Home Is Wherever You Are (2 page)

Chapter 3 – Public Opinions

The next morning, I slept later than I usually did and woke up to the smell of breakfast. I stumbled into the kitchen to see Addy already dressed in a waitressing outfit.

“I hope oatmeal is okay,” she said, sliding a bowl over to me.

“Oatmeal is perfect,” I said, thanking her. I glanced up at the clock and saw it was almost six o’clock.

“I have to get to the diner, but if you drop by at lunchtime, I can get you some food. Do you know where Sally’s Café is?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Good, will you be able to get there alright?” she asked.

“Yeah, not a problem, I’m used to walking everywhere.”

She started for the door and then stopped. “Oh, I almost forgot.” She pulled out a handful of change. “This is so you can print out the stuff at the library.”

“Cool, I’ll see you at lunch,” I said, waving her off with a smile. She turned and hurried out the door, leaving me in her house alone.

I sat awkwardly, feeling out of place, as I ate my food. I knew the library didn’t open until 8:00 AM, so I had some time to kill. I decided to clean up the breakfast dishes.  I put the leftover oatmeal in her little fridge and did the dishes. I noticed she didn’t have much in her cabinets, just two of everything: two plates, two bowls, two cups, and two of every piece of silverware. Other than that, her cabinets and countertops were empty. From the looks of things, this girl had just the barest of necessities.

I folded up the blanket and walked down the hall, looking for a linen closet of some sort. I opened the first door I found and saw a stacked washer and dryer.  I opened the next one and found some towels and cleaners. I didn’t think the blanket went in there, so I opened the one across the hall and found the bathroom. The next door I found was an empty bedroom. The walls were stripped, and it had an empty two-by-two closet with no door. I noticed one of the windowpanes was boarded up as well.

There was only one more door in the house, and I opened it to find her room. She had a little full-sized bed, with an alarm clock sitting on the floor next to it. I noticed there were no blankets or pillows on her bed and frowned. She had given me hers. I set them on the foot of her bed. My blanket would be dried out tonight. I hoped she had gotten enough rest. I would not be taking her blanket or pillow from her again.

I went to the bathroom. It was clean, but you could see where it was badly in need of repairs. I used the restroom and washed my face in the sink. I would not be so bold as to use her shower without her permission first.

I headed out to the shed and pulled out the directions.  They all seemed pretty basic. I looked at the clock on the stove through the kitchen window and saw it was after seven o’clock. If I started walking now, I would get to the library right as it opened.

I tucked my pack into the shed and made sure I had the change she’d given me in my pocket. I realized I would pass the pawn shop where Jeremy had tried to pawn Addy’s phone and GPS. I knew they wouldn’t have them, since Jeremy had been hauled off by the cops, and I was sure they had been confiscated. I wished I could get them back for her. I didn’t think she had any other phone.

I arrived at the library a little early and sat down on the steps, waiting for it to open. A police car drove by and slowed when he saw me. He swung back by and rolled down his window. “No loitering,” he stated, pointing to the sign.

“I’m just waiting for it to open. I need to look some stuff up on the internet and print it out,” I said, tapping my pocket with the change. “My friend’s GPS and phone were stolen yesterday, so we couldn’t look up what we needed on it.”

The guy eyed me suspiciously. “Who’s your friend?”

“Her name is Addy. She’s working at Sally’s Café right now.” 

His eyebrows rose. “I know the waitress you’re talking about. If you’re lying, I’ll come back and throw you in lockup.”

I crossed my heart. “I’m not lying, but if you could get her phone and GPS back for her, I’m sure she’d greatly appreciate it.”

He nodded at me and drove away. I hoped he would find her and help her.

The librarian scowled at me sitting on the steps, but when I asked her for help to find some books on electrical stuff, she gave me a tight smile and helped me. I searched the internet and made sure I had up-to-date information. I went to print out some of the pages, but I realized I only had enough for a few of them. It would be best if I could check out the books. I wondered if my old library card was still valid. I was sure I hadn’t used it in more than a year. I pulled it out of my mostly-empty wallet, only to see it was expired. I knew I would need an address to renew it, and I wondered if I could get Addy to check the books out instead.

I took the stack of books I had been looking through and asked the librarian to hold them for me. I felt bad for having to ask Addy to come down and check them out for me. I glanced at the clock and realized it was already after noon. I hurried out to meet Addy for lunch, practically running. It was nearly one o’clock by the time I made it to the café. She smiled when she saw me walk in. I held up the papers I had printed out, and her smile widened. She seated me close to the kitchen and surprised me by coming back out with two plates and sitting down with me. “I’m taking my lunch, too. So, what did you find?”

