Chapter 2: Helping

Sarah learns more about Leonard and Edgar

Working the dish bin area and dessert/drink table is fun. And hard work. We ask patrons to scrape their plates and sort them.  One large gray dish tub for large plates and bowls, another for smaller dishes, including cups and mugs and a smaller one for flatware. The dishes are old and heavy, the off-white kind that look like they belong at a cheap buffet.

“People’re preddy good at clearin’ the dishes,” Edgar says, “jus’ need remindin’ sometimes.”

I smile at him. So embarrassing. Patrons have been handing me their dirty dishes and trays.  I’ve getting rid of the garbage and sorting the dishes  But now too many patrons are done eating at once, so they’ve been just leaving dishes and trays on the table surrounding the bins. I’m behind.

As the next patrons approach, I smile at them.  “Please scrape your dishes and put them in the bins,” I get out.

They both slide the paper napkins on the trays into the garbage before putting the dishes in the right bins. Edgar’s right!

Relieved I can do this part, I ask, “What else do we do?”

“Well,” Edgar pauses to adjust the glasses that have fallen down his face as he pulled more creamer from a lower cupboard, “Let’s see here….we take ou’ the garbage when it’s full, make sure there are dishes, fill wa’er jugs, fill cream n’ sugar.  Wash them trays and put ‘em back to be used again. Ah, clean up messes, help kids and old people carry drinks or food. Make sure they on’y take one dessert.”

We work together; Edgar occasionally shows me and trick or something else to do.  He carries the full bins to the kitchen or calls one of the dishwashers from the kitchen to take a bin into the kitchen with them when they bring out stacks of clean dishes.

“Short on volun’eers today.  Think we’ll take turns for break,” Edgar announces when everything is running smoothly.

“Sure thing,” I say.  Yes! Must be doing okay, if he’s gonna let me do take care of this on my own.

As Edgar eats his supper, I hoist a bin of cups and small dishes to carry to the dishwashers.  The woman with the tattooed arms, who was there when I started, is no longer manning the dish area.  Actually there has been someone different every week. In her place today is her male counterpart. Similar age, with tattoos in blueish ink, wearing a black ball cap, turned backwards to keep his hair off his face.

He grunts, "Thanks".

I take the bin full of dinner plates and soup bowls next. By the time I get to the dishwashers, my arms are shaking. As I rub my muscles, I see Leonard smiling at me.  I smile back, embarrassed.  Guess I better get stronger!

"You liking it out there, Sarah?" he calls, drying his hands on the apron covering his blue t shirt, while making his way unevenly from his stool in the cooking area.

"Oh, yes, I get to talk to the people! Some are friendly, some shy, some maybe a little grumpy, but I tell them all the have a nice day!"

"That's good. Why do you think they are like that?"

"The friendly ones are just happy for food, maybe."

"Maybe.  But maybe you treating them like people helps, too?"

"They are people."

"Not everyone treats people who need help like real people," Leonard states with a finality I have not heard from him before.

But my mind is reeling at this.  Not able to let it go, I finally find a question: "But isn't that why a place like Meals Shared is here?  To help people?"

"Yes, is it."

"And people still get treated badly by places that are supposed to help them?" I look to Leonard’s wrinkled face for an answer.

"Yeah, Red, they do." He lets out a deep sigh.

"Well that's stupid!  I'll make sure that doesn't happen here."

"I am sure you will." Leonard’s smiling at me, big grooves forming in his cheeks, must've been the right thing to say.  It's definitely the right thing to do. "What about the quiet ones or the grumpy ones?" he asks, a tougher question.

I turn this over in my head for a bit, "Maybe the reason they need food means they are having a rough time? Or they just don't like to talk?"

"You're right about that.  But not everyone treats people who need help kindly.  They might feel shame or worry that you’ll judge them."

"Not sure why someone would volunteer here, then judge people."

"Me neither," he says, before adding, "But it's not just here.  When someone who is helping people treats them with disrespect or looks down on them at other places they go for help, it makes them not trust us here, either."

I think back to the old woman who didn't look at me as she scraped her dishes.  She was all hunched over, but carried her tray on her own.  Her deeply creased face jumped when she raised her eyebrows at my 'Have a good day!' and her deep set brown eyes darted up, then back down.  Leonard's words start to make sense in my mind.  Maybe grumpy is the same thing? They’re grumpy because they expect me to be rude.

