Downtown Love

Chapter One: Caroline

    Rubbing my eyes, I sit up and look out the camper window. Dad's at the pump getting gas..
    I never would have guessed he'd take us to a big city. We usually stay in small countryside towns. He likes to be secluded.
  

  I grab my shoes and step out of the camper, "Ah, you're up. Go pay for my gas. Grab a drink and some snacks too, we have a few hours to go yet." He hands me his wallet so I go inside the gas station to grab two coffees, and two donuts. I pay and head back to the camper.
    

"Here dad.." I steadily hand him his coffee as he sits in the driver's seat. "Thank you Linny." I sit next to him in the passenger's seat and take a bite of my donut after sipping my coffee. He sets his coffee in the cup holder and starts the camper.
    "I'm pretty excited to be going to a big city... are you?" I say as I look over to him to see an uncertain expression. "Big cities are pretty gross." I smile slightly and take another bite of my donut, "I think it'll be beautiful, even with all of the gross parts." He smirks and turns the radio on. 

   We sit in a soothing silence the next four hours.

  "Linny, " I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder. I open my eyes slowly to see its gotten dark, about 8 o'clock maybe. "Get up, we're here. Let's go eat." I yawn and stretch up out of the seat, unbuckling the seat belt. He takes the empty coffee cups and steps out of the camper. "Is it cold out?" I ask while tying my hair up into a messy bun.

     "Sweater weather.. but we'll be inside a restaurant." He digs in his pocket, "Here," tossing me his keys he tells me to get dressed. "I'll be down a few blocks at a small diner named 'Joe and Vinnys.' You can see the sign from here," He points behind his head effortlessly. "Meet me there when you're ready." Then he shuts the camper door. I go into the tight little bathroom of the camper and start washing my face to freshen up. 

     I lock the camper door and take my time walking. Inhaling slowly, and letting the smell of autumn calm me. I look up at the streetlamps aligned perfectly along the sidewalk, and over to the rough roads where cars zoom by and merge through traffic.

    It's all so different and new, also a lot more noisy. But I love it. 

    Stuffing my hands into the hoodie pocket, I glance up ahead of me. There's a man sitting on the ground with a sign, begging for money. As I  pass him I hand him a dollar that had been crumpled in my pocket.
     "Ga' bless you ma'am." He looks like he used to be an old business man or something with the dirty ripped old suit jacket, except he has shaggy gray hair and a long frail looking beard. As I start walking again, a strong gust of wind blows towards me, making me stumble and loose my balance. I grab the handle of the restaurant door and quickly work my way inside.
     I fix my hair that has been blown all over my face, and when I look up I see my dad signaling me to come over. 

    He hands me a menu as I sit in the shiny red leather booth seat. "How was the walk? A little rough?" He sips his drink, judging by the glass it seems to be alcoholic. I could use one of those.

     "Minus the wind throwing me around, I really enjoyed it." He chuckles at my clumsiness. "You're pretty small, and very clumsy. So it doesn't surprise me you almost got swept away." 

    The waitress comes over, "How we doin' today?" She has a thick Bronx accent. Pretty lady. 

    My dad seems to agree with my thoughts by the way he smiles at her, "We're good, thank you." She smiles, "Are we ready to orda'?" She takes her little tablet and pen out.

     "I'll have the ruben with sweet potato fries." She scribbles it down, "And for you sweetheart?" I glance over the salad menu. "I'll have the Fig salad please." She writes that down as well then takes our menus, then sets a card with a number on the table, "Alright darlin's your food will be ready in a moment, we will ding a bell and call the numba' on this paper when it's ready." She hands my dad the back copy of her tablet, "Then you just come pick it up right over at that counta'." She points over to the wall with a small window and counter next to the bar. My dad and her exchange smiles and she goes back into the kitchen.