Johnny and Doris - Part II p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" The days ran into weeks and soon it was November. span style="" /span The city's landscape was now a permanent grey. span style="" /span John's world had not changed much.
span style="" /span As he passed the neighbourhood park he saw some children playing with a kite. span style="" /span span style="font-style: italic;" I wish I was a kite /span , he thought, span style="font-style: italic;" only no string! /span o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.
5in; line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" He'd been back to the diner several times but st1:place st="on" Doris /st1:place never seemed to be there. span style="" /span He hoped she hadn't quit. span style="" /span She seemed smart but not mean like the other smart people he had met in his life.
span style="" /span He rounded the same corner that he traveled almost every day to work only this time, he passed his workplace to go to the diner, in search of st1:place st="on" Doris /st1:place , yet again. o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span It was a Saturday and the place was jam packed. span style="" /span However would he find a seat!
John waited patiently for his favourite spot, the seat closest to the ordering station, the one closest to st1:place st="on" Doris /st1:place . o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span st1:place st="on" Doris /st1:place heard the faint tinkling of the diner's doorbells over the din of the breakfast crowd. span style="" /span Immediately she recognized him.
span style="" /span Years in the diner industry taught her to be good with faces. span style="" /span Not only did it mean better tips but it was also important in case any funny business happened. span style="" /span Several seats became available but John remained standing, nodding politely, albeit awkwardly, to anyone else who wished to skip ahead of him for their meal.
span style="" /span Eventually, the mother and young daughter who were in John's desired spot got up to leave. o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "Well, look who's back!" st1:place st="on" Doris /st1:place beamed, "the fastest eater in the west.
span style="" /span How are you?" span style="" /span John gave a stilted smile back. span style="" /span "Fine, thanks.
" o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "So, what would you like today? Even though it's still breakfast time we still serve our lunch menu. span style="" /span Whatever you want, we got.
" o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "Do you have any eggs?" o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "Do we have any eggs?" st1:place st="on" Doris /st1:place ' throaty laugh filled the room.
span style="" /span I think we could find some. span style="" /span What kind?" span style="" /span br / /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" "Scrambled," John said decisively.
span style="" /span Stevie had been good lately. o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "So what's your name, kid?" st1:place st="on" Doris /st1:place had been feeling good lately too.
span style="" /span Not for any particular reason, if only for the fact that work had been steady and tips had been good. span style="" /span And maybe for the fact that later tonight she was indulging herself in a bottle of wine, a warm blanket on the couch and all the Harrison Ford she could handle. o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "John.
" o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "Well then Johnny, can I call you Johnny?" o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span br / "Sure, " John shrugged.
span style="" /span It reminded him of his brother. span style="" /span He used to call him that. span style="" /span He missed his brother.
span style="" /span Why'd he have to move all the way up to st1:country-region st="on" Canada /st1:country-region and then all the way to st1:city st="on" st1:place st="on" London /st1:place /st1:city ? He said it was because of his job but John still worked in st1:place st="on" Brooklyn /st1:place . span style="" /span Right around the corner from where they both grew up.
/span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" o:p /o:p br / "Great. span style="" /span Pleased to meet you, Johnny.
" span style="" /span st1:place st="on" Doris /st1:place extended her hand. span style="" /span John took it slowly. /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.
5in; line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" o:p /o:p br / "Pleased to meet you...
st1:place st="on" Doris /st1:place ," he said, staring at the lily adorned plastic nametag she wore. o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "So Johnny, tell me about yourself." span style="" /span The breakfast rush was beginning to slow down.
o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "I work." o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "Oh yeah? Good for you!
What do you do?" o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "Shipping." o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoBodyText" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "Oh yeah?
Where do you that?" /span /p p class="MsoBodyText" span style="font-family:Arial;" br / /span /p span style="font-family:arial;" "Just up the street." John fell silent.
Doris stared at him for a few seconds, laughed to herself and br / br / br / shook her head. Turning to pick up her next order she refilled John's coffee cup before heading to br / br / br / the kitchen. br / /span p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span As soon as she returned, John's face had shadowed.
span style="" /span i Just like that /i , she thought. span style="" /span o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span " st1:place st="on" Doris /st1:place , has anyone ever talked to you and you didn't want to listen? o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span st1:place st="on" Doris /st1:place raised one eyebrow, "Kid, are you serious?
That's a good one. span style="" /span What are you gettin' at?" o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "Nothing," John dismissed her.
o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "Hey, Johnny, are you okay? Someone giving you a hard time? o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "Oh no!
" Johnny said. span style="" /span "Stevie would never do that. span style="" /span He gets a little annoying sometimes, that's all.
" o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "Who's Stevie? Your little brother?" o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span John started laughing so hard he almost fell off his stool but then, magically straightened.
span style="" /span "I never thought of it that way...
" span style="" /span He was now staring off into the distance, a slight melancholy present in his eyes. o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span st1:place st="on" Doris /st1:place was mesmerized by John. span style="" /span She couldn't quite put her finger on it.
span style="" /span Maybe it was his childlike manner despite his lanky, almost gawky frame. span style="" /span He couldn't be much older than 25. span style="" /span o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "So who's Stevie?
" It was almost like talking to a child! o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "He's the voice in my head." o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "Oooooh.
.." st1:place st="on" Doris /st1:place nodded.
span style="" /span i Of course! This guy was a nutcase /i . span style="" /span But he seemed harmless enough.
span style="" /span "So what's he tell you?" o:p /o:p /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" span style="font-family:Arial;" span style="" /span "All sorts of stuff. span style="" /span But he's so young!
He doesn't know anything!" John retorted back in a surprisingly abrupt and loud tone. /span /p p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt;" Edit: Apologies for the formatting; Blogger's being cranky.
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