Page 19 of Mayhem and Minnie

I wait for the girl to say what she’d like, but she just stares blankly at the menu.

“Do you have tea?”

“Of course. What type would you like?”

She takes a moment to think.

“Peppermint?”

“You got it. I’ll be right back.”

After the waitress leaves, I turn my attention to the girl.

“What’s your name?”

Not that I’m interested. But I’m tired of referring to her as the girl.

“M-Minnie,” she answers in a soft voice.

“Minnie?” I repeat, surprised. Well, the name sure fits.

She nods. “What is yours?”

“Marlowe.”

She nods again.

“What were you doing on the highway dressed like this?” I ask.

She’s a curiosity, I’m not going to lie. There are so many contradictions to her that I can’t make sense of. And what do I do when I encounter a problem?

I obsess over it until I solve it.

She presses her lips together. Seconds go by and she doesn’t answer me.

“Where do you live?” I try with another question.

Again, silence greets me.

“Do you have anyone I can call to pick you up?”

With each question I ask, she seems even more reluctant to speak.

But just as I think of how else to formulate my questions, she finally answers.

“I don’t have a home. I don’t have anyone you can call. I…” She trails off.

“You?” I raise a brow.

“I sleep in a park not far from the highway. Sometimes.”

I stare at her.

“You’re homeless?”

She slowly raises her face to look at me, and she gives me a small nod.

Before I can help myself, I pull on her hand and fold the sleeve of the coat so I can check her arms. Given her weight, she might be a user.

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