Knight or King (Completed)

Chapter Three

      Arriving in Texas was like a  breath of fresh hot country air and I couldn't be happier. I soon walked out and began looking for a cab, I had taken a flight to a remote part of texas, a small town called Uncertain which has only a population of around 150 people. I felt with the Caddo lake there as well as the remoteness of it that it would be perfect. Stepping into the cab I explained where I needed to go. The cab ride was peaceful as I watched the scenery pass by.  I feel this will be a great place to start over. Soon the cab pulls up to the Moonglow Lodge, I which is located close to Taylor Island. It's close to Caddo lake which I can imagine is extremely beautiful from the pics I had seen online, but nothing compares to the beauty that is before me as I step out of the vehicle. My breath hitches. The trees growing through the lake and all the cabins as well as the rustic feeling of it all I can't imagine a more beautiful place. I had the cab driver his cash and head into see the owner and get a room for the week. 

     Entering I see the rustic design throughout the inside as well as the outside. I get such a homey feel from this place. I reach the counter and see a little old lady sitting behind the counter knitting what looks to be a baby blanket. "Ahem, excuse me Ma'am." I speak gently trying to not startle the woman. The woman glances up at me with tender eyes that glow with happy wrinkle lines on the sides of her eyes as well as mouth from smiling so much my guess. 

"Yes deary? How can I help you?" She asks gently with a slight huskiness from maybe smoking in her younger days. 

"Well I was looking to get a room for the week, and I was curious as to if you were hiring by any chance as well maybe?" I question, I mean I am looking for a job, may as well see if the place I will be staying might help me keep the place longer than a week if possible while I look for another job as well. Knowing just one job will not support me and the little  one growing as well as helping me to create a new identity. 

    The lady looks at me a little quizzically as well as looks to be thinking.  After some time pondering she looks  at her computer and looks for a room for me. "So deary the room for the week will be $1500. As for the job, I do have a need for some help with the laundry and cleaning some rooms a couple days a week, I can give you the room for 1000 if you can start tomorrow as well as reduce the room starting next week to $100 a week after that if you can do that?" She questions. I sigh a breath of relief with her doing that it leaves me with $700 left I can advance pay on the room for a couple weeks as well as get some supplies to look for a second maybe even third job for in the meantime to help keep me afloat to then maybe get an apartment eventually.  

I smile at the lady with so much appreciation and tears shining in my eyes the lady looks almost taken aback at this. I sniffle a little as I speak. "You don't know how much this means to me! Thank you so much Ma'am. I can advance pay you $400 for the room for the next month so I will have enough time to find another job to cover the $100 a week. Thank you so much, so much." I choke back a little sob as things start to fall into place. I feel so grateful and emotional thanks to the pregnancy as well as everything that has happened to me. 

"Oh deary it's nothing. Come with me I will show you to your room. My  name is Agnes, my husband is around here somewhere as well as my son and his husband. We tend to manage this place pretty well, but in my old age it's getting harder to get around and take care of the rooms and laundry as well as manage the front desk, so this will help us out tremendously. My husband usually maintains the grounds with my son and his husband, but they also have their jobs they do as well, they just help out once in awhile when Greg is really tired or busy. Such a  blessing those tow are I tell ya. Tony my son and his husband Frank are so wonderful when they can help out. Look at me being little old chatter box here." She giggles as we arrive outside of a little cabin right out front of the lake a few yards from the main lodge. I smile kindly at her as she hands me the key. 

    "Thank you Mrs. Agnes. When would you like me to the main lodge?" I question as she looks at me. 

   "Well we usually have checkouts at 11am so we then clean after they have left and gather all the laundry as well as providing fresh linens. So I would say arrive to the lodge around 9am and gather everything and learn everything then so you can start. There are around 20 cabins here. So I will tend to the main lodge which also has 5 rooms and you can tend to the 19 cabins out here. You can clean and tend to your own as you wish my dear." She smiles kindly as well as wishes me a good night's rest. I check the time on the clock in the room and notice it is around 2pm and I still need to try and look for a second job at some point. I decide to head to town for a few hours to get some necessities as well as see if there  is anywhere hiring before it gets to be too dark. I call a cab and once it arrives I head to town. 

************ 

Arriving in town I look around and begin to shop for some clothes, nothing to fancy mostly work clothes and I buy a cheap phone for once I get the second and 3rd job in order for them to call me. Once all my shopping is done I come across this little cafe as my stomach grumbles and I decide to check here. I had applied to all the shops I went into but none seemed to be hiring but they said they would keep me in mind. I decide to try and eat here and put in an application while I am here. I have decided to take on a new Identity and I have told them I lost all my stuff whenever I have applied. So I am no longer Phoebe Ray Knight originally Phoebe Ray Turner. I am now taking on the name of Rose Ivy Jones. I had always loved roses and ivy growing up, how the ivy grew along houses in order to survive the adapted and grew with and around their surroundings. I loved roses for their beauty though, I just hope to one day be seen as beautiful as a rose with all the grotesque scars like the thorns the litter a stem on a rose. 

 Checking my surroundings in the little cafe Shady Glade the red and white checkered floor and the cosy feeling of the little family owned styled cafe and I knew this would be a nice place to come to often. I looked around and saw a lot of people enjoying the smell as well as the company in the room. I walked up to the counter and sat down and looked at the menu. Deciding on  a fish sandwich with a sweet tea I looked up to see a nice young lady maybe around my age looking at me expectantly. 

"Sorry hunny didn't want to scare you, no offense you look like you scare easily." She jokes with a twinkle in her mossy green eyes. I smile kindly at her. "So what can we get for ya sweets?" She asks with a slight twang I smile a little more. 

"Could I get the fish sandwich with a sweet tea? Also by any chance are you guys hiring?" I question a little shy as well as worried I might not have a shot at this place just like all the shops around here so far. She smiles brightly as she looks at me. 

"You ain't from round here are ya sugar?" She questions.

"No I'm far from home you could say, new place, new me, fresh start." I comment shyly. She nods her head as she whistles a little tune. 

"Let me get Hector for you sugar. I will also put that order in for you while you talk with him ok?" She questions as she writes everything in her little notepad. I grin and nod my head appreciatively. She walks back to the kitchen placing my order and  soon comes back out with my sweet tea and a promise that Hector will be with me in a moment and my smile brightens at the chance to land this 2nd job and spirits raise.