“I didn’t know we have a kitchen.”
"I know. We get that all the time. But we serve food. Just the basics and sometimes I feel it's just a way to the customers to not drink on an empty stomach." Becky chuckled as she heard someone call for her from the other side of the room. She looked around and wave back.
"I've got to go. That's one of my regulars. Just remember to smile, get their order, take it to one of the guys and return with their drinks and get paid. Simple. Jenny and Sam have been handling some of those tables, so you just have to start from any new customer that comes in." She continued to give the final instructions and literally, almost everything still seemed like rocket science to me. I can't believe I'm doing this.
"It's really simple. You'll do great. Just let me know if you need anything."
Yes, very simple. I just hope I don’t mess it up.
I get out my pen and pad and smartly head towards the tables I had been assigned. Some men in suits are already trooping in and heading toward the direction of one of the empty tables in my section.
A couple of men, in their fifties or sixties, were already seated when I got there.
“Hi.” I beamed at them. “What can I get you lovely gentlemen this evening?” Reciting it just the way Becky had taught me earlier.
They smile at each other as if they are sharing an inside joke. That was weird and I promptly say so.
“Is there something wrong?”
One of them hurriedly spoke up.” No, no, no. It’s nothing to do with you, my dear. We just wanted to feel young again and so when you addressed us like that, it made us feel like our goals were finally happening. Sorry if we made you feel some kind of way.”
“Of course. Apology accepted. But how about some drinks to lose those stiff necks I see.”
They all burst out in belly-rumbling laughter. Well, these are easy to please, I guess. The good thing is they all ordered the same drinks I suggested they try and so for my first order as a waitress, I made over $30 in tips. Not bad, Jane. Not bad at all.
The evening continued to progress, and I even started to laugh genuinely. Most of my customers were newcomers and they seemed to blush around me. Maybe it was my jokes and compliments which I grew more confident telling as I watched the rest of the waitresses relate with their customers.
One thing I did notice even through my busy work hours was Jenny staring at me. There is something in that gaze. I really couldn't name the exact feeling, but I knew it made feel very uncomfortable. I would have to tell Becky about it and hear what she has to say about this. I managed to put Jenny out of my mind and was even succeeding in ignoring Jenny and her strange gazes. Sam instead did not mind pretending like I did not exist. She even once tried to approach my table while I was getting orders only to be told I was already on it. But I don’t even have time to dwell on that. It wasn’t until a few hours later when she and Jenny left that I started to feel real tension. I had more tables to cover and the bar just kept filling up. This was not how I pictured my first day.
I was on a back-to-back order, trying to calculate my tip in my head when I heard someone call me from behind.
"Hey, Redddie! I bet your pussy hair is all red and silky." I was so horrified that I quickly turned back to see the man with his half-closed bloodshot eyes throwing drunk sloppy kisses at me. I couldn't believe my ears. Did this man just try to-I can't even let myself think about it? I have work to do. Yes, I just have to focus on that. Work. It just works.
It soon felt like the other sloppy drunks took their cues from the first guy because I started randomly hearing someone catcalling me. Praising my ass and my titties, asking to touch my hair. Just when I thought I was done with this whole bartending experience; an old man came in and asked for whiskey. He seemed nice enough when he made the order, so I was not prepared for the reaction I got when I returned with the drink.
“So you’re new, eh?”
“Yes, I am”
“Oh, I know. Rick always gets the pretty ones.”
Attempting to humor even though I was not in the mood for compliments. He seemed like a harmless old man.
Till the worst happened. “You look like someone I met years ago.” He said as he revealed a set of yellow teeth.
“Oh really?”
“Yes, honey.”
"Hmmm, mmmm. Met on a street on a street of Paris in '96. She gave me a lifetime worth of experience."
“Wow. That’s-“
“I remember how wet her mouth was on my-“
“What?! God!”
My whole red turns red with mortification. I instantly place his drink on the table and can’t wait to get out of here when he grabs my arms. His grip is surprisingly firm for a man his age.
“I bet you can also do that. With that pretty mouth of yours.”
“Let go. Now.” I try to pull free, but his grip just grew tighter on my arm.
“Stop teasing, bitch!”
"She said to let go."
A deep voice from behind me which was menacingly low said those words. Even I felt the strength in the voice before I turn to see the most gorgeous human being, I have ever laid eyes on. He was not looking at me though. His gaze was unwavering on the old man grabbing me while his body was so dangerously still like a cat about to pounce.
“Get out of here, Cunt! This does not concern you.”
“Oh, I think it does. And unless you want to lose what is left of your teeth, I advise you to let her go. Now.”
I think that last word did it. The way his voice dropped so low it almost as if he was whispering but his eyes were warning about something different. The old man looked livid for about a minute knowing fully well that he couldn't possibly take on a young man who looked as fit as this handsome stranger.
"Yeah, Whatever. You probably can't leave up to the legacy of Celia anyway."
Immediately he let go of my arm, the stranger movement was so quick and silent. In a split second, he grabs the old man’s arm and said so calmly.
“Talk to her like that again and that will be the last thing you say.”
