Angel is Sick

Angel told me today that she has cancer. It didn't surprise me. Women like her are inevitably going to fall into poor health. It's the lifestyle they lead. Yes, you can tell just by looking at her. I know her type, my own mother is one.

That doesn't mean that I don't love Angel, 'cause I do. I know that there is nothing I can do than to just listen to her speak. It upsets me to see her hurting, not just emotionally but physically. No number of crystals or healing potions can help her now. The worst thing is that she spends all of her money on cheap cigarettes, booze and drugs. She has no money for health care and that's just the way it is.

She shouldn't even be at work in the state that she is. She should be at home in bed, resting and healing. Oh Angel, it's a cruel, cruel world.

Jude Picks Me Up From Work

A few days ago a guy asked me out on a date. His name is Jude and I've known him for a little while. He goes to the same parties as me. He's not really that attractive in the traditional sense but he's smart and interesting and well spoken so I gave him my number. At my age I can't afford to be to fussy and it's not that often that I get asked out by a guy that doesn't make me throw up a little at the back of my throat. Jude is a designer. I like that.

Tonight he picked me up from the shop. He waited around while Angel and I cashed up. Angel whispered to me "He likes you. I know, I'm psychic." When I told Jude about it later, he was angered "You don't have to be psychic to know that if a man comes to see a lady at work then he probably likes her. My God, that woman is intolerable!"

Aside from that the date went well.

Man in the Red Sports Car

A few months ago I was walking home from work when a man in a red sports car pulled up beside me. He wound down the window.
"You got a name?" he said in a thick accent that I couldn't quite pick.
"Excuse me?"
"You got a name?" he repeated
"Oh, I'm Ivy"
"Hey Ivy, you like coffee? You and me, you wanna go get coffee tonight?"
"No thanks" I started to walk away.
He yelled out of the car window "Tomorrow night?"
I lauged audibly "No thanks, but good try."
What a creep.

That same man came into my store this afternoon. I don't think he remembered me but he was still trying it on. "You have pretty hair" he said as I handed him his change. When he left the psychic told me that she had "Got a bad vibe from that guy." I'm not surprised.

Baked Before the Boss Comes

I went into work to check my hours for the coming week. Angel and Telly were there. Telly was sitting on the bench behind the counter and Angel was carting a few bags of garbage towards the door. "Hey babe!" she screamed with excitement. I huged her, and finally understood the expression 'Sack of bones.' I followed her to the dumpster out back where she threw the trash. "How've ya been beautiful?" she asked.
"Pretty good, how was your week?"
She sighed "It was ok I guess. Hey, come to my car."
We headed around the corner to a quiet little street. Her beat-up old rust bucket was sitting there. We got in and she lit up a joint which we passed between each other. It was good stuff, I mean really good stuff. I could barely see. I filled her in about my weekend and then remembered why I came. "Oh Angel, I better ask before I forget," I coughed "When am I working next?"
"You're on at four hun. Didn't you know that?"
"Shit!" By this stage I was far too baked to work "What time is it?"
"It's almost three, oh, and Gavin is coming in this afternoon." Gavin is the owner. He owns the many 'Metaphysical Gifts' stores on the West Coast. Damn it, I thought, I am so fired.
"Hey Angel, I'd better go home and get changed."
"You want a ride?"
"Ah, I'm alright, it's just up the next block"
"I'll give you a ride."
She dropped me home. I grabbed a black shirt out of my trunk and threw it on. Fuck Fuck Fuck. I brewed some strong coffee and gulped it down. Shit shit shit. I chomped down some crisps. Fuck fuck fuck. I couldn't think of anyother way I could bring myself back to Earth. It was time to head to work. Oh Christ. Ten minutes. Jesus I'm so fired. I was there. Oh Lord. Angel and Telly were too. Angel was just leaving "It's ok hun, Gavin has been and gone." Thank fuck. I hid out back and 'cleaned up' for a couple of hours. What a day.

