53. Give the Newcomer a Break

“You know what else I see?” Daphne asked, pointing to the corner where Jimmy, a pale man in his late thirties was talking to Anna.  Jimmy was leaning into the awkward distance between them.

“Hey Jimmy,” Daphne called. “C’mere a second,” in a tone a prison guard might use on an inmate teetering on being sent to solitary.  

Jimmy held up a finger, smiling at Anna, to let her know he’d be back in one minute. I could see the discomfort on her face, but I’d seen Jimmy in action. If anybody could get past her defenses, it was him. 

“Why are you hitting on the newcomer?” Daphne asked. “You need to prey on girls struggling to stay sober, don’t know who they are without their booze, who don’t know who you are yet?”

Jimmy said, “Wow, that’s cold. I’m just trying to make her feel welcome.  Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do for newbies?”

Daphne snorted.  “Don’t bullshit me, kid.  You ain’t looking to penetrate her denial.  How about I shove this cane so far…”

I interrupted her, “Hey Jimmy, give her a break.  Let her find her way, make a few friends, get some clean time under her belt.”

“I hope when I’m old, I’m not mean and suspicious like you two,” he said, and walked away, but not toward Anna, who had joined a circle of women near the coffee pot.

Today I will look out for the newcomer.

Time for a Change ©2017 by Ken Montrose

Time for a Change is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at: www.greenbriartraining.com

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/