Soul Awakening
By Doug Simpson
By Doug Simpson
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If you missed out yesterday's post, catch Chapter Seven here.
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Chapter 8
Dani's Surprise
Dani was keyboarding away like a champion, when she heard her cell phone chime. She looked up at the clock. Ten minutes after eleven. Must be Dacque, looking for his ride, she surmised. Her first day at Brown, Kluzewski, McIntosh and Partners, had gone so smooth that she felt like she could never have been on the unemployment line for two months. "Hello."
"Hi Dani. They sprung me. Can you come and get me, please?"
"I should be there in about fifteen minutes. Wait for me, okay?"
"Wiseacre! I'm in no shape to walk more that a hundred feet."
"Be there soon. Bye." Dani got up from her desk and walked over to Max's office. She had noticed him look through his window at her, and assumed he had heard her phone chime.
"Dacque?" he asked.
"Yes. They sprung him, as he called it. I packed a bag lunch today. Would you mind if I picked him up, and then stayed for lunch with him? I will make sure I am back by one."
"That's sounds like a great idea. He'll love that. Take your time, and I'll answer the phone until you return."
"Thanks Max."
Dacque was waiting in room 222, in a wheelchair, when Dani arrived. It had taken her longer than she had guesstimated, but he was so happy to see her that he refrained from any wise comments. A nurse followed her into the room.
"He is all set to go, Miss. If you meet me there, I will wheel him down to the main door, and help you move him into your vehicle. He is much better today, and much happier, I must add."
Dani met the nurse at the main door and soon had Dacque loaded-up and on his way home. Dani was familiar with 7th Street, and his apartment complex, although she had never actually been inside. She found the closest parking spot she could to the back door, and helped him hobble to the elevator.
"Third floor," he advised. Fortunately, his apartment, 305 was not far from the elevator.
Dani helped Dacque over to the small kitchen table, with a chair at each end. "I packed a bag lunch. What can I make you for lunch?"
"I can make my own lunch, you know. I'm not disabled, just limping a bit."
"Sit. I have a surprise to tell you, and if we joust over who makes your lunch too long, I won't have time to tell you until another day. What would you like?" she asked and walked over and opened the refrigerator door.
"That's bribery, you know?" Dacque protested.
"Whatever works! What would you like?" The fridge was half full. Not bad for an elderly bachelor, Dani concluded.
"Toasted tomato and lettuce sounds pretty good."
Dani prepared the sandwich, and set it in front of him. "How about a drink?"
"Apple juice, please, if there is any left."
Dani went back to the refrigerator, and picked up the can of apple juice. She swished it back and forth, gently, and figured there was probably one full glass remaining. She set the drink in front of Dacque, removed her sandwich from her purse, and sat down in the second chair.
Dacque never touched his sandwich, or his drink. He just sat there looking at Dani. "Well?"
"Well, what? Aren't you going to eat?"
"I let you make my lunch. You didn't say I had to eat it first. You promised me a surprise?"
Dani smiled. "There is nothing wrong with your memory, that's for sure."
"Fortunately I don't store it on my kneecap."
Dani roared. "You are really quick with your come-backs, I must say."
"Skip the flattery and cut to the chase. Let's hear this big secret."
"Yes sir. Last night, a few minutes before eleven, Max called again. Sara, his secretary, had just called him. Her father suffered a major heart attack, and she was catching the first flight available for Chicago. Max said she could be gone a few weeks, and asked if I would fill in for her until she returned."
"When do you start?"
"This morning."
"You were at Max's office when I called you? Why didn't you tell me about it then?"
"How could I force you to let me make you lunch, if the secret was out-of-the-bag too early?" Dani replied through a wide grin. "Now, eat your lunch. I told Max I would be back by one o'clock."
Dani's Surprise
Dani was keyboarding away like a champion, when she heard her cell phone chime. She looked up at the clock. Ten minutes after eleven. Must be Dacque, looking for his ride, she surmised. Her first day at Brown, Kluzewski, McIntosh and Partners, had gone so smooth that she felt like she could never have been on the unemployment line for two months. "Hello."
"Hi Dani. They sprung me. Can you come and get me, please?"
"I should be there in about fifteen minutes. Wait for me, okay?"
"Wiseacre! I'm in no shape to walk more that a hundred feet."
"Be there soon. Bye." Dani got up from her desk and walked over to Max's office. She had noticed him look through his window at her, and assumed he had heard her phone chime.
"Dacque?" he asked.
"Yes. They sprung him, as he called it. I packed a bag lunch today. Would you mind if I picked him up, and then stayed for lunch with him? I will make sure I am back by one."
"That's sounds like a great idea. He'll love that. Take your time, and I'll answer the phone until you return."
"Thanks Max."
Dacque was waiting in room 222, in a wheelchair, when Dani arrived. It had taken her longer than she had guesstimated, but he was so happy to see her that he refrained from any wise comments. A nurse followed her into the room.
"He is all set to go, Miss. If you meet me there, I will wheel him down to the main door, and help you move him into your vehicle. He is much better today, and much happier, I must add."
Dani met the nurse at the main door and soon had Dacque loaded-up and on his way home. Dani was familiar with 7th Street, and his apartment complex, although she had never actually been inside. She found the closest parking spot she could to the back door, and helped him hobble to the elevator.
"Third floor," he advised. Fortunately, his apartment, 305 was not far from the elevator.
Dani helped Dacque over to the small kitchen table, with a chair at each end. "I packed a bag lunch. What can I make you for lunch?"
"I can make my own lunch, you know. I'm not disabled, just limping a bit."
"Sit. I have a surprise to tell you, and if we joust over who makes your lunch too long, I won't have time to tell you until another day. What would you like?" she asked and walked over and opened the refrigerator door.
"That's bribery, you know?" Dacque protested.
"Whatever works! What would you like?" The fridge was half full. Not bad for an elderly bachelor, Dani concluded.
"Toasted tomato and lettuce sounds pretty good."
Dani prepared the sandwich, and set it in front of him. "How about a drink?"
"Apple juice, please, if there is any left."
Dani went back to the refrigerator, and picked up the can of apple juice. She swished it back and forth, gently, and figured there was probably one full glass remaining. She set the drink in front of Dacque, removed her sandwich from her purse, and sat down in the second chair.
Dacque never touched his sandwich, or his drink. He just sat there looking at Dani. "Well?"
"Well, what? Aren't you going to eat?"
"I let you make my lunch. You didn't say I had to eat it first. You promised me a surprise?"
Dani smiled. "There is nothing wrong with your memory, that's for sure."
"Fortunately I don't store it on my kneecap."
Dani roared. "You are really quick with your come-backs, I must say."
"Skip the flattery and cut to the chase. Let's hear this big secret."
"Yes sir. Last night, a few minutes before eleven, Max called again. Sara, his secretary, had just called him. Her father suffered a major heart attack, and she was catching the first flight available for Chicago. Max said she could be gone a few weeks, and asked if I would fill in for her until she returned."
"When do you start?"
"This morning."
"You were at Max's office when I called you? Why didn't you tell me about it then?"
"How could I force you to let me make you lunch, if the secret was out-of-the-bag too early?" Dani replied through a wide grin. "Now, eat your lunch. I told Max I would be back by one o'clock."
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Soul Awakening is part of the 12 days of Christmas feature here at Downright Fiction. Every day will see a new chapter excerpt on the website. Come back for Chapter 9 tomorrow!
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Doug Simpson is a retired high school teacher who has turned his talents to writing. His magazine and website articles have been published in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France and India. Soul Awakening is his first novel. Read more about Doug at dousimp.mnsi.net!
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