I voice this to Leonard, who smiles at me again. Yes!  "That's probably why.  But there is a difference between grumpy and being really rude.  If anyone says things to you that aren't nice, make sure you tell me or Edgar.  Bev if we aren't here."

"I guess so.”  People are nice so far!  Even when I tell them they can only take one dessert from the table.

"Good.  Be careful with people who are too friendly."

"What do you mean, Leonard?" This is a confusing conversation.

"Sometimes people might ask too many questions about you.  Or just act too friendly. Don't tell people where you live or your last name. Just let one of us know, okay?"

"Sure."

If it'll make Leonard, happy, why not? I grab some empty bins to replace the ones I removed from the front and meet Edgar back at our station to finish my shift.

*****

"How’s yer field trip?" asks Edgar, wiping his glasses on a cloth he pulls out of his shirt pocket.

I’ve been waiting for him to ask.  We are really busy today.  Edgar has shown me the tricks to setting up and keeping both the drinks and the desserts neat and tidy, so we’ve been doing okay, but we haven’t had much time to talk.

Today an old man spilled and lots of people needed help with their trays. Edgar has even rolled up the sleeves of the plaid shirt that he always wears. Actually, he has several shirts in slightly different patterns, all blue or red. As spring is turning to summer the scuffed brown work boots have been replaced with black running shoes, otherwise it's pretty well the same every time we work together.

*

The first time I saw Edgar carry a tray for someone who didn't have children in tow or use a cane, was a surprise.  An old man came in.  His face was sun darkened, even in early summer, and deeply lined, the ones around his mouth framing a line set with determination, attempting and failing to walk a straight path.  I have seen him before, but not in this state, I thought.   When he stumbled, Edgar strolled over, steps sure, but manner causal.

"Go sit down? Jus’ sit,  and you can eat. Deal?"

The other man looked up quickly at Edgar, almost falling over in the process.  Edgar steadied him with a hand on his elbow. "Deal?"

He nodded and mumbled, "Thanks, I never expected..."

The smell was terrible.  Rank with cigarettes, and sour with alcohol of some kind.

The man ate and left quietly.  Edgar asked me to get the empty tray.

*

"Have you ever been to the bog?" I ask Edgar.

Edgar has folded his tall frame into the plastic chair beside me. "Can't say I have. What'd you learn?"

"Did you know, even though they smell and are mushy and seem dirty, that bogs actually clean the water?"

"Didn't know that."

As my I share my day's learning and adventure, I explain that there is a chemical that tans and preserves things that have died.  It's the same chemical as tea. Which reminds Edgar of a story.

"When my girl was little, she wanted ta be a mummy for Halloween.  Convinced ‘er mother to dye the gauze with tea. I was ‘posed to pick up teabags on m’ way home."

Edgar pauses, drinks coffee from the heavy mug and regards his dinner.  Leonard and his ever changing kitchen crew have turned tough beef into a melt-in-your-mouth roast beef dinner, with potatoes and mixed vegetables.  We even have an only slightly wilted salad.  Edgar shovels a forkful of roast beef and gravy into his mouth.  I do the same.

"Problem is, I got a flat on the highway."

"Did you drive truck?" I ask, Edgar has told me stories about a few jobs over the past few weeks: security guard, fence builder, and warehouse worker.  Trucking is a new one.

"Yeah, a few years.  Mos’ly long haul, up north." More coffee and mashed potatoes consumed.

"When did you retire?"

"Still work when I can."

"Driving up north?"

"No, jus’ what I can find.  So I radio the office and ask the girl ta phone my wife tell her I’d be late.  I get home at my girl's bedtime, thinkin’ she’ll be sad.  Instead she shows me her tea bandages, all excited!  Dispatcher dropped off tea on the way home."

Edgar's eyes have tears building up on them behind his glasses. Probably making his sight go all blurry. I am not sure if they are good tears or bad, so I change the subject. Back to the wonder of the bog!

*****

"Summer's coming," Leonard says as we dish up spaghetti, with sauce and cooked carrots.  I slow my pace without thinking to match his slower steps.  Some weeks his leg drags more than others, but he always moves more slowly than almost all the adults I know.  He even sips his coffee, smokes a cigarette and ties his dull white aprons with carefully measured movements.

