South || Benny Rodriguez (Book 2)

17

Naomi's P.O.V.

Flashback
August 4, 1962

"Naomi, is that you?" I hear as I walk through the doors of the shop.

"Yeah it's me." I call back as I start to walk back to the office and writing down the time I got here.

"There was someone that came by the few hours ago looking for you." I hear him continue, me walking over to the counter.

"Oh yeah? Who?" I ask as I flip through the papers that I didn't finish yesterday.

"Someone. He didn't say his name, just told me that he wanted to talk to you." He paused walking into the store from the back storage room, "Anyone that you've been in contact lately?"

I shook my head, "No one interesting here."

"You're still waiting on that boy from Utah, Benny was it?" He asked.

I blushed looking down and nodded. I feel like everyone knows about him, but I can't help it, it's Benny.

"For such a sweet guy, you never really talk about him as much. Something happen? Did you take my advise and write him?"

I shook my head, "I don't even know what to say to him."

—

I twisted a pen in my hand as I looked down at the counter thinking.

Then a postcard sat in front of me, "There's a lot you have to tell him, you're just to scared to say it."

"I'm not scared to say it!" I huffed looking up at him.

"Sure seems like it since you haven't wrote him." He said back and walked back to the storage room.

I flipped over the post card to see a picture of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The building downtown. I flip it back over and look at the empty space.

Even if I were to write, I wasn't kidding that I don't know what to write about. It's only been what. A month? I could probably tell him that I'm okay, and found a place to stay.

I told him that was going to to write him but I never got around to doing it. I slap my forehead at at the thought. You dumb bitch, why haven't you wrote him yet?

I push the ideas aside and put the postcard with my bag and started going through the papers again.

—

"Maybe there's another job that you can start. So you can get paid more. It seems that you really want to get out of here." He explained as we talked around the counter.

I've been here for about 8 hours and not very many people have came in, the only thing that we really got was someone that wanted their skates sharpened.

"I can't leave you Han. Even if I did, there's no way I could find another job. What makes you so sure that I want to get out of here so badly?"

He leaned against the counter, "Last week I saw you looking through a Utah news paper. Houses and jobs. It isn't much of a secret."

"I don't want to leave Han, I don't. It's just that it was my ho-" I started.

He chuckled stopping me, "Whoa, slow down, I ain't mad at ya', but by the rate that I'm paying you, you won't get to leave here till September, if that."

"I can't get another job, I already have 2 kids to look over. I'm also only 15, no one is going to hire this young." I explained.

"You never know, unless you try." He said smiling pointing his finger at me.

I smile, laughing along with him.

Then I hear something crash outside. I direct my attention to the front window, seeing someone running down the street. I hop up running towards the door, and looking down wherever he was running. Then back to the other side that he came from.

I didn't see anything, so I just shrug and walk back into the store.

"What was that?" He asked as I stepped in.

I shrugged, "Probably nothing to worry about."

"It's getting late, maybe you should head on home." Han called out to me.

"It's fine, really." I argue back.

He waved me off, "Oh get out of here, remember you have 2 kids to look after. I'll see you tomorrow."

I smile, collecting my stuff and walking out, "See you tomorrow Han."

—

I open the front door, seeing Cam and Charlie on the couch watching a baseball game. Lucy in the floor in front of the them drawing. Then I look over to the kitchen seeing Casey there cooking something.

"Shouldn't you be at the diner?" I ask, as I stand in the door way.

"My hours got changed so I'll be working during the day and not night. It's almost 7:45, why'd you get home so late?"

I shrug, "The longer I stay at the store, the more money I make. Anyways, need any help?"

She smiled, "No it's okay, Cameron has already offered 3 times."

I smiled, "Good. If you do, just call out to me."

"I will, thank you Naomi." She said, and started to stir whatever was in the pot.

I walked back to my bedroom, putting down my bag on the bed and sitting down at the foot of it.

I looked over at my dresser that sat on top a jar of money. Most of the money that I got here with was still in there, but that money is going towards whatever I get for us.

I planned most of the things that I would need for all of us.

1. Gas money to get back to Utah.
2. Money for food on the way.
3. The motel for one night to get back.
4. The house/apartment/motel thingy I found that I could buy for us to stay in. Best part about it, it wasn't worn down, or beat up, it was in pretty good shape and right down the street from the old neighborhood.
5. Some new clothes for all 3 of us.
6. More money for food while there before I find a job.
7. The first rent I'll get off the bat when we first get there.
8. Whatever I may need for daycare for Lucy.
9. To get schools supplies for me and Cam.
10. Lastly, money to have on the side for the next 'date' that I will plan for me and Benny.

—