Planetfurry BBS

[PrincessB]

Got a name: "Moving ON"
Lemme know what ya think!


Andrea drove most of the night and didn’t stop for a motel till the skies began to turn rosy with the on coming dawn. She carried the still sleeping kids into the motel room then fell back onto the bed, exhausted. Andrea lay there on the bed staring at the stained and paint chipped ceiling and thought about how she was ever going to get through this. The scratch on her cheek had begun to bruise and she was going to need to find a job and a house and a sitter, there was so much she had to do to try and make a better life for the kids and herself. Andrea drifted off into a restless sleep as tears slipped quietly down her bruised cheeks.

Andrea was awaken a few hours later by the cartoon that Kayla was watching while at the same time trying to quiet a whimpering Jason. Andrea rolled over and looked at the bedside clock and realized she had slept for about three hours and it was now a little after 8am. All she wanted to do was curl up under the covers, bury her head and hide, but she knew she had to be strong for Kayla and Jason. She crawled wearily out of bed and went to check on Jason.

After everyone was bathed and Jason’s diaper was changed, Andrea packed everything up in the car and drove away from the motel in search of breakfast. They stopped at a small diner at the edge of town where an older lady wearing a name tag with the name Rosalie, took their order. While refilling Andrea’s coffee Rosalie asked, “You’re running aren’t you?”

Andrea was caught off guard and nearly choked on her pancakes, when she recovered she tried to hide her shock. “What do you mean, running? I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“The bruises, the cuts.” Rosalie responded. “I’ve seen it before. It means abuse. A beautiful young lady like you, with two kids, I’d bet it’s your husband and by the worried look on your face I’d say you left him not to long ago and are scared. Scared of him finding you and what he might do, scared of what you might have to do for money and housing. But of course in the long run it’s none of my business and you don’t have to tell me anything just know that the boss here is looking for a lunch waitress and I could help you find a place to stay and someone to watch the kids while you work.” With that Rosalie smiled at the surprised look on Andrea’s face then left to go take another customers order.

A few minutes later Rosalie returned and Andrea asked, “How did you, you know, guess that?”

“I’m in my fifties,” Rosalie answered, “I grew up in a very trashy trailer park, I’ve been married twice, I’ve seen it, I’ve lived it. I was wearing the same black eye and the same scared look when I first walked into here fifteen years ago. The boss, Joe, guessed what had happened and offered me a job. He’s got a big heart that Joe, I know he’ll help you too if you want.”

“But my kids, I can’t just leave them unattended.” Marisa said.

“I live in a large house about two blocks from here, bought it with the money from my second divorce, you and the kids can live there with me, and there’s another lady in her 30’s who lives with me that runs a day care out of the house during the day while I work. She can watch your kids also. Come now, no more arguing. Joe is in the back, go talk to him about a job. I’ll stay with the kids.” With that Rosalie sat down next to Kayla in the booth in a manner that made it clear to Andrea that there was to be no more discussion. Andrea stood up, brushed off her blouse and timidly walked back into the kitchen. The kitchen was just as one would expect a diner kitchen to be like, cramped, messy and none of the “state of the art” cook ware that the fancy, expensive restaurants have. To the left of the door way stood an old grill that looked as though it had definitely seen it’s better days. In front of the grill stood a man in his forties, with thinning brown hair, wearing jeans and a stained pale blue shirt just barely covering his large stomach.

“Joe, um I mean Mr. Joe?” Andrea asked nervously.

“Just call me Joe, my last name is Whyner, just sounds so silly. So who are you?” Joe said while turning towards Andrea, the spatula still in his hand.

“My name is Andrea, Rosalie said you had a job opening.”

Joe looked closely at Andrea’s face causing Andrea to feel self conscience about the cuts and bruises she knew he was staring at. Finally Joe said, “It’s 7am to 2pm Monday through Friday, we get pretty busy and we get our fair share of creeps trying to get in your pants, but you’re welcome to the job if you want it. We’re family here, if anyone, you know, bothers you too much, we’ll help you out. You can start tomorrow morning.”

“All right, I’ll be here at 6 tomorrow. And thanks, for everything.”

That night after settling into Rosalie’s house Andrea walked down the street to a pay phone and called her best friend, Gabriela. As soon as Gabriela answered her phone Andrea said, “Hey Gabby, it’s Andrea, I wanted to check in with you.”

“Andrea! Thank goodness your okay, I was worried sick. What’s going on? David called me, he’s pissed Andrea. He said that if I was hiding you he’d kill me. Your husband said he’d kill me Andrea, that’s not normal!”

“Settle down Gabby. I figured he’d be angry. I left him Gabby, I just couldn’t stay there anymore. I’m alright, I’ve found somewhere to stay, I need you to do me a favor, do not tell David anything, where I’m at, that we’ve spoke, nothing. Please do this for me Gabby.”

“Yeah of course I won’t say anything. Just be careful An, David seemed certain that you would not get away with this, no matter what he had to do to get you back.”