The sauce is delicious, canned to start; Leonard had the other kitchen volunteers have added cut up vegetables donated by a local grocery store, along with some seasoning, and ground meat.  The chunky, irregularly cut up carrots are on the menu at Meals Shared often.  Today I found out why.  A local farmer dropped off a gunny sack full.  Said it's the last one he has from fall.  They are a little bendy, but still edible, so kitchen volunteers log hours peeling and cutting carrots.

"Yes, this is the last week of school", I answer, getting some water, it's too hot for the 'juice' we make here.

We make our way to a mostly empty table near the kitchen and dig in.

"What’re your summer plans?” Leonard asks.

"This summer should be fun.  We usually go to the lake and I think we are going up north to work a bit with my dad.  He says he'll pay me to help build houses."

"You carry bus tubs now, no problem, guess we trained you for the job."

I don't tell him that after that first day, I started making use of the weight training I can do with my swim club.  Shaking arms were way too embarrassing!

"Will we see you in the fall?" he inquires.

"Are you gone for the summer?" I volley back.

"No, I'm here, sounds like you're kinda busy."

"Well, I won't be able to have a regular day, but I should be able to come most weeks.  Except when we are out of town, I guess.  But most weeks we are not gone all week. So I think I can come when we are in town. What days are you here?"

He's smiling at me again.  Right.  Sometimes when I get excited I talk a lot and fast.  Apparently, people find this funny.

"I'm here every day I can be,” Leonard says.

One of his kitchen crew, a young man named Rob, who was doing dishes weeks back and has now become one of the cooks that Leonard bosses, pipes up: "He's been here everyday since I started fine option, and I been here a month now."

Leonard's here every day? Fine option? Now my mouth won't work at all.  Actually, my brain can't decide which question to ask or how to ask it. I have learned to try to think about these things before I open my mouth.  Get in less trouble that way.  Because I always have questions. Sometimes they have to wait.

My face must have asked for me.  Leonard answers, "I come when my back is good enough to sit and help.  Can't stand much anymore.  On disability now, got hurt in my days cooking for the army."

"The army? Did you ever go anywhere where there was fighting?"

"Yes."

I wait for more, but that's all he says. The conversation turns to summer plans, how Meals Shared gets quieter as the weather gets better, the pow-wow coming up in town.

Author's Note

Attempting to show some character and relationship development, before moving on the the heart of the story. Also, tried to make Leonard and Edgar more distinct from one another. Looking for feedback on this.

Any constructive feedback is always welcome!

Reviews

[Splatman73]

Yas! I'm really enjoying this one. I thought the part where they discuss the patrons attitudes was interesting, with some smiling and some grumpy and all for different reasons. I am definitely curious about the people who are too friendly. I also can't wait to see what happens now that Red is getting busy with the summer. Great Job!

[Shannon]

Thank you for the read and review. Glad you are enjoying it! Yes, the reasons are an important part of what Leonard has to teach her.

[SweetNutmeg]

You got lots of good feedback on the first part of this story, so I'll focus on this part. Using such a young, idealistic narrator makes the story fresh and light, even though it is dealing with serious things. I feel a strong connection to Red and enjoy her naive questions and conclusions. I can see that Leonard is teaching her and nurturing her without her really realizing it, and that tells me a lot about Leonard. I definitely feel like I am getting to know him better. I think him having a laid back personality is perfect because the young frequently miss things in their absorption in themselves, so we're getting his personality in sort of sideways glances, if that makes sense. I think the characters and their setting are excellent and I am hoping to see more of the plot unfold. You had some problems with convoluted, hard to parse sentences in the first part, but your writing is very clear in this part. I'll be on the look out for the next part.

Edit: I am having some problems keeping Edgar and Leonard apart. They seem very similar and the topic of their conversations are similar.I'd like to see a bit more differentiation between the two.

[Shannon]

Thank you very much for all the feedback. They will differentiate themselves in the next section. Leonard is more if a teacher, Edgar a bit more of a story teller. Both act as protectors. Sarah will learn a fair bit about them as people, which will make them very different.


But for this section, I will have to ponder. Do the names need to be adjusted? Or maybe I need to give one a different tone somehow? Having the two of them is important to to story line.

[SweetNutmeg]

I am hesitant to make direct suggestions, as this is your story. Perhaps you could think about people you know and how you tell them apart.Voice, gait, location, height, mannerisms. But these are just random ideas and you can take them or leave them as you wish. This is your story and your party. :)

[Shannon]

Thanks sn. Since they were too different people, you would think it would be easier.