Lulu's Café

by T. I. Lowe

  He continued to study her through the sunglasses. She looks like she should be in a hospital bed somewhere. She had gathered the scarf closer around her neck before she walked to the driver’s side, and Crowley wondered if she caught him staring at her.

  “You have a good one,” Crowley said before she closed the door behind her.

  She paid him no attention as she cranked the engine and drove forward a little before taking the alley street between the café and Ana’s boutique. She parked and began easing out of the vehicle.

  Crowley jumped up and jogged after the Jeep. “Excuse me, ma’am. You can’t park there. This is a private lot.”

  Lulu was at the back door of the café by then. “It’s okay, boy. I told her to park there.”

  “Unbelievable,” he said to himself as he jogged over to question Lulu. “Why?” he asked in an exaggerated tone as he reached her.

  “We are doing each other a favor. I need someone to help me run the café, and she needs a place to stay.”

  Crowley gestured toward the wounded woman standing beside her Jeep. “She doesn’t look like she’s going to be much help. I just don’t think this is a good idea, Lulu.”

  “Your opinion has been duly noted. Now, help her unload her stuff.”

  Crowley reluctantly followed Lulu back to the young woman. As they approached, she turned to face them.

  “Crowley Mason, this is Leah Allen,” Lulu said. “Leah, this here is my most favorite young man in Rivertown. Crowley watches out for me and I watch out for him.”

  Crowley tipped his head at Leah, not wanting to be rude as he slipped his shades off and crammed them in one of the cargo shorts pockets.

  “If you need anything, you let me or Crowley know.” Before Crowley could protest, Lulu said, “Now, let’s grab your stuff and get out of this heat. I’m starting to melt.”

  Crowley reached in the backseat and swooped up the suitcase and duffel bag before grabbing up Leah’s oversize purse. He turned to make his way inside to the second-floor apartment without another word. It was pointless to try to reason with Lulu. He bounded upstairs, taking two steps at a time, and deposited the luggage in the small bedroom. He was back down the stairs by the time the two women made it through the back door.

  “Go on up and get yourself situated. I’ll check on you in a little while, sweetheart.” Lulu smiled at Leah. Without another word, the exhausted-looking woman trudged up the stairs. Once she closed the door behind her, Crowley turned his attention to Lulu.

  “You want to explain to me what in the world you are thinking?” Crowley whispered. “She could be a mass murderer or career thief, and you are just going to let her loose in your life?”

  Lulu stood with her hands on her hips. “Is that really what your instincts are telling you?”

  “No, but they are telling me that this woman is in some kind of trouble.”

  “Well, she may be, but my instincts are telling me that this young lady needs to grow a sit for a while,” Lulu said as she moved to the café’s counter, where she started jotting down a list. “I’ve called some things in already to the drugstore, but here are a few more things I need you to pick up.” She handed the list to Crowley.

  He accepted it and turned to head out. “I don’t like you very much right now,” he said as he pushed through the front door.

  Lulu laughed. “That’s okay, as long as you still love me.”

  Crowley hurried through the door at the Rivertown Pharmacy, grabbed a shopping basket, and made quick work of tackling Lulu’s extensive list. He rechecked the list against the items in his cart—antibiotic ointment, Epsom salt, assorted vitamins, and bandages. Once the supplies were rounded up, Crowley headed to the checkout, where more supplies were waiting.

  “Hey, Nancy. Is this stuff for Lulu too?” Crowley scanned over everything, which included a large box of maxi pads, stool softener pills, medicated lip ointment, small scissors, and tweezers. He was a bit relieved that Lulu hadn’t left it up to him to pick out women’s personal products. He shook his head and mumbled, “I left my boat for this?”

  “What’s all this stuff for?” Nancy asked while she rang up and bagged the supplies.

  “Looks like Lulu is taking on another pet project.” Crowley shrugged. He knew Lulu all too well. Once that stubborn woman set her mind to something, there was no changing it. All Crowley could do was try to protect her. As he gathered all the bags, he contemplated how to get some information on the new woman in town. He was fairly certain she would not be freely sharing her life story with him, but he had to figure out what exactly Lulu was getting herself into.

