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| She closed the door on the overhead compartment. She only had two bags and one was underneath her in the cargo bay. She put the headphones from her walkman over
her ears and turned on the radio. She felt the bus pull away from the station. This was it. No turning back. She was going to go back, back to what she used to only know. She mostly just wanted to see what had become of her father. She hoped he was dead. The first place she was going to go was her Aunt Heather's. She was her safe haven before, hopefully she would help her out now.
She paid the taxi driver and carried her bags up to the house she once considered heaven. She walked up the few steps and rang the doorbell. She saw a strange man come
answer the door. Was she going to call herself Lillian or Natalie to strangers? She hadn't thought about that. "Can I help you miss?"
"Yes, can you tell me if Heather Redlyin still lives here?"
"No, she actually died a few years ago."
"Oh my...really?"
"Yeah."
"Do you know where I can find uh, any of her relatives?"
"Yeah, but who are you?"
"A friend of Heather's."
"Evidentally you guys didnt keep in touch very well."
"What makes you say that?"
"You have no clue who this is do you?"
"Not really, should I?"
"I'm Heather's husband."
"Heather got married? Aw, thats so....oh, I guess it's been awhile hasn't it."
"Yeah. About 7 years awhile. Anyway, why do you want to know all this about Heather?"
"Because I'm an old old friend."
"How old are you like, 18? And you dont know me, so you were like 10 when lost touch? She was like 30, I dont think you guys were friends."
"Okay, you got me, I'm her niece."
"She doesn't have any nieces. She had one sister and she died before I knew her." At least Heather had kept her part of the deal. "Listen, I dont know who you are, but
please leave before I call the police."
He began to shut the door but she put her foot in front of it. "Just wait! Can you just tell me where I can find Val and John Redlyin?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"Yes!"
"Greenwood Cemetary." He shut the door hard which made Natalie move her foot.
"That was a little cruel," she said softly. She never thought this would happen. She closed her savings and checking accounts - including her assets from her mom - so she had about $7,000 on her person, and she was standing in the middle of the Lexington ghetto. She still had her house in Madison so she could sell that yet. She should get to the bank, or mostly get a place to stay. Her father was an only child and her mom's only other family was her sister, who's dead. Her grandparents were dead so she couldn't go to them. She only had.....her father. She sure
as hell wasnt going there. She picked up her things and walked to the pay phone on the corner. She opened the phone book and looked up the cab companys number....maybe
she should get a car too.
*Well, if I'm gonna be here a while, it'd actually be cheeper to rent than get a motel.* She was thinking about what the hell she was going to do with her life in
Lexington. "Hey uh, Mr. Cab Driver?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you know of any places to rent around here?"
"Like an apartment?"
"Yeah, somethin like that."
"Sure, want me to take you there?"
"Yeah." She liked that about Kentucky people, always friendly.
They arrived at a run-down old brick building, but there were people hustling about. Evidentally it was well used. "I know the owner, perhaps you'd want me to go in
with you?" That comment freaked her out a little, but he seemed nice enough.
"Um, I suppose it cant hurt anything." He parked the car and they both got out of the cab.
"Follow me." They walked inside. It looked much better than it did on the outside. It still wasn't no Holiday Inn, but it was better than sleeping on the curb.
"Hey Hey! Benny! What's up man?" a portly bald man said to the driver.
"Nothing, Larry, my uh, friend here needs a crib."
"I can hook you up darlin, what's your pleasure?"
"I just need a one-bedroom type thing. I probably won't be home much, I just need a place to sleep."
"Actually we just had one old lady move out, going to the nursing home. It may be just what you want. It's only on the second floor too, so then you only have to climb
one flight of stairs."
"Hey uh, what's your name?"
"Natalie."
"Uh, Natalie, I gotta hit the road. You aight?"
"I'm aight."
"If you need to go anywhere else, call the company, ask for Benny."
"I will do."
"Alright." He left Natalie and Benny alone.
"Follow me miss." They walked up the stairs and entered a very small living room. "This is it."
"It's, well, small."
"Isn't that what you wanted?"
"Well, yeah." She walked around, inspecting every corner. It was well kept up for being as old as it was. "I like it. How much is it a month?"
"Well, I like you, I'm gonna give you a good deal. Lets see, this apartment? Ah,well, we usually make you pay for your own water, gas, and electricity bills, if you pay
them, which should be low because you're not going to be here much like you said, I'll let you stay here for ah, hundred bucks a month."
"I can handle that. Can I just pay by month? No contract or anything?"
"Usually no, but since you're a friend of Bennys, I'll let ya. Just dont let the word get out."
"Don't worry."
"Is that all your stuff?"
"Yeah."
"Oh really, well, if you got the money, you can unpack." She opened up her purse and got $100 out of her billfold. She handed it to him. "Pleasure doing buisness with ya. "
He left. Maybe this wouldnt be as bad as she thought. She wasn't thinking when she took the bus. She probably should have driven. Now she needed a car. There was no phone in her house, so she walked down to the pay phone she saw on the first floor.
She picked up the phone and dialed Terri's number. "Hello?" the familiar voice said.
"Terri!"
"Natalie! What are you doing girl?"
"Nothing. Just chillin here in K-Y."
"You're there? Where you at?"
"Lexington."
"No, where in Lexington?"
"My apartment."
"You got an apartment?!?!"
"Yep, no questions asked. He gave me a great deal too because he liked me."
"Liked liked?"
"No! Is that all you think about?"
"Yes. Anyway, I also came in with his friend, my cab driver."
"Really? Making friends fast?"
"No, I just asked him if he knew anything for rent cause I figured I'd be down here a while."
"I miss you already."
"Me too. But I have to ask you something huge."
"What?"
"Sell my car."
"What?"
"You heard me. Sell it for me and wire the money down here. I'm gonna buy a cheeper car here, get a job, and then I can afford to be down here."
"Why don't I just drive it down there? That car's your baby, I can't believe you want to sell it."
"Well, I think I may stay down here longer than I thought."
"Why? Find your relatives?"
"No, actually they're dead. I just have to find an old friend and well, I like it down here."
"You just like being away from me."
"No! I want to live in Wisconsin, it's just, I feel like I belong here."
"If you say so. How much do you want out of that thing?"
"Try and get $9,500. Dont go lower than 8."
"Okay. The things I do for you!"
"I know, it's cause you love me."
"I know. Well, I love talking, but I gotta go."
"Kay, thanks, bye."
"Bye." She hung up. Next mission: car. Thankfully she didn't have to call that freaky cab driver again because she saw a car dealership just down the street.
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