Post by callmedelta on Jan 2, 2021 13:52:45 GMT -5
Marissa sighed, her cafe empty. It was 12:15, all of the regulars should have been here. Louis should have been in the corner, his nose deep in the day's book while he waited on their chess game she always lost. Ishari and Naquel should have been talking about the latest shipment at the docks, or the girls they'd be chasing uptown on payday. Letola and Ajon, always debating some topic or another, should be sipping on their favorite drinks right now, perhaps debating the merits of coffee versus tea. But with the border shutdown, things had ground to a halt. There wouldn't be another payday for Ishai and Naquel for awhile. The local bank Ajon worked out didn't have enough funds to make sure eveyone got their savings out, but he pulled some strings to make sure that Marissa got her savings out. Not that she had much in savings, but it helped. Naquel had kept his job in the Ministry of Labor and Welfare, but he was so swamped with work he didn't have time to come to the cafe anymore. Marissa didn't know what happened to Louis, but he'd stopped showing up a few days after the others. She couldn't blame the man, but it was sad to see him go. "Ready to go?" Alphonse asked, shaking Marissa from her thoughts. The gentle giant put a large hand on Marissa's shoulder, calming her. Even though the cafe was closed, he still wore his apron and chef's hat.
"No," Marissa said, standing outside the empty cafe, "But I don't really have a choice now, do I? I can't make food that nobody's buying with money I don't have."
"What will you do, then?" Alphonse asked, "My owns a small mining company in Setange, and they say things aren't too bad out there. I can make it, but I'm worried about you, Mari."
"I'll see what I can do. My parents are always an option, but I'd rather not go back there if I can help it." 'For nothing else if not to prove them wrong,' she thought.
The pair stood there, staring into the window of the cafe for what seemed like hours, before Alphonse spoke up. "Well, I have a train to catch." The man slipped a piece of paper into Marissa's hand. Inside, it was an address, in small, neat lettering, unlike Alphonse's usual sloppy mess that he called handwriting. "If you ever need anything, you know where to find me, but...this is goodbye." He lifted Marissa into a bear hug so tight Marissa wasn't sure if the man wanted to kill her or not, but before long Alphonse set her down. Tears in his eyes, Alphones began his walk to the train station, duffle bag over his shoulder
"Goodbye, Alphy."
"No," Marissa said, standing outside the empty cafe, "But I don't really have a choice now, do I? I can't make food that nobody's buying with money I don't have."
"What will you do, then?" Alphonse asked, "My owns a small mining company in Setange, and they say things aren't too bad out there. I can make it, but I'm worried about you, Mari."
"I'll see what I can do. My parents are always an option, but I'd rather not go back there if I can help it." 'For nothing else if not to prove them wrong,' she thought.
The pair stood there, staring into the window of the cafe for what seemed like hours, before Alphonse spoke up. "Well, I have a train to catch." The man slipped a piece of paper into Marissa's hand. Inside, it was an address, in small, neat lettering, unlike Alphonse's usual sloppy mess that he called handwriting. "If you ever need anything, you know where to find me, but...this is goodbye." He lifted Marissa into a bear hug so tight Marissa wasn't sure if the man wanted to kill her or not, but before long Alphonse set her down. Tears in his eyes, Alphones began his walk to the train station, duffle bag over his shoulder
"Goodbye, Alphy."