Not in Texas

Chapter 2

Her new friend led her through the check-in process and almost immediately to the sleeping area. The staff seemed to know them and called them Ms. Alice. When they asked for her name, she just said, "Susan." She had already forgotten the alias on her ID. Ms. Alice showed her a set of bunk beds and told her to sit on the bottom. 

"Now you stay here and don't let anybody take this spot. I'll go get dinner, and when I come back we switch places. OK?" Susan nodded numbly. She didn't remember falling asleep, but it seemed like only a few minutes before Ms. Alice was back, carrying a plate of chocolate cake with her. "There's still plenty to eat out there. Now you go, OK?"

Susan walked to the hallway, and then turned toward the room with the most noise. It was a cafeteria, full of people eating and talking. The serving line was on one side, and a line of people were steadily moving through holding red trays. Susan walked to the end of the line and kept her eyes down, pretending to be invisible. She only looked up to find her way to the drink station, and that's when she saw him watching her.

He was a skinny black man, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. From his t-shirt and jeans, she guessed he was a volunteer. His dark eyes were so focused on her she thought he looked angry. She swallowed, looked down, and shuffled to an empty seat as fast as she could. She stared at her food and ate quickly, ignoring the chattering around her. The seat in front of her opened. She saw the jeans and knew they were designer, not like anything these people would wear. She looked up. He was still frowning, but it seemed more skeptical than angry.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. She was surprised that his voice was neither Southern, nor black--or what she thought black people sounded like. She looked at his face and his kinky black hair, and then she felt embarrassed that she was staring.

"I'm visiting family."

He chuckled, flashing a smile. "I understand wanting to avoid your in-laws, but this is a little extreme."

"I don't have in-laws," she said, realizing her lie was not needed. "I don't have anyone."

"Where'd you come from?"

"Texas." He nodded. She glanced away and pulled her hair over one side of her face. She was looking too much.

"Does anyone know you're here?"

Karen, she thought. But she didn't say that. Karen was probably in a prison cell somewhere. She, on the other hand, was an illegal alien. "No one."

"Where are you sleeping?"

She pointed down the hallway. "Beside Ms. Alice."

"She loves taking in lost kittens," he said, clasping his hands. "Let me see your ID." She gave it to him and he looked it over, turning it in his skinny fingers. "You won't get far with this one."

"I thought there were no police here." She felt the panic rising up again.

"There aren't. But you want to get a job, don't you? Find a home, get a driver's license?" He slid the ID into his back pocket. She swallowed. "Give me two days and I'll have you something better. What's your name?" He held out his hand. After a moment, she reached out to shake it.

"Susan."

"I'm Dominic. They call me Dom."

The first thing she noticed was hands, roughly reaching over her, then turning her over. Then she heard a voice, yelling. Ms. Alice was saying, "Stop it, get away from her!" And then she felt the wind of blows from something soft--a pillow. She sat up and covered her face. It was night time in the shelter, and someone was trying to pull away the bag that was still wrapped around her neck. She crouched and pulled against the force while Ms. Alice hit the thief with her pillow.