Concrete Summonings

LAST DAY IN TOWN

Maybelline was cold. She was wearing a coat for once, the big one that she thought she didn't want to lug around this whole time. The ugly bright one her mother had gotten for her almost three or four years ago. But she's glad she did in this kind of weather. She was looking down at a patch of pavement and cracked brick wall with nothing there and she stared at it. She didn't know just how to feel right now, and probably looked strange to anyone passing her by, but she wanted to be here. She had a flower in a gloved hand, and the other hand in her pocket. She sighed through her scarf around her face and a puff of air came out.

"Hey," A woman's voice said. It startled her. It was Janet. Also suited up for the wind and the cold in a sporty, rugged parka. She was smiling. Maybelline smiled back under her scarf.

"Hey." Maybelline said.

"I thought you might be here." Janet said.

"Yeah..." Maybelline said. "I guess I just had to... say goodbye or something, I guess. I don't know. It feels silly... or... I don't know. I'm staring at a damn wall."

Janet stood right beside her and looked down at the pavement with her. There were people everywhere. Even in the cold. Things just never seemed to stop in this city. But no one seemed to care that the two of them were standing there and no one bothered to look or ask any questions. She felt a tug in her heart. This is maybe what he felt when he sat here...

"No," Said Janet. "Well... I know how you mean. But I wanted to come, too. I think it's good to... say goodbye, as it were."

Maybelline didn't say anything. She was still looking at the spot. "He was here a lot, wasn't he?" Maybelline said.

Janet shrugged, and sighed. "He had his spots." She said. "I used to see him all around this side of town. But yes, this was one of them, and yes, as a matter of fact he was here more frequently than others. I think probably because it was right near the questing board. And... if they denied him a job for any reason, I would see him right back here."

Maybelline didn't move and didn't blink. Then shook her head. "Then I guess this is the best that can be done. I tried to call the city morgue and find out where they buried him, but they've still got him locked up somewhere. They didn't know when he was going to get a proper funeral what with all the complications of his life in the past few years..." She sighed again. "I feel horrible for him, Janet. I don't know why him, and why this. But I do. And I don't feel like that will ever go away. I can't explain it."

Janet looked her over and then put an arm around.

"We all do." She said. "It was what it was."

"Janet..." Maybelline said. "Did we do right?"

Janet took her arm down from Maybelline and waited until Maybelline looked directly at her to respond.

"We did." Janet said. "I think we did. And we'll know what happened when no one else will."

Maybelline gave another long sigh, and then didn't move for a moment. She took her scarf off and knelt down to put the flower in Billy's spot.

"There you go, Billy." Maybelline said. "I'm glad I could work with you. I'm sorry I didn't know more about you. I'm... sorry everything happened the way it did, and I would want better for you. But you did the right thing when you could. And we appreciate everything. I hope you know you had people that appreciated you... and tried where they could. We'll miss you."

Maybelline stayed right where she was, she felt like a great weight had been lifted from her, but there was still something lingering inside. It was okay though. It was okay to feel this way about this big group of things that tie themselves into each other and the people we know. And it was just going to be like that for a while. For a long while.