Throwaway People

Patty and Jim

Patty followed Jim through the path in the vegetation, stepped through the chain link that Jim held back for her. Up the stairs in the back storeroom of the shop on the first floor. She came up into the living room of the upstairs apartment. All of the furniture was dated, but in good shape. There was a console TV that would never work again. A ancient hi-fi record player with records on it. A couch with two end tables, a coffee table. A old leather recliner sat to one side facing the television.

There was a full kitchen attached with a dining table that must of dated back to the fifties. The ceramic sink, stove and refrigerator were from that period too. Jim walked over to the sink and turned the faucet handle. Water, rusty at first, then clear as it began to pour out.

"They left the water on?" Patty wondered if the electricity was hooked up.

"No, it's rainwater basins on the roof. Filtered by tanks in the attic. I don't know if we should drink it, but I think we can shower with it." Jim said. "What is better is there is a huge propane tank hooked up to the house. We have hot water, gas to run the stove."

"You've got to be kidding me." Patty said. Jim splashed some water her way, the droplets stung from the heat. "Hot showers."

"I already took one before I left to find you." Jim walked over to a short hall. "Bathroom is all yours."

That bathroom looked like it was from the sixties. In bright colors that were now faded to nearly pastel. There was a shower/tub that was a horrible pink that was popular back then. A pair of frosted glass shower doors was installed at some time. There was a linen closet with some old white towels. On a hook Jim had left a pink terricloth robe for Patty.

Patty came out of the bathroom with the robe wrapped around her. She saw Jim reading by the light of a hurricane lamp. He looked up at her. "There are a dozen of these in the storeroom downstairs and a couple dozen bottles of kerosene."

"I don't get this place. It's self sustaining, like some off the grid sort of thing, but this place was built way before going off the grid was popular." Patty sat on the couch.

"Going off the grid has always been popular. There could be any number of reasons why this place has a rain basin water system. Back in the fifties there was always the fear of nuclear war. It was possible this place was isolated enough that the owner considered it possible to survive. Isolation could be the reason too. No water and sewage company may have extended this far at the time."

Jim put his book down. He walked over to the gas stove. On the burner was an old percolator coffee pot. He poured two cups of coffee. Jim brought them over to the coffee table. Patty noticed that there was already a collection of sugar packets and creamer. Stolen from assorted fast food restaurants. Street people learned to take a few extra condiments when they got a chance.

"There is a god." Patty said. Sipping at the coffee. "Am I staying the night?"

"You are welcome to come and go when you want." Jim said. "There are two bedrooms. Your's is to the left down that short hall. I'm going to sleep in the master at the end of the hall."

"I don't need a separate bedroom. We've been in the same room before." Patty smiled. "I've offered to sleep in the same bed. Is it because I'm a whore."

"I'm not into casual sex." Jim said. "I don't want you to feel obligated to have sex with me. Like it's part of the price for sharing a room. I figure that you might be sick of men expecting sex or paying for it. That you might just want to be left alone."