© 2014 by tore56789 (GOS) All rights reserved.
Tobias chose finally a late 1985 model Ford Escort, white in colour. The body didn’t look bad. It had less rust showing around the edges, than other cars he had examined, of a later vintage. Not saying much for Ted’s.
But when he heard the engine, to his ear it sounded smooth. The interior too wasn’t bad, along with the tyres, as if someone had really looked after the old girl, before finally deciding to part with her. He sensed good vibes about it, and that was the most important thing to him.
After sealing the deal, with a little haggling, getting about one fifty knocked off the asking price, she asked, “Any good place around here, a girl could get a decent meal at a fair price?”
He looked at her with a smile, “Best place here is our Betty’s, just right next door to here. Tell her I sent you. And she’ll look after you real swell.”
“See, it’s there. The Diner,” he said pointing with his finger.
“Thanks.”
“Car will be all ready for you, when you return.”
“Thanks again.” The woman smiled on auto, as he dipped his hat to her departure.
The walk was short. And on entering the decor immediately reminded Tobias of 1960s America. The whole place looked red: floor, walls, ceiling. The only things that weren’t were the tables and the counter, which were white, with red plastic minus waiting upright –like a devils paradise.
The place looked empty, except for three young coloured teens, sitting at a table inside the door, chatting and laughing. Tobias saw them looking his way. As they viewed him as the good looking woman, the Doctor, Mrs Jillian Cooper.
At that age, Tobias knew very well, kids were like testosterone factories. And sex was on their minds constantly, like a neutral setting in a car. Once they had spouted from their mouths some bullshit or other, they reckoned was worth talking about; which in every likelihood wasn’t and was only said anyway, to sidetrack their primary thoughts –thinking about girls. And more importantly, what they might just see a peek of beneath a light skirt on a hot day, like it was. But with Jillian, that wasn’t going to be the case. But that still didn’t stop their thoughts racing over her great figure, firm round gorgeous behind. Being a man, Tobias knew well where their eyes were going, as his had gone similar, as a youth of their age.
The proprietor –who he reckoned was the Great Betty, was a big woman like in her late forties, with greying hair tied back in a bun. Wearing a white apron with the words in large red letters: Betty’s Diner, and under it, the writing somewhat smaller, like done in her own personal hand: Oh, so mouth watering delicious.
Towering above the counter, she greeted her on entering, “Hi, take a seat. I’ll be with you in a moment.”
He took a seat, a good way away from the kids, against the far wall and facing away from them. Sitting down, he observed after a moment, they went back to talking about some local bullshit –he guessed, a bit disappointed, there wasn’t more to see.
On opening the menu, meat dishes immediately shot out at him. Ranging from cow to pig to chicken? And even though, Tobias had no problem with this, he sensed very strongly the good doctor he was cohabiting had. That even looking at the menu was making her want to retch –because she was a strict Vegan. And never ever touched anything that one time was alive and breathing, and enjoying life on God’s beautiful planet.
He knew automatically why? As the image shot to him from his host the moment the retching sensation had hit. When Jillian was a little girl, a good teacher had made the stupid decision to bring their class out on a school outing to a meat processing plant. What he had forgotten to explain clearly in his letter to her parents, regarding that outing, was that they would also be witnessing the slaughtering of animals.
And for Jillian, watching a cow driven into a narrow enclosure, where a barred door came down to trap it. And then seeing the animal’s fear, seeing it shitting itself, throwing itself violently against the narrow walls, as it cried out, as its senses alerted it to its demise in that atmosphere? And then seeing a grinning man in white overalls, shooting it in the head, with some air compressed bold he held attached to a tube –was just too much.
She had run out of the place crying, with several other kids. And since that day, never touched anything related to living flesh.