He tightened his grip until the man nodded hysterically. And when he finally let go, the old man tried to race off the bar but not before the stranger nodded in the direction of the drink on the table. The old man got the message and so he quickly brought his wallet, drops a couple of bills on the table and was out of the bar in seconds.
I had stood through all that exchange like I was watching something out a movie.
“You okay?”
“I am.” I take in a deep breath. “I think I am. Thanks.” I try to muster a smile. “I mean, thank you for that. I don’t know what I would have done if hadn’t shown up.”
He gave a lopsided smile. “I’m sure you would have handled it. You’ve held up well for your first day. I saw you ignore those other guys earlier.”
“Oh, trust me. I was but this- “pointing at the table the old man had sat “-this was just too wild for me. Really, thank you again.”
“Don’t worry about it. My name is Ray.” I take in his really lithe and muscular body. He looks like he belonged on magazine covers or something. With those captivating baby blue eyes and ruffled mop of brown hair. But his smile, now this is the real danger.
“My name is Jane. Nice to meet you, Ray.” I take his hand and he gave me a lopsided grin.
“What?”
“Is it weird that I think you look like a fish out the water here? You don’t even look like you want to be here.”
I chuckled. “To be honest, this is my first time doing something like this. I would take the quiet of a library to the chaos in a bar anytime.”
“And yet, here you are. An introvert working in a bar. Isn’t that interesting?”
“Oh, it is. Especially with the way things are going. I think a book should be written about this.”
"It's not so bad." I raise my brows to remind him of the old man. "Okay. Maybe occasionally. But it’s because you are new. And they will b
ack off soon."
“I hope so. You come here often, Ray.”
“Often enough. Are you- “
A couple of men walk by and one of them stops to call out. "Hey, Ray. It’s time to leave. Remember we have a business to see to."
“Sure. I’ll be out in a minute.”
He turned and smiled at me when his friends left.
"I have to go." Then he blew my mind by taking my hand and planting the lightest touch of a kiss.
“See you around, Jane. Be safe.” He said with a wink.
“Yeah, good night.”
“Good night.”
And just like that, he walked out of the bar.
The feel of his lips on my hand had sent a warmth down my body and I stood there staring at the door, hugging the tray to my chest, smiling and blushing like an Idiot.
Even though I feel a little disappointed he had not taken my number, I remember that he mentioned he came to the bar often. So, there is a high probability that I would see him again. Soon.
I finish my shift by midnight and head home for a well-deserved rest. My feet and body were tired, but I couldn't get Ray out of my mind. That night, as I climbed into my bed, I knew I was counting the hours till I saw him again. Hopefully, tomorrow.
Chapter 3
I wake up the next morning around 9 am. I must have been tired because I normally never sleep in. But I can cut myself some slack. I was going to have to get used to getting enough rest since I am now a night worker. I chuckle at the ridiculous term I used to describe my new job.
I get out of bed and head for the bathroom. Well, it looks like I still have a lot of time before my shift starts at 5 pm. I would have to think of something to do today. But first, food. And coffee. Coffee is super important.
I walk into the kitchen and smile as my mind went to Ray again. Is it weird that dreamt about him last night? In my dreams, which was like a reenactment scene from my favorite movie-Titanic-, we were on a ship, or was it a boat? I’m not really sure anymore. But it was just two of us and the clear blue sky in the middle of the ocean. He was wearing white shorts and I was in a white one-piece swimsuit. Having the time of our lives staring into each other’s eyes. I sigh. At one point we even had cute and perfect babies.
Oh, wouldn’t that be sweet? If I see him again, that is.
I shake my head in efforts to my overactive imaginations to stop overthinking. I poured some coffee beans into the coffee maker, I had managed to salvage from my mother’s house, and turn it on. I opened the fridge to bring out eggs and other stuff for pancakes. They were my happy food. And since I am in such a jolly mood, pancakes it is.
A few minutes later, I took my plate of pancakes and my second cup of coffee into the living room. I place them on the center table while I take the TV remote to find something interesting on the television. I flick through channels till I see something about a celebrity reality show. So, this is what Becky liked. Maybe I should give it a try. I eat my breakfast while watching a couple of athlete wives fight about who started a fight. In some weird way, it is kinda funny. The things these folks do or never have to do. They don't look like they have any serious worries other than what their next plastic surgery should be. Maybe I can understand what Becky sees in them anyway. It is good entertainment for people that are into that kind of thing but after 30 minutes of fluff TV, I decide that I am not one of those people.
I finish my breakfast and go to wash up in the kitchen. There is something about washing with my hands. I preferred it. It was still early so I decide to read some books. I have the most interesting collection. I go to my mini library and looked through books about overcoming depression, human psychology, anatomy, and alchemy. You know, this is probably a great time to go check out the local library. I liked keeping an open mind when going to the library. Let the book find me. It was almost noon when I stepped out of my apartment armed with my list of things to get from the grocery store and a tiny map of the city when I finally leave for the library.