“Well, I got this stuff, but printing is a bit expensive, so I only printed out what I didn’t find in books. I put the books on hold, but I don’t have a library card,” I said, scratching my neck. “You need an address for one of those.”

“Okay, I’ll get them.  Or hey, I can just give you my card, and you can pick them up,” she said excitedly.

“Yeah, that’ll work.”

“So, I hear you had a run-in with Officer Nelson at the library this morning.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, for loitering, but he left me alone when he saw I was there legitimately. I told him about your phone being stolen.”

She grimaced a little. “I know.”

“What’s wrong? Can’t he help you get it back?”

“Oh, he can, but he wants me to let him take me on a date to do it,” she scowled.

“Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. He’s been coming in here for months, trying to get me to go out with him. I’d rather go without a phone than date him.  He’s just…not my type.”

I laughed a little. “Well, after I pick up your books, I’ll stop by the station and see what you have to do to get your things back, without having to humor the good Officer Nelson.”

She gave me a sweet smile. “Really?”

“Sure, I don’t have any other plans, so why not.  I wish I could do more for you.”

“Thank you so much. That’ll help me out.”

She wrote down her full name and address on her order pad, just in case I needed them, and then she passed me her library card. “Tell Mary to call the diner if she has a problem with checking the books out to you.”

“Thank you.”

“No, Matthew, thank you. I really appreciate it.”

I held up my sandwich smiling, “Likewise.”

Once Mary called Addy at the diner, she had no problem checking the books out to me. I carried the stack out the door and headed toward the police station. I wished I had a bag or something to carry the books in. I made my way up the steps and was passed by a smirking Officer Nelson. I really didn’t like that guy.

The woman at the front desk smiled tightly, when I walked in and set the books on the counter. I guess they didn’t have many shaggy-looking homeless people walking in here of their own volition.

“Ma’am, my friend had her phone and GPS stolen yesterday, and I was wondering what she had to do to get them back?”

“Hold on, let me see if we even have a lead or a report filed.” I knew they would have something, because they had picked up Jeremy, who’d had them in his possession at the time. “We do have some, but we’ll need her to come in and fill out some forms before she can get them. We want to make sure she receives the right property.”

“Of course, is there any chance I can take the paperwork home to her, so she can fill it out there?”

“Sure, no problem,” she said, pulling out a few forms and handing them to me. “She’ll have to come in herself to pick them up and bring some ID with her.”

“Great, thank you,” I said, tucking the papers into one of the books and headed back out the door. 

I made it to Addy’s house without incident and sat out in the shed, waiting for her to come home. I did not want to presume I was welcome to be in her home when she was not there.

I did my reading and checked where her electrical box was outside of the house. She had breakers, but there were no wires going to them except for a few new ones. They were marked “Kitchen/Laundry” and “A/C.” There was another one marked “Bedroom/Bathroom” as well, but that was all, leaving the hall, the other bedroom and the living area unlit. It was then I realized she’d only used the stove light in the kitchen last night.  I looked through the window and could see there was a hole in the kitchen ceiling where a light fixture should have been.

We had a lot of work cut out for us.

Chapter 4 – Revealing Ourselves

The sun was setting by the time I heard her truck pull up. She called my name, and I hollered that I was in the shed. She walked back smiling and then suddenly frowned. I wondered what was wrong.  I looked in the shed. Everything was in order.

“You don’t have to sleep out here. You can stay inside,” she said with a pout, looking at my bedroll I had lain out to relax on while I read.

“Oh, well, whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Come on, bring your stuff inside.”             

I quickly packed up my things, and she picked up the stack of library books.

“The papers to get your stuff from the cops are in one of the books. I brought them home for you to fill out, but you’ll have to take them in with your ID to claim them. They said they have them, so you can go pick them up if you get a chance on your lunch break or something.”

“Thanks, Matthew. I really appreciate your help.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.”

She smiled, shaking her head and pulled out a couple of tins from the fridge, popping them into the oven. She looked over at the sink and noticed the dishes were put away. “You did the dishes?”

I shrugged. “You were busy, and it was my mess, too.”

She smiled. “Thanks, Matthew.  That was really sweet.”

“No, you letting me sleep inside is really sweet. Cleaning up the dishes was the least I could do.”

