Moments In Time: The Complete Novella Collection (3 page)

Hidden behind his ready smiles, Donny was a
recovering drug addict who’d lost everything to the addiction—his
job as a manager at The Roll & Dice, his family, his friends.
It took overdosing and a near-death experience to shake him
awake.

“I was away for a while, making plans,”
Donny answered.

I raised one eyebrow. “Plans?”

“And they were successful. I’m leaving
Oasis.” A row of white teeth appeared between his beard and
moustache. “I wanted to say goodbye.”

I wiped my hands on a dishcloth. “That’s
right. Your six months are up. I can’t believe how time flies.”
Despite being happy that he was moving on, I’d miss having him
around.

“I got my old job back, and I signed up for
an addiction recovery program. It’s held at Annie’s Dance Hall once
a week.”

I was thrilled he was taking control of his
life, although a job in a casino seemed questionable for a
recovering addict. But he looked so happy and determined. Hopefully
he’d be strong enough to resist temptation. “I’m sure you’ll do
great. I’m so proud of you.”

“I’ll be better than fine. My daughter,
Hope, is allowing me to stay with her until I get back on my
feet.”

“I’m so glad.” I walked over and embraced
him. A tear dripped onto my cheek.

When I’d found Donny sleeping on the
sidewalk, between The Roll & Dice and Maggy’s Hair Salon, he’d
reeked of booze, sweat, and urine. Now he smelled only of soap and
optimism.

“Have a good life.”

“Thank you, Carlene. I hope you find your
happiness again.”

I broke the embrace. I’d never told him much
about my life, but I guess sadness, like joy, is hard to hide.
“Thank you. Goodbye, Donny.”

“Hang on a second, I’ve something for you.”
He disappeared from the kitchen and returned a moment later with a
lush, white rose. “This is as pure as your heart.”

“I appreciate it,” I said, squeezing his
shoulder.

“Have fun spreading those petals at the
festival.”

I gave him a bittersweet smile. “I won’t be
going.” The Rose Petal Festival wasn’t the best place to be if you
were single.

“Well, then, dry it and take it along next
year. You can throw both fresh and dried petals into the lake. Has
the same magic.”

“I will.”

***

By nine, only a handful of people were left
in the Resident Hall. Some of the residents were reading, praying,
meditating, or just staring into space.

I went to my bed and sank down on it. The
springs sighed in response to my weight. Melisa and I both started
out as residents. We’d arrived the same morning and were friends by
nightfall. She had been my rock through my worst depression
ever—during my first week at Oasis—the one that almost drove me to
give up on life altogether. In fact, I’d gone as far as swallowing
sleeping pills and going to bed as usual. But Melisa noticed
something was wrong with my breathing and called for help in time
to save my life.

After six months of therapy, the scars still
hadn’t healed, but I found a way to trudge on. But when the six
months were up and we were required to leave, I had nowhere to go.
I pleaded with Lynnette to let me and Melisa stay on as
helpers.

I drew my knees to my chest and hugged them,
rocking back and forth.

Melisa walked into the room and sat next to
me. “Talk.”

“I’ve nothing to say.”

“Bullshit. Today is the day. Of course you
have something to say.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Tell me what you told me last year at this
time.”

“I still feel guilty, Melisa. I don’t think
I’ll ever get over it.”

“Did you go to the chapel?”

“Yes.” I rubbed my temples.

“It didn’t help, did it?”

“Not really.”

“Well, then I’ll tell you the same thing I
always tell you.” She grasped my hand. “You are a good person.
You’re carrying guilt that’s not yours to carry. What happened was
not your fault. If it were, you’d be in jail right now.”

“I know that. But it doesn’t change the
facts.”

“I’m not saying it does. Just stop wasting
your life. You’re only twenty-nine. You can start over, create a
great life for yourself.”

“Time spent helping others is not
wasted.”

“It is if you’re doing it to punish
yourself. You’re beautiful and smart, and you deserve way more than
this.”

I leaned against her. “So do you. You’re
wasting your life as well.”

“I had a good life and lost it. There’s
nothing out there for me. Not anymore.”

