The Kindness of Strangers
Winona Desjardin took a bracing breath and pulled open the
door to The Prairie Moon Café. There was only one patron in the place, a lone
middle aged man with grey hair in a plaid vest sitting texting on his phone
with his cup of coffee and his dirty dishes. There was a cook in the kitchen
with his back to her.
Food! Oh my god she was so hungry. The visit with Tyler ’s family was so
tense and awkward she could barely stomach food from the sheer anxiety…..but
now. She could eat. Of course she had no way to pay for a meal or the gas her,
presumably now, ex-boyfriend had driven off on before she got her purse from
the truck to go in and settle up. She walked forward, drawn to the smells of
the kitchen. It was beautiful torture.
Chris Wilson caught movement in his peripheral vision
and turned, flashing a friendly grin. He looked to be in his late 30s with an
athletic build. He wore a Saskatchewan Roughriders cap and it looked like the
matching t-shirt under his white apron. Football was a religion for some in
this province.
“Good evening. I’ll be with you in just a moment Miss. Sit
anywhere you like.”
The cook looked quizzical for a moment and then turned off
the grill and wiped his hands on a dishtowel as he walked towards Winona “No, I just work
here. I’m Chris. Is everything OK?”
His voice was so kind. Winona
had been vowing not to become a basket case and just stay matter of fact but
with his voice and the fact that he was looking at her with such genuine
concern she suddenly just burst into uncontrollable tears.
Chris’s mouth formed an O and he backed up a few steps and
looked around. The texting man’s head appeared in view as he craned around the
suddenly hysterical woman to make eye contact with Chris and helplessly shrug.
Chris returned the man’s look and casually walked over to the hot water
dispenser with a clean mug. A moment later he set a cup of mint tea in front of
the upset woman and waited quietly, giving her room to do what she needed to
do.
In the meantime, Alex Melnyk came sauntering into the
restaurant with a box of onions, oblivious to the situation in the room “Dammit,
I think we had a gas and dash on pump 2…..and Joe says we should use these in
the hash browns tomorrow. Gettin a bit funky….” He broke off as Chris gestured
to the crying woman and he also clearly heard her sobs.
Alex cleared his throat quietly and tiptoed into the
kitchen, putting the onions down on the prep table. He fell in line beside
Chris waiting out the emotional storm and trying not to stare.
The scent of the mint tea cut through to Winona and she wiped her face, taking several
cleansing breaths. She looked up again to see another man standing beside
Chris, older, paler and stockier in build. The pair just blinked at her like
deer in the headlights and she forgot her sorrow for a moment and had to let
out a chuckle.
“I’m so sorry. This is completely ridiculous I know. My name
is Winona and
I’m part of the gas and dash on pump 2. Not on purpose though. The driver also
dashed on me…and he has my purse…..and my backpack….and holy fucking god I let
him move into my apartment last month. What the hell was I thinking?! Ellie was
right….Ellie was so right….”
The men exchanged a surprised look and then the older of the
two winced “Geez…..where do you live? I’m Alex.”
“Saskatoon .”
Now Chris spoke “And the dude who left you here is going to
be there when you get home if we find you a ride back?”
Alex shook his head and walked to the back room and
returned. He offered a cordless phone to Winona
“Here, you can call one. I’m sorry this is your deal. If you need a room
tonight, we can put you up too. No charge. Chris can make you something if
you’re hungry. Sounds like a rough ride kid.”
At further offered kindness Winona choked up again “I’ll pay you back…..I
promise…thank you so much.” She clutched the phone and sobbed for a moment and
then took another sip of her tea before she dialed.
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