I Can Taste The Failure On Your Lips

I got the job, and I was very excited about that. I started Monday morning, at ten, when the library opened. Petunia said I needed a job. She said, if I was anything like my mother I couldn’t be cooped up in this house all day like a chicken having trouble laying eggs. The thing was, I was nothing like my mother.

I did agree with her that I needed a job. I had one back in Maryland working the front end of a Barnes and Nobel. I liked that job, and I got decent pay. The closet thing I was going to get to a Barnes and Nobel without being too far away from the house was the library. It was voluntary to work there, which I didn’t mind; Petunia had loads, from what I saw. Every time I needed to go somewhere she always handed me a fat stack of bills. So I didn’t see the need to get paid. Though, I was certain that I would need to find a real job soon.

I had a missed call from Jordan, and Danny, and my mother. I didn’t feel like talking to any of them, especially not my mom. I wanted to get Petunia out of the house; it wasn’t healthy for her to be inside twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Sure, she went to Bingo Night, once, and I’m sure she had a good time, but she needed something different. I wanted to get Petunia to eat something other than oatmeal. I had already convinced her to stop smoking (which she was doing great with), so I figured that maybe some pizza or ice cream will do her well.

She was kind of iffy about trying something new, but when she slid into the booth at the local Italian restaurant, she was pretty happy. “Thank yeh.” She said to the waiter before looking down at her menu.

“Can I start yeh off with somethin’ to drink?” He asked. He had longish brown dark brown hair that came right down to the base of his neck and his bangs covered his forehead. He looked like someone Curtis would hang out with.

“Yeh got lemonade?” Petunia asked. The waiter shook his head. “Yeh got coffee?” He shook his head again. Petunia then looked at me, “well, yeh brought me to a shitty place. Do yeh have tea?” the waiter shook his head before looking down at me.

“And yeh?” He asked.

“I’ll have water.” I said. He nodded and sulkily walked back to the kitchen. “Do you know what you’re getting?”

“What kin’a place don’t ‘ave coffee?” She asked. “What is that?” She said, pointing to an item on the menu.

“That is Steak Pizzaiola. A classic Neapolitan dish, which consists of bottom round steak which is pounded to tenderize and then cooked in a spicy tomato sauce. It sounds gross.” I replied wrinkling up my nose.

She smiled. “I don’ like steak. What are yeh getting’?”

“I’m getting ravioli.” I replied.

“I’ll have the same thing.” She said.

We ordered, ate, boxed up the leftovers and went home.

===

When I got home, I had three new voicemails in my inbox from Danny, plus the one he had left me earlier.

“Hey Dee it’s me! Answer the phone next time!”

“Hey, it’s your brother, why aren’t you answering my calls? Are you with that boy again?”

“Delia, seriously, this is getting old.”

“Okay, you better call me back sometime. You’ve got me worried sick!”

I called him back, only to have him yell at me for not answering all of his calls. He was glad that I was okay, and not with any boy. I asked him how mom was. I didn’t want to call her myself to ask her. He said she was fine, and that she’s going to rehab again. I knew that going to a clinic wouldn’t help her at all. She was already in way to deep.

After I got off the phone with Danny I called Jordan. I hadn’t talked to her in a while.

“Hello?” she asked.

“Hey!” I replied.

“Hey girl! I haven’t talked to you in a hot minuet!”

I laughed. I really missed Jordan. We used to be really good friends. She was the only person that would talk to me in high school. “How are you?”

“Oh I’m good! How are you? How’s England Land treating you?”

“It’s alright. It could be better though.”

“Meet any cute guys?”

“Four.” Meaning Curtis, Lee, Matt N. and Matt K.

“FOUR! Where have I been? Why didn’t I know this?”

“I’ve been busy.” That was a big lie.

“I hear that.”

I talked to Jordan for a while longer; she had a new boyfriend, which wasn’t surprising. She had seen Danny at a couple parties, and with a couple girls. She was going to college, and asked me if I had applied anywhere. I hadn’t, which was bad of me. Then I thought about applying at a school here. I didn’t know how long I was going to be staying here, probably till Petunia died, anyways. But, that could be years from now. She then asked me if anyone was giving me trouble, only one face came to mind. It then dawned on me that it was almost 11:00, and Curtis had invited me to come back anytime.