Thursday, March 22, 2012

Job-Hunting and Funeral

So there isn't anywhere for me to work in town. Can't really say I'm surprised. Like I said, this place is really freaking small. Like, there's nothing here type small. It's mostly farms, and they're not huge things that need another hired hand around. Especially if the hired hand is a scrawny city kid who couldn't even finish a bachelor's degree in English.

Drove over to the only other place within a reasonable distance of this place. I swear, this is the ass end of the world. There is no one around for miles. I hate being back here. This was the whole reason I wanted to go to college in the first place. This place is mind-numbingly boring. But I'm getting off-track. Anyway. Went job-hunting in Prathertown. For the first few hours I was basically just wandering from business to business and asking if they were hiring on entry-level positions, because nobody and I mean nobody around here cares enough to set up a website, because they already know everyone around. So I was getting the evil eye everywhere. They don't like outsiders here.

I remember that from when I was here before. This is like some town you'd see in, I dunno, To Kill A Mockingbird or something. I don't remember exactly what that town was like but whatever, you get the point. Some small town where everybody knows everybody's names and you swear you hear banjos when you walk down the street so you start walking faster and really hoping you don't hear anybody asking you if you can squeal like a piggy.

Getting off-track again. Sorry. I'm distracted. I found a bunch of CDs in a closet here and I'm working my way through them. I remember listening to them as a kid. Jethro Tull. Good band. Allie used to play their stuff on the guitar and sing along when we were growing up here. Her favorite was "Thick As A Brick". I always liked "Bungle in the Jungle", though. So I'm listening to that, and my mind keeps wandering off. That's one of the things I'm going to miss most, if I'm honest. This was what we did together. We'd listen to these songs and sing along. The rest of the family was always too busy to spend too much time with me, but Allie was always my best friend. I'm going to miss doing that with her.

I couldn't find her guitar around anywhere, though. No case either. I guess she sold it.

Anyway. I went to Prathertown and started asking about jobs, and apparently I've been gone long enough that people forgot what I looked like and I qualify as an outsider now. When I told them I was the Jacobs kid that went off to college, they gave me this look like they didn't believe me, said I'd gotten taller. And offered their condolences. "I'm so sorry" everywhere I go, like I wanted to hear that. If you want to help me cope, give me a job, don't give me pity. I don't want to dwell on it.

Finally found a job with Mrs. Porter's restaurant at the end of the day. I start tomorrow. It's a family business, so I was kind of surprised when she actually gave me the job, even if it is just waiting tables. But she said she thought it'd be best if I spent some time away from the house and that she didn't want to leave somebody in my position twisting in the wind. The rest of her family agreed. So I'm their newest waiter now, along with Mrs. Porter's daughter.

...That went on a lot longer than I expected to just say "I got a job at a restaurant".

Also, the police still don't have any leads, but they say they're done with Allie now. Or Allie's body. Whatever. Is it still Allie? I don't know. I don't really want to think about it. I made arrangements for a funeral. Or I bought a coffin and a headstone, really. I couldn't really afford anything else. And it's just going to be me. Can't even afford a priest. Not that I think Allie would want one.

I don't particularly want one either. This is something I think should just be between me and my sister. We were both kind of everything the other one had, I think. So... privacy.

It's starting in a few minutes. I'm leaving now.

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