She pulled the tins from the oven and peeled off the lids. She took the plates out of the cabinet and dumped the contents onto them. It was lasagna with a piece of bread.

“This smells delicious.”

“I’m glad you think so. I get the leftovers from the diner and break them down into single servings and freeze them.”

“Wow, that’s really smart.”

“As long as you don’t mind eating the same things for the rest of your life, it’s a good deal.”

I chuckled. “I’m still getting used to eating.”

She pouted a little, as she slid my plate in front of me and set the tins in the sink. She brought out a pitcher of juice to have with dinner.

“This looks great. Thank you, Addy,” I said sincerely before digging in.

I noticed she was eating slower, and I looked at her in question.

“How did you end up on the street?”

I shrugged. “Life, I guess.”

“Do you have any family who could help you?” she asked, and I frowned, thinking of my parents.

“They aren’t in a position to help me.”

“Where are they?”

I let out a sigh. “They live in another state. My mom is a waitress like you, and my dad is on disability. There was an accident at the factory he worked at, and it messed up his back really bad. He has a back brace and uses a walker to get around. My mom has her hands full, trying to take care of him and herself already. Like I said, they aren’t in a position to help me. I don’t want to be a burden on them.”

She let out a sigh and frowned.

“If you want me to go...” I said, motioning to the door, not sure why she had brought up my family.

“No, no, please, I really do need your help. I just…you’re not, you know…messed up.”

I raised an eyebrow in question.

She let out a huff. “You’re not a druggy or a drunk, like a lot of guys on the street.”

“No, I was laid off. I’d already been struggling to keep my head above water, so that was the last straw. There are a lot of folks like me on the street. One big company starts to go under, and it takes us all with it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

I shook my head. “Nah, I should’ve stayed in college and gotten a higher degree than I did. An Associate’s degree isn’t very marketable in this economy. I need at least a Bachelor’s degree to make my resume look decent and be competitive.”

“So, how long would it take you to get that degree?”

“It’s just another two years, maybe less if I take a full course load and summer classes, but I’d have to get a home to apply for the grant money to take them.”

“Grant money?”

“Yeah, there’s tons of free money to pay for the classes and stuff, but you have to have an actual address to apply for it. Are you thinking of taking some classes?” I asked curiously.

She shook her head no.

“You should think about it. I’d hate to see you get burned out like my mom from waitressing for the rest of your life.”

“I’ll think about it.”

We finished eating, and I told her to take a load off and let me do the dishes. She’d protested at first, but I insisted, washing everything and setting it in the drainer to dry.

I turned around to see her watching me. “What are you thinking?” I asked.

“Do you want a haircut?”

“What?”

“A haircut, I have good scissors. I usually cut my own hair. I’m pretty sure I can do yours if you want me to, unless you like it long.”

“No, that’d be great.  I prefer it short.”

She nodded okay. “Take a chair out the back door,” she said, disappearing down the hallway. I did as she said and stood waiting for her on the porch, looking around her property.  It was quite large, actually, with plenty of room to build on if she ever wanted to, so she actually had gotten a pretty good deal.

It looked like the yard needed some work, too.  The shrubbery was overgrown, the lawn needed weeding, leveling and reseeding in places, and the brickwork around the patio was crumbling badly.  The trim on the house also looked like it could use some repair, and the house could stand repainting.  Maybe I could help her with that as well at some point. Maybe she’d let me come back in the spring.  That was, provided I didn’t freeze to death under a bridge somewhere before then.

She came out with sheers and a towel. She told me to sit and wrapped the towel around my shoulders. I closed my eyes and relaxed, as she worked on cutting my hair. It didn’t take long for her to finish up. She asked if I wanted my beard trimmed as well.

“Yes, please,” I said eagerly. “The thing drives me nuts being so long and bushy.  I really hate it.  I never used to have one,” I sighed.

She smiled and used the sheers to carefully cut my beard off as close as she could. “I have some razors in the bathroom. You’re welcome to use one if you want to shave off the rest. That is if you don’t mind if they’re pink,” she offered, as she finished up.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” she said with a shrug. “They’re under the sink with the soap and shampoo. You’re welcome to use those, too. There are also some new toothbrushes down there, so feel free to grab one. The towels are in the closet across from the bathroom door.”

“Really, I can take a shower?”

She laughed a little. “Yeah, of course.”

“Thank you so much, Addy. I really appreciate it.”

