Tara
The day has been a long one. The closer it gets to the time to get off work the more nervous I get. If Liam is at our apartment with Sheila, I know it is going to be an even longer night. I don’t feel safe going home but I don’t have much of a choice. I have no friends I can stay with.
A few times Sal let me crash on the couch in his office at the gym. I don’t know how but Sal could usually tell when I didn’t want to go home. It’s not like the man knew me that long but I appreciated every time he let me sleep on that lumpy thing. I have done all the side work to be done and all my tables have left, so I guess my time is up.
I am putting my time card in the old fashioned machine when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I jump and whip my head around. I put my hand to my chest in relief when I see it is Bud. He starts to laugh. I can imagine the way my face looked. “I didn’t mean to scare you, girl but it does make me feel better about what I am going to ask you.” I look at Bud and he looks a little nervous but a lot concerned. Bud is a good man and the closest thing to a dad as I have ever had. When I first started working here there were many nights I wished he was my dad. It sounds crazy even in my head since I have no idea what it is like to have a dad.
“What is it, Bud? Do you need to me stay later or come in tomorrow? You know I have no problem with either. I am running low on money, so it works for me.” I say this to remind him that either would be doing me a favor. Bud hates asking people for help.
“Lindsay would love for you to work tomorrow. She’s been trying to find someone to fill in for two weeks. I’ll let her know when I go home. Lindsay’s always wanting some time off on the weekend so she can do things with her friends. We just knew that you had your other job at the gym.” Bud stops and looks at me and points at the chairs in the break area. I turn and sit down and Bud sits in the other chair. “I thought you might want to stay upstairs tonight.” Bud looks uncomfortable. “I mean, I know that you and that sister of yours don’t get along. The commotion that went on in the diner earlier may come back on you if you go home tonight. That Liam that was in here with Sheila threw mud on one of those biker’s motorcycles. If he was that mad, he may still be upset when you get home. I will worry if you go home tonight, so please, do me the favor of staying upstairs. You can stay a few of nights and let them cool off. Give them time to think that if you are gone they don’t get your share of the rent and maybe they will be nicer to you.” I think about what Bud is saying and it makes me feel better but I need to make sure Bud is okay with it.
“Bud, it is not your place to be responsible for me. I am a grown woman and I need to take care of myself. I don’t want to depend on someone to take care of me the rest of my life. I know if I go home tonight that I will end up in a confrontation but I can handle it. I have been handling it a long time, it is the normal for me.” I think about it for a minute. “I will only stay if you know, it is only temporary. Just a couple of nights until everything cools down.” I need Bud to understand I do not want to be a mooch.
“Girl, I know you can take care of yourself. You’ve been doing it a long time but if this makes it easier, then why not do it? A few nights and it’ll be better and I will sleep better. There’s not much up there. A fold out couch but there are clean sheets on the mattress. There’s a shower and there are some clean towels. I’ll fix you a burger and fries for you take up there. There’s a small refrigerator up there but all it has in it is a couple of bottles of water. There’s no television or anything but you look tired anyway, so maybe you can get a good night’s sleep. I’ve slept up there a few nights when Betty and I were on the outs and my oldest son stayed up there the summer before he left for college. I’ll leave here around eleven tonight and won’t open until six in the morning. I’ll tell Lindsay about you working tomorrow and you can stay again tomorrow night. It might be good to stay the week.” Bud doesn’t know how good that sounds. A week of no arguing with Sheila or my mom. Sounds like heaven to me. Bud looks like he is thinking something over.
“Alright, Bud, I will stay. Thank you, but I will pay for my food. You don’t need to give me a place to sleep and pay for my food.” Bud makes a face when I say it.
“Tara, I am going to be honest with you, this helps me, too. I was hoping after you stayed a couple of days that you might like it being on your own. That you might consider staying. I mean, it’s small, but you don’t take up much room. You don’t have a bunch of people going in and out since you don’t have many friends. With all the break-ins and vandalism going on in the businesses around the neighborhood, I thought maybe you could stay here and be my ears and eyes when I am closed. If you would do that I wouldn’t charge you rent and then we both benefit from it. You get your own place to live and I get security. I would get a phone run upstairs so if you hear or see anything you can call for help.”
Bud stops and waits for me to say something but I am trying to figure out if he really needs someone to watch over the diner or he’s creating a job for me just to help me out. He looks deep in thought trying to figure it all out so I think he is being honest. “I will put a microwave up there. I have a spare one in the storage room. I think we have a half bed in the garage at home left from one of the boys. I could move it over so you could have a bed and a couch. That’s about as big as the room is. I know it is not much but you stay there a couple of nights and see if you are interested and if you are we will work all the kinks out. Do you need to go home tonight to get your school work? You can wash your clothes in the washer and dryer out back that I do the kitchen towels in.” Bud is being sincere.
“Bud, I will stay tonight and we can talk tomorrow. I do my work all on a computer in the library at school. My notes and everything are in my backpack. I put a clean t-shirt in there, too. I always bring a clean one so I don’t smell like food walking home. So, I have everything I need.” Bud smiles. He knows he is going to get his way.
“I’ll get that burger fixed for you. Get you a piece of that pie and a drink to take with you. I will get the keys.” Bud goes into the kitchen and I sit and think about the possibility of finally getting away from Sheila and mom. Maybe I can keep my job at the gym and I’ll finally get some peace. I can only hope.