“Stop frettin’ over what I’m supposed to do. I got this, babee.”

“Oh, okay.” I simply replied.

“If you lookin’ for a place to settle, the house next door is up for rent. It’s a cute little place. The landlord ain’t askin’ much a month either.”

“I’ll tell Mom. I’m sure she’ll be interested.” I paused. “Thanks for    everything.” I slightly waved the lunch sack in the air, smiling. For the first time since we’d arrived, I actually felt like smiling.

“Don’t mention it. But you best get on down ta da station, so Claude can fix that tire,” she urged. Ms. Noel was practically a stranger. I think if I’d had a grandmother, I would’ve hoped she’d been like Ms. Noel. Through my entire life, it had only been the three of us until Dad died. Now it was only two, my mom and me. Sara and Dad both didn’t have family. They both were orphans.

 

 

***

Exactly as Ms. Noel had promised, Claude fixed the bike. He checked the breaks, oiled and tightened the chain, getting it in top shape. After he had finished, he let me take the bike to the back and hose it off.

Apparently, the bike had some mileage. The color red had faded, and rust had taken its place, but I didn’t care. To me, it was a priceless treasure. Now I had transportation and a job.

The first day on the job wasn’t so bad. I had to get up before daybreak. Hell, I was up before the roosters. 5:00 in the morning was ridiculous, but hey, I had a job. I went in early to sort out my newspapers. To my surprise, the route was around downtown, a perfect location for me. I’d get my route done and have plenty of time to make it to school on schedule.