Blood Buddy

This is the year 1997. I am 37 and I have been past it for some time. I am almost a prisoner in that home in that house in that street. I do not go on dates. Because I am a nonperson because the man has fled.

As a nonperson without wealth and education; I am deemed to have had my chances and choices and chose this little job.

"Out of all the choices this is your choice?" mother had said. I had dumbly nodded my head too angry sad to say anything different.

Of course, I had made this choice. Not ideal but the thing was there was nowhere else to go.

She will never make money she is never going to make it right for her father. She is a noose around his neck. Her only talent is her thing.

"What is my thing?"

"Sexual activity."

"I have no such thing."

"I am lucky to have a home a job and a family."

"I am semi-homeless without work I can be sent away out."

"We will never send you away." Mother had said and winked at something a past memory a something.

That is what is the matter with the café they say. The customers want some action. The similarity of them days lasted forever. I was nothing I was a woman who had got into trouble. Some businesspeople asked their sons and daughters to come over and be entertained.

People are whispering because I told everybody that I am pregnant. And some even want to know if it is theirs. It is a complete fabrication. But I do not care. That many pigs were there and tried it on and some were too young to know that it was impossible to have a child while doing it in telepathy.

I did not know it was not him. They pretended well. You see I might be wrong and then I might not be. Speaking the truth meant that they were all in a lather now.

I am getting nervous because many are genteel and they have their reputations to protect.

I smile instead and clean the tables.

“Smile at us.”

“Just smile do not glower.”

“In the other cafes the waitresses go out on dates and they even let us squeeze their bums and tits. It is obligatory.”

“Fuck off sunshine,” I say and off they leave in a huff and they never come back again. "

"My rudeness cost us the café," Dad said he was in a mood. It was not my fault. If they had not stopped working and doing their jobs the whole lot would not have come hunting and wanting game which was me.

Scullery maid, I had become scum. That was what my sisters said and they waved their arms in the air like ladies. Mother actually began to fan herself.

"When we want something we want something and that is it. Not that mushy food we want the bum. Right?" said the guys and their literary girls sighed.

Workplace harassment was nothing to it. Have a go. We have a right to touch the goods.

"Go ahead."

"She is joking she is a viper."

“We feel like fools coming here and spending money when the goods are not even ours.”

"Let us try."

"Makes the day go in a swim."

"She is too nice too good for the likes of us?"

"We all love you."

"Eat your wives."

"They are inedible."

"They are good to let us go to that one across the street." They all get up together go together and are together all the time. Sometimes the bonding was so strong they went to the same bedrooms had the same girls.

They were not men of course their macho men. I did not like them as much as when I had been little. Now grown up I was just about tired of them coming and going. They were nagging all the time.

Loose change and then wept because there was nothing to look forward to. What had happened to me when I had been so full of life now dead? Sorry for the things which I missed.

My life was in tatters that is what it was and the only song in my heart was getting married to J.

"Do. Come back when you are hungry."

"A shame she is."

They bang the door as it will shatter.

“I am not coming here again.”

“What reasonable cause do they have?” said dad startled at my rudeness. The thing was I was a flirty thing said my sisters because they could go into a room and no men would come towards them. Not without their permission. Do you give permits then? I asked because they were wild.

Property developers were everywhere. Their sons and daughters just happened to drop by?

"We will get through to you."

"We will get that."

"Now what were you saying?"

Myself in the stew.

The stew is done and I went and did the sweeping and the cleaning. No need said dad no one is coming because I am not welcoming? I am not giving in. I would sigh.

Mother was enjoying herself as if the thoughts went leaping to something called good cheer. She waved and then sat down and went to call her friend. Dad had the phone disconnected. She was not bothered by my work she said in fact she enjoyed seeing me finding myself but should I be working so hard when there was no need?

I did not wish to quarrel with her back then so I said nothing.

"Well let them close us down who cares?"

"We have just paid off some things but not others," I said.

Went back washed the plates then drained the sink. The draw had divided there was a gap there and I said mind the gap when the cutlery fell down from it.

Bins were outside then did some more.

Dad had been staring stolidly something was on his mind. I asked sadly what?

“Look don’t pick fights with the customers,” he said determinedly wiping the counter and then trying to behave like a manager. He let it all happen if he had managed it better it would never have.

“I am not picking fights with them they are asking me out on dates and wanting to touch me up.”

“Well?” said daddy, “you did do it with someone why not try being nice to them?”

That is when I split my sides that is when the thing began the feeling of doomed failure. There was actually nothing but contempt in his eyes as he looked across at me. He had more feelings for my siblings.

That somehow I would never take myself whole self out of the café and be somewhere nice. I had lost it.

“Look dad why don’t you go and do the waiting on the tables.”

The customers pour the sauce all over him. There was a determined action. They are so rude sighed mother and she went and told them what was what. And they did not only destroy his suit but his temper too. This used to be so much nicer café.

"They are weirdos."

“The thing was they are not themselves.” said dad and refused to serve them anymore. I went instead and was given nothing to do. Mother went and she was cheered on. Then came back minus her artificial leg. She just stood there minus her leg and they all went quiet. We went and took the plate and she settled and placed her artificial leg on.

“The tables shall remain empty.” I said in a matter of fact manner I had dealt with the customers, I added “Until they come to their senses.”

Some of these morons I had known from childhood and now they were behaving like beasts.

We did not know why they were behaving in such a randy manner. As if they had dropped all social meanness and came out fighting with the thoughts of school.

"Kids well whose kids were they? If I found their parents I would report them to the police."