  Crowley’s phone began to play “Dirt Road Anthem,” pulling him out of his train of thought. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and saw Lulu’s name flash on the screen. “What did you forget?” he asked, instead of a proper hello.

  “Nothing. I’ve been so wrapped up in welcoming Leah today that I completely forgot I was supposed to babysit the Oliver twins this evening. Just drop the stuff off to Leah and lock up behind you, okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Crowley said.

  “Listen, Leah has taken some pain medicine, so she is probably already out for the rest of the day. Try to be quiet, please.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Crowley hit End and pocketed his phone.

  He reentered through the front door of the silent café, pausing long enough to lock it behind him before heading upstairs to the apartment. He was surprised to find the young woman passed out on the oversize floral sofa and not the bed.

  Crowley placed the bags on the small dining table and turned his attention back to the woman. Her long-sleeved shirt and scarf were discarded on the floor, leaving her wearing a black tank top that exposed even more damage. He noticed her hair was damp from sweat, so he checked the thermostat and bumped it down to sixty-five to quickly cool the apartment.

  As the air kicked on and sent a hushed hum throughout the apartment, Crowley quietly walked over to the sitting area and noticed that most of Leah’s purse contents were spilled out onto the coffee table. Her license lay exposed, so he took out his phone and snapped a picture of it. That would be a start at finding some information. He calculated her age at only twenty-nine years old. Crowley thought that was mighty young to have already lived a complicated life.

  Leah hadn’t moved an inch the entire time Crowley had been there, so he took a moment to make sure she was still breathing before inspecting the numerous wounds riddling her body. The edge of her tank top had ridden up some, revealing an Ace bandage wrapped haphazardly around her midsection, but he wasn’t sure what it was supposed to be protecting. His eyes moved to Leah’s right hand where it cradled her broken left wrist and noticed surgical tape residue from where an IV had been inserted. With her hat removed, he could now see a nasty line of stitches over her left eye. Stitches also etched her bottom lip, and her bruised chin was scabbed over thickly. He had to resist the strong urge to inspect her swollen and bruised upper left arm and shoulder with the tips of his fingers. Crowley figured whatever had happened did most of its damage to her left side. The battered woman looked like she had come close to death.

  Shaking his head, Crowley crossed the room and checked out the fridge. He found it empty with the temperature bumped up. He adjusted the temperature on both the fridge and freezer before slipping downstairs to the café. He filled a take-out bag with bottled waters, a few leftover sandwiches, and fruit salads. He stepped into the kitchen and pulled out some Gatorades he kept stashed in the back refrigerator and added them to the bag.

  Crowley quietly reentered the much-cooler apartment and found Leah still sleeping soundly. He put everything away in the fridge except for one bottle of water, which he placed on the coffee table with a scribbled note—Food in fridge. He readjusted the thermostat, pulled a light quilt out of the linen closet, draped it over Leah, and headed down to lock up the café for Lulu.

  9

  LEAH WOKE WITH A START, feeling disoriented and absolutely
parched. She was slowly righting herself to a seated position on the couch when her eyes fell on the bottle of water. She grabbed it up and drained the entire bottle.

  She sat for a few moments, trying to get her bearings. She’d had the recurring dream of being in the meadow again. Although it was incredibly painful, Leah welcomed it. The brief unconscious moment of pure peace with her daughter was worth the tears of grief that always followed waking up.

  As the tears and grief subsided, Leah shuffled to the bathroom. When she reentered the living room, she saw shopping bags on the dining room table, a note on the coffee table letting her know there was food in the fridge, and a quilt draped from the sofa to the floor.

  “How did I sleep through all of this? How long have I been asleep?” Leah moved to the kitchen to check out the contents of the fridge. She immediately pulled out an orange Gatorade and gulped it greedily. As she raised her arm to take another long drink, she caught a whiff of herself. She tried to figure out how many days had passed since her last shower, but the fogginess of her brain refused to clear enough to allow it. Frustrated, she gave up and was about to go grab some clean clothes and head for an overdue shower when there was a knock at the door.

