diablo was mumbling apologies, and beside him Blanca was rocking from one foot to the other, biting her lip, to don't laugh.
"Mom, Flora is bored. She wants to go to the park to see the pelicans." The voice of her daughter, busy doing a puzzle in the back of the store, take out Blanca of her thoughts.
"Maybe it's you who is boring you, Diana?" She replies.
"Yeah, I'm making a vegetable salad." It's Flora who intervenes, annoyed by her sister's antics but too kind to point out to her.
"Mum and dad are still working a bit and then we will go to the park", announces Blanca.
"You are sure mi amor," asks Diablo puzzled.
It's only 5 p.m. and a few customers can still push the door of the grocery store. The apartment is in need to be cleaned and the closets are empty.
But, it's Friday and Blanca wants a quiet time with her family. She wants to travel the few kilometers that separate them from the park of Selaque, then contemplate the magnificent mountain which overhangs it. If the girls aren't too tired, maybe they can climb it a bit and taste the the changing smell of the air as they are approching the river. This is all so far from the descriptions of Honduras that we read in the newspapers, so far from things that she had seen in the streets of Tegu sometimes. Some nights Blanca thinks about the choices she made and how they will affect her daughters's life.
She stays awake, her body sunk into the mattress to find sleep again. When she tells Diablo about it, they think they will find solutions, but they don't know which ones. But, on a day like this, she tells herself that she is surrounded by a lot of beauty. Another motorcycle taxi whirring past the shop. She curses toward it by closing the book of accounts. She'll take care of that tomorrow. The girls laugh, Diablo too. For now, all is well.
XXX
1 / Luschek is a pretty terrible character sometimes, and his actions had dramatic consequences, but I can't hate him, and wanted him in that story. This is the strength of the series, making us love characters with real dark sides.
2 / This fic is finished, but if you want one shots in the same universe, don't hesitate to tell me. I'm also thinking about a sequel between Ice and the Flaritza café, where we would meet Taystee, Daya, Tamika, Gloria and others.
3 / My next story will be a comedy dedicated to Halloween, which will take place in a elementary school. A little story where Taystee, who's Caputo's assistante, organize a Harry Potter party.
4 / Thank you again for your support. You're my best readers.