Seeking Hope

Seeking Hope: Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“So this is where my journey begins.” I thought to myself out loud. Leaning on one side of the car. My mom also exited out of the car and shut the door. She walked around the car to stand next to me while wondering her head, looking around.  She sighed. “It’s small. Smaller than I imagined it too be…” She expresses. The wind was picking up and she folded her arms and shivered. I saw some kids around 12 ride their bikes down their streets, laughing and joking around. It must be a small town considering the neighbors were actually talking to each other. I sighed, wondering if coming from a large, popular, well known city will make us “blend in” with the crowd. I must have been pulling faces considering my mom put her hand on my shoulder and smiled. “We’ll fit in here Mike. We’ll also get used to this area to… trust me. It’s just going to have to take some time.” I shifted my head to face her and smiled. “Thanks mom.” She removed her hand from my shoulder and did a quick clap.

“Right! Now that’s settled. I’m going to just put in some more petrol for our car considering it was a long trip, Mike can you do me a favor please sweetie?” She begged. I had a small, lazy smile appear on my face while turning around properly to face her. My hands were getting cold from the wind blowing considering it was around 10 in the morning, so I just put them in my pocket and shrugged. “Sure mom, what’s up?” She reached out in her pockets and pulled out her wallet, she gave me 100 bucks. “I need you to go over to that café over there and buy me a cup of coffee. Feel free to get yourself anything.” She pointed to the right side of me, but further down the street. I turned my upper body around and saw the place she was talking about. It must have just opened considering there was a lady who put some chairs out under the tables out side of the place. I shifted back around and gave her another small yet considerate smile.

I gave my mom a quick salute and walked down the street.

As I was standing outside the front of the place I hesitated about going in. I looked to the left and see my mom entering the petrol station to pay. I took a quick breath and stepped inside. As I entered, the door made a bell-ringing sound and the room instantly made me feel like home with the heater running. The place seemed like a nice, cozy place to eat and what not. It felt like home in a way. The women outside was at the front counter, counting up some money. I didn’t want to bother her doing her work, so I waited while looking up at menu, seeing if there was anything interesting for me to eat. “Oh hello there! I didn’t see you. Your pretty early, no customers have been this early before. “ She randomly said to me, cheerfully. I snap out of my gaze from the menu and looked at her, giving her a polite smile. “Sorry if I’m early mam” I joked. She just laughed a little. “No need to apologize. Customers are customers.” She establishes proudly. I nodded my head acting like I was interested. “Haven’t seen you here before, you new around town?” She asks while walking over to the other side of the counter, pulling out a book and going through it. “Yeah, my mom opened up a restaurant here and we just got here like 10 minutes ago. Everyone seems like they no each other here so well“ I answered honestly. She looked back up to me and smiled again while putting on her reading glasses. “Oh how delightful! Yeah, were a small town and most locals around here known each other for a very long time now, we all get along. You seem like you’re new to this somehow?” She states and suggests.

I continued to smile and kept answering her questions, it felt like more of a friendly conversation going on. “It’s somewhat knew to me. I talk to a lot of people, mostly my friends. But my mom and I are from New York City, and It’s a big place with lots of people.” She rolled her eyes and huffed. “New Yorkers aye? We haven’t had one of them in our town for years! Welcome to a small town, where were not so big like New York City.” She joked. I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “My names Jacklyn by the way. Welcome to the neighbor hood. I’m sure you will enjoy it here.” She reached out her hand for me to shake. I took a stepped forward and shook it. “Thank you, mine’s Mike. “ About a few seconds later we let go and had another small laugh. “Why don’t you go take a seat? I’ll officially be open in about 5 minutes.” Jacklyn suggests. She walked back up to the front register. I licked my lips and turn around, deciding where to sit at. I decided to sit at a table on the left side in the middle row. It was a small, round table that was old and wooden-so was the chair- and also had a knife, fork, napkin and a small menu on it. Instead of looking up I decided to flick through the small menu.

