Reed

Reed

  Felicia Haverland

  Reed

  By Felicia Haverland

  Copyright 2013 Felicia Haverland

  Dedicated to my literature loving father.

  I hope you can see this from heaven.

  Also, I would like to thank my English teacher, Abbi Moser,

  and my mother, Christina Haverland, for helping to edit and revise this book,

  Reed.

  In a small town called Murry, she’s sitting in the little abandoned diner on Johnson street. Its red paint chipping and the once brilliant chrome is now rusted over. The windows are shattered from the children that used to roam this ghost town. The doors are busted open and torn off the frame. When you look in one of the broken windows, you can see her. She is sitting on one of the impaired booths. The woman wears a white linen dress, and is crying, as usual.

  Her eyes are red from the stress. Tears roll down her old decrepit cheeks. They collect on the tip of her chin and finally fall, only to meet with her dress. Once the tears fall onto the mass of white, the flower design becomes more noticeable. There are small roses embroidered into the fabric. The dress is much too big for her scrawny frame. Suddenly, she says, “I am sorry, Reed,” she keeps repeating herself with her head facing the broken down table. In her hands is a boot-style shoe, not hers, but a man’s. It is dirty and beaten up, just like this town. It is black with the rim high past the ankles. The bottom was falling off and the laces torn and tattered from being worn so much in its small helpless life. Tears fall onto the top of the shoe, as she begins to remember that day he first came in

  It was early 1972, when he first came into the 50’s styled diner. He was perfect, with his hair slicked back and well styled. The man's face was handsome, as though sculpted by an artist. He was wearing a black suit. It was well tailored and very elaborate. Everything was amazing about him, except his shoes. They were torn and tattered, black, shoes covering his ankles. The complete opposite of the rest of himself, well composed and stylish.

  Myra was washing the dishes when the diner manager came over to her and told her to serve the man who walked in. Her outfit consisted of a pink apron, black skirt, and white shirt. Her brown hair was pulled back into a taut ponytail. Out of all of the waitresses, she was the only one wearing white canvas shoes. All of the other waitresses were wearing black ones. She had spilled coffee all over her black ones earlier that morning. Luckily for her it was cold coffee from six a.m.

  She looked over at the man and just as the others, noticed his good looks and expensive clothing. Walking out of the kitchen, Myra grabbed an ordering pad and put it in her apron pocket. She went over to the man, now sitting at one of the red booths, and handed him a menu. While taking her pad of paper out of her apron pocket, her pencil flew out and fell to the floor. She quickly shuffled onto the floor, looking for the fleeing pencil. It was found next to the gentleman’s shoes. Her eyes locked on to them. Just as everyone else was, she was surprised. They were so tattered that there was even a hole in the heel of one of the shoe. She stood up quickly forgetting that she was under the table, and smacked her head against it.

  “Are you okay?” the man asked, putting his hand out to help her up. She was holding her head with one hand. Myra looked up at the man. To her surprise, he didn’t seem angry at all about her jerky movements and clumsiness. Grabbing his extended hand, he helped pull her up. He chuckled a little. She looked back at the other waitresses. Some were giggling at her, and the others were upset that he was not angry. If he had of been, then one of them could have replaced her. Turning her attention back to her customer, he asked, “Do you normally put on a show this funny for all of your clients?” He was smiling and laughing quietly.

  “No. It wasn’t a show, I just so happen to be clumsy,” Myra stated sternly. He looked at her, still smiling as he was before. She looked down at her feet, as though she had a sudden loss of confidence. “What would you like to have today?” she asked quickly, trying to shake off his stare. He reverted his eyes to his menu, and then back to Myra.

  “I would like a cup of black coffee please,” he smiled, folded up the menu, and handed it to Myra. She jolted, and then scribbled it down quickly. After that, she walked back over to the counter, poured his coffee, and then brought it to him. The entire time, she felt like he was watching her, even though the entire time he was just enjoying his copy of the town paper. He thanked her once receiving his coffee. He sat there for an hour, just sipping on it. Once he finished, he stood up, making Myra jolt, once again, while making a cup of tea for another customer. He threw a small wad of paper on the table and left.

