An Indian and His Tide (ManxMan)

6: Comfy, Cozy & Extremely Uncomfortable

Warning: Josie cameos in the end. And yes, she says the n-word.

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Thanksgiving came around way sooner than Ranil was comfortable admitting. He's been living without power for two weeks and his main diet has been whatever Ms. Yolanda brings and rice. He was tired of eating cold food and tired of depending on Josie and board games as a means of entertainment. Not that he didn't love Josie, but there was only a certain amount of her he could take before he wanted to walk calmly off of a cliff.

It had long since been his three days of "suspension" from Roman's salon. He wore the three grey pants Josie gave him and repeatedly wore the same grey v-neck he found from his college days. He had to wash it in a sink and hang it up to dry everytime he got home, but there was nothing he could do about it. Ranil just didn't have enough money for all his bills at the moment.

He had spoken to Roman about what days he could or could not come in for training and it seemed to annoy the owner. Roman backed down though and told Ranil he could be absent on Fridays and the weekend. It was more than Ranil thought the prude would let him have, but it wasn't very much still. Either way, money was money and he would do almost anything to be able to charge his phone in his own home.

Benjamin, Lydia and Ranil all quickly became close friends. He told them he was under Roman's radar for Josie's tussle with Timothy, and he told them that Timothy reported him for being racist. They were just as upset as he was, but were grateful that Roman gave Ranil a second chance. Lydia and Benny made Ranil feel like he was in college again, granted, he wasn't even that old, but it has been a long time since he's hung out with a group. Occasionally he'll kick it with his high school buddies since Josie was still friends with them, but they were all still in school.

Ranil never got a call from the rehab center informing him of his sister's admittance. He was extremely upset about it, but he couldn't let that bother him. It was her life and if she decided to let herself waste away, there wasn't much more he could do about it. All he had left to do was pray.

He walked into the kitchen and placed his bowl in the sink. Ever since his power has been cut off, he's been having a hard time doing anything concerning water. Ranil had gotten comfortable basking in hot water and had completely forgot what it was like in his sister's apartment where everything was cold. However, Ranil could be thrifty if need be. He was one to buy something that would be of importance later. And when he saw that miniature wood burner in Big Lots one day, he knew he had to have it. So there it was. The hunk of cast iron sat on it's nicely clubbed feet. A little doorway opened and wood could be thrown in to heat up the surface above. It was such a nice buy. Hell, he didn't even have to pay for wood if he didn't want to. Why go and buy wood in Wal-Mart when there was wood all around? Another good buy? A tomahawk. Always be ready; isn't that the phrase?

Ranil plugged up the sink and put cold water into a pot. Then he placed it on the small stove to boil. After lighting up the wood inside, he turned and made his way to the living room. Since his electricity was cut off, he decided it was time to sell his television. If he couldn't watch it, why have it? He made a nice couple of Franklins off of it and put that money towards his student loans. Bills came later. Now that the TV was gone, he could finally move his altar from his room and into the living room, against the left wall the TV had been on. He opened up the window that sat on the wall between the left and right wall and tied up the curtains.

It was the day of the salon potluck.

Roman had closed the salon for the day before and after Thanksgiving. Ever since their talk in the office, Ranil hated to admit it, but he's been noticing that Roman isn't all that bad. Sure, he does have a habit of being stiff, rude and siding with Timothy on most things, but he's generally not that bad of a guy. Today, Thanksgiving, was the potluck since no one really had a family to get back to. Well, except Lydia. She was absent the whole week of Thanksgiving. Knowing this, Roman said it would be a great time to spend together.