Status: PROGRESSSS!!!
The Memoir of Irene Parsons
The Nomad
12:21 AM November 18th.
Knowing that this would be her last visit to Terra’s, Irene made it a point to devote her time there to Velma. She was a sweet lady, after all. The bell chimed above her as she walked in the door. With a quick scan of the place, Irene smiled at the thought of the empty diner all to herself. “Good morning, Velm!” Irene seated herself at the counter Velma was standing at, folding her hands and crossing her legs properly.
“Welcome back!” Velma grabbed a cup and filled it to the top, just like she’d always done. “Did you scare everyone away, or what?” Irene spoke without laughing, but had a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “It’s always like this anymore. Nobody appreciates taste anymore. Small business owners like me are hitting the dust, you know.” Irene nodded. She felt slightly sorry.
Velma slid the cup onto the counter. “Where you coming from? You’re a pretty new face around here, you know.” Irene drummed her fingers on the counter, thinking of a good answer. She came from Ohio, North Carolina, Ontario, Utah, Florida…
“I’m a bit of a nomad I guess. Dust in the wind. I move around a lot for work.” Lie #1.
“Oh, how exciting! My husband used to do the same thing before we married. What do you do?”
Irene was beginning to become irritated. This is one of the many reasons why she seldom held conversation. People ask questions the she could never answer.
“I work a lot with NASA and stuff like that. Studying the movement of stars and… stuff.” Lie #1.5
Irene used to work for NASA.
“Well, isn’t that something? Sounds too complicated for my little mind. That must have taken a lot of time to learn all that, right? I’ve had the hardest time even using the new cash register, you know.”
“You’d be surprised. Everyone has a niche. It just happens that yours isn’t using cash registers, and mine isn’t reading Shakespeare.” Irene half smiled and sipped her coffee. Headlights shined through the windows of the restaurant. Rolling her eyes, Irene tried her best to ignore the light.
“Sounds impressive.” Irene adjusted her jacket feeling uncomfortable with the interrogation. “This coffee is pretty damn impressive, too.” Velma laughed a whole, happy laugh.
The door rang again, a sound that was beginning to make Irene feel sick.
“Adam! So good to see you! I hardly recognized you last night!”
Adam sat one stool away from Irene. He was a tall man with broad shoulders, but he was slender and had a chiseled jaw. He looked like he was an excellent athlete.
“Yeah, well… time’s are rough lately. It’s hard to remember to take care of myself sometimes if it’s a busy week. Things should be mellowing out soon after the first real snow.”
Velma laughed like a little girl, and why wouldn’t she? Adam was charming. History dictates that most predators require a certain degree of charm.
Irene kept her eyes on her cup. She was ready to get going, feeling antsy. “I’m Adam.” He extended his hand for her to shake.
He prayed to his lucky stars that show would shake his hand, just once. He needed to feel her hand. They looked so soft.
“Irene.” She nodded politely at him, but did not shake his hand. Irene never hated physical contact, but hated hand shakes. She knew what germs could spread, and it scared her.
Adam felt his temper warm up. Women always wanted him, and it ruined his calculations when Irene didn’t respond the way he wanted. She drank her coffee quietly, thinking of a way to leave. She felt immensely guilty leaving Velma without a proper goodbye. She remembered begrudgingly all of the times that people had left her without a goodbye. It’s a grudge that she felt would live with her until she died.
“Well, Velma… I think I’m outta here. I feel a little sleepy.” Lie #2
Adam’s pupils dilated for just a second. “This is not right. This is not right. Fuck fuck fuck.” he thought.
“Wait a sec! I mean… It’s not even one o’clock yet. Why don’t we talk for a bit? You live in Dennis Court, right?”
Irene was not stupid. In her years of life, she‘d learned that not all people one encounter‘s are friends. She knew that both Adam and herself were examples of that case. “I don’t know where Dennis Court is, sorry.“ Lie # 3
She quickly guided the focus of the conversation to Velma. She saw a look in the strange man’s eyes that frightened her. “Goodnight Velma. Take care, okay?” She put another twenty under the cup and floated out of the restaurant. “Well, don’t I look like an asshole?” she murmured to herself and smiled.
Her breath looked like the smoke from the cigarettes that she smoked regularly.
Adam watched her drive away from the restaurant. Tonight was not over, nor were his efforts. The saw this as a challenge, or a game. Adam never loses his games.
