Ransompaid wrote...1/2/2005 3:40 PM
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of town, Carmella found herself aroused from her slumber. Turning over and popping open
her cell phone she checked the time. "Eleven o’ clock?" she said to herself. She pulled herself out of her bed and walked
over to the window and pulled up the blind while a blast of light burnt her blood-shot eyes. Moaning she quickly re-shut the
blinds and went back to her bed.
"You really have to get up now, Carmella," a little voice in her head said to her. Knowing she had wasted enough time she
decided to get up, and get up for good. Feeling the cold tile under her feet as she walked into the bathroom she turned the
squeaky knobs to her bathroom sink and let the water run for a minute before splashing cold water onto her face. She looked
at herself in the mirror and didn’t like what was reflecting back at her. She hadn’t run a comb in her hair for
three days and her mouth was feeling like she had been dining on cotton. She knew she couldn’t stay holed up in this
little apartment any longer.
Turning back towards her bed she noticed her wallet sitting on the bedside table. Opening it to count her money she realized
she only had $100 left. After paying for a month’s rent and a deposit and stocking up for a few groceries along with
the couple of cases of beer she had consumed in the last few days, she knew she was getting to the point where she could no
longer sit in her misery and hide. She was now forced to venture out into this town and find a job, any job.
"Come on, Carmella, you will have no problem finding a job, just get yourself up and out there!" she heard herself say.
She took a shower and rummaged through her clothes and found a business suit that was not too wrinkled and put it on. Just
as she put her hand on the doorknob to exit the apartment her cell phone rang which made her jump. Looking at the caller ID
she saw it was her father calling. Knowing that if she answered or even used her phone her father would be able to track her
down in a matter of a couple of hours she let it ring. After it quit ringing, she turned her phone off and headed out to look
for a job.
Barbara wrote...1/2/2005 4:55 PM
Ramona squinted and looked more closely at this tall man in Marine uniform who had grabbed her. Her
headache was severe, and her eyes blurry, but she would know him anywhere.
"Jimmy!" she exclaimed. "I haven't seen you since we graduated from high school! How are you? What's
with the uniform?" Jimmy was in her graduating clas, and had been her date for the Senior Prom. The last she had
heard, he had been accepted at Notre Dame, full scholarship, and had left for college.
"I couldn't concentrate on my studies with my brother over there in Iraq. I enlisted. I am home
on leave, before heading off for Iraq. Got time for coffee?" he asked.
Ramona hesitated. She wondered if he had heard about her parents deaths. Did he know that she
was working as a cocktail waitress? Did she really want to spend time with an old friend? Still, she thought that
it would not be polite to refuse him. He was going to war, after all, and she need never see him again. She looked
at her watch. "I have about an hour before I have to be at work. Sure, let's have coffee!"
Barbara wrote...1/2/2005 5:07 PM
As they walked towards the Diner, Jimmy noticed the yellow butterfly fluttering just ahead of them.
"I have never seen a butterfly that yellow before," he commented. It seems to be leading the way. Ramona smiled,
remembering her experience yesterday. As they passed the fire hydrant, right in the middle of the sidewalk, Jimmy asked
"What idiot put a fire hydrant right in the middle of the sidewalk where people must walk?" Ramona looked quickly across
the street where she had seen the children playing in the spray yesterday.
"It wasn't there yesterday," she said. "It was across the street."
Jimmy looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face. "Now, that's strange. Why would anyone
move a fire hydrant, and especially right across the street and put it in the middle of a sidewalk?" The butterfly alighted
on the hydrant. Jimmy laughed. "I guess our butterfly is wondering what it is doing here as well, and has stopped to
investigate." He smiled at Ramona, who was saying good-bye to the butterfly. She put her hand out, and it alighted
for a moment on it. "Looks like you have found a friend, 'Mona. Well, here we are at Ledbetters. I see they
finally fixed the sign."
 Marion wrote...1/2/2005 6:49 PM
Carrie came through the door at Ledbetters' ...for her morning cup of coffee and chat before going to the bank...she
looked at her watch and had about 15 minutes. ..then she saw Romona...
Hey there girl..."how you been she waved at Mona ..as she like to call her..."...Mona waved back at Carrie ...then Carrie
seen that she was with Jim ...a boy they both knew in school...she just waved at them both then...turning to the counter and
yelling for her coffee please...quick.."she yelled...
She didn't want to talk to Mona or Jim so she just done her polite thing and minded her own business...it looked like
they wanted to be alone anyhow...so Carrie just sat there and drank her coffee...."Give me a cup to go ..Flo..." I have a
long day today....the bank commissioner is coming to check the books...and I have to make sure that mind are up to date...grrr...it
is a pest ..but we have to do it.."
Flo handed her the covered coffee ...and Carrie gave her the money and a tip and left...again waving at Mona before she
went out the door...
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