First and foremost, thank you for all the comments, e-mails and positive scoring. There have been several requests for stories along the lines of an idea another Lit member has had, the following is one of those. The theme is not original, but I'm hoping the story will be satisfactory to the one who requested it. There are other stories based on member requests that I am working on. Happy reading.
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I'd noticed her a few times, always early in the morning. She would use the bathroom, clean up a little, then have a cup of coffee or something to eat if she had money. I was finishing my doctorate at Penn State and working at McDonalds, some chided me for working at what they called a burger joint, but doing so meant I didn't have to draw from what I'd saved for my upcoming trip, and I'd have fewer student loans to repay. It wasn't fancy or classy work, but they paid well, I get along well with people and they were willing to accommodate my hours.
I was generally through with classes about 2:30 and could work evenings, when everyone else wanted to be home, two days a week I had late classes and they would let me start early those days. I was also willing to work early shift on weekends when most of the others wanted off, I didn't really care, it was money in my pocket. My tuition was being paid for through the GI Bill and an education fund the old man had set up for me before he died. That covered my books and schooling, the rest was my responsibility.
I was the last of 5 kids, born when my mom was 46, my closest sibling was 16 when I entered this earth, which meant I basically grew up by myself. By the time I was ten they had all married and moved away. The oldest was known as the black sheep of the family and had died of an overdose ... somewhere, I never did know him other than through pictures and idle conversation.
The two girls had married military men and were in other parts of the world, the brother 16 years older than me was a pilot in the Air Force and stationed in Okinawa. Like my brother, Pa was a pilot in the Air Force, however he wasn't very ambitious, so in 30 years of service he never made it beyond flying C-130's or the rank of major. That wouldn't happen anymore, but in his day it was tolerated.
Though we were stationed all over the world, home ended up being Caribou, Maine. We had been stationed at Loring for 6 years before it closed, and the old man liked it so much it's where they moved when he retired. Mom was kind, gentle and loving, but not very smart by education standards, she was from the deep hills of Appalachia, quitting school at 14 to help the family. Pa found her busing tables at a restaurant in the hills, fell in love and convinced her father he would take good care of her, at 16 she was married, and to my dad's credit he did take good care of mother.
I went into the military upon graduation. I thought about the Air Force but didn't want a four year enlistment, so I went Marines. It was only 3, I was going in mainly for the GI bill and I could put up with
most anything for 3 years. 9-11 happened a year into my enlistment, I ended up in Afghanistan for 14 months, and with so little time left they made me a DI to finish my enlistment. I had been accepted to Bemidji State upon discharge, Bemidji is a part of the University of Minnesota system. I graduated there with a major in Physics, minors in both math and chemistry, I had to take so much of the two minors I figured I may as well get a degree in both.
The education fund was set up with restrictions, the two major ones were that I had to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.4 and I could have no arrests. I seemed to have gotten past my drinking stage in the Marines and kept my grades where they belonged. My scores and grade averages were high enough I skipped the master's program and was accepted into a doctorate program in Physics at Penn State. Here I was after 5 years with two weeks to go before I was finished. Once I turn in my thesis and defend it, which won't happen for months, I will have completed everything for my doctorate in Physics. In the mean time I would be filling a post-doc position at the national nuclear facility in Los Alamos, NM.
The fund was set up that if there was money left after college, it was mine for whatever I wanted. Working while in school helped maintain a reasonable balance in the fund and I had just over twenty thousand dollars. Mom had died three years prior, there was no reason for me to go back to Caribou after graduation, so it was going to be a matter of heading to my new job immediately. It was only my youngest sister and me at mom's funeral, it was as though once the others left home, they were gone forever. The only one I'd ever heard from in all my years was the youngest sister, and that was only a Christmas card if she knew where to send it.
There I stood on a Friday morning watching her as she came through the door. It was obvious she was homeless, she didn't appear to have a drug or drinking problem, she tried to clean herself up in our bathroom, but when you're on the streets you can only do so much. I was the only one on register, she mumbled a large black coffee, I brought back a meal which she immediately declined shaking her head no. I explained someone had paid for her coffee and meal, she reluctantly looked around, then took the meal to a table.
She appeared to be early 20's, maybe 5'7", hard to tell her weight as she was layered in clothes. Probably everything she owned. If the rest of her frame was as thin as her face, I didn't think it could be more than 120. It was me who'd covered her meal, I did it the next day and Sunday morning as well. She seldom spoke, she would nod her head as a thanks, but not speak. Her existence intrigued me. Someone called in sick Sunday which lengthened my shift, as I was headed home mid-afternoon I saw her along the road walking toward a creek a half mile from the McDonalds.
Though the bridge over the creek was 8 to 10 feet above the water, the banks were deep and the ends almost covered in vines, almost like a veil hiding the recess beneath the bridge. I wondered if this might be where she slept, if so, she was a desperate girl.
I had classes Monday but then saw her Tuesday morning, she ordered coffee and when I brought a meal there was no protestation, bowing her head in thanks as she walked away, I thought I had detected a grin. I was living in one of those rent by the week or month places, it was close to campus and cheaper than dorms or a regular apartment. Being month to month I didn't have to sign a lease and could terminate with a 30 day notice. My last day at State College was Wednesday, I had given my notice for the apartment last month and told Mickey D's Wednesday was my last, I was ready to drive to New Mexico.
I couldn't get that girl out of my head, Wednesday I waited alongside the road in the afternoon watching to see if she did live under the creek bridge. About four I saw her walking down the road and then disappeared into the wooded area. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her emerge to my right and then go through the vines hanging over the bridge. My heart was pounding as I contemplated talking with her, after waiting fifteen minutes I quietly made my way under the bridge. Upon seeing me she instantly panicked, gesturing with my hands I was able to calm her and sat about 5 feet from her.
"Can you hear me?" She nodded yes. "Do you understand me?" Another nod. "I'm not going to hurt you, I need you to listen to me carefully and not panic. Can you do that?" Another nod.
"You look as though you're old enough to make your own decisions and you aren't a runaway teen. Am I right?" She nodded. "Listen to me carefully. I'm leaving town tomorrow going out of state. I'm willing to drive you away from here if you want to leave before winter sets in. No strings attached, I expect nothing in return, I only want to help. Is that something you might be interested in?"
Fear and trepidation flooded her face, her breathing increased and her body shook. I continued, "You can ride with me as far as you'd like. Any time you want to leave I'm not going to try and stop you. Do you think that's something you want to do to get away from here?"
Her stare was intense, her face blank and devoid of emotion. I was just about to turn and go when she said "wait", then nodded yes. I was like her in a sense, wanting to be as far away from the east coast as possible. I had no family to speak of and looking for a new start, new adventures, a new beginning you might say.
"You want to leave town with me tomorrow? Is that what you're saying?" She nodded emphatically.
"Okay, I'll meet you at McDonalds, 8 o'clock tomorrow morning. Do you have more belongings than what you're wearing and in your backpack?" She shook her head no.
"I have to pick up my pay check first thing, we can leave right away, we'll stop for breakfast once we're out of town. Is that okay with you?"
