Throwaway People

Crow Watches and Listens

1:02 PM

Little C. preferred keeping his eye on Jim, Patty, and the other whore than to be at the Deposito as the new place was called. They were recruiting or abducting little kids. Little C. wasn't into that. It was sick as far as he was concerned. Little C. was too scared to tell his big cousin no.

If Carlos said he was to rape one of the girls, Little C. would be expected to do it. Screams of the girls, cursing by the new Guardia, and other noises haunted Little C. when he was at the Deposito. It was like a nightmare to be there. He didn't want to be part of that nightmare. Despite the Hispanic name the new Guardia was not mostly Hispanic, Andy took the worse with no discrimination of race.

Jim, Patty, and Key came up with a new woman. This one was very different. She wore a tan denim jacket decorated with beads. She wore a beige cowboy had with a beaded headband. Little C. thought she might be a Seminole. She looked similar to the girl they called Keyote.

Had they found Keyote's Mother? Little C. wondered. He didn't know what he was doing out here. Spying on what appeared to be just decent folk surviving. Little C. sighed. If he tried to quit his cousin would tell Little C.'s Mother and his Aunt that Little C. was quitting a good job because he was lazy. Little C. could admit to himself that he was lazy, but his Mom and Aunt didn't know what Carlos really did, or if they did they didn't want to know. This wasn't a job, what they did was evil, and there was nothing C. could do about it.

1:02 PM

Crow followed the others through the path to their 'camp' as they called it. Crow was ready to take Keyote to the hotel with her. Coming out of the path into a parking lot Crow saw the old mechanical shop with it's garage doors and large office picture window. Crow wondered what the second story was like. Most likely a storage area, dirty, run down and filled with their refuge. Crow certainly would take Keyote with her if that was the case.

There was a beat-up desk in the office. A couple of old file cabinets, a leather swivel office chair from decades ago. Another leather armchair and a old wooden chair sat on the other side of the desk. The area had some empty shelves. It was dust free.

Going into the back storage area Crow saw the stairs leading up. On the shelves were kerosene bottles, hurricane lamps, a couple cases of water and some cans of dog food. It too was dust free, no cobwebs or other signs of neglect. Crow remembered seeing a calender in the office dated 1987. That looked like new. There was an odd feel about this place.

Crow shook her head when she saw the immaculate apartment up above. Despite the dated furniture the apartment was comfortable, clean, and uncluttered. There was a clean kitchen with dishes stacked in the drainage rack on the counter. The ceramic sink was yellowed with age, but clean. The rest of the kitchen was obviously old, but still usable. The old gas stove was beat-up, but serviceable. As for the refrigerator it was like one her grandfather had used long ago. When he lived in an area similar to Crow's land.

Keyote put her guitar away and showed Crow 'her room'. It had two beds. Both made up by Keyote. With fresh linen. The floor was worn wood with a decorative throw rug over it. The closet had clean, dated clothing. What people would call vintage these days. On the top shelf was a number of old board games. Keyote put her guitar in the closet. There was a desk, with a typewriter there. The old desk chair slid into it's niche.

Patty showed Crow the master bedroom with it's king-sized bed that looked out of place with the older furniture. There was a desk and typewriter here too. A pair of dressers, a wardrobe. A walk in closet. Crow realized as Patty opened the walk-in that her closet was filled with vintage clothes as well. Crow wondered if the clothes had come with the building.

Bathroom, like the rest of the apartment was dated, but operational and clean. Crow had been offered the chance to wash up before they had dinner. Jim, Patty, and Keyote had insisted she stay for dinner so that she would be assured that Key was being well fed.

Key? That nickname that was so familiar. One that both Crow and her Mother had used with Keyote. Crow had to hold back tears as she thought of her Sister and how she died. How Key had been sold into sexual slavery. For six years until these decent people rescued her.

It must be hard for them to know that they have to give her up. To strangers. They seemed to have no malice towards Crow, despite knowing that she would take Keyote away. No matter how much Crow sympathized with this couple, Keyote would have to come home to her own family.

5:00 PM

The meal was yellow rice, chicken legs marinaded with salsa, black beans. Yogurt with fresh blueberries was for dessert. Crow found it spicy, filling, and simple. Just the way she liked food. It raised her respect for the couple. They might be homeless, poor, and working where they could, but they made sure Keyote ate well.

After the meal the table was cleared away. Keyote explained that Crow had to help. It was the rule. Jim and Patty explained to Key that Crow was a guest and wasn't expected to help.

"Nonsense, I can do a little manual labor." Crow said.

She was impressed with Keyote's outspoken work ethic. Which was obviously taught to her by Jim and Patty. Because Keyote had said it was 'a rule'. Rules were usually established by the adults.

It was obvious that Key hadn't been taught the difference between rules for people who lived in the house and those for people visiting. A detail which was discussed as they all cleaned up.

Patty retreated to the master bedroom after the meal. Jim had brought several books from that room. Old history books. Dating thirty years or more. Despite being outdated, the books held the essential historical facts that Keyote would need concerning the subject. Jim seemed familiar with the historical events. They were discussing the causes and results of WWI. Something that Crow knew little about. From the discussion Jim appeared to have an extensive knowledge of history.

After a couple hours of study in history, Jim talked to Keyote about meditation and asked how Keyote was doing with her own meditations. Crow didn't add any information, just drank in what Jim said to Keyote. It seemed accurate, useful advice.

"I think the house is smart in some way." Key said. "I feel like there is a presence to the building itself. Like it can think."

"I felt that myself. I wouldn't call it smart, as much as having some sort of instinct, or maybe influenced by emotions in some way." Jim said. "This may influence the house in some way we haven't considered. Remember what happened to the building when we got angry with each other, how it seemed to reflect our emotions in a negative way."

Key agreed. Crow merely listened. Trying not to roll her eyes. How could a building have a presence to it? It was their imagination. It surprised Crow a little, up until now she thought of Jim as a sensible person, not some New Age nut. Yet, Crow's first impression of Jim as practical didn't seem to be shaken much. His personal views didn't seem to make him that flaky.