“Sure, no problem.” She took the towel off of my shoulders and shook it out. “I’m going to throw this in the wash. Do you want me to do your clothes as well?”

“That’d be awesome.”

“Okay, just hand them out to me,” she said, heading into the house. I brought the chair in after dusting it off and set it back at the table. I followed her down the hall, and she shooed me straight into the bathroom and closed the door. I quickly undressed and passed my clothes out to her. I heard her start the washer, and I smiled widely. I was going to have freshly washed clothes.

I opened the cabinet under the sink and found a bag of pink razors and some gel stuff she used to shave her legs with and started shaving my face. I was looking forward to seeing my own ugly mug again. She had done a really good job with my hair and trimming off my beard. It looked like I just hadn’t shaved for a weekend and had scruff.

I finished shaving and washed out the sink, tossing the now dull razor into the trashcan. I grabbed a toothbrush and located her toothpaste, giving my teeth a good scrubbing.  I smiled at myself in the mirror. I looked so much more like myself now with my beard shaved off and my hair cut short again.

I looked for something to bathe with and smiled happily when I saw a bar of soap that had a neutral smell. I turned on the water and put my hand in, testing it. I sighed and relaxed, as the warm water ran over my body as I stepped in. It had been too long since I’d had a good hot shower. The shampoo was neutral as well. I could just kiss Addy for taking me in the way she had. I really hoped I could fix everything for her that needed fixing.

It wasn’t until I’d turned off the water in the shower that I realized I had forgotten to get a towel. In fact, I didn’t even have my clothes with me, so I stood in the tub dripping wet, trying to figure out what to do. She said the towels were just across the hall. I hoped I could reach one.

I peeked out the door, looking left and right, and then stretched an arm out to open the closet door. I was able to get it open, but reaching the towel was a little more difficult. I held onto the doorframe with one hand and reached out for the towel with the other. I was stretched across the hallway, my man package just barely concealed. Then the buzzer on the dryer went off.

Addy stepped into the hallway, and her eyes went wide. I panicked and lost my balance, hitting the floor hard. To my surprise, she came running to me instead of away.

“Oh, my heavens, Matthew, are you okay?” she asked, careful to only look at my face.

We were both red-faced and uncomfortable. “Sorry, I forgot to get a towel.”

She reached one down for me, and I quickly covered myself and got up. “I’m so very sorry about that. I swear I didn’t...”

“Matthew, it’s fine, don’t worry about it. I’m the one who pushed you straight into the bathroom, before you had a chance to grab one.” She turned and opened the dryer. “Your clothes are done.”

“Thank you,” I said, as she handed them to me.

Embarrassed, I slipped back into the bathroom and quickly got dressed. I looked the bathroom over and made sure it was just as clean as I had found it. When I came out, she was switching loads from the washer to the dryer again.

“Thank you,” I said, as I ran the towel over my head, drying my hair.

She smiled. “You know, you’re actually a really good-looking guy when you’re not all hairy.  You clean up well.”

I chuckled. “Thank you, I think.”

She took the towel from me and threw it into the washer with some other clothes. “So, what are your plans for tomorrow?” she asked.

“Well, I thought I’d try out some of the stuff I learned and get to work rewiring the house, if you don’t mind.”

“That’d be great. Just be sure to come to the diner for lunch.”

I nodded okay. “Thank you, Addy.”

“You need to stop thanking me. I feel like I’m taking advantage of you, making you do so much work and only giving you food in return.”

“A roof over my head, a hot shower and clean clothes is worth a lot to me. I think I’m getting the better end of the deal,” I said with a smile.

“Thanks, Matthew,” she said, turning to go to bed.

I curled up in the chair, thinking about Addy. She was sweet and kind, and she was really doing so much more for me than I was doing for her. I wished I could do more for her. I decided to do my best and make as much progress as possible for her tomorrow.

I heard the washer ding, signaling it was finished, and I wondered if she would get up to put them in the dryer. I waited a moment and then got up and did it myself, folding her clothes from the dryer. I hoped she didn’t think I was a creeper. In my defense, there were no panties in that load.

Of course, the load in the washer was a white one and had several pairs of panties and bras in it. I quickly tossed them in the dryer and started it, and then I went back to my bed.  I smiled as I dozed off, warm, dry and fairly comfortable. 

Even if I couldn’t do anything financially for Addy, I would do all I could to help her out.  She didn’t have to let me into her home, but she had, and for that I would eagerly show my gratitude, make myself useful and do my best not to be a burden on her.