never maintained any lasting friendships. Now, being homeless had only caused her to shun the few acquaintances she had.
She looked around the drab room again. Yes, Lord. She would love nothing more than to go back to her home. But what she wanted to do, and what she could do were two different things. The house had already gone into foreclosure, and she had been evicted. She remembered the day sheâd come home and found the yellow notice of eviction taped to her front door.
The bright neon color had stood out like a traffic light at midnight, and she remembered the sinking feeling sheâd felt in her heart. Franny had known from the color of the paper what the notice meant before sheâd ever made it up the walkway. It had been clearly visible not only to her but to her neighbors as well, and sheâd quickly snatched it off the door.
Sheâd had no one close she could call on to help her pack and move so little by little, she had packed her lifeâs belongings into various-size boxes and bins and had professional movers take them along with her furniture to a storage unit sheâd rented.
She remembered the panic that had settled within her and would not leave. Thank God sheâd had the foresight to see the eviction coming and had already applied for senior housing. But the timing was still off, and she was faced with the reality of having no place to live.
The first week, she rented a motel room, but that quickly became an unaffordable option. She then made the decision to sleep in her car rather than ask anyone for help, and so sheâd checked out of the motel room and parked her car on the parking lot behind the motel.
Her first night of being homeless was filled with anguish, discomfort, and fear. And sheâd prayed all night for the Lord to be with her and protect her. Sheâd stayed awake the entire night, letting the car run at intervals as the temperature outside dropped.
By daybreak, her fear had subsided, along with her tears. But something had gone terribly wrong. How had she ended up in a situation like this? She had worked all her life, and this is what it had amounted to?
Franny had felt trapped and alone. Still, she clung to her belief that God was going to work it all out. She told herself that any day the manager of the senior housing complex would be calling her to tell her that an apartment was available. She just had to hold on.
The second and third nights werenât any easier, but she told herself it could be worse. At least she had access to running water and a bathroom at the 24-hour restaurant across the street. But then her leg had begun to swell and ache, and sheâd driven herself to the hospital.
It had been so nice and warm in the examining room, and when the doctor had completed his examination and released her, she didnât want to leave. Sheâd reluctantly returned to her cold car. It had taken everything in her to keep from crying as sheâd slid behind the steering wheel and looked at the icy crystals covering the windshield. The following morning, sheâd begun to have difficulty breathing, and had returned to the hospital.
âHello?â Homer yelled into the phone. âAre you still there?â
Instead of answering his question, Franny repeated herself. âIt would only be for two months,â she said. âJust until I can get into senior housing.â
âIâm sorry,â her only child continued, âbut thereâs just not enough room.â
Franny closed her eyes as she felt the heaviness in her heart make its way up to her throat. She hung up the phone without saying good-bye. What else could she do? The heaviness in her heart would not allow her to speak, and now it was keeping her from moving her left arm.
Chapter Five
Lorenzo turned the key in the lock and opened the front door. He reached into the pocket of his stench-filled jacket and took out the small plastic bag containing the last
Skeleton Key, Konstanz Silverbow