The Struggle Of Our Lives

Chapter 5: On my own

This is gonna be a real long night, isn't it?

..
I woke up to the twins asking me to take them to a bathroom. It was dark out so before I got up completely, I checked the time.

My phone's brightness blinded me momentarily.
It was almost 1 in the morning. I stumbled to my feet and took Teddy and Lotte with me. I noticed the lights were still on in the corner store.

I neglected to notice the 24/7 sign next to the door I had entered before.

" 'Scuse me. Do you have a bathroom we could use?" I asked the front desk lady. The man from before must have gone home after his shift.

The woman nodded and pointed us to a bathroom in the corner of the store. I thanked her and walked the kids to the bathroom. The three of us piled inside the room. I turned to lock the door behind us and helped Charlotte to climb onto the toilet.

The three of us took turns doing our business and I washed all of our hands in the sink.

I unlocked the door and we walked back through the store. Before I pulled the main door open, I turned to look at the cashier.

"Do you have any chores we can do?" I asked.
She nodded once again and this time motioned for me to come closer.

I did as I was asked and she handed me a piece of paper with a list of things to do before her shift ended.

"I'll give you food for your troubles." I thanked her and turned to read the list.

To Do:

1) dry-clean dirty uniforms
2) Sweep floors
3) collect returnables

I re-read the list and looked up to the woman.

"I'll go grab the bottles and uniforms for you."

She left and I turned to ask the twins if they were feeling up to helping me with some chores. They were enthusiastic once I told them we'd get food for doing so.

They remind me so much of me sometimes.

The woman returned from the back with a small garbage bag full of uniforms and a larger bag full of what looked to be bottles.

I thanked her and took them out of her hands. She gave us directions to a nearby laundromat and the bottle collection dump next to it.

We started our trip to where she had pointed us, and chatted the way there. Occasionally Theodore would ask where John was, and I'd deflect the question with a joke about him being asleep again.

We arrived to the laundromat and I tossed the uniforms into the washer. The fee was a quarter, so I searched my pocket for one of the coins the cashier had given me for my lighter.

The load began, so we crossed the street to the bottle collection. I said hello to the worker, surprised there was a shift this late at night, and he cut open the bag with a pair of scissors.

And now we wait for the laundry..