A penny for your thoughts
Parker wasn’t usually awake this early, but he hadn’t been able to sleep last night, and when he saw the early morning sunlight on the horizon he decided he might as well stop trying.
“Maybe getting out of this dumpster of an apartment will make me feel better”
So he grabbed his jacket and began his descent down the 9 flights of stairs from his studio apartment to the street below. He passed his neighbor Mrs. Lefay as she was getting her mail from the mailboxes below. There was a large rectangular cardboard box laying at her feet. Her soft voice called out to him.
“Oh, Pardon me Parker, would you mind giving me a hand with this?”
Parker stopped just as he was about to open the door to the street, his hand still resting on the doorknob.
“I knew it”
Parker sighed.
“Sure Mrs. Lefay”
He hoped she had not heard his sigh. He really liked Mrs. Lefay, but today he just didn’t feel like talking to anyone. His life was falling apart and he really only wanted to be left alone.
“Thank you so much dear. I just can’t lift things like I used too.”
Parker picked up the package. It was heavier than he expected and slipped out of his grip, dropping back onto the floor with a loud metallic clang.
“Yikes, I hope I didn’t break anything”
“Oh don’t worry dear, It will take a lot more than that to break what’s in there. It was my brother Arthur’s, he died recently and his friends sent it to me for safekeeping.”
Mrs. Lefay chimed in, as if she could hear his thoughts.
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
Parker replied, now finally able to get the box on his shoulder.
“Don’t be, Arther lived a full life. Not all of us can live forever.”
Mrs. Lefay gave a small chuckle.
Parker followed Mrs. Lefay up 7 of the flights of stairs he had just walked down. She climbed the steps surprisingly fast for an old woman, and by the time they reached her apartment Parker was very out of breath. Mrs. Lefay unlocked the door and held it open for Parker. He walked in and placed the package on the floor. Mrs. Lefay stepped over the box on the floor and headed into her kitchen.
“Have you had breakfast yet honey? Let me cook something for you.”
“No that’s alright Mrs. Lefay. I’m really not hungry.”
Parker quickly made his way out of the apartment. He thought he heard Mrs. Lefay trying to protest from the kitchen but he just kept walking. He was finished talking.
He made his way back down the stairs and was able to successfully exit the building without any more old women trying to stop him. A light, soft rain fell from the grey sky. Cars drove by spraying mud and water up onto the sidewalk. Everyone walking by looked like they would rather be at home in bed.
Parker, feeling right at home in the dreary weather, stood on the sidewalk for a moment before crossing the street. There was a small park on the other side. He walked to the middle of the park and sat down on a bench. Early morning joggers ran by looking, in Parkers opinion, far too happy to be outside in the rain.
For the fist time that morning he let his thoughts turn to Anne. Tears formed behind his eyes but he held them back.
I have to confront her….
The day before he had gone over to Anne’s apartment to surprise her and found her in bed with her ex-boyfriend. She hadn’t noticed him.
Eight years…. For nothing.
He fingered the diamond ring in his pocket.
“Maybe I should have asked her sooner…”
“I just needed a little more time…”
“Idiot, What was I thinking, of course she would go back to him. He isn’t scared of commitment…”
“But she said it was fine, that we didn’t have to rush…
The tears flowed freely now. A jogger ran past and glanced at him.
“Good thing its raining.”
He knew he would have to say something to her. That was the part he dreaded most. Tears started forming in his eyes.
“How am I supposed to keep it together when I talk to her if I cant even think about it without crying…”
He tasted salt as a few teardrops reached his lips.
“Good grief I can’t hold myself together for two minutes. I’m such a loser..”
“…”
“Maybe I will just leave the city…”
“Mom and Dad will take me back in…”
“….”
“Then I’ll be a loser who lives with his parent’s…”
Someone sat down on the bench beside him. Parker turned away so they wouldn’t see his puffy red eyes.
“Why won’t people just leave me alone”
“A penny for your thoughts, dear?”
The sound of a familiar soft voice surprised Parker so much that he was able to stop crying .
He dried his eyes and turned to see the concerned face of Mrs. Lefay beside him on the bench. Her grey eyes seemed to understand exactly how he was feeling. He stared at her as she waited patiently for him to respond. Then, not really knowing why, he told her everything. Mrs. Lefay didn’t move at all while Parker was speaking. She showed no reaction to anything he said, but her eyes told parker she was listening keenly to every word. When he had finished talking Parker sat back on the bench and looked up into the tree branches overhead.
“Here you are dear”
Parker turned to see Mrs. Lefay holding out a shiny new penny for him to take. He chuckled softly and reached out to take it.
“Thank y-”
Parker found himself sitting alone on a bench in the middle of Avalon Park, staring at a bright new penny in his hand. It was raining.
“What am I doing out here?”
Parker did not know how he ended up in the park. Nor did he know anything about anyone named Anne. What he did know was that he was wet, cold, and tired. So, he pocketed the penny, went up to his apartment, and quickly fell asleep.
The next day an attractive young woman showed up at parkers apartment building. She was very irritated and keen to find out why Parker must have turned his cellphone off since none of her calls were going through. She began to climb the stairs to the 9th floor, but she never got higher than the 7th.
