sunday_reveries - "...so few win...so many lose."
"Life is a game with many rules but no referee. One learns how to play it more by watching it than by consulting any book, including the holy book. Small wonder, then, that so many play dirty, that so few win, that so many lose."
Joseph Brodsky
Cori walked out of the flower shop with twenty dollars. She was skipping by the time she turned the corner, and headed straight for the grocery store. It was all worked out in her head, and she felt nearly light-headed with the giddiness of it.
Moving into the store, she ignored the stare from the manager as he followed her up and down the aisles. As she reached up to get a box of graham crackers, she heard the loud sound of the man clearing his throat.
"You have to pay for that, you know."
Pursing her lips, Cori turned around. She wasn't a mean girl. She didn't have a mean bone in her body, but you don't live where Cori lived and not know how to pretend. Glaring, she reached into her pocket and held up the twenty dollar bill between two painted fingertips. "I've got money. Go away."
She wouldn't say she didn't steal occasionally. She did. People had to survive, and they did what they needed to do, sometimes. It was the way it was, and animals stole all the time. Laws of the wild. Survival. She didn't feel sorry.
Holding the box under her arm, she moved over to get a bag of marshmallows. She would make s'mores, and she thought Jade and Krissie would like them and be happy. If Jade and Krissie were happy, Jake and Dylan would be, too. Maybe she could save enough to make one for Tabby, too.
The marshmallows joined the graham crackers under her arm, and she moved to get the chocolate bars. She closed her hand over several bars and moved to start toward the cashier.
A loud sigh caught her attention, and she rolled her head back and frowned. "I told you I was gonna pay."
Turning around, she saw that one of the baggers had joined the manager, and they were both glaring at her. "I've seen you in here before, and you didn't pay then."
Cori was nothing if not honest. "I didn't have money then."
She heard the things they said under their breath, but it didn't bother her. She wasn't stupid. She wasn't homeless, either. Her home was simply made of people.
They made her sit in the office, and threatened to call the cops. She remained silent the entire time, looking away from the men as they talked and talked. They never said anything new, and the chocolate bars were getting mushy because she didn't let go of them.
After an hour, she threw the melted chocolate bars on the floor and dropped the graham crackers and marshmallows next to them. Crossing her arms, she stood up and stomped over to the door. When the manager grabbed her arm, she was completely shocked. She did it without thinking. Cori watched his face, and he looked so tired. In a matter of seconds, she saw a new wrinkle join the tiny lines in the corner of his eye and she jerked her arm free. "Leave me alone."
She thought about fixing him. She could. Reaching out, she sighed and looked down when he backed away, nearly tripping over his feet in his haste. His voice sounded scared when he told her to get out, and she felt sorry for that.
Cori left the store behind, her twenty dollars heavy in her pocket. No s'mores today. She burst into tears just as it started to rain.
Joseph Brodsky
Cori walked out of the flower shop with twenty dollars. She was skipping by the time she turned the corner, and headed straight for the grocery store. It was all worked out in her head, and she felt nearly light-headed with the giddiness of it.
Moving into the store, she ignored the stare from the manager as he followed her up and down the aisles. As she reached up to get a box of graham crackers, she heard the loud sound of the man clearing his throat.
"You have to pay for that, you know."
Pursing her lips, Cori turned around. She wasn't a mean girl. She didn't have a mean bone in her body, but you don't live where Cori lived and not know how to pretend. Glaring, she reached into her pocket and held up the twenty dollar bill between two painted fingertips. "I've got money. Go away."
She wouldn't say she didn't steal occasionally. She did. People had to survive, and they did what they needed to do, sometimes. It was the way it was, and animals stole all the time. Laws of the wild. Survival. She didn't feel sorry.
Holding the box under her arm, she moved over to get a bag of marshmallows. She would make s'mores, and she thought Jade and Krissie would like them and be happy. If Jade and Krissie were happy, Jake and Dylan would be, too. Maybe she could save enough to make one for Tabby, too.
The marshmallows joined the graham crackers under her arm, and she moved to get the chocolate bars. She closed her hand over several bars and moved to start toward the cashier.
A loud sigh caught her attention, and she rolled her head back and frowned. "I told you I was gonna pay."
Turning around, she saw that one of the baggers had joined the manager, and they were both glaring at her. "I've seen you in here before, and you didn't pay then."
Cori was nothing if not honest. "I didn't have money then."
She heard the things they said under their breath, but it didn't bother her. She wasn't stupid. She wasn't homeless, either. Her home was simply made of people.
They made her sit in the office, and threatened to call the cops. She remained silent the entire time, looking away from the men as they talked and talked. They never said anything new, and the chocolate bars were getting mushy because she didn't let go of them.
After an hour, she threw the melted chocolate bars on the floor and dropped the graham crackers and marshmallows next to them. Crossing her arms, she stood up and stomped over to the door. When the manager grabbed her arm, she was completely shocked. She did it without thinking. Cori watched his face, and he looked so tired. In a matter of seconds, she saw a new wrinkle join the tiny lines in the corner of his eye and she jerked her arm free. "Leave me alone."
She thought about fixing him. She could. Reaching out, she sighed and looked down when he backed away, nearly tripping over his feet in his haste. His voice sounded scared when he told her to get out, and she felt sorry for that.
Cori left the store behind, her twenty dollars heavy in her pocket. No s'mores today. She burst into tears just as it started to rain.