Layers

"Here you go," the man with the blonde beard said, handing me an address. I nodded thank you, then quickly left the employment office. Ever since Charlie was sent to the hospital, funds have decreased by almost three thousand dollars. I had to get a job now to raise money so we can pay for the kids and bank loans. It was a desperate time in my life.

Winter tugged at my shirt. I looked down at her and Max, who was sulking. "Mom? Can we see the place you'll work at?" the seven year old asked. I sighed. "No harm. Let's walk, we'll save gas."

As we walked, I pondered on my life. I was currently twenty eight, and had fallen in love with a banker at sixteen. I thought foolishly, Daddy warned me, but here I am.

Charlie was a banker, and didn't make much less than fifty dollars a day. He always spent time with the girls when we get home. He's been there ever since we met. And when I was in labor at the hospital with Max at seventeen, he was there with me. But all Charlie's ever ate is beans. And I didn't understand why until a few months ago, when I realized we were running out of money.

And then the accident happened. Charlie was pulled aside by muggers, and he ran into the street for help. A truck hit him. And he hasn't been awake for a month. Now it was up to me to keep the family standing.

We walked to the corner of Gregofor Lane, and turned right. I looked over at Max, who had her head buried in a scarf. I sighed and looked at the address on the tattered piece of paper the man handed me. We had a block to go.

Then I realized something. The place I would be working at. Jordan's Flurry. I hadn't been there since I was twelve. Huh.

There was some new paint on the brick, and the lights in the sign had been fixed. I could here kids screaming from the play house, and saw everyone sitting in the red chairs eating pizza and spaghetti. "They changed the paint," Max said flatly, looking up at the small brick building.

We stepped in the place. It was just sort of as I remembered. But the minute we stepped through the door, a giant green bunny jumped in front of me and shouted, "Welcome to Jordan's FLURRY!!!"

Last time I was here, there were no giant animals jumping in front of you, looking ready to kill.

And just like I remembered, they rang a bell and showered Winter and Max with confetti. Except last time, the bell was hanging just above the door, so whenever you opened it, people would pour a bucket of confetti on you. Similar, yet different. Times had definetly changed.

There was now a ball pit and pinball machines, as well as a tiny bouncy house. I remembered always wanting to go in a ball pit, like the ones in the Chucker Cheese commercials that I would see on our blurry old television in Dad's apartment. And I cried when there wasn't one here. But there it was, right where the booth with the nice red haired lady that handed out lollipops had been. Now she was gone.

And there was a mural of dancing bananas on the wall. Winter went over and awed over it. "I remember this place from Georgie and Quinn's birthday!!! And Kate's party!!!"

I looked around. Man, it looked different, and that was only the appearance and add-ons. Funny, how so many things seem to have changed inside you, while most people see the only difference as a layer of paint.