2023-07-29 - A Way Forward

Jett hitched up his shoulders to shelter against the cold wind and rain that had been coming down for the last hour, pushing with a ratty shoed foot to slide further under the awning of the pawn shop. He sold his last take for little more than a few bucks; the pawn shop owner had gotten greedy. Oh sure the owner mentioned cops keeping an eye on his product but Jett wasn't born yesterday; it was a line used to pay Jett less. But what other choice did he have than take what was offered?

Jett tugged on his coat collar as if synching it closer to his neck would help buffet out the cold...surprise, it didn't. His shoes had gotten soaked on the walk over, well, everything had gotten soaked on the walk over. He closed his eyes and shivered. The money he got today wouldn't pay for a night at the hostel and he hated to think of going back to the shelter. The shelter was terrible. He literally had to sleep with one eye open and the last time he ended up with some bruised ribs because he tried to defend his stuff. Tried. He lost his stuff that day. Unfortunately most of the people at the shelter were twice his size and twice as hardened from life on the streets and they knew how to take advantage when the lights went off.

He closed his eyes and turned toward the window of the pawn shop. When he opened his eyes he looked up on his drenched reflection; a drowned rat in some shabby clothes. The neon red open light cast a red shadow onto his face in the reflection as he considered every decision he made up until now. He didn't know what to do or where to go. He hitch hiked to Grand Rapids thinking this is where he would find some opportunity. He tried every place he could to ask for a job, and door after door he was turned down. He had not finished school; the system jerked him around from place to place and he eventually dropped out because he couldn't stand it. He was picked on for what he looked like, yes race too, and he had adopted a cloak of darkness, his emo look, to try to make himself more intimidating; it really didn't work. His face was too... soft. He had some luck as he traveled here working a day here or there, some farmer's field or some shop sweep, but as usual nothing lasted.

He had turned to shoplifting and pickpocketing. It wasn't glorious at all. He was kind of bad at it too, at least, the shoplifting part. He got made so many times before he even tried that he bailed job after job. He managed to swipe a shirt from one of the thrift shops and he found a few more items out of the donation bins around town and yet all that was gone too. He got robbed more times than he could count. He had been thinking of trying to get to Detroit; it was bigger and surely he'd have a better go of it there. Though he wasn't sure a bigger city meant less rough streets. He had to run for his life at least three times already and he'd only been in Grand Rapid for like two months. He didn't know what the fuck he was doing and everyone saw him as an opportunity. He had to watch his back; he heard rumors of bad shit going down and he never stayed in the same place twice.

The pawn shop owner came to the window and knocked at it, making a shooing motion with his hand. That woke Jett up from his mental chaos of what to do next. The owner made some more expressive motions that pointed to a sign; no loitering. Jett looked at it and then looked back at the owner. "Asshole..." he muttered as he stepped back out into the rain. No loitering. Where the fuck was he supposed to go? That was the worst part about being homeless; everywhere was empty spaces not being utilized but the moment you sat down someone was complaining about the homeless person loitering.

Jett didn't know how he was going to get out of this situation. He tucked his hands into his pockets as if that would keep them any less cold because the hoodie was already soaked through. His shoes made a splash through each puddle and he felt the cold water a new through the gaps in the shoes seams; the one toe of the shoe was completely separated. He hunched his shoulders up and ambled on. What was he going to do. He was so fucking cold and hungry. The hunger pains never went away, and every cafe or restaurant he passed the smells made it worse. He paused to glance into one of the fast food places; he could maybe grab a burger with the money he had left. His stomach wouldn't let him say no and... he could get out of the rain.

He pulled open the door and felt the eyes judging him as he entered. That was the worst part; everyone finally seeing you because you wanted some food. On a normal day people barely acknowledged you existed. Jett felt that rejection twice as hard; every day of his life had been rejection and so when he looked at a couple that was looking at him as he walked by he gave them the hardest fuck you stare he could manage. They turned their eyes down quickly. That's the other thing with people like this; they were cowards... judging so quick but no back bone to live up to it when challenged back.

