Wayfaring Traveler

three

「 For Shal (prolix), the wonderful creator of Homesick 」

t h r e e

"I sincerely apologize for my mistake, your next beverage here will be on the house," Francesca said, just past noon, that mistake being her third that Friday.

In the five hours she had been working, four of them included her dazing off and distracted. Every movement of hers as if she was walking on nonexistent eggshells.

I had begun working at the café shortly after my arrival in order to pay for the weekly motel bill, a month passing by in a breeze. The cold and fever I had lasting for three days, those days the longest of the the month.

"Francesca, are you okay?" I questioned after a while, knowing that something was in fact going on with her.

"Yes, perfectly okay. I'm fine," she lied, adding an almost believable gentle smile.

"Francesca," I said in a tone that indicated that I knew she had been lying.

"Yes?" she responded, still acting the role of one who was oblivious and carefree.

"I'm going to ask you one more time," I began, "Are you okay?"

She shifted her weight from her left side to her right and stood in a way that reminded me off a deer in the headlights, her knowing she had been noticed and caught.

"No," she whispered.

Her smile faded and unveiled a distraught expression, one she had been sheltering all morning.

"You can go home if you want, I can cover your shif-" I began, just to be cut off.

"No," she interrupted, "thank you for the offer, but no thank you. I'll be okay. No worries."

I nodded and returned to work, cleaning behind the counter and sorting out spices. She too returned to work, welcoming incoming customers and attending to previous ones.

I watched as she put up an act and disguised her underlying dismay, she walked back towards me and asked for yet another medium roasted coffee for the gentleman sitting by the entry doors. I brewed another mug for her and she held it, however, uneasily. She placed the mug on a serving tray and placed a scone on it too, working the cash register for a moment in order to get change for the customer. She picked up the tray and began to walk towards the customer, unsteady.

In a matter of seconds she lost her grip of the tray she was holding and its contents spilled right towards her, freshly brewed hot coffee not sparing her right arm. The coffee cup fell to the ground along with a scone. The instant accident didn't seem to register in her head, her reaction delayed, I reacted worried faster than she could.

I rushed over to her side, not even caring if I stepped into the sticky coffee. She held her hand close to herself, her other hand holding it.

A soft whelp finally escaped her lips once she saw me, herself registering the hot flash to her arm.

Mavis, a part-time employee walked in, myself immediately telling him to work the counter while I took care of the matter.

I walked Francesca to a sink in the back, unfreezing her, turning on the cold facet for her. I sat myself on top of the counter next to the sink, she placed her hand and exposed arm under the water quietly. I began to prepare a wet cloth she could wrap her arm in.

"I don't know what to say," she said in just above a whisper, her eyes not quite reaching mine.

Something had been bothering her today, and I couldn't quite figure it out. I couldn't quite figure her out in general. The two of us hadn't quite figured one another out, our conversations general and broad.