Wheels of Steel, Book 1 Read Online Free Page A
Author: Pepper Pace
“You have a deal.” Robin held out her hand and Ben shook it.
***
After work at the restaurant she went straight to Miss Lucille’s house. The Hispanic woman from the night before greeted her when she let herself in. Ben had given her a key and a log that she needed in order to chart her hours.
“Hi, Chica . Back again.” The woman headed for the kitchen where she had left her things and Robin followed her. “I guess you liked it, since you’re back. Are you on this shift permanently?”
“I think so.”
“Hard shift to work. How people stay awake is beyond me.” She gave her a brief, knowing look. “Do you have an alarm on your watch or cell phone? If so, set it. Oh yeah, Jodie was complaining that you didn’t do up the dishes at the end of your shift.”
Robin winced. “I wasn’t aware that we had to cook meals…”
The woman stopped. “We don’t.” She put her hands on her hips. “You can always tell that little old lady to go in and make her own breakfast.”
Robin’s face felt hot. “I don’t mind, as long as I know.”
“Also, it wouldn’t hurt to make up her bed.” The woman whisked past Robin. “Night night, Chica . See you tomorrow.”
With a relieved sigh that the other lady was gone, Robin went in and checked on Miss Lucille. The small, bird-like woman was sleeping peacefully.
Things ran much more smoothly now that she knew what to expect. She read until it was time to give her the first dose of medicine. Afterwards, she nestled down in the one armchair that Miss Lucille had used; the only one not covered in plastic. She took the girl’s advice and set her cell phone’s alarm to ring at 5:45 then she roused herself and set the eggs to boil and got the coffee going.
Miss Lucille was already awake when Robin walked into the bedroom and helped her to the restroom. While she peed, Robin turned off the eggs and set them in the sink to cool. She got her dressed while the older woman repeated the same story about her son the doctor, her grandkids and the woman’s group.
Robin set the TV tray up and brought the woman’s breakfast as she watched the television Evangelist. This was going a lot smoother. Robin smiled, stretched then went back to the bedroom. Yawning she began to make the bed before discovering that they badly needed changing. She squinted and looked around. The room was dusty. Did anyone actually come to clean?
“Miss Lucille, do you have a cleaning lady?”
The old woman gnawed on her toast, eyes glued to the TV “No.”
“Who does your laundry, the dusting and your shopping?”
“My son brings me one dozen eggs a week along with one loaf of bread. When the sugar, creamer and coffee runs out he buys more. He brings me seven chicken lean cuisines, and seven meatloaf Marie Callendars.” Robin retreated to the kitchen and checked the freezer. There were two chicken, and two meatloaf frozen meals left, as well as a tray of frosty ice cubes.
She checked the fridge for butter or jam. None. She checked the pantry. There were can goods that were years old, and spices that had dust on them. Yikes.
“Miss Lucille, who cleans?”
She turned her light grey eyes to Robin. “My son is a very busy man. He comes over and does the laundry for me once a month and does the dusting and vacuuming then.” Robin hid her doubtful look, but accepted the woman’s words.
Robin whisked away the dishes, washing them and replacing them quickly. She was on time with the next dosage of medicine. She still had another two hours so she returned to the bedroom, changed the bedding, and dusted the furniture. Poor old lady probably wouldn’t need oxygen if she could breathe past all of the dust!
Robin then returned to the living room and sat down on the couch, trying to keep her arms from sticking to the
***
After work at the restaurant she went straight to Miss Lucille’s house. The Hispanic woman from the night before greeted her when she let herself in. Ben had given her a key and a log that she needed in order to chart her hours.
“Hi, Chica . Back again.” The woman headed for the kitchen where she had left her things and Robin followed her. “I guess you liked it, since you’re back. Are you on this shift permanently?”
“I think so.”
“Hard shift to work. How people stay awake is beyond me.” She gave her a brief, knowing look. “Do you have an alarm on your watch or cell phone? If so, set it. Oh yeah, Jodie was complaining that you didn’t do up the dishes at the end of your shift.”
Robin winced. “I wasn’t aware that we had to cook meals…”
The woman stopped. “We don’t.” She put her hands on her hips. “You can always tell that little old lady to go in and make her own breakfast.”
Robin’s face felt hot. “I don’t mind, as long as I know.”
“Also, it wouldn’t hurt to make up her bed.” The woman whisked past Robin. “Night night, Chica . See you tomorrow.”
With a relieved sigh that the other lady was gone, Robin went in and checked on Miss Lucille. The small, bird-like woman was sleeping peacefully.
Things ran much more smoothly now that she knew what to expect. She read until it was time to give her the first dose of medicine. Afterwards, she nestled down in the one armchair that Miss Lucille had used; the only one not covered in plastic. She took the girl’s advice and set her cell phone’s alarm to ring at 5:45 then she roused herself and set the eggs to boil and got the coffee going.
Miss Lucille was already awake when Robin walked into the bedroom and helped her to the restroom. While she peed, Robin turned off the eggs and set them in the sink to cool. She got her dressed while the older woman repeated the same story about her son the doctor, her grandkids and the woman’s group.
Robin set the TV tray up and brought the woman’s breakfast as she watched the television Evangelist. This was going a lot smoother. Robin smiled, stretched then went back to the bedroom. Yawning she began to make the bed before discovering that they badly needed changing. She squinted and looked around. The room was dusty. Did anyone actually come to clean?
“Miss Lucille, do you have a cleaning lady?”
The old woman gnawed on her toast, eyes glued to the TV “No.”
“Who does your laundry, the dusting and your shopping?”
“My son brings me one dozen eggs a week along with one loaf of bread. When the sugar, creamer and coffee runs out he buys more. He brings me seven chicken lean cuisines, and seven meatloaf Marie Callendars.” Robin retreated to the kitchen and checked the freezer. There were two chicken, and two meatloaf frozen meals left, as well as a tray of frosty ice cubes.
She checked the fridge for butter or jam. None. She checked the pantry. There were can goods that were years old, and spices that had dust on them. Yikes.
“Miss Lucille, who cleans?”
She turned her light grey eyes to Robin. “My son is a very busy man. He comes over and does the laundry for me once a month and does the dusting and vacuuming then.” Robin hid her doubtful look, but accepted the woman’s words.
Robin whisked away the dishes, washing them and replacing them quickly. She was on time with the next dosage of medicine. She still had another two hours so she returned to the bedroom, changed the bedding, and dusted the furniture. Poor old lady probably wouldn’t need oxygen if she could breathe past all of the dust!
Robin then returned to the living room and sat down on the couch, trying to keep her arms from sticking to the
Readers choose
Kathleen Flinn
Matt Haig
M. Leighton
Paul Celan
Whiskey Starr
Michael Walsh
Murray Pura
Slaton Smith
Victoria Fox
Sandrine Gasq-Dion