It was about noon when Layana was dusting the furniture in the Denton's apartment. At first she thought she was imagining it when she heard a knock at the door. It is in the middle of the day everyone she knew was at work. Finally though she got up leaving the rag on the cherry wood table that sat next to an armed chair, and went to the door. She opened it and aloud the person to enter.
"Wow. I'se thought you'se never hear me." It was Mush, he was standing there with something in his hand.
"Sorry, I didn't expect you. What are you doing here?" She noticed his face. Each time she has seen him in the morning it starts out nice and clean, but the noon it shows his honest hard work, smeared with black print and sweat.
"Takin' a break. I'se wanted you to have dis too." He extended his hand with a purple flower with many, short petals and a yellow center.
"Thanks." She received it. Then was moving towards the kitchen to put it in to water.
"Would you like some water, or something to drink." He nodded. She pulled out two glasses from the cupboard, the round one she filled with cold water and handed to Mush, the other tall one she filled half with water and put the flower in it. She sat it on the round kitchen table. They sat for a few minutes in dead silence.
"I'se do have a question." Mush blurted out.
"Yeah?" She had a feeling it what it would probably be about.
"Does, umm, does yer, does yer leg ever hoit? I only wanna know cause tanight. I don't want you'se to hoit any." He had been looking down the whole time while asking.
"It can. I depends what the weather is like, which it's summer so it feels better most of the time. It also depends on what kind of standing and walking I do. Since I've been around you, I haven't had to do too much at one time, so I've been okay most of the time. If there are going to be seats then I'll be fine. I just won't be able to dance with you, and stuff like that. If you want to know anything else about my leg, or me, you can just ask." She looked him in the eyes.
"How bad does it hurt?"
"I don't normally tell anyone this, when I do they act as if I'm incapable of doing anything for myself and stuff like that, so I normally keep this to myself. But anyway. In the winter, when I'm walking a lot for some reason, or if I sit too long, I get really stiff, and then when I have to walk I feel like I need oiled or something. It's like I literally have to tell myself, right, left, right, left. Those days I usually stay hidden away from everyone. When I was with Morris, he wouldn't let me do anything. Of course after that I would make up the work in other ways. But any ways my mother used to say that she could always tell by my face and eyes. She said I would grow pale and my eyes looked as if they were about to cry, even if I were just smiling and talking about anything with everybody." Just then Layana was interrupted by another knock on the door. She walked over to it and opened it to see Kid Blink standing there, with some newspapers in his hand.
"Hey, like to buy a pape?" A large grin spread across his face, and Layana smiled.
"Sure, hold on a second." She left the room for a moment and when she came back, he was standing next to Mush. She handed him a dull, worn penny, and took the paper and sat it down.
"I don't believe I recall inviting you in?" Smugly she said. Kid Blink took his hat off and began to bend into a bow.
"Oh, I'se so sorry your majesty."
"You are forgiven." She laughed a little, and Mush shook his head at them both.
"We'se have to get back." Kid Blink said to Mush.
"Oh yeah I guess you better go." Added Layana
"See ya's tanight." Mush started walking behind Kid Blink, and was at the door and waved.
"Bye." Both said simultaneously.