vi.
indianapolis, us, 1932
Annabeth clutches her purse tightly in one hand and her umbrella in the other as she walks down the sidewalk. The clouds in the sky above are dark, warning of the rain that's soon to fall.
Today was a busy day at work. Annabeth's an event planner, coordinating weddings for frugal young women who want their ceremony to be tasteful yet inexpensive. It often is a tedious job, especially when ladies who had dreamt of a fairytale wedding their entire lives break down crying upon realizing that they simply can't afford it.
Annabeth's fortunate to even have a job at all, so she tries to be grateful. She could be one of the jobless, crouching in one of the Hoovervilles. Instead, she's heading home to her apartment. It's nothing much, just a cheap studio flat, but it's hers.
She waits at the crosswalk for the light to change so she can reach the bus stop. Rain's about to come, the wind whipping signs and leaves around, and Annabeth would like to be on the bus before the skies open up.
A woman standing on the sidewalk smiles a little in greeting at Annabeth. But when Annabeth smiles back, the woman turns ashen, as if she's seen a ghost.
The lady is about forty, with warm brown skin and a rather stylish haircut she's most likely done herself. (Who can afford to pay a barber nowadays?) Annabeth's a little taken aback by how the woman steps towards her, getting so close that Annabeth can see every wrinkle and gray hair. Annabeth's more taken aback, though, by the woman's tears.
Covering her mouth, the woman sighs. Her brown eyes glitter with sadness. "My lord…you look just like an old friend of mine."
Annabeth isn't quite sure how to respond, so she just smiles sadly. "Really?"
"You really do have nearly the same face. Even the eyes…but your hair is short, and hers was always long…" she reaches out, as if to touch Annabeth's curls, then draws her hand back, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry."
The light changes, and the woman hurries across the street before Annabeth can say anything, dabbing at her face with a handkerchief she extracts from her purse.
Annabeth crosses as well. She stops at the bus stop and fiddles with her purse strap. Thunder rumbles in the distance. She hopes the bus will come soon.
There's a man standing here as well, a cardboard box tucked under his arm. His eyes are red and puffy like he's been crying. Annabeth doesn't want to stare at him for long, not wanting to seem rude, but there's something about this man that makes it hard to look away.
The first droplets of rain sprinkle from the clouds, and Annabeth curses. She fumbles for her umbrella and pops it open. The man swears as well and shifts the box in his arms.
"Do you want to stand with me?" Annabeth asks, stepping closer.
He shakes his head. "I could hardly…it's your umbrella, and you're a lady. It would be impolite."
Still, he's shivering. The rain begins to fall harder, pattering on the top of Annabeth's umbrella and soaking through the man's jacket. That jacket's a threadbare thing, patched many times at the elbows and shoulders.
Despite the man's refusal, Annabeth offers him the umbrella again. "Please, I insist. You'll catch a cold."
There's a loud crash of thunder, followed by a flash of lightning. The rain comes down harder still. The man looks from Annabeth's face to her umbrella and exhales through his nose.
"Alright, then. Thank you."
He moves to stand under the canopy of the umbrella. He smells quite nice and she can feel warmth radiating off his skin. His hair is dark and his eyes are green.
"I'm Annabeth." Annabeth says after a silence stretches between them.
"Percy."
She eyes the box in his hands and the tear tracks still faintly visible on his cheeks. He's likely just lost his job. Laid off, as so many have been. Annabeth's heart aches with pity. She hopes he doesn't have a family, a wife and children he provides for.
And perhaps she doesn't just hope he isn't married with children because she worries for their financial status. Percy's very handsome. She hasn't dated since high school, but this man before her makes her think of courting someone again.
She doesn't say anything else to Percy until the bus pulls up to the stop. She climbs up the stairs and pays the fare, then sits down. Much to her surprise, Percy takes the seat beside her.
Annabeth wants to say something to him, she really does. She just isn't sure how to initiate a conversation.
In the end, Percy's the one who speaks first.
"So, Annabeth, what brings you out and about on this dreary afternoon?"
"Work. I'm one of the lucky few to still be employed."
Percy stares at the window, quiet again. Annabeth watches the raindrops slip down the glass as well. The bus rattles beneath her feet and jostles her from side to side as it veers around street corners.
"You've just lost your job, haven't you?" Annabeth finds herself asking.
"...yes. This morning, actually. My boss…he can't afford to keep me on anymore."
"I'm sorry. That's…truly unfortunate."
He nods shortly. "I don't know what I'll do. I…I guess I'll have to search for somewhere else to work. Though I'm not sure if anyone is hiring nowadays."
The Depression truly is just that. A dark cloud not unlike the ones in the sky today, casting shadows over everything that was good. Turning everything gray with sadness.
Letting the Depression depress you is easy. Finding cracks of light in the darkness is difficult, but oh-so rewarding.
"You know, I think they're hiring at the cinema down the street from my apartment."
Percy perks up at this. "Really?"
"They just put the sign in the window this morning. You'll have to go today, though, if you have any chance of getting employed there."
A small smile brightens his entire face. He's exponentially more handsome when he smiles, Annabeth decides.
"I am so very grateful. I could kiss you. Thank you. Your kindness…"
Annabeth begins to smile as well. "In times like these, sometimes kindness is all you have to give."
When Percy gets off the bus, the smile remains on her face. She watches Percy walk across the street, his strides long and determined. She lets her hopes soar. He's going to get that job at the cinema and then maybe she'll use some of her hard-earned savings to purchase a ticket from the counter he'll be working, and perhaps–
A car plows directly into Percy.
The breath is stolen from Annabeth's lungs and that gray sadness returns, snuffing out the flicker of light.