I would like to thank shadowhunter89, Leyshla Gisel, WayPastMyBedtime, and HisGodGivenSolace for taking the time to review. I've said it before and I'll say it a thousand times- it absolutely makes my day to read your words! Thank you for your support! Hope you're enjoying the story so far. I know it's far from perfect, but it's mine and I am enjoying the experience.
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Refugee
Chapter Four
I awoke to the sunshine beaming in, so bright it was as if it were literally sitting right outside the large picture window in the living room. I squinted my eyes and turned my head the opposite direction, not yet aware of my surroundings and trying desperately to fall back asleep; but to no avail.
I vigorously rubbed my eyes with the pads of my middle and pointer fingers, so hard that when I opened my tired, blue eyes all I could see were tiny stars dancing around the room. I glanced to my right, shielding the sun from my face, and saw Molly curled into a ball a few feet away. I shifted and pulled my cell phone out of my pocket to check the time. 6:47am. Work in an hour.
I sat still for a moment more until I felt the overwhelming urge to pee. I stood to my feet and slightly stumbled down the hallway where I had watched Molly trail off to the night before, and found that it was the first door on the right. After relieving myself for what felt like an hour, I washed my hands in the sink and headed back to the living room to grab my keys off the kitchen table.
I was surprised to find that Molly was no longer on the couch, but I instantly heard the groan of a coffee pot in the kitchen and smelled the rich fragrance of coffee beans as it enveloped the entire house. I could lightly hear Pink Floyd's "The Bravery of Being Out of Range" coming from the laundry room, a room attached to the kitchen.
I entered the room and found her tearing a loose sheet of paper from a notepad, writing a few words, and dropping it into a brown, paper bag. Next, she pulled a large coffee thermos from a top cabinet and emptied the warm liquid inside of it, following with a few tablespoons of sugar and cream. I must have zoned out momentarily because I ended up loosening my grip on my keys and they hit the white linoleum floor with a loud and obnoxious jangle.
Startled, she clutched her chest and whipped her head back in my direction before breathing a short sigh of relief. I was surprised she didn't spill the coffee.
"Morning." She smiled.
"Mornin'." I replied with a half-smile after bending down to pick up my keys. "I, uh, need to be headin' out for work. Thanks for havin' me over."
"Ok, well, here." She smiled her usual sweet smile and handed me the thermos and paper bag, taking me completely off guard.
"What's this?" I asked with a furrowed brow.
"Coffee and lunch for today." She handed them over and gently scratched her ear.
A very large and sincere smile formed on my bewildered face as the corners of my eyes wrinkled with delight.
I'm not sure if it was the excitement I was feeling or the fact that she looked just as beautiful with a messy head of hair and smudged eyeliner as she looked the night before, but I leaned in close to her and pressed my lips to the warm apple of her right cheek and quickly made my way out of the house before she could react.
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I pushed through the glass door at work and finished zipping up my dirty, blue coveralls before placing my brown paper bag in the fridge next to the other packed lunches. I couldn't help but smile at the thought but quickly hardened my face when Merle and Jimmy entered the room behind me. I didn't feel like explaining why I was grinnin' like an idiot. To them a packed lunch was nothin' special.
"I'm tellin' ya, man. Lollipops is the place to go." Merle's dry, wheezy voice filled up the quiet room. "They ain't busted as fuck like the ones in Marietta."
"I dunno, man. I heard The Driftwood in Marietta is the best around. My buddy just went there a couple weekends back and he got a hand job from one a the girls."
Merle snorted and rolled up his dark sleeves. "Man, you've lost your goddamn mind if you think I'm driving all the way there to see the same shit I could see ten minutes from my house."
"Lollipops is your best bet." I chimed in. If they were arguing over strippers I could throw my two cents in. I may ain't been with many women but I know my strip clubs.
"Tell 'em, little brother." Merle dramatically waved his hand in my direction before taking a sip of his Coke.
"I was just thinkin' the three of us could make a short road trip and stay out in Marietta for the weekend. Denise is going to Myrtle Beach with her girlfriend's for a few days. Beats bein' at home alone."
"You got money to be spendin' on gas, a hotel room, food, and a stripper? I sure as hell don't." I narrowed my eyes and leaned against the counter as Merle headed to the bathroom and Jimmy adjusted his hat. "I know you don't 'coz you got an old lady at home. Them ain't cheap." I playfully punched his upper bicep and he rolled his eyes with a smile.
"Lollipops it is then!" I called out behind him.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
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It seemed as if everybody and their mamas needed their car worked on today. It was 1:47pm and we hadn't even have the chance for a lunch break yet. So far, I had done two tire rotations, installed new brake rotors, and now I found myself finishing up the last few details of an automatic transmission repair that I had been working on for the past two days.
I felt several beads of sweat trickle from my damp hairline all the way to my eyebrows before I wiped them away with the back of my forearm, leaving several small grease stains in their place. Finally. I exhaled, placing my hands on my hips and taking a moment's break. I'm fuckin' done.
My stomach growled as I made my way to the fridge, eagerly waiting to fill my empty stomach. I pulled the Tupperware container out of the brown, paper bag and noticed a little white piece of paper on top. I placed the container in the microwave for one minute before I unfolded the note.
"You know , sometimes, I dont know why,
But this old town just seems so hopeless
I aint really sure, but it seems I remember the good times
Were just a little bit more in focus."
-M
Immediately, I recognized the lyrics and my lips turned into a small smile as I folded the note up and pushed it deep into my pocket. The familiar scent of meatloaf and mashed potatoes soon filled up the room, and shortly after I took my first bite of the day. I let out a small sigh of contentment, but it proved to be short-lived as Merle entered the room.
"Well, well, well. Who made you dinner last night, little brother? I know you can't cook worth a damn." He asked before tearing a bite from his pizza.
I thought momentarily about whether or not I should tell him, but hell, I was excited. "My neighbor invited me over for supper last night."
"Man or a woman?"
"A woman."
I watched the lines of his face turn into a grin as he leaned his elbow on the counter in front of me. "You fuck her yet?"
"No, Merle." I rolled my eyes and took another bite of my late lunch.
"Shit. Have fun usin' your hand for the rest ah your life." He thumped the back of my head.
"Last time I checked my hand don't spread no diseases. 'Member Lydia Chlamydia?" Lydia is Merle's most recent ex who left him with a "parting" gift.
"If we didn't have a customer out front right now I'd whoop your ass, boy."
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Cleopatra roared as I turned left on Walker St. It had been drizzling for most of the way home from a quick trip to the grocery store after work, and my sleeveless arms were slick with the droplets of falling water. Didn't bother me a damn bit, though. I loved ridin' in the rain.
It began to pour as I parked Cleo and headed to the front door with several bags in my hands. I glanced at Molly's house to find that she wasn't home and fumbled with the key momentarily before I finally pushed the front door in and closed it behind me.