Bag Lady & the Retired Marine Ch. 05

"Good. I feel better. I'm glad they're arrested," said Susan before confessing. "I asked Pete to call the police. I have a good mind to go and press charges."

"Leave it alone Susan. Better that you should remain an anonymous victim than having these men know your name," he said with a look of wisdom.

"Yeah, you're right. No doubt, they'd track me down, even though it's not a difficult thing to find me being that I'm living on the streets," she said with sadness.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you on the street?"

"I moved here from Boston last June to live with my Mom after divorcing my husband. We had a beautiful basement apartment across from the Susquehanna River. Then, in September, the worst flood in the history of the Susquehanna River happened. The water crested 30 feet above flood stage. The water was higher than the second floor of our apartment building."

"I remember that flood. It rained, down poured actually for days."

"The Red Cross gave us some clothes, food, and directed us to a shelter but not much else, and FEMA only helped those who owned homes not those who rented. With the flood water contaminated with home heating oil and raw sewage, and with the fire and police not allowing people back in their neighborhood for three weeks, until the water receded and the properties were inspected, I lost everything including my car. It's was thirteen-years-old anyway, but that car was better than walking and taking the bus. No doubt, if I still had the car, I'd be living it in."

"I remember that the water in Hershey was as high as the roofs of the fast food restaurants and they had to demolish them and rebuild them. Wasn't there bison trapped under water that they had to shoot at the Hershey Zoo?"

"Yeah that was sad," she said. "It's funny how some people cared more about those bison being trapped underwater than they did about all those people like me who lost their homes and possessions. Three people were killed in the flood, one was a firefighter trying to save an elderly man trapped upside down in his car. Both were swept away."

"So, why aren't you in a shelter?"

"I was but the shelters aren't safe. Believe it or not, that is, until tonight with those three men, I felt safer outside on the street than I felt in the shelter. There's a lot of crazy people in the shelter. I still go there to shower, wash my clothes, and grab a hot meal at the mission or the church. Even at the mission and the church, men are always grabbing at me and groping me. I was so tired and hungry one day that I didn't know that the man standing behind me had lifted my skirt nearly to my waist. He must have thought he had a live one, but I bashed him in the face with my food tray."

Dave watched the waitress bring over the pancakes and sausages.

"More coffee?"

"Yes, please," said Susan.

"So, I was thinking."

"Yes?"

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way but..."

"But what?"

"If you wanted to..."

"Yes?"

"Um, you know, um, you could bunk with me, until you got a job and back on your feet. I have a spare bedroom," he said looking at her before staring down at his food. "The grub is good here, although this is my first time eating anything other than apple pie and ice cream."

She looked at him blankly.

"Are you inviting me to stay with you."

"Yes, I guess I am."

"Do you have an Internet hookup?"

"Internet hookup? Sure. Why?"

"I write stories."

"Stories? What kind of stories?"

"Erotic literature."

"Erotic literature? You mean sexy stories? Dirty stories?"

"Yeah."

"Cool." He looked at her in between bites of his food. "So is that a yes."

"Yes."

To be continued...