Knowing that this would be her last visit to Terra’s, Irene made it a point to devote her time there to Velma. She was a sweet lady, after all. The bell chimed above her as she walked in the door. With a quick scan of the place, Irene smiled at the thought of the empty diner all to herself. “Good morning, Velm!” Irene seated herself at the counter Velma was standing at, folding her hands and crossing her legs properly.
“Welcome back!” Velma grabbed a cup and filled it to the top, just like she’d always done. “Did you scare everyone away, or what?” Irene spoke without laughing, but had a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “It’s always like this anymore. Nobody appreciates taste anymore. Small business owners like me are hitting the dust, you know.” Irene nodded. She felt slightly sorry.
Velma slid the cup onto the counter. “Where you coming from? You’re a pretty new face around here, you know.” Irene drummed her fingers on the counter, thinking of a good answer. She came from Ohio, North Carolina, Ontario, Utah, Florida…
“I’m a bit of a nomad I guess. Dust in the wind. I move around a lot for work.” Lie #1.
“Oh, how exciting! My husband used to do the same thing before we married. What do you do?”
Irene was beginning to become irritated. This is one of the many reasons why she seldom held conversation. People ask questions the she could never answer.
“I work a lot with NASA and stuff like that. Studying the movement of stars and… stuff.” Lie #1.5
Irene used to work for NASA.
“Well, isn’t that something? Sounds too complicated for my little mind. That must have taken a lot of time to learn all that, right? I’ve had the hardest time even using the new cash register, you know.”
“You’d be surprised. Everyone has a niche. It just happens that yours isn’t using cash registers, and mine isn’t reading Shakespeare.” Irene half smiled and sipped her coffee. Headlights shined through the windows of the restaurant. Rolling her eyes, Irene tried her best to ignore the light.
“Sounds impressive.” Irene adjusted her jacket feeling uncomfortable with the interrogation. “This coffee is pretty damn impressive, too.” Velma laughed a whole, happy laugh.
The door rang again, a sound that was beginning to make Irene feel sick.
“Adam! So good to see you! I hardly recognized you last night!”
Adam sat one stool away from Irene. He was a tall man with broad shoulders, but he was slender and had a chiseled jaw. He looked like he was an excellent athlete.
“Yeah, well… time’s are rough lately. It’s hard to remember to take care of myself sometimes if it’s a busy week. Things should be mellowing out soon after the first real snow.”
Velma laughed like a little girl, and why wouldn’t she? Adam was charming. History dictates that most predators require a certain degree of charm.
Irene kept her eyes on her cup. She was ready to get going, feeling antsy. “I’m Adam.” He extended his hand for her to shake.
He prayed to his lucky stars that show would shake his hand, just once. He needed to feel her hand. They looked so soft.
“Irene.” She nodded politely at him, but did not shake his hand. Irene never hated physical contact, but hated hand shakes. She knew what germs could spread, and it scared her.
Adam felt his temper warm up. Women always wanted him, and it ruined his calculations when Irene didn’t respond the way he wanted. She drank her coffee quietly, thinking of a way to leave. She felt immensely guilty leaving Velma without a proper goodbye. She remembered begrudgingly all of the times that people had left her without a goodbye. It’s a grudge that she felt would live with her until she died.
“Well, Velma… I think I’m outta here. I feel a little sleepy.” Lie #2
Adam’s pupils dilated for just a second. “This is not right. This is not right. Fuck fuck fuck.” he thought.
“Wait a sec! I mean… It’s not even one o’clock yet. Why don’t we talk for a bit? You live in Dennis Court, right?”
Irene was not stupid. In her years of life, she‘d learned that not all people one encounter‘s are friends. She knew that both Adam and herself were examples of that case. “I don’t know where Dennis Court is, sorry.“ Lie # 3
She quickly guided the focus of the conversation to Velma. She saw a look in the strange man’s eyes that frightened her. “Goodnight Velma. Take care, okay?” She put another twenty under the cup and floated out of the restaurant. “Well, don’t I look like an asshole?” she murmured to herself and smiled.
Her breath looked like the smoke from the cigarettes that she smoked regularly.
Adam watched her drive away from the restaurant. Tonight was not over, nor were his efforts. The saw this as a challenge, or a game. Adam never loses his games.