“I think you’re wrong. But you’ll never know
unless you try.”

“Did you light a candle for my husband and
baby?”

“No, I’m so sorry. Someone distracted
me.”

Five years ago, Melisa’s husband, a fireman,
had died rescuing an old woman from a burning building. At the
time, they’d been married for three years and were awaiting their
first child. After losing the love of her life, she suffered a
miscarriage that shattered the remains of her heart. Apparently,
before it all happened, she’d been a devoted Christian and went to
church every Sunday. After, she turned her back on God and turned
instead to drink and gambling.

Not long after, Melisa lost everything she
owned and turned to stealing as a way to feed her addictions. With
help from Oasis, she had stopped gambling, but still had an
occasional drink.

“Didn’t you say the church is usually
isolated during the week?”

“Well, not today.”

Melisa rose and went to lie on her own bed,
hands clasped at her chest. “So, what happened?”

“He heard me crying and asked if I was okay.
I told him I was, then I walked out.”

Melisa propped herself up on an elbow,
facing me. “So, it was a him? Was he handsome?”

I bit my lip and nodded.

“And you still ran away. How many men are
you going to run from?”

Averting my gaze, I fluffed my pillow, even
though it didn’t need it.

“Carlene,” Melisa said slowly. “This man you
met was different, wasn’t he?”

“What do you mean?” An involuntary smile
spread across my face.

She tossed her pillow at me, and I giggled.
“You like him.”

“What makes you say that?”

“He made your day a little easier. This time
last year, as soon as your tasks were completed, you locked
yourself in the bathroom. Your eyes were so swollen they looked
like golf balls. He comforted you.”

I tossed the pillow back at her and laughed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I can read you from a mile away. Stop
denying it. You’re smitten, you little kitten.”

“What if I am? It doesn’t change
anything.”

“Yes, it does. For as long as I’ve known
you, I haven’t seen you smile like this. This man changed something
inside of you.”

I concealed a grin with my hand. “He kissed
me.” I couldn’t help it—I had to tell someone before I burst.

Melisa clapped her hands. “He liked you too.
How romantic. How did he kiss you? Did he just come up and smooch
you?”

“He invited me for a coffee. We talked for a
while, and when I was leaving, I slipped on a banana peel. He
caught me and we kissed.”

“Like in the movies.” Melisa’s eyes lit up.
“Love at first sight. I’m sure he can’t wait to see you again.
Please tell me you gave him your number.”

“I didn’t get the chance to give it to him.
We parted so suddenly. Anyway, maybe he just felt like kissing a
random girl.”

“Find out. Go to the chapel every day if you
have to, at the same time. See if he shows up again. If he wants to
see you again, he might.”

Butterflies fluttered inside my stomach.
“I’m not going to force anything. If we’re meant to meet again, we
will.” After all, we lived in a town called Serendipity, and with
no more than two thousand residents, it was more than likely.

“Sometimes in life you have to make things
happen yourself. To hell with fate and all that nonsense.”

“I’m not going to look for him, Melisa.”

“Then do something else for me.” Melisa’s
face turned serious. “See this as a sign to move on. Go out there.
Get a proper job and a place to stay. Start over. Don’t let it be
too late for you, too.”

“It isn’t too late for you, Melisa. We can
start over together.”

Melisa shook her head. “No, we can’t. I
can’t. Now, come on, do this for me. Try living a normal life for
six months. If you don’t like it, you can come back. I’m sure
Lynnette will always welcome you back with open arms.”

Defeated, I threw my hands in the air.
“Fine. Six months. Just to get you off my back.”

Lynnette fully supported my decision to move
out. She assured me, just as Melisa said she would, that there
would always be a place for me at Oasis.

In the evening, as usual, I waitressed at
Joe’s Steaks across the street. This time, instead of disappearing
after my shift, I went to talk to Joe about giving me a full-time
job. He’d proposed it on several occasions, but working at Oasis
had always been my priority. It was my lifeline, the place that
kept me sane, and I hadn’t been ready to cut that rope just
yet.

