don’t have a home to sleep in every night?”
I roll my eyes because that was implied in the whole traveling around thing, but she’s a kid, so I try not to be too big of a jerk. “Not at the moment.”
She stays quiet, looking out the window for some time. Then she looks back at me, deadpan. “It sucks, doesn’t it?”
Confused, I knit my brows. I want to ask her if she should be saying “sucks”, or why she thinks that not having a home to sleep in every night is indeed the pits, but I don’t. This time, it’s not because I don’t care. Even with the dirty fingers, and the annoying questions, and the eating my food, it’s good to have the company of someone who’s funny, despite being about as tall as my legs. I don’t want to scare her away. I also don’t ask those questions, because there’s sadness in her eyes, and I don’t like seeing it.
So, I reply in the most honest way. “Sometimes it does, but not right now.”
She grins so wide I can see that she’s missing two of her teeth. In return, I offer her a smile that shows her that all of mine have already grown back.
“Mickey Mouse pancakes, eggs and juice, Miss Kodee,” Fatima says as she places a plate in front of the small girl. “Mrs. Sally asked me to tell you she’s gone to the office and to meet her there once you finish eatin’.”
Kodee thanks her and gets a kiss on the forehead, before the woman turns around to make her way back to the kitchen with my empty plates, leaving Kodee and me to resume our conversation. We talk as we share her plate of food. Even though she spends the whole time either being nosey or talking about her soccer game, not once I do get bored.
After the food is gone and we’ve exhausted our topics, she sighs. “I should go see what Grandma wants or she’ll come here, and neither of us wants that, right?” she asks, and I nod.
We both stand and walk side-by-side to the reception. Before we part ways, she grabs my hand and smiles. “Okay. It was nice meeting you, Mathew.”
“You too, Kodee. Don’t forget to try the play I told you about,” I remind her.
She nods and releases my hand. “I won’t.”
I have only made it three steps up the staircase when she calls my name. As I turn around, my eyes narrow at the sight of her reddening, I’m-up-to-no-good face.
She watches her foot, which is kicking at nothing, for a moment. “If you decide to sleep twice in the same place, you should go to the beach tomorrow. I’ll be there with my Gammy . . .” She looks around, and then whispers, “. . . who’s way cooler than Grandma,” before continuing in her normal voice, “and my godmother, and my best friend, Bras, and her big sister, Tanie. We stay right in front of the ice cream shop because on Sundays I get sundaes. If you go, you could show us that play. I’ll bring a ball. It would be cool. I mean, if you want to. There’ll be food and all.”
Once more, her words come in a rush, causing her to breathe heavily again and blink a few times. I laugh. “Dizzy again?”
She nods, but continues to look at me expectantly.
I reply, “I’ll think about it, okay?” even though I bet I’m not gonna make it. Yeah, my morning talking to the coolest seven year-old I’ve ever met was fun, but if there’s one thing I know it’s that I’m not staying here.
“H ey, Jimmy. What’s up with those burgers for five? They’ve been waiting for half an hour,” I yell through the window to the kitchen. There’s absolutely no mistaking the irritation in my tone or on my face, and for once, I don’t care.
As a personal rule, I try to be an upbeat, bubbly person. I smile a lot, I say hi to people—even to the ones I don’t really like. I wear colorful clothes and, if I’m in an exceptionally good mood and have the downtime, I’ll even read and sing to children that come into the diner. But today, I’m the opposite of all of that. Today, I feel like I could chew off a person’s head without
I roll my eyes because that was implied in the whole traveling around thing, but she’s a kid, so I try not to be too big of a jerk. “Not at the moment.”
She stays quiet, looking out the window for some time. Then she looks back at me, deadpan. “It sucks, doesn’t it?”
Confused, I knit my brows. I want to ask her if she should be saying “sucks”, or why she thinks that not having a home to sleep in every night is indeed the pits, but I don’t. This time, it’s not because I don’t care. Even with the dirty fingers, and the annoying questions, and the eating my food, it’s good to have the company of someone who’s funny, despite being about as tall as my legs. I don’t want to scare her away. I also don’t ask those questions, because there’s sadness in her eyes, and I don’t like seeing it.
So, I reply in the most honest way. “Sometimes it does, but not right now.”
She grins so wide I can see that she’s missing two of her teeth. In return, I offer her a smile that shows her that all of mine have already grown back.
“Mickey Mouse pancakes, eggs and juice, Miss Kodee,” Fatima says as she places a plate in front of the small girl. “Mrs. Sally asked me to tell you she’s gone to the office and to meet her there once you finish eatin’.”
Kodee thanks her and gets a kiss on the forehead, before the woman turns around to make her way back to the kitchen with my empty plates, leaving Kodee and me to resume our conversation. We talk as we share her plate of food. Even though she spends the whole time either being nosey or talking about her soccer game, not once I do get bored.
After the food is gone and we’ve exhausted our topics, she sighs. “I should go see what Grandma wants or she’ll come here, and neither of us wants that, right?” she asks, and I nod.
We both stand and walk side-by-side to the reception. Before we part ways, she grabs my hand and smiles. “Okay. It was nice meeting you, Mathew.”
“You too, Kodee. Don’t forget to try the play I told you about,” I remind her.
She nods and releases my hand. “I won’t.”
I have only made it three steps up the staircase when she calls my name. As I turn around, my eyes narrow at the sight of her reddening, I’m-up-to-no-good face.
She watches her foot, which is kicking at nothing, for a moment. “If you decide to sleep twice in the same place, you should go to the beach tomorrow. I’ll be there with my Gammy . . .” She looks around, and then whispers, “. . . who’s way cooler than Grandma,” before continuing in her normal voice, “and my godmother, and my best friend, Bras, and her big sister, Tanie. We stay right in front of the ice cream shop because on Sundays I get sundaes. If you go, you could show us that play. I’ll bring a ball. It would be cool. I mean, if you want to. There’ll be food and all.”
Once more, her words come in a rush, causing her to breathe heavily again and blink a few times. I laugh. “Dizzy again?”
She nods, but continues to look at me expectantly.
I reply, “I’ll think about it, okay?” even though I bet I’m not gonna make it. Yeah, my morning talking to the coolest seven year-old I’ve ever met was fun, but if there’s one thing I know it’s that I’m not staying here.
“H ey, Jimmy. What’s up with those burgers for five? They’ve been waiting for half an hour,” I yell through the window to the kitchen. There’s absolutely no mistaking the irritation in my tone or on my face, and for once, I don’t care.
As a personal rule, I try to be an upbeat, bubbly person. I smile a lot, I say hi to people—even to the ones I don’t really like. I wear colorful clothes and, if I’m in an exceptionally good mood and have the downtime, I’ll even read and sing to children that come into the diner. But today, I’m the opposite of all of that. Today, I feel like I could chew off a person’s head without
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