Jett got up to the counter and ordered a burger. The staff there didn't judge him. This was a typical place for homeless to come get a meal from and they were used to guys like him. He put his mangled and soggy money on the counter; shit his hands were white. The girl behind the register gave him a sympathetic and pitying look. Fuck he hated that even more. He took his little number card and went to a booth that was open. At least... he was out of the rain and sitting. Oh it felt good to sit down. He sighed with contentment at the load taken off his legs and his feet; his feet had been numb because of the cold but before that they had been on fire.

When he opened his eyes he looked at the newspaper the last patron had left at the table. He could read a little bit; he was never really good at it. He opened it regardless and flipped pages, looking at the pictures mostly. As he got to the classifieds where some employers still put ads for jobs he noticed something about... spellbound? It was a hiring fair. The image of the theme park caught his attention sure but it was the 'no experience needed' and the 'housing provided' that really stood out.

The girl at the front counter brought over his burger, fries, and coke. Wait. He didn't order fries. He didn't order a coke. He looked up and saw her smile at him, "Enjoy your dinner." That was it. A strange warmth came over him as he watched her with unblinking eyes as she went back to her job. Kindness. His fist clenched around the paper as he tried to keep in what was threatening to burst out. "Fuck..." he whispered to himself as his body was shaking from the effort to bottle it all back down. He had to take some slow breaths to keep himself composed. But these would be the best fucking fries he ever had.

After he warmed up a little in the burger joint, not at all pressured to leave, probably thanks to the girl he dozed off a bit. His head rested against the glass with a full stomach and some warmth of a sheltered building. She eventually came by his table again because they were closing. She reached out and woke him up with a gentle touch to his shoulder. Jett startled and jerked. She pulled her hand back apologetically and noted that they were closing and he'd have to leave. He nodded his understanding. She looked at the paper that he had open and remarked on the theme park opportunity, "There's a bus leaving two days from now for people who want to apply." She explains, "My brother is going to go. It'll be by the mall's front door. Do you know where that is?"

Jett was still groggy and waking up. He looked at the paper then looked at the girl, "Hey..." again she gave him that kind smile and he felt himself flush a bit. Why was she being so nice? "Thanks for that. I know how to get there," he responded quietly.

"I hear it's going to be quite the place," she looked back to the front counter and then back to Jett, "I'm too young to apply. Maybe in a few years." She took a step back, "Good luck."

"Thanks," Jett responded. That's all he could say. That's all he could think to say. Thank you for letting me sleep. Thanks for giving me extra food. Thank you for letting me warm up. Thank you for giving me this information. But all he could say was that single word. As he stood to go she stopped him one last time and handed him an umbrella.

He looked down at the umbrella and she didn't let him have a chance to decline it. "Good night, see you again!" Cheerful as ever. And kind.

He wouldn't forget that. He couldn't forget that. He felt himself smile a little before he stepped out into the pouring rain but this time ... with a woosh, he had an umbrella.

Over the next two days he hustled to get a few things packed and ready to go. He found, or stole, or dug through donation bids and trash to get a few pieces of clothes and shove it all into a rucksack he also found. He didn't want to miss the bus. He was there bright and early. There were other people too and they looked a lot less homeless than he was. He stood off by himself until the bus came. When it did come he made sure to be on it. It was warm, the seats were comfortable, and... he fell asleep for the duration of the trip to the ferry.

The organizers of the hiring fair explained that there would be a series of interviews followed by orientation and a tour of the park, before anyone was allowed to board the ferry. If you were not successful you would be allowed to stay for one night free on the park but would be ferried back to the mainland the following day. There was a rumble of ominous voices but Jett only looked more determined.

Once on the ferry, Jett stood at the bow so that he could watch the theme park coming into view and all that he felt was a sense of... hope. This was his opportunity. The way the speakers were already talking about the park and what the park offered to it's employees was more than enough for him. He felt himself smirking with a hardened resolve to get the chance to work at the park; the alternatives were not something he could accept. He didn't care what he would have to do here, he just knew he had to be here. It was like seeing the Emerald City for the first time and he had been walking on the yellow brick road. And the sunshine that broke through the clouds as they passed into the waters of the theme park solidified everything. Life awaited.