Manhattan Mission

by Darrel Bird

a biker that had never held down a job; at least, a legal one.

  He was lying on his bed reading the bible when Trudy called, “Bobby, can you meet me uptown for lunch tomorrow at the same restaurant across the street from Global Corp?”

  “Sure, but why uptown?”

  “I only have time for a quick lunch tomorrow; we are trying a case, but I think I might have something we can use against Global.”

  “Ok Trudy, I’ll be there.”

  The phone was silent for a little, then, “ Bobby, did you enjoy having dinner with me?”

  “Ye…Yes.” The question caught him off guard.

  “I would like to do it again, if you could.”

  “I’ll think about it, and let you know tomorrow.” He said hesitantly.

  Now what is this, a second dinner date? He tried to get back into reading, but couldn’t. He felt as if he was losing control. His mom knocked on the door, and stuck her head in, “I gotta go to work Bobby, could you put the wash on?”

  “Ok, hey ma, would it be ok if I cooked dinner for someone?”

  “Who?”

  “Trudy Lund, she wants to have dinner, but I don’t have the money to take her.”

  “I can give you the money Bobby.”

  “I know, but I don’t want you too; I can cook spaghetti real good ma.”

  “Ok Bobby, no I don’t mind at all. Didn’t she go off to college or something?”

  “Yeah, she’s a lawyer for a big firm now.”

  “She always was a cute girl; you could do worse Bobby.”

  “It ain’t like that ma; she is trying to help me save the mission.”

  “Uhuh.” She smiled at him.

  “Aw, go on ma.”

  He could hear her humming as she went out the door, His mind returned to the meeting with Trudy tomorrow; I can’t let myself get in too deep here. It just wouldn’t work. He opened the book and began reading again.

  The next day was Thursday, and he remembered his mother was off Friday’s as he rode to the restaurant.

  He already had a table when Trudy walked through the door, and he waved at her. “Whew, the foot traffic is fierce today, and I’m pooped after spending the morning in court.” She said as she laid her purse on the floor, and sat down.

  “I didn’t want anything but coffee, and I didn’t know what you wanted for lunch. You look beautiful though.”

  She gave him a look that told him she was very pleased with the remark. The waitress came and took her order, gave him a frown, then left. She soon returned with a small salad.

  “I have been digging into Global’s transactions the past month, and it turns out. they don’t really need the space where the mission is, they just want it gone because of the office building they are planning, they are planning on making a parking lot where the mission sits.”

  “What can you do then Trudy?”

  “I talked to my boss about the missions' plight, and we can hire a writer to do a write-up, and put that in the paper, but first I’m going to talk with the Global people, and lay it on the table, and get this, after I told Mr. Ballard about all this, I have the full weight of Ballard law behind me when I go.”

  “Wow Trudy, I’m afraid to sit at table with you. You may be pulling my teeth next.”

  “You just better not forget that Mister man.” She laughed. She took another bite of her salad, “Now I have to get back to work; I'm due back in court in thirty minutes.”

  “Oh…before you go, I would like to ask you if you could have dinner with me, and my mom tomorrow night about seven.”

  “I’d love too Bobby, that would be nice. See you about sevenish then?” She leaned over the small table, and kissed him lightly on the cheek, and then walked quickly toward the door.

  He sat there staring after her. He felt helpless at the turns life had taken him. A guy in a suit frowned at him as he headed toward the door, “What’er you lookin’ at bone head?” And the guy quickly turned back to his lunch. The anger rose up so quickly he could have hit the guy, and it startled him. The rest of the people in the place stared at the leather dressed figure as he was leaving, and made a mental note to them selves never to get in his way.

  He cranked his bike, and headed for the mission to help with the evening meal. When he got to the mission, all the volunteers called greeting to him. Pastor Bill was in the office attempting to do the almost impossible job of juggling what little money they had against the needs of the place.

  “Hi Bobby, come on in, I’ll be done in a minute.”

  Bobby seated himself in the torn leather chair before the Pastor’s desk, and thought about what had just taken place. The Pastor lay the last bill aside, “How is it going today Bobby?”

