Need You

Chapter 4

There were two ladies at the table, both staring at their phones. "Good morning." I said. "Chicken and waffles."

As I put the plates before them they looked at me and I recognized the lady on my right. "Harry." She did too.

"Gina."

"You know him?" I turned to look at the lady on my right whom I recognised as well.

"Yeah. We used to go clubbing all the time." That was right. "I haven't seen you and Derrick in such a long time. Where have you two been?"

I got away with not answering by chuckling.

"Do you work here now?"

"Oh no." I responded. I realized that my answer came out too quick. "I'm just helping out. They are understaffed today and Nikki is my friend so."

"You're Nikki's friend?" The lady I met yesterday at the house spoke.

"Yeah."

She nodded like she knew I was lying.

"Well, enjoy your meal." I said, leaving them and going back to the busboy's station.

At night, after leaving the restaurant, I once again roamed without an idea of where I was going. I got tired and decided to sit in front of a store — I could tell from what I saw through the transparent doors.

I felt something hit my leg sharply. Groaning in pain, I heard, "What do you think you're doing here!" I looked up a saw an older man frowning at me. "Get out of here! I'm not going stay here and let you rob me again. Leave right now before I call the police!" I stood as he continued screaming.

I didn't understand what was happening. I had fallen asleep but did that mean he had to do that? "Idiot!" He screamed. "Get out of here!" The man pushed me and I stumbled forward.

I got back up and thought, "This is all because I fell asleep in front of his store?" It saddened me when I realized that I could be treated like that for a long time, that is if I don't get my own place soon.

I wasn't far from the restaurant so I decided to go there. Fortunately, they were closed and I thought I'd be secure in the back. There was a car parked there. I lied down behind it, using my loafers as a pillow.

This was my second time sleeping on the floor. It was terrible! I didn't care that it made my clothes dirty as much I cared about how my body hurt.

Again, I felt someone tapping my legs while a quite hot air kept blowing in my face. I opened my eyes and saw the woman who wore the manager tag staring at me.

Realising the car in front of me, I noticed the hot air was from the exhaust pipe of the car. The red tail lights told me the car was on.

"Were you sleeping there?" She asked as I stood.

I didn't know what to say.

"You're the guy who lost his wallet yesterday." I was really hoping she wouldn't remember me.
"What are you doing here?"

"Where do you live?" She asked when I didn't answer. "I'm on my way home, I can drop you off."

I didn't have an answer for her.

She looked at me like she was studying something. "Don't you have a place to stay?"

I did but I just needed someone to take me there — Derrick.

"I can't help you if you don't say anything. I'm not comfortable leaving someone in the back of my restaurant."

"I'm not homeless, just having a slight problem with my accommodation." I said. If she was willing to help, I was willing to take. I wasn't sure I could stand the way my body would hurt tomorrow.

"Can I help with that problem?"

If she knew where Derrick is, she would not have just helped, she would have solved my problem.

"I don't think so."

"Okay then, get into the car."

"Where am I going?"

"To my house." She said nonchalantly. Her house? She didn't even know me.

"You trust me that you'll take me to your house? You don't know me. I could be a bad person."

"I don't know you but I do trust you. Besides I understand your situation." She said. "Get in. It's late."

Okay. I gratefully got in. I told her almost everything about me, except the part about me being in jail. It probably would have erased whatever trust she had in me.

"So how did you get fired from your job?"

"They had to let go some workers and unfortunately I was among those they decided to let go."

"Oh sorry about that."

"I have tried applying elsewhere but with no home, it's not so easy to do that."

"What's the problem with your accommodation?" She asked and I sighed. It was going to help with what I was going to say.

"It's very complicated." That was true.

"We're here." She said as she pulled the car into the driveway of the other side of the semi-detached house I used to live in.

She shared the house with the lady I met yesterday.

I opened the door and stepped out. She led me inside. Her living room was magnificent. The brown furniture matched the orange walls. There were doors surrounding half of the living room and I guessed they were rooms.

I had never been in this part of the house. In between the two of the rooms was a dining area. It matched the living room.

"You can sit." She said.

Reluctantly, I sat. She went into the room behind the two-person sofa I was in and brought me a bottle of water.  "Thank you."

"Are you hungry?" She asked. "I have some rice."

"I'm okay." I was hungry but giving a positive answer on the first ask wasn't polite in my opinion.

"Are you sure?"

I was waiting for her to ask again and she did. "Mmm."

"I'll be back." She said and went back to the room she brought the water from.

I was glad when she brought food out and invited me to the dining area.

"Thank you very much." I said to her after eating. "I'll sort myself out soon." I hoped.

"It's okay. If there's anything I can help you with let me know."

"Thank you very much." I didn't think someone would treat me so nicely considering my situation.

She smiled at me and said, "Try and get some sleep. You have work in the morning."

She brought a blanket and a pillow earlier so that I could sleep on the longer sofa the two—person sofa was adjacent to.

I was glad that it was long enough for my full length.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another chapter done. Thank you. Please don't forget to VOTE, it's very important that you do if it will reach a wider audience.