Reawaken

14.

After the chaos I caused at the beauty shop and how tore up I had become, Bunny had insisted I take the rest of the day off to clear my head. As I gathered my things in the shop, I couldn't ignore the burning stares I had received from everyone. I'm sure Isis wasn't shy of trash talk and probably calling me anything but a child of God. As I grabbed my pocketbook from the coat rack, I couldn't help but notice Isis's ginger eyes staring daggers at me, a look on her smug face that told me that she may have had an evil trick or two up her sleeve.

Passing by her, I saw her hold out her hand, the other ripped half of my letter in her devil red fingertips. I snatched it from her grasp and turned toward the door not paying her anymore mind.

The sky was split by a jagged flash of lightning as grey clouds rolled in with the winds giving a gloom to small Eva Parish. The rain reflected my mood and as I walked, every part of my body feeling heavy like cement, like someone had backed a truck into me. Like all of my transgressions were holding on to my ankles with each step.

It had been so long since I felt so much rage, and if it hadn't been for the fogginess of a migraine floating behind my eyes, or the torn letter in my pocket, I wouldn't have even recalled the ordeal that happened moments ago. Almost like the rage I felt that final night with Clay.

The smell of gun powder quickly filled my nostrils.

A light drizzle fell over the town as I made it to main street, the large Mayfair Hotel locked in my gaze. All I longed for now was to just move on. Dudley knew of my dreams, and I knew he would support me no matter what, just like my Daddy would.

I stared down at a puddle in the street at a crosswalk, the drizzling rain causing the small puddle to ripple and move. My reflection did a sad dance with the rain and almost for a moment, I didn't recognize myself at all.

Looking up across the intersection, I noticed Norris on the other side, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he leaned against the bus stop sign. He was dressed in a dark sweater, cream-colored collar shirt, and dark blue slacks, a bouquet of white and yellow daisy wrapped in newspaper in his grasp. Smoothing my hands on my tangerine dress, I began walking towards him.

He noticed me coming mid-stride, and for a sliver of a second something in him seemed annoyed to see me. I ignored that small nag, chopping it up to my own angst, giving the man a small smile when I approached him.

"Hey, Mister Mayfair." I greeted, "A bit early for you to be out."

It was a quarter to two, and usually, Norris would be tied up with tasks at the hotel or keeping to himself until his shift at the nightclub 'til about seven or eight.

"Got some business to handle." He stated simply, exhaling a chain of smoke from his lips, "Ain't ya supposed to be at work?"

"Bunny let me leave, I'm havin' a hard day." I told him, sizing him up, "Ya got a hot date?" I nodded towards the flowers in his hand.

He ignored me, staring down at his wristwatch then, cursing the bus for being late. Norris Mayfair had his mysterious wall back up, blinking impatiently as his hands grazed his cheek, one of his ticks I was familiar with. Something was bothering him.

The drizzling had let up, still leaving a dull overcast on the day, both of us standing in the stillness of it.

"Where ya headed?" I asked then, the man turning back to look at me, almost as if he forgot I was even standing there.

"To handle business." He stated coldly again.

I wouldn't let up, "Is it business with that Victor cat?" I questioned.