  “I met Trudy for lunch today, and she told me she thought maybe we could save the place; we just have to wait, and see.”

  “Wait and see is not new to me Bobby. You look a little troubled today, what’s up?”

  “I got really pissed at a guy for lookin’ at me today.””

  “Well, from what I understand you have been going through a lot of changes lately, and that could be a factor on how you re-act to things.”

  “The voice in my head might not be that lenient; he sounded awfully firm to me.”

  “Well, I’m sure if he changed you that he can handle you, don’t you think? God has something for you, and he won’t be put off. What do you think upset you so much?”

  “Trudy asked to have dinner with me again, and I just don’t know what to do with that. Why would she want to have anything to do with the likes of me anyway Pastor?”

  “Don’t go putting yourself down son, there’s enough people to go around who will do that without you chipping in, and besides, that young lady has sense enough to know what she wants. God has things for you that you don’t know about, so the best thing is to try to begin trusting him not to put you in a bad place.”

  “How to I do that?”

  “Pray about it, and leave it in his capable hands.”

  “Ok Pastor, I’m willing to try anything at this point; I gotta get back out there, and help with the feeding.”

  “I really appreciate you Bobby, thank God for sending you when I needed you so bad.”

  The next day he remembered the Pastors words, I ain’t never been needed by anybody much. He thought as he went about making a spaghetti dinner on his mom’s stove. He looked at his watch, and it was nearly five o’clock. His Mom had gone to the doctor. He went about dicing onions, but it wasn’t the onions that made the tears well up in his eyes.

  “That smells so good Bobby.” His Mom said as she came through the door.

  “Thanks ma, I hope it turns out fit to eat; I got one turn at it before Trudy shows up.”

  “One thing I trust my boy to do is cook spaghetti, you was always better at it than me. I’ll change and get ready for company.”

  At a quarter to seven, Trudy knocked on the door, and as Bobby opened the door she said, “Oh, that smells so good, and I’m starved. We didn’t have time for lunch today.”

  “It’s good that you’re starved in case I’ve screwed the spaghetti up, here let me take your coat.” He noticed again how very beautiful she was as he took her coat.

  Bobby’s mother walked into the room, “Why Trudy. It's been so long since I saw you, Oh, its so good to see someone from the neighborhood.”

  “Its so nice to see you Mrs. Grant, yes it’s been too long.”

  “I’ll get the grub on ma, so you two can sit, and get re-acquainted.”

  “I can do it Bobby.” His mother said.

  “No ma, sit with Trudy, I can manage this.”

  He went to the kitchen, and he could hear them talking, and laughing. He felt that five years of his life had been wasted. He couldn’t remember part of that five years due to the effects of drugs, and alcohol.

  He soon had the table set with generous helpings of his specialty on the plates, and he called them to come to dinner. He pulled Trudy’s chair out for her
then his Mom’s and sat down.

  Trudy said, “Wow, did you cook this Bobby?”

  “Yeah, I threw it together.”

  “Threw it together? This would make any chef in Italy bleed with envy.”

  “Well…uh…thank you.” He prayed that he answered the compliment with the right words.

  “I hear you kids have been trying to save a homeless shelter over in Manhattan?” Mrs. Grant asked.

  “Trudy has, all I managed to do was get cuffed, and escorted out of the building.”

  “Since Bobby showed me the mission, it's been my mission to help him, but if it hadn’t been for Bobby, I would never have known about it. I’ve since looked into the homeless problem by searching the Internet, and the problem is overwhelming, and no one or two people can even come close to solving it, but since I know about the problem, I have to do what I can. I’m meeting with my bosses tomorrow about this.”

  Bobby snuck looks at Trudy throughout the meal, and he could hardly keep his eyes off her. Gee whiz, I’m acting like a high school kid, quit looking at her stupid. But he couldn’t help himself.

  When the meal was done Mrs. Grant announced, “I have to go visit Mrs. Rodman next door, she’s been feeling poorly, and she would enjoy a plate of spaghetti.