An Order of Coffee and Tears by Spangler Brian

Author:Spangler, Brian [Spangler, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Literary Fiction
Published: 2012-09-02T07:00:00+00:00

11

When Detective Ramiz left the diner, I turned to face Ms. Potts, and wanted to scream, Is it true? Is any of it true? But I couldn’t. The thought of any of this, all of it, was overwhelming. As I considered the breadth of the detective’s accusations, I thought I’d start to cry. I mean, this was my new family, my home, and the two angels who’d saved my life a year ago might be falling from heaven right in front of me. The faint sound of the bell above the door pulled my attention – we were alone. A part of me wanted a full diner: a busy diner. A diner full of life that I could hide in and not be concerned about what I’d just heard.

“Gabby, you don’t need to worry yourself with any of this. We’ve known the detective for the better of twenty years, now. And we answered his questions already; more than a few times,” Ms. Potts explained, but her voice lacked the same confidence as her words.

“I heard the detective,” I began, “We all heard him. And he wasn’t here just to give you a hard time. He has a plan. I don’t know exactly what it is, but whatever it is he has, he has more of it now, and I don’t think he is going to stop.”

“M-Ma’am, do you think G-Gabby right?” Clark questioned, and was immediately met by a loud shhhh, as Ms. Potts raised her hand in his direction. But Ms. Potts regarded what Clark said as worry creased her brow. She closed her eyes, and began to rock back and forth.

“Ma’am?” Clark implored. Ms. Potts raised her hand again, and tightened her eyes shut, as though running from the questions in the darkness. She continued to rock back and forth.

“Ma’am – can’t go back to prison,” Clark whimpered. Ms. Potts stopped rocking and opened her eyes with a deep sigh. She pushed her glasses back, and looked at me and Suzette, and then Clark.

“I know it, Clark. I’ve known it these last twenty years. Ain’t nobody known it like I do. Baby, you…” her words stopped, and she heaved in air and began to cry.

“I don’t know what happened. But, does it still matter – does it matter anymore?” Suzette muttered, “I mean, the detective’s entire case seems to hinge on an eye-witness account of Mr. Potts being here, in the diner.”

“M-Miss Suzette, he was here that n-night. And s-so was w-we,” Clark stammered, and I could see he was shaken badly. Scared. Clark began to move his lips like he had earlier. He was praying. Only, now he was praying for more. Something did happen that night, and both Clark and Ms. Potts were involved. I hated thinking of them in this light; it was surreal and almost impossible to comprehend. Could they have been part of a murder?

“So, something happened? What?” I insisted, and heard frustration in my voice. I’d never before talked to Ms. Potts or Clark like that.

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