  “It’s Lulu.”

  “Come in.” Leah opened the door and moved out of the way, hoping Lulu didn’t smell her.

  Lulu hurried off to the kitchen with a plate of food covered in foil. “I brought you some Sunday dinner. Chicken bog with some butter beans, okra, and a baked sweet potato.”

  Leah had no idea what chicken bog could be but thanked the little lady anyway.

  “It’ll keep for a while. I thought you might like to get those stitches out and get cleaned up a bit first.” Lulu rummaged through the bags and pulled out a pair of small scissors and tweezers. She pointed to one of the dining chairs and instructed Leah to sit down.

  “You’re a little overdressed for stitch removal,” Leah said as she took in Lulu’s light-blue linen dress and tan pumps.

  “Oh, this is what I wore to church. I’ve just not had a chance to change yet, but I can manage stitches just fine in high heels.”

  Leah happily let the determined woman free her from the itchy things. Lulu started with the stitches over Leah’s left eye, then removed the ones in her lip. Leah couldn’t help but run her tongue over the smoother surface of her bottom lip, knowing it would never be completely smooth again.

  “Thank you. That feels amazing.” Leah worked her tongue over her lip again.

  “You’re welcome,” Lulu said as she pointed to the bags. “In one of those is some medicated lip ointment and a tube of antibiotic cream for any other wounds.”

  “Okay,” Leah said as Lulu fished the ointments out and then went over the rest of the contents, explaining how Leah was to use it all.

  “Be sure to take the vitamins daily with food. They will help your body heal as well.”

  “How much do I owe you for all of this stuff?” Leah asked as she took it all in.

  “You owe me getting better so you can start helping me run the café. Remember that was our deal,” Lulu said.

  “Yes, but that didn’t include you buying me things. I have mon—”

  “Don’t argue with me. It’s pointless.” Lulu laughed. “Just use all of this like I said. Don’t let my efforts go to waste.” She looked Leah over. “How long has it been since your . . . um . . . accident?”

  Leah hesitated. “I think it’s been about two weeks. It’s hard to remember exactly.” She was beginning to think something was wrong with her jumbled brain.

  “Sweetheart, that’s understandable. Let’s give you another week to heal before I start acquainting you with the café,” Lulu said.

  “I can start tomorrow.”

  Lulu lightly tugged at the edge of the Ace bandage that was unraveling around Leah’s midsection. “What’s going on under there?”

  “A few cracked ribs.” Leah pulled the bottom of her shirt down.

  Lulu then pointed to the cast. “And how about this?” She gently touched Leah’s puffy collarbone next. “And this?”

  “They’re both just fractures.”

  “Take another week to rest and heal. I promise to work you good and hard once you’re better.” Lulu looked around. “Where’s the sling for your shoulder?”

  Leah had just about forgotten about that thing. She had barely worn it. “In my bag.”

  “Put it on after your shower and leave it on,” Lulu said and gave Leah a warm smile.

  Leah was beginning to think the little woman didn’t know how to frown nor take no for an answer. “Why are you doing all of this for me?”

  “Why not?” Lulu began gathering the pharmacy purchases and putting them away in the appropriate places. “I’ll check on you tomorrow. If you need anything, my number is by the phone. I only live a few blocks from here, so don’t hesitate.”

  “Thank you, Lulu, for everything.”

  “No problem, sweetheart.” Lulu walked out the door but spun around as if she forgot something. “By the way, welcome to Rivertown.” She gave Leah another warm smile before disappearing down the stairs.

  Leah headed to the shower and spent a good part of the afternoon grooming her neglected body. She was thankful that all the supplies she needed, which included soap, shampoo, and a much-needed razor, were waiting for her in the bathroom. Lulu forgot nothing. After applying the antibiotic cream to the various wounds and slathering the ointment on her lip, she secured a new Ace bandage around her tender abdomen. She dressed in yoga pants and an oversize T-shirt and then strapped her left arm into the sling.

