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What Jenny Knew

Deirdre Fryer Baird

    A child eating breakfast in a coffee shop alone could draw attention, as nine-year-old Jenny well knew. It had happened before. Strangers would ask where her Mommy was or sometimes even say they would call the police. But, if you came early enough, say at six am, there weren’t many people around; just a few regulars, like the guy with the bandana and hairy mole on his chin, or businessmen on their way to the office. If you brought your math book and seemed to be doing homework folks were likely to just leave you alone.
    She carefully counted the money in her kitty cat purse on the corner before she entered the coffee shop. Jenny knew how much milk and cereal cost. Some of the change, Daddy had given her last week, and she had found a buck eighty-five in a search of the couch cushions where Daddy sometimes slept.
    On a good day, Heather, the young pretty waitress would be there. On a bad day grumpy, old Vera would wait on her.
    There it went; two quarters dropped down the drain while she counted her precious change. She cried, “No, no,” and tried to reach it but could only watch helplessly as they slid down between rusty drain slots. Her little breakfast cost only a two seventy-five, but something was necessary for a tip. Her stomach rumbled with hunger in the knowledge that she didn’t have enough now. That is unless she got Heather, who would never charge her and slip her a donut to take on the way to school. She was hungry because she didn’t have dinner last night, so it was worth the chance.
    The coffee shop was warm and steamy and smelled like coffee and toast. There was a comfortable clatter of dishes coming from the kitchen, not intentional breakage like when someone threw a dish at someone’s head. She scooted into her regular small booth with orange plastic seats and a dark Plexiglas top, and hid behind her decoy math book to avoid prying eyes. She felt someone looking at her. It wasn’t the pretty young Heather, but old wiry-haired Vera. She looked up into stern eyes and a frowny, bad-mood face. Clearly, there would be no donut today.
    “Wadda want?”
    “Cereal please.”
    “Where’s your mom?” Vera held her order pad in a fierce grip. It was going to be a bad day.
    How to lie and tell the truth at the same time? Mommy wasn’t here anymore, at least not anywhere that Jenny knew about. Daddy said that Mommy needed a rest and was in a hospital. Where she was or when she was coming back was a mystery, but that was okay; at least the fighting and the plate-throwing had stopped. Jenny was a bit weary of cleaning up all the broken crockery that her parents threw at each other. She looked at the unkind face of Vera and there was something reminiscent there. Of an unhappiness with life, and dreams deserted a long time ago.
    “She’s sick. I would like Raisin Bran please.”
    Jenny knew she was supposed to miss her Mommy but she really didn’t; a thought she kept to herself. It was nice going home and having a frozen dinner with Daddy and just doing homework and going to bed like a regular kid, instead of hiding under the table or the bed until the coast was clear. She couldn’t remember a time when they hadn’t fought. Mommy was always screaming at Daddy about hair on his shirt, or something in his pocket. He would scream back at her that she was a pig. They both would drink and fight about why Jenny wouldn’t eat; like someone could eat when people fought all the time. Most of the time she didn’t get dinner at all. Her older sister left long ago, and Jenny was left to be fought over like some toy between jealous kids. Last week, Mom was gone and Dad said she needed some rest. No kidding, they could all use some rest.
    Daddy wasn’t an early riser these days. She would poke him, and tell him there was no milk. He told her just to go to the coffee shop and get herself something to eat. He never seemed to remember to leave her lunch money, or money to buy food for breakfast. She would raid her piggy bank and look for change in the couch that dropped from Daddy’s pockets when he fell asleep there.
    A plate of bacon and eggs was set gently before her.
    Heather, with her soft blue eyes was smiling down at her. Maybe, it was going to be a better day after all.
    “I bet you could use a donut.” Heather put her favorite chocolate glazed in front of her.
    The bell above the door tinkled. Daddy walked in looking handsome in his blue business suit.
    “There’s my girl.” He came up to the booth and stood next to Heather but didn’t sit down.
    “Nice to see that you’re eating.” Daddy laughed.
    “Oh, I would never let our girl go hungry.” Heather smiled at Daddy.
    He smiled back at Heather, almost like they knew each other.

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