THE CAMELLIA TAVERN

CHAPTER 1: LAST NIGHT ON EARTH

Friday, May 15

It's 3:27 pm, muggy and rainy here in Sturvis, Alabama--population, just under twenty-four thousand.  My old Jeep Grand Cherokee has decided it will crank after all today, so I'm almost to work on time. Today, is obviously my lucky day.

I've come in half an hour early along with the rest of the staff upon the owner's request.  Merritt, one of my roommates, plops down in the seat next to mine and gives one of her wide smiles.

"Milly, Friday night rush.  Friday night funds," she says, raising her light brown eyebrows.

"Thank y'all for comin' in early," Darnell says to all of us who are eagerly awaiting whatever announcement he is here to make.  He has a bit of a five o'clock shadow which is unusual.  He's almost always clean shaven.

"Guess I best cut to the chase here.  I'm not quite sure how to say this.    I wanted to let you all know that, I, uh, well...I'm selling The Camellia Tavern."

I gasp without even realizing it, and I'm not the only one.

Selling The Tavern?!  Why?  We make a killing here pretty much every night we're open!

"When?"

"How come?"

"What for?"

The questions start to come from every direction before Darnell has a chance to elaborate. Obviously, no one was expecting this news.

"Now, just gimme a minute here," he tries to quiet the growing murmurs and questions.

"My mama is not well and, as most of you know, I'm an only child.  I need to spend my time and energy takin' care of her now, and that doesn't leave a lot of time and energy for this place."

Everyone is looking around--unsure how to process the news and the reason for the news. 

I've worked at The Camellia Tavern for three years and three months.  This place is like my second home, and I don't know how to even begin picturing my life without it.

"Well, this is some shit news," Merritt leans over to me and says not entirely in a whisper.  She's worked here almost as long as I have and she might just be even more attached to it than I am.  Her girlfriend, Jacinda, is one of the head cooks in the kitchen and they're both going to be impacted by this.

"Now, the good news is, this doesn't mean all-a-y'all are all outta the job," Darnell quickly says, trying to appease his increasingly restless audience.  "I've already found a buyer for the place and they're gonna keep it runnin'."

For a moment, the crowd grows quieter and Merritt takes it upon herself to start hurling question after question at him.

"What do you mean all of us aren't out of the job?  Like, cause, some of us will be?" she asks, picking apart his choice of words.  "You said all of us won't be outta the job."

"Yeah, well, the new owner has their own way of doin' things and I can't guarantee that all-a-y'all will be invited to stay once they take over."

I try to drown out the collective grumbling from the staff all around me.

I sigh loudly, trying to imagine this new owner with his or her own way of doing things.  We've been a happy family here at Camellia Tavern.  I can't imagine some outsider coming in and changing things.  Not to mention, I can't afford to be one of the ones that isn't "invited to stay".  This job is how I pay my rent and bills and, as relatively cheap as living in Sturvis is, there still isn't a ton leftover after I'm done paying each month. It is, after all, a college town.