Hope Goes Black

Part 9:
It’s been nine months since Hope rolled back into the great state of Texas. Many people don’t realize she walked off that plane with $50, no vehicle and no home. Being the amazing people they are, Rusty and Tia provided her with a home, car and acceptance. As she sat on her very own back porch, in her new home, memories of that first Friday night she came back to Texas played through her mind. 

I remember being on the verge of tears. Why couldn’t I just figure out what I wanted out of life? Who in the hell packs up twice in a year’s time and moves across the country and back? For a woman who is not a fan of change I sure put a capital C up on that bitch. Three jobs, three homes and three…well never mind.

Some didn’t like Hope’s decisions or her honesty but she was fine with that. There was a new awakening in her and she felt like jumping up and down on her couch. Never before was she able to buy something without wondering if someone else would like it. She always wondered when she bought a piece of furniture if someone would like it. Did someone like the food she made? Will they like the way these jeans look? Perhaps she should take a certain job because others will be proud. 

Oh my God it was exhausting. So she quit doing stuff for anyone other than herself. She bought furniture she liked, jeans she liked and the fuckers didn’t have to be starched or a certain brand. She started to play in the kitchen and cooked food she wanted and liked. Some may have viewed it as selfish but she knew better.

So, to make a long story short, Hope sat in her bed tapping away on her laptop, in her new house, in a bed she bought for herself because she liked it. When she was finished she would drive to a job she liked, in her own car, while wearing comfortable jeans with holes in them and have fun doing all of it.

Hope decided to look at life like gravity. She would rather jump out of the plane, soar through the sky, feel the wind, look at the scenery, feel the excitement of gravity taking charge rather than fight it the entire way down worrying about the landing. It was time to take pleasure in letting go. She was no longer going to battle her way through this thing called life. Gravity will eventually take over. It is more fun to be weightless!

Even if Hope was happy she was missing a couple things in life. She needed a dog if she was never going to find love again. Her therapist told her it was time to commit to something other than employment and Hope agreed. Abby stayed with Rusty and Tia of course. She explained to Donna who was proving to be one of her closest confidants, that she was looking online at rescue organizations for a dog. One of them wanted her to pay some $700 plus dollars for a dog. Donna put an end to that immediately telling her the scam. The next day she sent Hope some pictures from the shelter she worked at.

As Hope viewed the pictures the small little Chihuahua mix she sent stuck in her mind. Hope called Donna and asked for more information.
“What’s his story?”
“There is not much on his card other than he was found outside some people’s house. He is skinny and sick and some dipshit put aggressive on his cage and he is a sweetheart. He had no feces in his cage and when I took him out to go he went for a long time.”
“Should I meet him?” Hope asked hesitantly.
“Yes, I will bring him over tonight.”

The little dog came in the house, smelled Zeauxi who is Linda’s dog; they exchanged some words and were fine. Hope watched him but didn’t pick him up He came over to her and sat down. It was a done deal. There would be no breaking in period. They bonded instantly and Hope took the next 3 weeks getting him well and strong.

Despite Hope’s inability to be her partner, she and Donna maintained a wonderful friendship and honestly Hope did not know what she would do without her. She had a sixth sense for animals and a true heart. The work she did was amazing and incomprehensible to most and not in the scope of her employment. Fitting people with animals is one she knew and did it so well. Hope could not even imagine what her day was filled with and she did it so effortlessly. It was admirable.

A couple of months went by and Hope was at work listening to the usual banter as she kept watching a regular named Abigail. The lady was crazy but Hope and Rusty had just been talking about how it takes all kinds of individuals to make up this thing called life. Some people went to work to make money. Not Hope, she was currently going  for the people and entertainment. The money was a great bonus though. She enjoyed watching people and more importantly their behavior. Well, unless you are a jack ass and then she took pleasure in observing karma kick in or her kicking them out.

Abigail came up to the bar to order a drink and introduce Hope to her fiancé. He was nice, polite and cute. They were playing grab ass and kissing way too much for Hope to observe them in detail. She wasn’t interested in taking voyeurism to a new level. This was the fourth fiancé Hope had met in the past five or so weeks. The first one was also a decent looking man who seemed pretty normal. Fiance number two was an odd geeky looking dude. The third was a woman. She was older and looked tired, similar to a cucumber at a convent, very worn out. So imagine Hope’s shock when she got to meet number four.

“Where in the hell does she get these people?” Hope said to Hugo, her bar back who spoke little English.
“Que?”
“Nada, doesn’t matter.” she said as she went to help someone else.

As she walked off she heard the two discussing apartment hunting. Hope wondered if they were searching for a two bedroom to accommodate the female fiancé or maybe they should be looking into an entire complex to house all of her partners. She wasn’t trying to judge her but damn, the woman was a piece of work. She wasn’t ugly but Hope had seen better bodies in a scrap yard. She wasn’t beat by an ugly stick either. Oh well, Hope thought, it takes all kinds. 

It was really slow for a Monday but that sometimes happened especially with the holiday’s approaching. Hope couldn’t believe Thanksgiving was next week. The year had flown by and she needed to figure out if she was going to spend the holidays with Barbie who had finally divorced the fucknut or her on again/off again girlfriend, Magara. 

Hope met Magara through an old friend from junior high who found her on Facebook. She was instantly attracted to her but she had some unresolved issues. Add three adult beverages to her and it equaled bat shit crazy. It was Hope’s biggest turn off in life, a bad drunk. The relationship worked though in a completely dysfunctional way. They lived on opposite parts of town, worked different hours and really only saw each other a few times a week. Hope had no intention of ever living together or taking any other drastic measures. Magara didn’t know what she wanted either so they just fought or fucked really, for lack of better words.

People were leaving for the night and Hugo had closed up the kitchen. Her last customers were number 4 and Abigail. They had already closed their tab and were walking towards the door when Hope overheard Abigail say “I have never been with another man,” Hope spit her water out. Well, that’s a bunch of shit she thought. That woman has seen more ceilings than Michelangelo. If all of her lovers came to dinner they would call it the Last Supper.

Hope said goodnight as they walked out the door. Hugo asked her for her keys to go lock the back gate and she started doing her paperwork. All of the sudden she heard a loud bang and looked towards the back door.

“Give me all of the money Bitch. Hurry the fuck up you stupid bitch.”

Hope didn’t say a word. She handed him the money bag as the man snatched her by the shirt and threw her towards the safe.

“I said all of it you fucking idiot.”

She opened the safe and swept its contents into the bag he was holding. He kicked her to hurry and she said “that’s it, get out of here.”

“Fuck you bitch, get up.” He said snatching her by the hair and pushing her towards the back door. 

Another guy was standing there and said “hurry up Mother Fucker.”

He shoved her against one of the support beams and said “don’t call the cops you stupid bitch” and then Hope felt a sharp pain on the top of her head and everything went black.

..............The End!….....

Just kidding...To be continued, yes again!