Mr.Carter

25

    "You know." Alex says once she swallows her breakfast. "This was my favorite place to come and eat most of the time." She smiles and looks around. "Still remained the same since I left."

   "I can see why." I chew. "This food is amazing. We need one of these is Cali." I look around for the manager. It is a black owned restaurant, so you know the food is banging. 

   She smiles. "This is where I learned to cook. The manager is great."

   "She must be since you're great cook." I take another bite. "Where is she?" I asked.

   "Right there." Alex motions the lady to walk towards us. She seemed to be about in her late fifties or early sixties. She does look like a lady that can bust down in the kitchen. "Hi Ms. Rodgers," Alex gets up and hugs her.

   "Hey sweetie." She hugs back and then pulls away. "I almost didn't recognize you with that nice haircut of yours." She hugs her again, this time tighter.

    Alex giggles. "It's been a while. This is my boyfriend, Damien. Damien this is Ms. Rodgers."

   I stand up and shake her hand. "Nice to meet you." I smile.

   "Whoo Alex. You sure know how to pick them."

   "She does, doesn't she?" I said, feeling a little big headed.

   "Boy!" She faces Alex again. "How's that mother of yours?"

    Alex rolls her eyes. "Still the same person as before."

   "You know I never liked her. Should've let me give it to her back then." She holds up her fist in boxing mode. "But since she's your mom, I've been nice."

   Alex giggles. "You shouldn't have." Alex looks at me, then back at Ms. Rodgers. "Do you know if the shelter still around?" She asks.

   "It is. It is still the same way. Just with more people."

**

   Alex and I walk hand in hand, down the sidewalk, till we reach to this building called Brooklyn Shelter. The outside looks really nice. Hey, nicer than her mom's place. I'd rather stay here than over there. Then again, I have a different mind set than a lot of people.

   "Well here it is." Alex sighs. "Where I have spent five years of my life." She looks up at me.

   I stare into her eyes, wanting to know if she really wants to enter this place or not, but I'm not getting anything from them. "You know you don't have to do this if you don't want to. I'll understand."

   "I know, but I want to." She starts to walk ahead of me and push through the double doors. My heart starts racing. I've never seen anything like this before. I've donated to several places before by mailing the check, but I've never been in an actual homeless shelter.

  After Alex asks the receptionist for permission to visit the room where people sleep, we made our way to the back. I swallow hard before entering because I don't know whether this will create this feeling of sadness or not. "You seem more worried than me." Alex says interrupting my thoughts.

   "Ha." I feign my smile. "Yeah, kind of." I take a deep breath. "This is new to me."

   "Don't worry. Everybody is having lunch now." "She pushes the door into the large room that holds tons of cots. "This still looks the same." She removes her hand out of mine and stares in awe. She starts to walk around and I follow her with my guard trailing.

   "Here it is." Alex stops in front of a cot and points to it.

   "What?" I look down.

   "The cot I used to sleep on."