Page 133 of Verses

I knew Charlotte Market usually broke down their boxes and put them in a huge metal recycling bin next to the trash behind the store, so I peeked out of my bedroom window at the back of the store, but I couldn’t tell if they had any boxes from my vantage point.

So I waited.

After I heard Kyle leave the apartment, I waited several minutes just to be certain. I didn’t know if he’d gone to work or somewhere else, but I wanted to be sure he’d actually left. Finally, I left my room and went into his bedroom to peek out the window. When I confirmed his car was gone, I put on my coat and left the apartment.

When I got to the store, I bought a roll of duct tape. I recognized the cashier, a middle-aged woman who’d worked there as long as I could remember. “Do you guys care if I take some of the cardboard boxes in your dumpster behind the store?”

“If we have any. The recycling guys were just here yesterday.”

Shit.“Okay. Thanks.”

I might have bought the tape for nothing—but it didn’t matter.

Heading through the sliding glass doors, I walked around the building to the back toward the two big dumpsters. The one for recycling was clearly marked and I walked to it, lifting one of the lids to peek inside. I was happy to see there were a couple of flattened boxes, but I couldn’t reach them. I was too short; the bin was too deep.

Ah…but there were also doors on the back of the dumpster that slid back and forth. I wouldn’t have even noticed them if one hadn’t been open, letting light in. Walking around to the back, I set the tape on the ground and reached inside the dumpster, stretching as far as I could.

And Istillcouldn’t reach anything.

God, this was frustrating. Three or four flattened boxes not quite within my grasp.

I picked up the tape and went back around to the front before looking around to see if there was anything I could use to get them out. A long stick or something might work. I also considered driving my car over. I could get on the car to jump in the dumpster—but would I be able to get back out?

While I pondered my options, I heard a voice behind me. “Hey!”

Oh, Jesus. Was I going to be lectured for dumpster diving? Turning around, I blurted out, “I got permission—”

A tall guy who looked to be in his thirties smiled, interrupting me. “Judy told me you might need help out here.”

“Oh. Um…yeah, I do actually. I can’t reach those boxes.”

“I might be able to.” He lifted the lid I’d been peeking in and then determined the same thing I had—that it would be easier to reach them from the back, so he headed that way. Leaning inside, he also stretched—and he managed to get a box. “Here’s one,” he said, handing it to me.

“Thank you.”

When he went for the second one, he grunted and groaned, wriggling a bit, and he succeeded in getting another one. As he handed it to me, he said, “I don’t think I can reach the other ones.”

“That’s okay. This might be enough.”

“Are you sure?”

No. In fact, I was pretty certain thiswouldn’tbe enough—but this guy had already done so much for me. “Yeah. That’s okay.”

He must have seen it on my face. “Nah. Hold on.” Walking toward the back of the store, he disappeared inside again. While I waited, the cold began hugging me as the sun drifted behind some clouds. I reminded myself I’d be inside soon enough.

When the guy came back, he brought a step stool, one of the folding kinds that were like a small ladder—and long barbecue tongs. “Don’t know why I didn’t think of this before.” He placed the step stool up against the back of the dumpster and walked up the steps. “We use these tongs in the storeroom. There’s a big ceiling fan in there, but the extended cord on it broke a few years ago—and it gets too hot unloading stuff without that thing blowing. We can reach it just fine on this stool with these tongs, so,” he continued, reaching inside, his voice echoing inside the dumpster, “I figured maybe we could them for this job too.” As he straightened out, he held a box in his left hand.

“Looks like it.”

“Did you want me to get the last one?”

Even though the box he handed me was bigger than the other two, I wanted to make sure I had plenty. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Not at all.”

Less than a minute later, I had all the boxes and tape stacked in my arms—which turned out to be a little unwieldy. But no matter. I was close to home. “Thank you so much. I appreciate all your help.”

“Do you have your car here? I could help you put them in there.”

---