“I’m sorry that you have to wait Mike!” She shouted from the back of the place. “It’s just I normally would be opened earlier but one of my employee’s is running late again and it’s just starting to really frustrate me, causing me to lose schedule and a track of time!” I didn’t feel like shouting considering the wind out side made my throat little sore, but I pulled through it. “That’s fine!” I coughed covering up the little screeched in my voice that came out of my throat. Even though the heater was running, my fingers were pretty cold. I dug through my pockets and got out my gloves and put them on. I figured it be weird having gloves on in a heated café, so I decided to cut the top part of the finger holes off, to show the first part of my fingers. I was kind of worried that if I used a knife I would cut myself, but me being safe then sorry, I wanted scissors in stead. I stand up from my seat and walk over to the front counter and called out to Jacklyn. “Jacklyn, do you have some spare scissors in this place I can borrow?” I asked. She stretched back so all I could see was her head showing, hanging upside down while a creamy-brown wall was covering the rest of her body. “Um…” She wonders. She looked around the area- head still upside down. She smiled once she founded it. “It’s over there!” She smiles. I look around, figuring out where it could be considering she never pointed to it. “Where?” I laughed. Jacklyn leaned back a little more and pointed with her right hand, causing her to fall over the floor. “It’s right there-WOAH!” It sounded like it hurt considering the wooden floors made a noise. I quickly jumped over the counter and helped her up. “Are you ok?” I asked. I helped her up while she supported herself with one knee. “I’m fine… thank you… the scissors are over there, next to the white bucket.” She pointed directly at it this time and could see the black, frustrating scissors. “Oh. One more thing Mike, get out of this area will you? Employee’s only!” She persuades. I couldn’t tell if she was serious or using sarcasm or what, but what ever the case was I quickly walked over to the scissors and then jumped over the counter and sat back down in my original seat. Jacklyn just brushed herself off and continued on what ever she was doing at the back of the café. I took off one glove at a time and carefully snipped the top of the fingers part, only meant to be showing half of my fingers.

 After I was done I pushed the extras to the side as well as the scissors, waiting to be served.  I was getting bored, and I hated the awkward silence between us. I was just about to get up from my seat and find some other place to go. But instead I grabbed the left overs from my gloves and threw them in the bin and went up front counter to return the scissors. “Thanks for letting me burrow the scissors.” She looked a little bit sweaty as she came out of the back, smiling and dusting off her hands. “Your welcome sweet heart” I cleared my throat. “Look, I gotta bounce now but thanks again. See you around town” I was just about to turn to exit but she stopped me as soon as she said my name. “Mike… I’m really sorry about not serving you. I bet you think I’m an awful person. Right? Its just that-“ Jacklyn really had no reason to apologize or to explain herself. It’s just that I’m more of an impatient person sometimes. I cut her off. “- It’s cool. Don’t worry about it-“ She didn’t cut me off, but I heard that bell-ringing as the door opened. I turned around and saw a girl around my age. Her hair was very dark, very straight, very long and her face was covered up wearing dark eye shadow and eyeliner with her razor cut fringe covering one side of her face. It made me laugh a little considering she was wearing a large jacket, something men would wear in the military. All eyes were on her. She didn’t realize it until she looked up. “What?” She snaps. My eyes opened up a little and I slowly turn my attention back to Jacklyn, she leans in and starts to whisper. “She’s late, again. This is how she normally acts on Sunday mornings. Now go and take a seat, she’ll be with you in a moment.” We both leaned back at the same time slowly, she sighed and folded her arms. Looking at that girl.

“Where have you been? You’re a half an hour late. I needed you here to help me set up!” Jacklyn states, raising her voice a little bit higher. I turned around and walked back to my seat at a slower pace, wanting to see her reaction. “Well I needed sleep, its not your- what are you looking at pretty boy?” She snapped at me. Yikes I thought. I wasn’t aware that I stopped walking to my seat. She scared me a little bit from being so… so… snappy? Angry? Confused? What ever it was she had an attitude. She continued to look at me in an annoyed way. But she rolled her eyes. “Forget it…” She muttered to herself. I walked over and sat back down in my seat, looking at my menu again, waiting to be served.