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| Returning Home | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter One | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Small quiet streets with a few people walking around enjoying the warm sun of the afternoon.� It was an old town, widely spread out in the Irish country-side.� The perfect place for someone to start over, no more then a dot on the map, but Dallas had found it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| She walked into the pub that was across the street from where the bus had dropped her off.� It was a cheery place, filled with dark wooden furniture and stained glass lamps.� Dallas dropped her backpack on the floor and took a seat on one of the bar stools.� The slightest hint of her city upbringing found its way out in that she carefully slipped one foot through the shoulder strap of her bad to endure that no one could walk off with it if she wasn't paying attention.� The room around her was mostly quiet except a handful of people sitting at tables having early lunches. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Noticing a newspaper sitting on the bar, Dallas picked it up and began to read; if she was going to live in this town she might as well get a job right off the bat.� Most of the news was just small town stuff so-and-so had a baby, such and such estate was up for sale and on.� One thing she was surprised by was the large section titled "In Other Parts".� Whoever ran this little paper sure was intent on covering what was going on in the outside world, Dallas thought with a frown. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turning aside the world news Dallas began to read the classifieds intently.� She was so focused on the paper that she didn't notice the proprietor until he was standing right across from her on the other side of the bar.� "What'll ya be haven miss?"� He was a tall man with gray hair and intense gray eyes.� Dallas jumped at the sound of his thick Irish voice, "Sorry, didn't mean ta startle ya."� The man apologized. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It's okay.� Can I just start with a Sprite or something along those lines?� I'm not quite used to the time zone yet, as my stomach keeps reminding me."� Dallas offered him a weak smile. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How about a ginger ale?� Ya sure you won't be wantin' anything to eat?� How about a bit of bread to settle yer stomach?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That does sound like a good idea,"� Dallas answered with a smile after a moment of thought, "Thank you."� As the proprietor left Dallas turned back to the classifieds.� This time when he returned Dallas was more aware and sensed his arrival. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Here ya go lass."� He set down a plate with a few slices of fresh homemade bread and some butter along with her drink.� She thanked him and he was just turning away when he observed her interest in the classified section of the paper.� "Anything particular yerlookin' fer?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes there is," she gave him a weak smile.� "A job and a place to stay." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh?"� The man raised one gray bushy eyebrow.� "How long you planning on staying around?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dallas shrugged.� "I'm not sure, preferably indefinitely." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What inspired to come here?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I used to vacation here with my parents when I was a child." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The old man studied her face intently; finally when he spoke it was in a low concerned tone.� "What be ya' runnin from?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dallas sat silently a few moments, debating what to tell him; finally she decided that it would do any harm to tell him the truth, "A relationship gone sour." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Pretty drastic change over such a thing." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I guess so, but his choice was a drastic one also.� We were a week from the wedding, we'd been together nearly three years, and one of my maids of honor comes to me and tells me that she can't be in the wedding, she's pregnant."� She paused a moment and looked the man squarely in the eyes, then asked him bitterly, "And do you know who the father is?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He looked at her blankly, wondering at her anger and bitterness, the suddenly it became clear, "Oh lass, I'm sorry."� He touched her hand with his own weathered one in a gesture of comfort.� Her hand flinched slightly away from his touch.� "Are you alright?" his grey eyes shown with concern. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dallas inwardly chided herself; he was just trying to be nice, she told herself.� But no matter who it was, she couldn't stand to have a man touch her.� "I'm fine, just a little tired."� She tried to cover lamely.� He opened his mouth as if to press the subject but closed it, deciding better of it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You say yer' lookin' fer work?� What kind?" He asked changing the subject to something else. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well, anything for the moment, until I can get my feet on the ground." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Have any table waitin' experience?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Some, why?� Do you know of anyone hiring?"� Dallas asked sitting up straighter. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why yes I do.� I am.� Meagan, my old waitress just left, she got married and decided she didn't want to be working anymore."� He paused a moment thinking.� He seemed to do that often, stop abruptly and ponder something completely different.� "I might also be of some assistance in the boarding necessity.� That is, if you don?t mind cleaning it up a bit." Dallas raised an eyebrow and nodded for him to continue.� "There's a small apartment upstairs.� The original owner used to live there, but that was long ago.� Now it's just collects dust and boxes that I'm too lazy to take out to the trash. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What kind of hours would we be talking about?"� Dallas's voice took on professional tone. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I open promptly at nine for breakfast and close around 10.� Bess works from nine to 3, while her two girls are in school, but we always can use an extra set of hands.� What would you say to working from one to closing?� Saturdays we don't open until eleven and Sundays, we are closed, on account of the Sabbath. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sounded like long hours to Dallas, but then again, what else had she to do?� She nodded, "And pay?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The figure he gave her wasn't amazing, but it wasn?t bad either, "Sounds good to me.� I'd like to see that apartment when you get a chance." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I can take ya up now if you'd like." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "But what about your customers?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh they can manage a few minutes without me."� He glanced at one of the tables, "I'm goin' upstairs for a moment Molly, just holler on up if you need anything."