chapter 3

The rest of my shift at Mr. Smith’s store was uneventful and passed by in a blur. Many customers had already heard that my mother was eight months pregnant and so they decided to give me advice and information about babies which I didn’t really understand. Why would I need to know all this if my mother was going to be the one taking care of the baby? Some women even offered to be midwives and that was really awkward. But the one conversation that made me change the way I looked at the situation was the conversation I had with the widow Mrs. Thames.

She had been a widow for three years and though she had more children than I could count, she was alone. She reminded me of the grandmotherly figure that everyone thought of when they thought of an old lady. Short with snow-white hair and skin that resembled jerky but she had eyes that held the knowledge of the world and yet the youth of a teen. I got along with her and I could even say that I cared about her. Since she lived a block away from the store I had made sure she came to buy her groceries when my shift was over so I could help her take her groceries home.

“Your mother’s pregnancy is the talk of the town. Did you know that?” Mrs. Thames told me as we walked away from the store. She carried a bag with light things such as bread and eggs while i carried two bags with everything else.

“I noticed when almost all the women of this town came by the store and decided to give me advice about babies and stuff like that.” I complained to Mrs. Thames who just chuckled at my misery.

“They only want to help because they probably know what will come after that baby is born. You don’t remember after you were born so you don’t know the things that your mother went through. If I remember correctly after every one of my children were born, I had a lot of sleepless nights and frustrating time finding a way to work and take care of them. Now I was lucky to have the other children there to help but when it’s the first one, you have to adjust your life a lot.” Mrs. Thames said as her eyes went into the past and she was most likely thinking about all her children.

Her reasoning was really thought provoking and it caused me to think about my mother and how much she had probably done for me.

“You know, now that your mother is having another child she may need your help. I know she has medical problems with the pregnancy and that usually means that the post-birth effects will be longer to get over. You are the only one she has to look to for support, you know? And though I know it’s not fair to ask of you to do something that should be her job, maybe you should think about the fact that you are the stronger one. No one else will be there for her like you will be” Mrs. Thames told me as we crossed the abandoned street.

“I know everyone will go on with their lives.” I answered in an uninterested tone

“That was not what I meant, Adel. It isn’t very fair of you to lump everyone in the same category. You know how you hate that people judge you before knowing you and why you are how you are? Well you are being a hypocrite by judging everyone else, my dear” Mrs. Thames lectured but with a patient and calm tone.

“I guess your right but I have yet to be proven wrong. It is simply in human nature to focus mainly on themselves. A person won’t help someone else out of their own heart or mind because they have to be reminded that there is such a thing as kindness. Why do you think benefit agencies have to advertise to get donations for their cause?” I reasoned and yet I knew she would have an opposing argument.

“What about you?” she asked with a serious look in her eyes she came to a stop in front of her old Victorian looking house.

I was silent for a while and then looked away from her knowing gaze. She always knew how to make her point and it always made me feel so small to realize I had a long way to go before I was mature.

“Good night Adel, I will see you next week” she said as she took the grocery bags inside.

“Good night” I replied softly and walked away down the street to head for Mr. Crow’s gasoline station to work another shift. I had started early in the morning and now it was late afternoon when there was just enough light to see the outline of objects in front of you. The night had taken a cool crisp air as the early October days gave way to mid-October days.

“It’s not safe to be walking out this late” a male voice said from somewhere in the shadows.

“I know and you are one of the reasons” I said and turned to see a man hiding in the shadows of a building. He was one of Scott’s goons but he and I had gotten along pretty well and we still talked every now and then, his name was Sammy. When I left he didn’t judge or hold a grudge against me which I thanked him for.

“Come on don’t be like that” he replied to the jab I had thrown at him with humor and laughed afterwards.

“What are you doing here?” I asked in a clam but guarded tone as he began to walk beside me.

“I came to warn you. It seems that is all I ever come to you for” he said in a teasing tone in an effort to lighten the news he had to tell me.

“We both know what would happen if Scott found out you were speaking just one word to me. There really isn’t anything else you can do, right?” I said to him and stopped in front of an abandoned apartment complex that had been shut down a couple of months ago.

“Yeah, that’s true but none the less here I am, aren’t I?” he said with a mischievous smirk as he leaned back against the wall.

“One day your luck is going to end and you will get a rude awakening” I warned him and looked around to see if anyone was watching.

“Well then let’s hope my good looks are enough to keep me on Lady Luck’s good side.” he said with a cheeky grin and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I swear you have an ego as big as a whale. Someone is going to pop that enormously, inflated head of yours” I laughed at his fake hurt expression at what I said.

“Okay, enough about my amazing personality and good looks. I have to be serious for what I am going to tell you.” his voice and demeanor went from being lay back and cocky to being serious and tense.

“It’s real bad, isn’t it?” I asked even though I could see the answer in his eyes.

“Scott is planning something to keep you by his side. I’m not completely sure what it is but all I know is that it has to do with Miloh. She gets out in a couple of days and he has already set up for a meeting with her.” He said with worry and suspicion lacing his voice

“But I thought Miloh’s parents were going to move away and they were going to take them with her.” I had heard those new personally from Miloh and her parents. How could she be anywhere near Scott if they were planning on leaving?

“That was the plan until Miloh was put into foster care when the news about how her parents treated her came into light in her court meeting. The judge didn’t find them suitable to be taking care of a child so they had their custody rights removed and Miloh is now in foster care.” Sammy explained as the many implications of this dawned on me.

“So Scott is planning on bringing her back in and then using her to bring me back?” I asked Sammy as I began to think of what could be in store for me later.

“I can’t say for sure but that seems to be what he is planning. You and I both know she will jump at the chance to be at his side and she will especially do anything to get on his good side. But the bigger news is that his plan involves the new kid” Sammy told me in a lower voice and leaned forward as if someone might hear.

“You mean Mathew? What does he have to do in all this?” I asked when Sammy confirmed it was Mathew. I became instantly suspicious of Mathew and in the future I would keep my guard up.

“I don’t know but I will try to find out and tell you. But right now I better get back before he sends someone out to look for me. I’ll meet you when I find out something else” he promised and then turned to disappear into the dark embrace of the night.

Somehow in that moment it felt as if I was saying goodbye to Sammy and that that was the last time we would even talk.

“Please look out for him” I whispered a small prayer for Sammy and hoped that that prayer was heard.