She hadn't written what sector the address was in, so it took me most of
the afternoon to
find it. I was hoping maybe this Original Cindy would give me a place to stay for the
night, since it would be to late to figure that out after I met with her. It was about four
thirty by the time I found the building, so I decided to go in and check it out. The
doorman stopped me, and asked me who I was, I gave him my real name, and he let me
pass. He had a strange look on his face, though. From outside, the building looked like
some in the Uptown area back home, the foyer was a little run down, no hanging on the
walls, there was an old receptionist desk, and there was one bench, so I sat on it and
waited for Original Cindy. She stormed in ten minutes later, mumbling about a normal. A
normal what? She blew past me, without a glance.
"You comin' or stayin', kid?" she said as she neared an elevator. I rushed to pick up my
backpack and into the open elevator, just making it. Dropping my backpack, I watched as
she slid a card into a spot beside the buttons, then hit one marked PH. The elevator
creaked slowly upward.
"You still got that picture?" I pulled it out of my pocket and gave it to her. "Now, tell me
again, what your name is, your full name."
"Nicolas Alexander Cale."
"And this boy, he is?"
"My brother, Patrick James, he's ten, no, he's eleven now.''
"And this lady in the picture, this your mama?"
"Yes, that's mom."
"Her name?"
"Kori Cale, everyone calls her K.C. My dad is Logan Cale."
"But you're thirteen? When is your birthday, kid?"
"October 23." She gave me a look "2019."
The elevator lurched to a stop, the doors opened into a room with hardwood floors. We
stepped out. I could see a kitchen to my right, and there was a wall with a painting on it to
the left, the rest looked like one huge room with dividers. Original Cindy led me through
the dividers, I saw a computer room and a TV room, to a door on the wall. She opened
the door to a hallway that had four other doors off it.
"You got any clean clothes in that bag of yours?"
"Yes."
"Good, showers in here", she opened one of the doors to a bathroom, "Use it. Towels are
under the sink. I'll meet ya in the kitchen, down th' hall."
"Thanks." She slowly walked down the hall again and out the door. I closed the bathroom
door, turning and leaning against it, and then I heard something. The outer door clicked. I
opened the bathroom door a crack, just enough to see Original Cindy sneak into the room
across the hall from me. I closed the door and started the shower. Who's room was that,
and why was she sneaking into it? And what had I just gotten myself into?
~~
find it. I was hoping maybe this Original Cindy would give me a place to stay for the
night, since it would be to late to figure that out after I met with her. It was about four
thirty by the time I found the building, so I decided to go in and check it out. The
doorman stopped me, and asked me who I was, I gave him my real name, and he let me
pass. He had a strange look on his face, though. From outside, the building looked like
some in the Uptown area back home, the foyer was a little run down, no hanging on the
walls, there was an old receptionist desk, and there was one bench, so I sat on it and
waited for Original Cindy. She stormed in ten minutes later, mumbling about a normal. A
normal what? She blew past me, without a glance.
"You comin' or stayin', kid?" she said as she neared an elevator. I rushed to pick up my
backpack and into the open elevator, just making it. Dropping my backpack, I watched as
she slid a card into a spot beside the buttons, then hit one marked PH. The elevator
creaked slowly upward.
"You still got that picture?" I pulled it out of my pocket and gave it to her. "Now, tell me
again, what your name is, your full name."
"Nicolas Alexander Cale."
"And this boy, he is?"
"My brother, Patrick James, he's ten, no, he's eleven now.''
"And this lady in the picture, this your mama?"
"Yes, that's mom."
"Her name?"
"Kori Cale, everyone calls her K.C. My dad is Logan Cale."
"But you're thirteen? When is your birthday, kid?"
"October 23." She gave me a look "2019."
The elevator lurched to a stop, the doors opened into a room with hardwood floors. We
stepped out. I could see a kitchen to my right, and there was a wall with a painting on it to
the left, the rest looked like one huge room with dividers. Original Cindy led me through
the dividers, I saw a computer room and a TV room, to a door on the wall. She opened
the door to a hallway that had four other doors off it.
"You got any clean clothes in that bag of yours?"
"Yes."
"Good, showers in here", she opened one of the doors to a bathroom, "Use it. Towels are
under the sink. I'll meet ya in the kitchen, down th' hall."
"Thanks." She slowly walked down the hall again and out the door. I closed the bathroom
door, turning and leaning against it, and then I heard something. The outer door clicked. I
opened the bathroom door a crack, just enough to see Original Cindy sneak into the room
across the hall from me. I closed the door and started the shower. Who's room was that,
and why was she sneaking into it? And what had I just gotten myself into?
~~