Angel Talked to the Lady with the Wild Teen'

A lady came into the store today, almost in tears. "Do you have any horses?" I showed her some of the horse ornaments. She didn't want them as she was "looking for a white horse."
I called out to Angel "Hey hun, do we have any white horses?"
Angel approached and greeted the woman "We've got one or two about."
I left them to it for a minute while I sorted something out back. When I returned the woman was crying a river.
"I told my son he was not to have a party. I told him he's too young to drink and I most certainly wasn't going to have under-age drinking in my home."
Angel was comforting her.
The woman kept sobbing "Why did he disobey me?" she sniffed "They stole everything! My jewellery, our stereo. My son didn't even know half the people that turned up," she groaned "I really loved that horse."

I knew exactly what was happening. Angel had taught me well. This woman didn't really want to buy a horse. All she wanted was someone to talk to.

Old Man Reads My Palm

Today an old man came into the shop. He must have been in his ninteys but Jesus he was jolly. He was dressed in tweed and had a cane. He hobbled up to the counter and asked if he could read my palm. He seemed harmless enough so I obliged him.
"This is your life line."
"What does it say?"
"You will lead a long and prosperous life. And this line here is your career. There are a few ups and downs on that one but it seems pretty good in general."
"What is this line here?"
"That is your love line, I can't tell you what's happening there but you know what?"
"What?"
"I just wanted to hold your hand."
He chuckled as I promptly withdrew.
"I'll tell you what," he said leaning in closer "I wouldn't be saying things like this if my wife was still alive." He threw his head back and burst out laughing.

My Angel

Angel was working with me today. Although Angel is only a few years older than me she looks as if she has lived a lifetime longer. Her skin is dry and wrinkled and she shakes quite visibly. Though her body is worn, her eyes still shine like a child's would, in wreckless naievity. Life has thrown her about like a ship on poisidon's raging seas.

Today she told me about her childhood. It was a mess to say the least. I didn't catch what had happened to her real father and mother but from some young age she had been put into foster care. It was the typical foster care story, skipping from home to home, misbehaving, beatings and abuse. She showed me the scars of cigarette burns on her arms, inflicted on her by some cruel old beast. I wasn't sure what to say to her. I wanted to tell her that everything would be alright but we all know that's a lie. For some of us here on this planet, life is hard and it doesn't get any easier. I just looked at her and held her hand and muttered "Oh, Angel."

Indian Man Tries to Impress Girlfriend

A tall, dark indian man came into the store late today with his pretty, young girlfriend.
"Do you have anything like weegie boards?" he asked me.
"Sorry we don't."
He looked so dreadfully disappointed. Both of them just stood there for a second and then walked out. Idiot. What was that guy thinking? Either it was "I will communicate with my dead grandmother and my hot new girlfriend will be so impressed that she'll definitely let me bang her" or "I'll pretend I'm commnicating with my dead grandmother and the message from the grave will tell her to let me bang her."

I could see it in his eyes.

Dull Coffee Story

This morning I got out of bed at 9.50 and almost made it to work by 10.00. I ordered a coffee from the near by shop on the way and asked them to "run it down to Metaphysical Gifts". I explained how late I was. The waitress was new there. I hadn't seen her before. She was a nice, young blonde with a fresh face and a genuine smile (which is pretty darn rare around these parts). "That won't be a problem" she assured me. I didn't catch her name.

The Witch

I had another stange day at work. I was cleaning the burned up herbs from behind the till when a witch walked in. I say 'witch' not because this woman was obviously a follower of 'wicca' but because she looked like something that had jumped out of a childern's story book. Her body was crooked, her face twisted and warty and her fingers were long, boney and quite repulsive.
"I'm just going to ask, do you have any opium cones?" she croaked.
I was desperately hoping she didn't see me wince when I looked at her. "Yes, we do." I pulled some down from the shelf.
"Oh," she snatched them from my hand and gave the packet a good, hard wiff "No, these don't smell at all like opium. Do you have anything that smells more like opium?"
"We don't I'm afraid," Why would anyone want something that smelt more like opium? It smells rancid. It smells like a circut board in your house caught on fire and burned a bunch of old tires and plastic super market bags.
Damn witch.