I’m pretty good at calling people when I see them nowadays, since I’ve spent so much time around everybody you could think of, and probably some you wouldn't want to. On the way to work in the morning, I saw two women, one definitely older than the other, maybe they were a mother and daughter. To the normal eye it wouldn't look like anything different or starnge, but I could tell that there was something wrong between them, the way they walked and how they didn't talk to each other. As I saw this younger women pass by today, I knew she was struggling just like me, in her eyes I saw sorrow and weakness that only comes from not being taken seriously by her parents and a reality breaking apart before her eyes. I felt sorry for her, but I didn't kow if she would appreciate a stranger that looked like me approaching her and saying I understood exactly what she was going through, also her mother was right there so I might not even get to talk to her. So I stepped around the odd pair and continued on my way to work.
During my lunch break, I went to the waffle place; to my surprise, I saw the younger woman there in the corner, and best of all, she was alone. I was thinking, "This is my chance, take it slow, it's been awhile since you've actually talked to people." As I walked over, we made eye contact, which made me speed up to get to her before it seemed that I was just staring at her. In my hurry, I slipped on the freshly mopped floor and fell. I slowly got up, shook myself off, and picked up the various keys and cards that had fallen out of my pockets. I looked up, embarrassed and about to run away, when I saw her stare, she hadn't laughed or anything, just sat there, I couldn't tell if she cared or not. I walked over and asked her if I could sit down in her booth, thankfully she said, "Yes." I introduced myself as Robin, and learned her name, Lucy. I continued to tell her that I had seen her earlier in the day and could see what she was going through and that I understood exactly how she felt. I told her that it wasn't totally her fault and that things could change, we could help eachother, but as I kept talking her face turned to disgust and she told me to leave right away, that she didn't have any business with strangers. I left quickly hoping that I hadn't ruined my chances, but I knew all hope was lost. I wished I had never come to this restaurant, to this town even. I wondered if my life would be easier or more exciting if I lived in a big city or near the ocean, maybe one day I should find out. One day I would, I would take my savings and travel to the nearest ocean and live there for a while instead of this small, foul-smelling town for a change. It was the end of my break, so I headed back to work, ashamed of the fear I had caused and seen in Lucy's eyes.
After work, I headed home and sat on the couch watching T.V. alone. The day had started off normally, but hsad turned out to be the most exhausting and emotionally stressful of my life, and it was not over yet. At 5:34, I heard a soft knock at the door. Immediately I turned the T.V. off and crept towards the door to peer through the peep-hole. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, Lucy was standing there, she looked tired and her eyes were puffy, like she had been crying recently. I unlocked the door and invited her in. Cautiously, she stepped in and held out her hand with something in it. She told me it was mine, that I had dropped it when I had fallen earlier that day. I looked closer, it was the dog tag that tied me to the institution where I had been imprisoned for so much of my life.
She said, "It took me awhile to decide to return it, but I looked up the place on the tag and I saw what you meant when you said you understood, your file was online because you aren't there anymore. My mom is thinking of doing the same thing to me." I was in awe, I thought I had scared her off, that I would never talk with anyone ever again, but she was here and everything was OK. Then she said, "I have to go before my mom starts to miss me, but I hope this means we can be friends." All I could do was nod in agreement and mumble confirmation of her statement, but it was enough. We shook hands and she left. I pinched myself to make sure it wasn't a dream, then went to sleep to see what my dreams could come up with that was better than what had just happened.
