Beetlebottom #12

Do You Have a Bathroom I Could Use

It was about 6:45 am when Destiny finished her breakfast and coffee. Lilli never did come around to offer a refill, though she seemed to keep the other customers cups full enough.

The snide remarks and comments from the diner patrons became white noise while Destiny planned her next few steps.

She kept a cautious eye on the road, looking for any sign that David Lee Royce was up and about…looking for her. Hunting for her.

Destiny got up from her booth and moved towards Lilli and the cash register. She purposely met the stares of the men, plus the rubber neck gawking of Always Right Rose and Paula Pissypants.

“ How much do I owe you?” Destiny inquired.

Lilli for her part, was by far the most attractive woman in Beetlebottom. Lilli had the full attention of every adult male that had a heartbeat.

 Other women knew that their men thought that Lilli was the greatest thing they had ever seen.

Men that didn't like coffee, would go to the HazBean Cafe, to drink coffee anyways and make small talk.

Lilli, woman that she was, knew the effect she had. 

It didn't change the fact that she had dreadful luck in relationships and marriage. Men were definitely attracted, like moths to a lightbulb. But…once the men found out that Lilli was an independent thinking, independent doing woman, that still entertained other male attention, well, you know, Lilli's choice of man wouldn't stay long.

Lilli responded to Destiny's question about the price of her breakfast.

“That'll be 4.75.”

Destiny thought that was pretty fair.

“ Thank-you, that was a tasty breakfast, you did that up real nice. Good coffee too.” Destiny offered to the obviously uncomfortable Lilli.

Lilli returned the compliment with a non committal, flat toned, “ you're welcome “

Lilli took stock of the wild and unfamiliar looking woman. So exotic in appearance as to be kinda scary.

If Lilli had effect of a hand grenade, then this leather clad, tattoo wearing, blonde  was a nuclear bomb.

Destiny noticed Lilli's discomfort.

She asked, “ is there a bathroom over at the bus depot?”

Lilli didn't want to be overheard helping this bizarre stranger.

Lilli responded. “ You, know, I'm not really sure about that. And, uh , ours is busted, gotta get it fixed.”

Destiny had seen the truckers make several trips to the HazBean bathroom, and Always Right Rose and her sister Paula each made two trips this morning.

Destiny paid and left a dollar bill for a tip.

Lilli couldn't help but automatically raise her eyebrows while noticing the generous tip, in exchange for cold shouldered service.

Then she heard the words that haunted her for days.

Destiny caught Lilli's eyes directly.

“ Thanks again, and…uh. Hmmm. I'm sure we'll meet again one day.”

Lilli's poor little Beetlebottom mind had no place to file that comment.

Inside Lilli's head, those words bounced like the steel ball in a pinball machine.

“ What does that mean?...why did she say that?...why would she meet me again?”

Destiny turned and left Lilli standing at the till.

She went to her booth, and gathered her things.

Every eyeball in the HazBean Cafe studied every move.

When Destiny got to the door, she pushed it open, the bell above the door jingled.

Destiny turned to face the staring eyeballs and vacant faces.

“ You all have a good day.”

She paused to scan each face, then she slipped out the door.

The bell above the door jingled it's song again.

Destiny walked across the street to the bus depot.

There was only one black family in Beetlebottom, the Robinsons.

The mother of two fine boys, and the proud wife of Earl Robinson, Carletta worked the ticket desk at the bus stop.

Carletta was surprised when she looked up to see someone she didn't know come in through the door.

That never happens.

Carletta took a good look up and down the woman that just stepped off the Beetlebottom street early in the morning.

“ Can I help you, honey?” Carletta offered.

“ Yes, ma'am, I understand there's a bus at 7 this morning, coming in a few minutes. Is that correct?”

“ That's right, everyday, most of the time”

Destiny relaxed visibly.

 Destiny asked,  “How far does the bus go on this route?”

“ Well, honey, if you have both the time, and the money, that bus will have you right out to the coast  in 12 hours, with 4 stops in between.”

Better than expected, Destiny thought.

“ I'd like a ticket for the coast then , please.”

“ How much is that?”

“ That'll be 8 dollars plus tax, so 8 dollars and 60 cents all in.” Carletta answered, and double checked her cardboard chart to make sure that was right.

Destiny reached into her purse and pulled out a wad of money, the likes of which Carletta had never seen before.

“ Damn girl, what are you doing walking around with a roll like that in these parts?” Carletta couldn't help herself from saying.

Quickly, Destiny came back with “ This, oh yeah. I sold my car a few days ago. I'm putting this in the bank when I get home”

Carletta thought to herself with the mind of an experienced woman, “ Musta been quite the car”

Carletta did manage to ask… “And where is your home, darling?”

Destiny sidestepped her question and asked one of her own. Destiny had her eye on the bus depot walk clock.

“ Do you have a bathroom here?” She asked, while already knowing the answer. She had seen the wooden sign.

“ Yes, ma'am, right there at the back. Cleaned it myself this morning” Carletta answered back. While punching the bus ticket.

Destiny grabbed her bag and purse and went into the bus depot washroom.

When she came out a few minutes later, she had let her ponytail go. 

She wrapped a pale colored scarf around her shoulders.

 Destiny had swapped the leather jacket for a brown coat that went down over her hips.

 The old black army boots got exchanged for simple black slip-on shoes.

 She had put a pair of black gloves on that covered her groomed fingernails and the tattoos on the back of her hands.

As Destiny stepped out into the middle of the bus depot and gathered herself up, the bus pulled up out front.

The driver left the diesel engine running, and got off the bus. The driver brought in two parcels and a handful of brown envelopes to hand over to Carletta at the desk.

Destiny noticed one other person disembark from the noisy old bus. 

A middle aged man, with a gray felt hat, a gray overcoat, brown pants and brown shoes. He carried a simple brown suitcase.

When he stepped on to the curb, the man pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from the inside pocket of his coat.

The man examined whatever was on the paper and then folded it gently and precisely again. He place the paper back in his coat pocket. Picked up his suitcase and walked away.

Inside, the bus driver turned to Destiny , and asked, “Are you coming with us today, ma'am?” 

“ Why yes, yes I'm am. Thank you.”

“Can I take your bag for you?” the bus driver offered.

“ No, thanks, I've got it.” Destiny smiled back at him gently.

She stepped up into the waiting bus. There were 5 other passengers spread out in the seats.

Destiny made her way to the last row of seats. She put her bag on the seat. She sat down beside her bag and scrunched it over a bit more. She had a good view of everyone else on the bus from here.

It was just a minute later, when the driver got back on the bus and swung the door closed.

There was a dull clunk and and bit of gear grinding as the driver eased into 1st gear.

As the bus made its way down the main street of Beetlebottom, Destiny opened her bag part way, and checked that the 357 pistol was ready to go at a moment's notice.

Destiny zipped the bag back up.

She adjusted herself and leaned over the bag, placed her head against the bus window and fell into a deep sleep