  Once Leah had painstakingly completed all of that, she was famished. She pulled a red Gatorade out of the fridge and stood at the small kitchen counter to eat. She was getting tired of all the sitting and lying down. She pulled the foil off the plate to inspect the chicken bog. She had no idea what a bog of any kind could possibly be, and she didn’t find the word bog very appealing. She was relieved to find rice cooked with chunks of chicken breast and what she suspected to be smoked turkey sausage. It smelled heavenly. She dug into it, as well as the butter beans and okra, with gusto. Once Leah finished all of that, she unwrapped the sweet potato that had been split and seasoned with a heavy sprinkling of cinnamon. It tasted like candy to her. She was amazed at how sweet the potato was without tons of added sugar.

  After rinsing the plate and taking her vitamins as directed, Leah set out to take a good look around her new home. It was a cozy apartment with soft buttercup-yellow walls and worn wooden floors. Nothing matched but somehow it all went together quite well. She had already fallen in love with the oversize sofa. A charming rocking chair and a golden-yellow wingback chair accompanied the sofa to form a quaint sitting area. The cream-colored lace curtains let the sun peek through, casting a warm hue over the apartment. The living room also shared the space with a round dinette table and four chairs, all stained red. Leah inspected a small cabinet that reminded her of Brent’s liquor cabinet in the loft back in Washington. She was pleasantly surprised when she opened it and discovered a small flat-screen television.

  The living room was separated from the kitchen by a small counter. The off-white appliances were outdated but immaculately clean and surrounded by handcrafted oak cabinets. Leah was absolutely falling in love with the charming apartment that she could now, somehow, call home. Only a day before, she was homeless and hopeless. Now she had a place of her own and an appealing job awaiting her.

  Three doors lined the left wall of the apartment. Leah knew the first was the bedroom and the second was the bathroom. She crossed the room to inspect what was behind door number three. She found a large walk-in utility closet that housed a full-size washer and dryer. On the shelf above, a new box of washing powder, a jug of bleach, and fabric softener sat ready to be used. Leah gladly gathered her dirty laundry and began washing. Once that task was under way, Leah grabbed the rest of her Gatorade and finished it as she tried out the rocking chair.

 
The evening passed quietly. Feeling a bit hesitant on unpacking just yet, Leah decided to place the fresh laundry back into her suitcase for the time being. She then enjoyed one of the chicken salad sandwiches with a fruit salad for supper. Her appetite was coming back with a vengeance, and she was half-tempted to venture out for something sweet and fattening. She was uncomfortable leaving the apartment, so she settled for the other fruit salad.

  To get her mind off her sweet tooth, Leah filled the claw-foot bathtub with steaming-hot water and Epsom salt that was infused with eucalyptus oil. She soaked her achy body until all of the heat had seeped away from the bath. After dressing in a loose cotton gown and taking a pain pill, Leah crawled underneath the soft chenille bedspread that adorned the antique brass bed. As she drifted off, her mind lingered on the peaceful thought that she felt at home for the first time in her entire life.

  The week dragged by as the fog finally began to clear away from Leah’s mind. She spent her mornings attending to her wounds and the rest of the day enjoying her cozy apartment or napping. She began taking over-the-counter pain medicines, hoping her mind would finish clearing.

  Unfortunately, with the fog lifting, the memory of her dead husband came back with clarity. She was not remorseful about the devil being dead, but she was scared of going to jail because of it. Were the officials hunting her down? Had she been careful enough to leave no trail? Would they be able to recognize her if they did somehow catch up with her? All of these questions played over and over in the back of her mind, followed by repeated reassurances. The officials probably thought she was dead somewhere too, considering all the blood she had left behind. She had been careful not to leave any clue of herself in Tennessee. She had lost at least twenty pounds since anyone from Washington had seen her, and she was now back to her natural blonde hair color. All of the new scars helped too. Surely she was safe in this small, unknown town.