  Myra went over to the table and began cleaning it off. She grabbed the wad of paper and the coffee cup. When she opened up the paper, there was a twenty dollar bill in it. He had wrote something on the paper, Thank you for your service today. You were very entertaining, Myra. Staring at the note, a smile slid onto her red-tinted face. No customer had ever said something like that to her.

  The next day, he came in again. The waitresses were all in a fuss causing Myra to turn around to see what it was about. He was reading the paper, sitting in the same booth as before. One of the waitresses ran over to get his order. Myra could see them converse, but she didn’t write anything down. Her face was full of rage as she walked behind the counter, and up to Myra. “He wants you as his waitress,” she said in a snotty attitude. Myra grabbed the order pad, and nervously walked over to the table. She didn’t want to have to wait on him again because if she messed up, she could very well get fired. He was the most influential looking man that has ever came into their shabby diner.

  “Hello there! Yesterday’s coffee was so good that I came back today,” he said, smiling and putting his newspaper down. She handed him a menu and grabbed her notepad. He pushed the menu back towards Myra and said, “I just want the same thing as yesterday.” His face was consistently smiling and happy. Myra picked up the menu and went to get his coffee. Once he received his coffee, he sat there for an hour or so sipping on the beverage. The man, again, picked up his coat and left a wad of paper on the table.

  Myra went straight to the table to see what the paper said today. While, yes, the paper contained a large tip, she cared more for the compliment. She did not get complimented very often. She unwrapped the paper, finding a fifty dollar bill. The note said, Thank you for your service. You look really pretty today. Myra’s cheeks turned bright red as she read it. She felt happy and excited for the note.

  Each day after that, like clockwork, the man came into the diner, making sure to request for Myra. She began to just greet him at the door and walk him to his seat. He always wore his nice suits and odd tattered shoes. One day the man came into the diner and sat down. Myra walked up to him, smiling as usual. While looking at the man, her smile faded. He was not wearing his usual suits. He was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a plain black T-shirt. His hair was not slicked back, but tousled all around as though he had just woken up. The only thing the same was his smiling face and his shoes.

  “Did something happen?” Myra pried, handing him a menu. Her face held a worried expression. The man looked up at her. His happy face seemed to melt away into a depressed expression he couldn’t hide anymore. Myra began to freak out, but was able to calm herself down. She picked up the menu and said while smiling, “Oh never mind that. Silly me. I am prying as usual. Would you like your regular order?” The man, still looking up at her, couldn’t help but smile.

  “No. I think I want something different today. Can I have a menu please?” The man stuck his hand out for the menu. “By the way, my name is Reed. Reed Lux.” Myra watched him carefully as he looked through the many food selections in the menu. She was blushing from the thought that Reed acknowledged her enough to share his name. Reed stuck
his hand out with the menu in it. “I changed my mind. I would just like a black coffee as usual.”

  Myra looked at him, and just giggled quietly. Reed gawked up at her, as though surprised to hear her laughter. Myra quickly went to go get his coffee before her face turn red. She barely spoke to most people and very rarely did she laugh in front of them.

  When she brought over his coffee, his face was covered by an expression she had never seen him make before. His face was blank and his stare felt icy. He was just gazing out the window at the stray cat that tended to roam the nearby streets. Myra froze after seeing him. After seeing this new sight, she felt a weird feeling deep inside her. She set his coffee down on the table quickly and dashed to the employee’s restroom, locking the door behind her. Her heart was beating fast, and her eyes wide open, as though she was a deer in headlights. She had never felt this before, but she was pretty positive this could be only one thing... Love.

  The man did his usual thing, leaving a wad of paper on the table. Myra was excited to read her newly found love’s note. She couldn’t believe what she read. Myra, it is about time you realized you loved me. Myra’s face turned