Delilah

1. Morning Brews

  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.  

Revelations (20:15)

The scent always lingered. Stale muffins and donuts, mixed with the suffocating aroma of coffee. It was a smell Delilah Silver had grown accustomed to. It's been four years of the same, dull mornings. At twenty-two she had dreamed of a life much different from the state she was currently in. Her dreams had included an education, school, a love, and at the most basic level- she wanted to feel like she was worth something.

Many years as a waitress at the local Stop N' Go had taken the life from her eyes. What were once vibrant, lively brown eyes were now dull and lifeless. Her hair underwent the same torment. The luscious curls she once felt so proud of were pinned immaculately to her skull. Not one stray hair existed, and it was always twisted up into bun. Same hairstyle and same routine day after day after day.

There was a silver lining- and this one wasn't because of her last name. Elderly couples had made the Stop N' Go their home, and most had befriended the young waitress. They would regale her with stories of their long gone youth, and their memories of being a young waitress. Some would even act as the grandmother she never had, and endlessly compliment and support her. They stopped by in the early hours of the morning, and as the only worker at 5 AM, she had her set niche. Her day was always determined by how the regulars were acting. If they were in a lively mood, her day went well. And vice versa if they were in a particularly cranky mood.

But this respite never lasted for more than two hours. By 7 AM the rush of the business people began. The women and men trussed up in suites would bark their orders quickly, before scurrying back out the door the moment their coffees and crumpets hit their greedy little hands. From about this time until 10, she was lucky to get a sentence other than "charge it to this card". It never mattered how many times they stopped in, because all of them refused to share any unnecessary contact or dialogue. 

Delilah scurried around behind the counter. It was always her, and her best friend Caroline that were stuck with this horrid shift. It was like they couldn't breathe. One ushered the cranky customers through the line, while the other hurriedly filled the orders. God have mercy on their souls if they messed up an order.

Literally, God had mercy on their souls once a week. Every Sunday, the businessmen and women were too tired or grumpy to come in. Instead, the regulars showed their face in full glory. The couples would walk in hand in hand, dressed to the nines in their church attire. Those who were single, devoutly wore a rosary while clutching the bible to their hands.

They would stay there for hours. All chattering away about the days sermon and how their lives were getting on. Every once in a while, when there was a lull in the orders, Delilah and Caroline would sit and listen to how their lives were changed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Neither of them were particularly religious, but it amazed them some of the miraculous things that occurred. One woman spoke of how she had money troubles as a single mother. Whenever she was particularly low on funds, the church would call and say that an anonymous donor had dropped off a monetary fund for her. The strange thing was, she swore she never told anyone. Even her mother and late husbands mother never knew. It was only her, and her young lad John that were aware of the problem lurking behind the happy facade. 

It was hard for the friends not to envy these types of stories. They had joked back and forth about how maybe one day they would join the church together, and that God would send them some much needed cash. It was a sacrilegious and disrespectful thought, but it was the only way they could voice their envy behind closed doors.