It was not that far so I decided to walk, which is also a great way to see this city I now call home. As I walk past several blocks and stores, I have this uncomfortable feeling. I could feel the hair at the back of my neck rise. It feels like someone is following. I turn back and find everyone just going about their business, running errands and stuff. People were crossing the street. Cars and busses moving purposefully along the road. It didn't seem like anyone made it their life's work to follow the red-haired girl as she made her way to the library. But this feeling persisted for about twenty minutes till I got to the library even though I saw nothing suspicious when I turned to look occasionally. It was probably just in my head, my overactive imagination at work again, I guess.
I have never been happier to stand in front of a pedestal of knowledge. This library was quite impressive. I expected to see a quaint structure but just like everything in this city, even this library looked like a work of art with its red bricks arranged like a puzzle set in the 60s. I was feeling good already. I go in to find that it feels just as warm and comfy as it looked. There is this calm and order that is found in a cathedral of books. There are few people about and it is quiet. The library clerk was nice when she attended to me. I moved on to look through the various sections of the library. The history section was quite diverse.
I look through several books and a particular one about Salem trials draws my attention. I was quite curious after leafing through a few pages and so finally settled on the book. I move to sit in the reading room on the sixth floor. As I stepped into the room, there were just a few people and most seemed quite engrossed in their work. On my walk to the back, I passed by a guy who had his neck bent on a medical journal. He looked up as if he felt before he even saw me. Our eyes locked for a millisecond before he quickly tore his gaze away. He is quite good looking in a cute but rather shy way. I couldn't really tell the color of his eyes through his thick glasses, but he seemed harmless and cute. I changed my mind and decide to sit in a chair adjacent to his. He immediately looks away when he saw that I noticed he was stealing glances at me. I feel a giddy kind of feeling in my belly when he looked again and this time our gaze locked. We stare at each other for about 10 seconds and I start to feel hot all over. There was a tingly warm feeling running up between my legs. I have never had this sort of reaction with a guy before upon intense and smoldering eye contact. He is so good looking though. He looks like he is in his early 20s. His eyes send a very warm and welcoming vibe. Like he could sit and stare at me forever. But I start to feel a bit of remorse. Was it not just hours ago I was dreaming of having babies and loving up on a ship with Ray? And here I am after all those incredible fantasies, having a moment with another guy. But you know what? Nothing is official. Maybe Ray was just being nice last night, with looks like that, he is probably used to talking to a lot of women. And he didn’t even ask for my number last night. And maybe this new guy was not even feeling me like that. I had better just sit here with my book. If he wants to come over, then fine. If not, I will just enjoy my book and leave.
I soon get so engrossed in the book that I forget about the hot guy. The book detailed the trials at Salem quite succinctly.
“One of the most researched tales in history is the Salem trial. About some centuries ago, in the 1600s, it was a popular belief among the devout Christians that the Devil could possess some people and those kinds of people are known as witches, it is believed that the devil can empower them to cast spells that can result in harm for others. This resulted in crippling fear of witches. This fear of witches also known as ‘the witchcraft craze’ was particularly manifested in the 1300s to the end of the 1600s. During this period, it was recorded that about Tens of thousands of ‘supposed’ witches—mostly women—were accused and eventually killed as punishment for bewitchment. One of the reasons why the Salem trials resonated through America was because it came on just as the European craze was winding down, local circumstances explain their onset.
King Willia
m’s Wart was the name given to the war that ravaged the American colonies in 1689. This was because England started a war with France through the King and queen of England. And this spread into the American colonies. This war-ravaged the districts of upstate New York, Nova Scotia, and Quebec thus sending some refugees fleeing into the Essex and more into Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Making these districts habituated by different people from different parts of the world.
(It is important to note that Salem Village is the present-day Danvers, Massachusetts and the colonial Salem Town is the present-day Salem.)
The dilemma originated from the household of Reverend Parris in 1692, when his daughter Elizabeth, and niece, Abigail Williams. They came down with a fever, but they also started acting out in a delusional way. They were reported to be exhibiting strange behaviors like screaming and paranoia, they threw things, twisted themselves in postures, and made bizarre and unheard noises. These sorts of behavior were unseen in Salem, so they consulted a doctor who confirmed everyone’s fears. When he couldn’t diagnose their strange symptoms, he concluded they had been bewitched. Although he was not still taken seriously until another girl in the village, Ann Putnam also started to exhibit similar symptoms like Abigail and Elizabeth. These led to a series of actions that followed.
Soon the whole city went on a rampage to bring the suspected witches to the magistrate court. The accused women were Tituba, the Parris' Caribbean slave; Sarah Good, a homeless beggar; and Sarah Osborne, a poor elderly woman. And under pressure from several courts, the sick girls were made to testify that these women did indeed bewitch them.
These women were tried and interrogated. While Osborne and Good claimed innocence, Tituba confessed to the allegations against her. There are some reports that she admitted to serving the devil and signing a book as there were also other witches that are on a mission to destroy the puritans. She also claimed that she saw images of black dogs, yellow birds, red cats, and a black man. With this admission from Tituba, all the women were put in jail and found guilty of witchcraft.
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