Broken Inside

3 - The Judo Master

Alex walked around the shop lots, looking at the window displays. It was a new day and she has arrived at a new town. Last night she hitchhiked a ride on a hay truck. This was the farthest it could take her.

She has been wandering around town, looking for potential places for her to sleep that night. One of the possibilities was the bench in the park, but it could get too cold at night. She needed to find a covered space so that she could stay out of the wind. 

That's how she found herself at the back alley behind some shops late that evening. She found some boxes and arranged them on the ground behind two large dumpsters. She heard a door opening nearby so she quickly crawled into the small space and kept quiet. 

She heard footsteps approaching and the rustling sounds of plastic. She jumped when the dumpster moved, but it was just the person yanking open the lid. She heard more rustlings, then the sound of the lid being shut. The sound of the footsteps started to recede.

Alex heaved a sigh of relieve. She just needed to survive the night. Tomorrow, she will hitchhike to another town.

Alex shifted her position and her leg accidentally kicked the dumpster, making a loud noise. She flinched, hoping that the person who was here before had already left. She paused, trying to listen to any sound but she only heard her heartbeat.

"Who's there?" a gravelly male voice asked loudly, making Alex jumped and kicked the dumpster again. She recoiled and tried to stay as still as possible. She heard a long exhale and the man said, "I can see your feet. Get out here or I'll come in there."

She paused to think for a moment. If she tried to run, she might make it, but she has to leave her things behind for now and come back for them later. But first, she must come out of hiding. Once she's straightened up, she can start running. Having her mind made up, Alex started to crawl out from the space. She paused at the entry and saw a pair of legs in white pants and brown loafers standing a few feet away. 

She got out and stood up. The man turned out to be an old Asian man, with white hair and white goatee, dressed in martial arts uniform. He stood a foot shorter than Alex. Right now he was frowning at her, with his hands on his hips.

She figured she can outrun him but she wondered how fast his reflexes were.

"What were you doing back there?" he asked her.

Alex kept her silence. She was strategising in her head how she was going to escape.

"If you're looking for food," the old man said, "You won't find any scraps here. This whole row are just music store, comic books, florist, boutiques."

Alex chose not to respond. She kept her lips sealed and her stance ready to run.

"I don't know if you could talk, or if you could hear me, but if you come inside, I'll give you some food and hot tea," he offered. Then he turned and started walking away. He shouted back at her, "You can come or not, it's your choice!"

He reached a brown door and went inside, leaving the door slightly ajar. 

Alex quickly crawled back into the small space and grabbed her bag. Then she crawled back out. She threw the bag over her shoulder and started to walk away. She paused in front of the brown door and peered inside. She couldn't see much so she peered through the barred windows. She could see the old man, taking out a loaf of sliced white bread from a cabinet. On the small table behind him, there was a jar of strawberry jelly and a jar of peanut butter. 

Alex's tummy rumbled at the sight of food. She stepped away from the window and pondered whether she should take up the old man's offer. Her other option would be to dumpster dive somewhere else.

She decided to go in, but with precaution. She opened the back door and propped her bag up against the door to keep it open all the way. Then she tentatively stepped inside.

The old man was at the table, spreading jelly on a piece of bread. He put it on another slice with peanut butter and then cut the sandwich in half. He pushed the plate across the table towards Alex. She was still hovering near the door.

"The sandwich isn't going to come to you," the old man said snidely.

Alex sighed and walked to the table. She glanced at the old man, who was watching her with a straight face. She sat down and pulled the plate towards her. She grabbed the sandwich and the man cleared his throat loudly. She looked up at him.

"No hats indoors," he said, pointing at his head.

Alex pulled off the beanie from her head and put it on her lap, exposing her very short hair. She glanced at the old man.

"Now you can eat," he said.

Alex grabbed the sandwich and took a large bite. She closed her eyes, savouring the sweet, salty and nutty taste in her mouth. She finished the first half in three bites. She was about to start on the second half when the old man cleared his throat again. She looked up at him, still chewing the remains of the sandwich. 

"Do you want green tea or milk?" the old man asked.

Milk could keep her full longer. "Milk, please," she said to him. He grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured her some milk. He pushed it across the table at her. "Thank you."

"So you can speak," he said, eyeing her as she gobbled her food and downed the milk in big gulps. "Where did you come from?"

Alex shrugged and said, "Nowhere."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know," she replied, avoiding his eye contact. 

He sighed and studied her for a few minutes. Then he said, "I'll be right back. Have more sandwich if you want."

He left the small kitchen to the front of the shop. Alex glanced back at the open door behind her. If the old man comes back with a surprise attack, all she has to do is run four steps to the door, grab her bag and she will be out of there. She pushed her chair back a few inches so that she has room to leap into action. 

The old man came back into the room and set down a pile of clothes on the table. "Clean clothes for you."

Alex looked at the clothes, then at the old man. "I don't need them," she said stubbornly.

"You do if you want to stay here," the old man said.

She crossed her arms in front of her. "I'm not staying."

"You will freeze if you go back out there," the old man warned her.

"I'll take my chances." 

Alex pushed back her chair, grabbed her bag and left.

*****

Alex was shivering uncontrollably. She was wearing all of the clothes she owned but she could still feel the cold down to her bones. She hated to admit it but the old man was right.

Feeling resigned, she collected her things with numb fingers. She returned to the back alley and saw the lights was still on in the old man's kitchen. She peered through the window and saw the old man sitting at the table, drinking from a cup. She gathered her courage and knocked at the door. 

"It's open."

She gingerly opened the door and waited for the old man to invite her in, but he didn't. He looked at her wordlessly.

Alex sighed and said shakily, "I'm sorry. You were right and I was wrong." 

The old man exhaled and stood up. "Close the door. You're letting the cold in."

Alex turned around and did what she was told. She faced the old man again. 

He stood there with his arms crossed. "I'll allow you to stay here as long as you follow my rules. This is my Judo centre. There is nothing valuable here so don't bother looking. Also, I don't tolerate thieves." He exhaled and added, "You can call me Master Yoshi. What is your name?"

"Alex."

Master Yoshi took the clothes he brought out earlier from a shelf. "Get yourself cleaned. Then I'll show you where you can sleep."