Matters of Heroes (Delayed)

Prologue

October 29, 2011
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A cold breeze blew down the streets of the city. I shouldered my bag and zipped up my coat as I walked. I passed building after building, my ears catching the grumbles of the people passing by, everything negative, from work, to storms on the minds of those around.

Class had let out just an hour before and I had walked the campus before heading toward the central part of the city, hoping to find something before I made it to my true destination. Home.

It was a Saturday afternoon, so my options were more open. I didn't have to avoid the business traffic pouring into the local restaurants, or wait an hour to find a decent table. As much as my family teased me about adding the extra class date, they knew as well as I that a Saturday commute was a bit nicer than the rest of the week. And in New York City, a bit nicer meant a lot.

I watched leaves fall from trees and float down to the ground as I passed Central Park. The chill in the air did not match the time of year. It was late October, but it felt like January. I could see my breath, and I could hardly feel my fingers.

As I walked down Park Avenue, I came to a restaurant labeled with two distinct signs. A light-up sign glowed red with the words "Central Cafe," and above that, green lettering spelled out "Pershing Square." I walked around before eventually making the choice to sit down at an empty table. The chair was metal, and therefore cold, but it warmed relatively quickly once I had seated myself.

Waitresses and waiters walked around, scribbling on notepads and carrying food to the outside tables. I wondered if I had done something wrong by sitting at an empty table. Was this someone's reservation? Was there a line to be seated? A young woman, a waitress, walked in my direction.

Surely I had done something wrong. I felt my heart rate spike, my blood pumping with the fear that I had broken some kind of rule, or even law. But the waitress had a smile on her face, and instead of berating me, she introduced herself. "My name's Beth and I'll be taking care of you today." My body relaxed, releasing the tension it had been holding. "What can I get started for you?"

The woman looking down at me was blonde, with pale skin and blue eyes. She was dressed in an outfit befitting a waitress, an almost pink blouse complimented by the white apron tied around her waist and dark skirt. There was a name tag pinned to her shirt and when I looked, her name was spelled out in reddish text.

Beth, the waitress, held her notepad in her hand, waiting patiently for me to respond. I thought it over for a second, remembering how little I'd had to eat that morning. Though my stomach rumbled, I knew Mama would be furious if I couldn't find the appetite to eat her home-cooked dinner.

It wasn't often Mama cooked anymore. With my older brother off living with his girlfriend and my classes getting out later and later as the semester progressed, only my little sister was home in time for dinner.

It truly was a special occasion. We were all going to be under the same roof again. Though it had only been about a year, it felt like we'd all been separated for ages.

"Oh," I mumbled, realizing I was still keeping Beth waiting, "just a coffee please." I looked up at her, as I spoke. She didn't bother to write it down on the notepad, just walked off with the promise of my order being quick.

I had chosen to sit at one of the outside tables, so I couldn't really complain when the harsh wind blew and caused bumps to raise all over my skin. I had on a coat, long sleeves, and boots, but my ears felt every bit of the chill. With so many tall buildings around, such strong winds were almost to be expected.

I took a moment to look up at the sky, leaning back against the metal frame of the chair. It was silver up above. It was still early in the year for a real winter storm, and definitely too soon for the degree of chill that was being fanned down the streets by the looming edifices of the city; the whole of the population seemed to be disgruntled by it. I supposed they were annoyed more than anything, but not at all shocked.