The mid afternoon August heat radiated from the black asphalt road like waves of fire over her worn out body. She hated this town, this heat, this long walk to the store in the middle of the day but most of all she hated her life. This place had been a pit of darkness for her and while she had left a dozen times life had always forced her back to this small town horror. Her mother had always said she would be nothing, just a tramp, failure, looser and she had been right. Her father treated her like a tramp and she hated even the thought of him. Yet back to this dark hole life continued to drive her. She would get to the store, spend the few dollars she had on what she had to have and get out without running into any of her ‘friends’. Not that she had any; friend was a poor choice for a word to describe anyone in her life. Sure she had been popular with the guys in junior high and high school but it was a trashy popularity and she knew it. She was sure she held her class record for ‘made guys’ some record, and certain with her five marriages under her belt she held the class record for former husbands. Not that she really had a ‘class’, she had dropped out in the first part of her last year to have a baby, the first of too many. She hated this place and all of its memories. Get to the store, get out, don’t see anyone, and get back to the dump she called home, those were her thoughts now as this August afternoon tried to burn her body as well as her soul. She noticed him out of the corner of her eye as she left the store with her one package of needed supplies. She was sure she didn’t know him but she was certain that he was watching her. She put her free hand in her pocket and felt the pick she always carried; one sudden move and he would be missing an eye. “Excuse me Miss”, she heard him say, “I was wondering if you might have a drink of water you could spare me on this hot day?” She turned to look at him and said, “Do I look like a well to you or a kitchen faucet? Go away.” “Sorry”, he said, “Just thirsty and thought maybe you had an extra bottle of water in that bag.” “I bet.” She responded, “I know what you really want and I ant’s giving so beat it, go away. I don’t buy bottle water; I drink out of my faucet. Do I look like I got bottle water money?” He turned and asked, “Maybe I could go home with you and your husband would give me a nice glass of that tap water?” “Go away, crazy man, I ant got no husband and you ant going no where with me.” She answered quickly. “I got enough problems without you so get, just get.” She said as she picked up the pace and walked toward the street. “You are right you know. You don’t have a husband, you have had five but at the moment you are just living with a guy.” He said with a tone of concern and not judgment. “How do you know that? Who are you and why all this concern with me? Who has been telling you about me and way?” She spoke with a fear in her voice as she stopped her walk and looked toward him. “You have a lot of questions?” He answered, “In fact you are troubled about a lot of things and even a bit fearful about some things.” She tightened her grip on the pick in her pocket and said, “You are a crazy man, I won’t you to leave me be. Sure I fear some things. Some nights when I am trying to fall asleep I fear not waking up and having to meet God, I do fear Him, but I don’t fear you crazy man.” With that she pulled the pick from her pocket and looked fearfully at him. “I will leave.” He said, “But I might have had the answer.” He turned, walked away then over his shoulder he said, “By the way I am He. You really don’t have to fear me. Just get to know me.” With that he turned the corner and vanished.
Ivan
Ivans Stories 