� Then looking back to her, he looked at Dallas with a smile full of humor, "You ready?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes, no doubt.� Oh, by the way, I'm Dallas Lorien." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Galden Meir."� Galden gave her another smile and lead the way up a narrow flight of stairs. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The room defiantly wasn't much to look at; it seemed as if it hadn't been touched in years, save a pile of boxes that were just thrown in the door.� Dallas was thankful that the old owner had covered all the furniture before leaving, so they weren't too inundated with dust and age. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Here's the key.� And seeing that this is only your first day here I won't insist you work tomorrow, but if you feel like taking pity on an old man, I could use some help with the dinner customers." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How does five sound?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Like music to an old man's ears," Galden joked.� | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Just as he was turning to leave Dallas stopped him, "We haven't discussed rent yet." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well I'll take you cleaning the place up as rent for the first month; after you';ve spent some time here you can tell me what you think it's worth," his eyes fell to her backpack slung over one shoulder.� "Is that all you came here with?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No," she answered with a laugh.� "My trunk isn't arriving until tomorrow morning." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Alright, well I'll leave you to get settle.� Here's the key to the closet down the hall, that's where I keep all the cleaning supplies and the clean linens."� He handed her another key and turned to leave again. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Thank you, oh, and one more thing." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes?"� Galden turned back to look at her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Where is the nearest grocery store?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The nearest one of those proper is a few miles away, but down the block you?ll find a fine deli, bakery, butcher and a small farmer's market.� And if you be needin' anything they don't have, I'm sure they can tell you where you?d be findin' it.� Anything else I can help you with?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No, you've been more then helpful, thank you." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No thanks needed."� With that Galden slipped out the door. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dallas spent the remainder of the day cleaning the little two bedroom apartment.� The bedroom overlooked the street and off the kitchen/living room was a small bathroom, with an old-fashioned porcelain tub.� She was surprised to find the cupboards were still full of dishes and such, as if someone had just left, not bothering to take anything with them.� Everything had to be leaned of course, but it was all still usable. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By ten that night, she fell onto the bed fully exhausted.� She had gotten most everything clean, there were still a few small things to take care of, but they could wait. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saturday Dallas awoke with the sun and finished with the little bit of cleaning, then decided to walk around town and find the stores that Galden had told her about the day before. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Everything about the town was like a step back in time to the 40s, Dallas felt like she needed to be dressed in a skirt and sweater just to walk around the town.� It also had that small town feel, like everyone knew everyone else.� It didn't take her long to find the little shops and then the post office.� The man at the desk said he would get someone to deliver her trunk that afternoon, before she knew it, the day was well on its way to noon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| She hurried back to the pub and arrived only moment before the man who had her trunk did.� By the time her trunk was unpacked and she had stored her groceries, it was just about five o'clock.� She hurriedly changed her clothes to something she deemed more appropriate to wait tables in.� The evening passed quickly, the little pub was busy and kept her moving. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Her first few days passed much in the same fashion, the hours she spent not working she explored the area around the town and when she was working the hours seemed to fly by, but it was the hours during the night, when there was nothing else to do, that seemed eternally long.� She never had been much of a sleeper, only a few hours a night, and it was during those long hours sitting in the dark of her apartment that the cold painful memories of the year after her almost wedding would surface.� During the day she had things to occupy her mind and keep her memories at bay, but at night everything came back to her, the loneliness, the sadness, the anger, the bitterness and finally the blood freezing fear. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By the fourth night she couldn't take it anymore; while she had been in London she had been able to loose herself in the night life, (unfortunately Michael had been able to find her there), but in this small town, the pub was the night life. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Out of sheer desperation she began to search our every nook and cranny that she had ignored, cleaning everything until it shined, and fixed even the slightest squeak in hinges.� While mopping the floor under the sink she found something that seemed odd.� It looked like a panel of the wall was removable.� Getting down on her hands and knees she began to push and pull on the square section of wall, until finally, when she was just about to give up, the section just fell away allowing Dallas to peer into the space inside the walls.� She could just make out that there seemed to be some things hidden within.� She reached in and pulled out a wooden box covered in many years worth of dust and cobwebs, then what seemed to be a large pad of painting paper.� With her new found treasures next to her, Dallas sat Indian style on the kitchen floor and began to study the wooden box.� Turning it over and over in her hands she could not find the latch to open it.� She knew it opened because she heard things tumbling about inside when she turned it about.� All of a sudden her index finger found a little notch on one side, she pushed on it and to her joy she heard a click and the lid popped open.� Peering inside she discovered tubes of paint, a couple paint brushes, and a stock of drawing pencils. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| She smiled softly to herself, someone up there must really like me, she thought as she remembered how much she used to enjoy drawing and painting while in college.� Taking the box and paper with her, she found a comfortable position in her chair and began to draw.� She didn?t draw anything profound or amazing, just whatever came to mind or something that was in the room.� Eventually she drifted off to sleep with pencil still in hand.� | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter Index Home | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||