Throwaway People

Understandings

Green Acres, Camp: 10:45 AM

Kitty finished her sandwiches at the top of the stairs leading to the attic. It was a simply a large room. The floor boards darkly stained. The ceiling was low and the wall slanted inward. At one end of the attic were the water filtration tanks. Kitty didn't know what they were. At the other end were crates, suitcases, boxes, and racks full of clothes.

Someone had shifted through these things recently. It was possible that both Jim and Patty had been up here. Curiosity drew Kitty to the racks of brightly colored clothing. Kitty had never seen clothing like this. The material was coarser than she was used to. The patterns were like blobs of one color on another. Lines of color on shirts. Dresses that glittered, with feathers, and fluff.

In a trunk was older clothing. From an era that Kitty couldn't imagine. It was like looking in the past. Kitty pulled a picture from the trunk. It showed a woman in a dress that fell just below her knees. A man in a suit. It was black and white, more tannish color. The man and woman were standing in front of the building she was in. Behind them was a car repair shop. The sign said 'Madler's Auto Repairs'.

Kitty carefully replaced the picture. Closed the trunk. There had been a date on the back of the picture. November 20, 1927. That was ninety years ago. Kitty wondered how old the building was. Was it built in 1927? It could have already existed. Being restored in 1927 to become an auto shop.

Kitty opened a cardboard box with blankets in it. She saw a stuffed brown dog on top of the blankets. Kitty picked it up. A memory rose up through the barrier that Kitty's mind had erected. One of her asleep. She woke up, putting a stuffed toy aside, like this one. That was as far as Kitty could remember before the barrier went up again.

She carried the dog with her. Kitty sat the dog beside her on the couch. She opened up her pink backpack and pulled out the little pink teddy bear she had. Kitty had found it on the sidewalk back in February. Discarded like she was. Thrown away callously. By someone who didn't appreciate it. It smelled like pot. The dog had a clean smell like spices. The pink bear was dirty. Like Kitty it was dirty. She wished she could make it clean again. Make herself clean again. Kitty began to cry.

Patty was stressed. She had parked herself at a bus stop. One of the bus drivers gave her a hard time about not getting on the bus when it stopped. The driver had to stop anyway, there were other people at the bus stop, so the bus had to stop. Patty left to avoid having the cops called on her. The conflict ended with the driver telling her to get a real job.

"Hey." A heavy set blond who got off the bus came up to Patty. "You used to play at the park, didn't you."

"Yeah, got in trouble when I told some old guy off." Patty said.

"I heard about that. I heard you sing in the park too. You can play in front of my place. It's called 'Lost Tea Shop'. Walk with me and I'll show you where it is."

Stacey, the blond, talked with Patty, as they walked to her shop. It was a quaint little building across from the park. There was a little patio with a canvas awning set up over some stone tables with benches around them.

"You are welcome to play out here, any money people give you is yours. I can't give you a job, but I can give you a place to play without being run off." Stacey unlocked the front door of the shop.

"Thank you." Was all Patty could think to say.

"Just be sure to buy something." Stacey said with a laugh.