Color by COLOURloversHere's another drabble from my story project...
It is still meandering around my brain, but thereyago...
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The girl lifted her dress, once a decent pale teal green, now faded and slightly worn looking, to keep away from the step covered with muck and mud to get to the well, slightly less dirty boardwalk.
Sometime tomorrow, the sweeps would be out and the water spalshed and it would cleaned, and the muck and mud would dry, and maybe just maybe this spring and summer would see asphalt paving on this, the third most traversed street in Esperanza.
The woman who went into Brownstein's Bar and Saloon and Media Emporium doubted it sincerely.
A decade lost in this backwater town, and here she was, slipping behind a bar counter, to find a few choice bits of contraband.
Delicious.
Ahhhh.
There they were. Nice and neat and labled
For her.
Mr Brownstein was directing traffic. A trader had come by last night, and from the look of it, this trade had been extremely good, large, and with some items that would bring customers young and old, new and of record to Mr. Brownstein's establishment.
She tucked the items in her large purse, and then went over to Mr. Brownstein.
He grinned at her. Javier Chieng-Ruiz, the experienced cook who knew her well, sat on a table in front of her, black bean and chicken burritos, real coffee, real orange juice, eggs, and then sat down across from her. Mr. Brownstein sighed, shrugged his shoulders and shouted to his crew, "break off for an hour, have breakfast, and get yourself a nice piece of chocolate!Take one extra for your folks!"
Mr. B sat down, and the cook served up bacon and cinnamon buns for the both of them.
Javier said, "Good load, Mr. B. How much chocalate?"
"100 pounds First time in 3 years! Well, at least that much!! Jeeze. If only money was more...well...you know."
Javier laughed. He had noted that the trader caravansery had some very precious items for him...salt, corn, flour, and sugar! He couldn't wait to give Mrs. Chieng-Ruiz all the ingredients she needed for brownies. First time since Christmas.
"And there was coffee?"
The girl clutched her bag. She then sipped some of the coffee, and dug into her burrito and eggs. It was all so good that she forgot to talk, forgot to look around, and all she could think of was the let up in rain, how wonderful eggs were with black pepper, and that Javier's sideburns were grey but nothing else, the rest of his hair was jet black and very straight and the orange juice was sweet and fresh,and after that, there was the empty plate, the three parcels in her purse, and she looked around. Mr. B was back directing the traffic of his various goods, the women upstairs over the bar and saloon were drifting about enjoying breakfast, and the Media Emporium seemed to have a few customers wandering through.
She went to the back lounge, fixed up her hair.
Antonia Allen was there, readying her bath behind the screen.
"Girl! How are you doing?"
"I am doing. I might even earn a few silvers for whatever those visitors are looking for."
"If they need something alive...well...here I am, and Bianca, and Sally is available. Penny is indisposed, and MeiMei has a longtime visitor she is actually going to visit, out of town, an important official."
"I'll keep that in mind. And when MeiMei comes back, please ask them all over to my house, for ...tea."
Antonia eased herself into steaming water. It smelled like rose and jasmine.
"We all could use actual to goodness afternoon away from here, just talking amongst."
"I'll find some rare item for everyone, even MeiMei."
At that, after the girl fixed her hair, twisted it up and almost looked older than maybe fifteen years, she went to the Media Emporium.
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Rough draft, copyright Kay Dawson, 2011.