Magnum Opus I

Part 3 Chapter 1

The diner smelled of bacon grease and remnants from the coffee brewed earlier that morning lingered in the air. The workers there were all dressed in white tops that had turned more into an eggshell thanks to the constant oil splatters and were accented with a bright red apron. Everyone wore smiles besides the two girls' waitress. Her face was hard, but fierce. Her eyes were the deepest shade of brown that made you feel like you were looking straight into the night sky and her hair was dyed blonde that was growing back into a chocolate brown at the roots. 

She gave off the vibrations that she was not to be messed with. She had been whistled at, cat called, and offered an "extra tip" one-too-many times. She looked as if all she wanted to do was leave this god forbidden town. She would do it one day and she wouldn't let anyone get in her way. 

"Are you guys all set to order?" The woman's voice was as hard as her expression, but not mean as you would expect. 

Octavia spoke up first, "Yeah I'll take the French Toast with bacon, cup of fruit and a glass of OJ please." 

"Yeah, I'll have the same." The waitress nodded and stood there for a moment, scribbling down the order on her tiny, black notepad. 

"Will that be all?" The two girls nodded and she let out a slight smile and made her way back to the kitchen. They could hear her yelling the orders to the chefs at the back and a few moments later, heard the bacon start to sizzle on the grill. 

"So... where do you think we should start?" Octavia pulled out the journal and set it on their table, opening to the page where the woman had described herself. 

"I don't know.. this is all we have. Maybe we should just give up and go home." 

"No.. I can't do that. Let's just look for one more day and if we get nothing, we'll go back." 

Ten minutes later, the waitress made her way to their table with food in hand. As Octavia took the first bite of her French Toast, a man with hair that was just beginning to gray approached their table. 

"That looks like Alice's handwriting," the man spoke without even acknowledging the two girls inhaling their sweet breakfast. 

"You know her?" Kijani finally asked after she swallowed the massive piece of toast, wiping the powdered sugar from the corners of her mouth. 

"Yeah, I know Alice. The most kindhearted person I ever met, I can tell you where she lives if 'ya want." 

The two girls looked at each other with a puzzled expression on both of their faces. "I- I mean yeah if you have it." The man took a single napkin out of the metallic holder that rested on their table and scribbled down the only address he knew of hers, wishing the girls good luck on their journey and making his way out of the diner's door.