Cock-a-Doodle-Doom ☑️

Brooding over It

I don't know what to think about all of this. I feel good about Domenica, but at the same time it seems almost too easy, how we slipped into a sort of togetherness. We haven't talked enough yet to quiet the little voice on my mind telling me there has must have been some kind of mistake. She probably saw another girl at the bar and mistook her for me. Yeah, I know I'm being paranoid.

I don't know what to make of her... beliefs. She doesn't appear to be a lunatic. She also makes a pretty good case for herself. I can agree, nod, comply, but I'm not sure how far I'm willing to get involved in that part of her life. Is it really something we can skip, if it's such a major part of her life?

Look at me making life plans. We aren't even officially dating yet. I hope it's a 'yet'.

I've been cycling down the town center hill towards the river. Pulling up a sidewalk, I take out my phone. It would be a pretty good idea to call Rodrigo now. He doesn't live that far and I need to thank him for the job. Sure, I may have spent the day shoveling poop, but if I ever get a pay-check, it'll be thanks to him.

I try calling him a couple times but there is no answer. I leave a message in which I sort of omit my late morning arrival. What he doesn't can't hurt him.

"Hey, Rodrigo, it's Deb, Deborah Reed. I wanted to know if you're alright? They told me you called in sick today, I signed the papers and all, though I didn't read much of it. Maybe we could go over that later... Anyway, take care of yourself, get better and see you at work soon, hopefully. Thank you. Bye."

Time to go see how Tig has been doing since yesterday. Man, this day is turning into nurse care pretty fast. How come everyone is so down? Maybe it's that school flu thing Nathan was talking about. Maybe having so many unemployed people, so many insecure jobs doesn't do much for a healthy lifestyle. Maybe it's the storms and hail.

Well, I'm out there, getting healthier by the minute with all the cycling. I wonder if that's still healthy when there's a lot of traffic. I follow the small roads into Tig's southern suburbs. That part of town is surprisingly beautiful, full of nature, parks and old buildings. Expensive, of course. Without the roomies, Tig and Leon couldn't have afforded it. Pretty soon, the miniature garden is in sight and I park my bike along the fence, locking it to the metal rods.

I ring the bell. Pretty soon, I hear the sound of footsteps and Tig opens the door.

"Hey, you," she says, smiling. She looks well rested and alert. I feel so relieved! I didn't even know I was holding it in like that. The downside of playing it cool, I guess.

"Hey!" I say. I sight and give her a big hug. "You look good!"

"Yeah, I'm better," says Tig. "You came here just to check on me?"

"Well," I say, "you had me pretty worried yesterday. I though it'd be better... Oh, by the way, I saw Leon at the factory. I didn't know he had also taken up a job there?"

"Leon is fine," she says, "he's a hard worker."

"Yeah, I guess," I say. Tig is being dodgy again. Maybe things aren't so good between them. It would be a shame, they're really cute together. Plus she's fragile enough as it is. "Hey, now that I work there, I'm gonna be able to pay you back soon, in two weeks or so? Is that cool for you?"

"Of course," she says, "if the factory calls, you have to go." She smiles a lot more than yesterday, that's for sure.

"Yeah, that's the job, I guess," I say. "But I don't think I've given them my phone number? So I'm probably gonna be on a fixed schedule." Dave told me to be there at ten in the morning, I hope that's the actual time that's written on my contract. "I will find that out, the details are a little fuzzy."