Unfortunately, my timing was bad. Joe no
longer needed an additional full-time waitress, and I had to look
elsewhere. After pounding the streets for a week, I finally found a
job waitressing at the Surry Hotel restaurant. I’d have loved to
work at the Serendipity Lux Hotel on the other side of the street,
but working in a luxury hotel required years of experience, which I
lacked.

My shift started before I had finished
shaking the manager’s hand.

Next on my to-do list was finding a place to
stay.

***

I climbed out of the taxi and stepped into
the filthiest part of town. Two men were sprawled out on the
pavement, and beggars sat cross-legged on the curb. I tossed a few
coins into several coffee cups. I’d been there.

Pressing my purse close to my body, I
crossed the street. A car whizzed by, ignoring a red light, and
almost ran me over. I sprang away in time and landed on my bum.
Unfazed, I stood and dusted myself off. Nothing would stop me from
reaching my destination.

The apartment building was tucked between a
laundromat and a strip club.

The caretaker, a man with crow’s feet and a
widow’s peak opened the door with one hand. He held a chipped
coffee mug in the other.

“I’m here to see the room that’s being
advertised.”

He extracted a set of keys from his pocket.
“Sure, follow me.”

“Do you have a job?” he asked, as we climbed
the worn-out stairs.

Dust particles rose and tickled my nostrils
to a sneeze. “Excuse me.” I sniffed. “Yes, I do have a job.”

The man nodded and stopped at the door
marked 3. “Come on, then. Let me show you the room. See if you like
it.”

The room was tiny and airless with a
threadbare carpet. Mismatched pieces of furniture stood in odd
places, as if someone had been in the process of rearranging them
and changed their mind.

Walking through the sitting room, I ignored
the spring sticking through the shabby striped couch. Inside the
kitchenette, I ran a finger across the top of the small fridge with
a missing handle. At least the place was clean. Besides, it was
simply a place to start.

“There’s a shared bathroom at the end of the
hallway and a kitchen on the main floor.” The caretaker gulped down
his coffee.

Having lived in an orphanage and a homeless
shelter, I had no problem with sharing. As long as, at the end of
the day, I had privacy in my own room. This was better than living
on the street.

Six months after we’d started dating, Chris
had suggested I move in with him. He insisted on taking care of me,
paying all the bills, working as a self-employed IT specialist,
while I spent the money I earned waitressing on college tuition. We
lived together for two years. He proposed on our second
anniversary. Four months later, I lost him and was thrown out of
our apartment in the thick of night. Apparently, he hadn’t paid the
rent for several months. With no one to turn to and little money, I
spent two nights on the street. Then Lynnette found me and offered
me a place to stay. Unable to afford my studies, I dropped out of
college and moved to the shelter permanently.

Or not so permanently
, I thought,
looking around me.

“You’ll find no cheaper fully furnished room
around here,” the caretaker said.

Having read through other adverts, I agreed.
“How much is the deposit?”

“Four months’ rent.”

Since I’d had no major financial
responsibilities on my shoulders at Oasis, so my meager waitressing
salary had accumulated enough for me to pay rent for a couple of
months. But I wasn’t ready to hand over more than three months’
deposit.

“Are you interested?”

“Yes, but I can only give you three months’
deposit. I just started my job, and I haven’t been paid yet.”

He raised a bushy eyebrow. “I’m afraid you
have to pay the full deposit in cash.”

“I understand, but I don’t have much money
on me right now. But I can get it. I need a few days.” My voice
broke. I was venturing into the unknown, and the money I had on me,
however little, was my only security.

He scratched the bald island on his head and
sighed. “What’s your name?”

“Carlene Adams.” I paused. “I need a place
to stay tonight. I—”

“Have nowhere to go?” He finished my
sentence, as if he’d heard it all before.

“Yes,” I lied. Oasis would always take me
back, but I wanted to prove to Lynnette and Melisa that I could
survive outside its walls.

The caretaker studied my face for a while
and placed his mug on top of the fridge. “I’m not supposed to do
this, Carlene, but you seem like a nice, honest person. Give me
what you have and pay the rest within a month, along with the first
rent payment.”