On the Porch with Breeze
I had just moved to this small town about a month ago. I came here because I could afford it and my disability didn't pay much. My neighbor was an older woman who liked to sit on her front porch on the weekends. She smoked handrolled cigarettes and sipped coffee. She told me her name was Breeze. I had started coming around and sitting with her in the evenings. She was pleasant company. This morning she had spotted me through my kitchen window and waved me over. I poured a cup of coffee and cut a couple of cinnamon rolls out of the pan. I headed over to sit and visit with her. Seemed like a good way to start the morning.
"This country needs something to unify it again," the old woman said as she put the final touches on her hand rolled cigarette and popped the end in her mouth. She pulled a 'blue tip' match from the pocket of her dress and lit it with a quick pop from her thumbnail.
"Whatcha mean, Ms Breeze?" I asked her and I waved at Mr. Stanley as he drove past in his old blue Studebaker truck. He waved back.
"That's the fourth time Mr. Stanley's driven by since I've been here." I observed. "I wonder what he's up to?"
"Oh, it's Saturday morning," Breeze pointed out. He wants to come see me but he won't stop on account of you're here. You'll start seeing a passel of old men circling soon." She exhaled a cloud of blue cigarette smoke and waved it away from her face with her hand.
I smiled and dropped an open ended question, "Gentlemen callers?"
She laughed, "Of course. I'm very popular in these parts. What time's it getting to be?"
I looked at the clock tower on the court house, across the street. "Looks like it's a little after nine," I told her.
"Listen ReaJean," she said, "I'm gonna cut right to the chase. I waved you over here this morning to offer you a business opportunity. I'm getting old and I have no family. I've been fretting about my business and what's going to happen to it, and the people who depend on me, when I can't work anymore. You seem like a good candidate to take it over and I thought I should discuss this opportunity with you. See what you think."
I was flabbergasted. "Well, Ms. Breeze, I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything yet," she told me, "Not everybody is suited to the work that I do. I been watching you though and I think you could do it, if you make up your mind that you want to."
"Ms. Breeze, I..."