Bathroom Buddies

Getting off the street was the most important thing to me. It didn't matter that the place was a dump, it was still better than living on the streets. It was advertised as a studio apartment. I wouldn't say it was much of a studio, more of a room with a hot plate and mini fridge and a shared bathroom. Most importantly they did not ask for references. My little home was located over a coin laundry. In the winter, I knew, the heat from the air vents would help keep me warm but, I also knew, those same vents were going to make the summers brutal. None of that mattered, it was mine and it was safer than any ally or dumpster I could find to sleep in. My job at the bakery didn’t give me enough money to pay my bills and furnish my room, which meant I needed to be creative on furnishing it. I struggled pulling a couple of palates from behind the laundry so that the old mattress that was left in the room would not have to lay on the floor. My night stands were from blue milk crates I carried home from behind the bakery. For the rest of the items I knew, I needed to be a little more creative. Waiting until way after the nearest thrifty store closed and everyone had left, I scavenged through the donations that were placed outside the store and had not been brought inside the building. I didn’t figure this was stealing because the store had not processed them yet, therefore they really hadn’t been given to them yet. Well, that is how I racialized it as not stealing. I only took what I truly needed, a couple of blankets, a dish, pan, silverware, a couple changes of clothes I would need for work and more importantly an alarm clock.

That first night lying in my bed and looking around my little room, I relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever. Even the flicker from the green neon light from the Chinese restaurant across the street soothed me into a restful sleep. 4:00 am came early but I was happy with it. I had a job and that job got me off the street. Peeking out my door I looked around to see if it was safe to run across the hall to my shared bathroom. Once safely inside I noticed a bag sitting on the sink with a yellow posted note which simply read “Bathroom Buddy”. Smiling, I opened the bag to find it was full of samples of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and best of all a new toothbrush and toothpaste. I wasted no time opening the bottles and smelling the flowery scents from each bottle. I felt like a princess showering. It was so much nicer than the bar of generic soap and an old toothbrush I had been using. It was getting so well worn that the bristles were starting to come out. My life was looking so much better by the day. Unfortunately, living on the streets made you believe nothing was forever and you needed to be ready when the other shoe dropped. I could not let go of those old feeling it was all going to end. I made sure I kept a backpack full with a change of clothes and an extra pair of sneakers and everything else I knew I would need if I had to run.

Working in the kitchen of the bakery was hard work, but I loved it. By the end of the day I was covered in sweat, flour and sugar. I couldn’t wait to get home and take another shower. However, I knew this shower would have to be just water and my bar soap. I was going to save my gifts for special occasions, there was no way I wanted to waste my sweet smelling treats. There were perks to working at the bakery, employees were allowed to have what the owner called the fails. They may not have looked all that great but they tasted wonderful. I wanted to repay my “Bathroom Buddy” for his kindness, so on my way out I picked out a couple strawberry tarts that didn’t look too bad and a loaf of sweet bread for me. I wrote on the box of tarts “Thank you! From your Bathroom Buddy” Sitting it on the floor next to his door I knocked and went on into my own little home.

It had been weeks since I moved in. I was slipping into a comfortable route. Even though I had yet to meet my bathroom buddy, our friendship grew with post it notes, sweets from the bakery and samples from the hotel, I soon figured out that he worked for. I was happy. I didn’t have any of the luxuries in life, just the books I bought from the thrift store for .50 cents off the clearance cart. Then when I tired of reading I would watch the patterns the green neon light made on the ceiling of the room to lull me to sleep.

It was well after midnight when I heard the yelling in the street below my window. Without thinking I jumped from my bed and pulled back the curtain revealing the scene below me. There stood 3 men holding guns surrounding a man in a suit holding a briefcase tightly to his chest.

"Give me the Case" yelled one of the men

"Not without the drugs"

BANG!

It wasn't the bang from the gun that made me scream, it was the sound the dead man's head made when it hit the pavement. I froze when the 3 men turned and looked up at me through the glow of the green neon light. I watched as if in slow motion, as one of the men turned and aimed the gun at me.

Dropping to the floor, I crawled to my small closet and grabbed my purse and my to go bag. Throwing open my door I took off running. I had to get out before they could get to me. I knew I would be dead. As I ran past my bathroom buddy’s room I felt a strong arm reach out and grab me pulling me into his room. Pressing me against the wall behind the door he covered my mouth with his hand and whispered in my ear “Don’t say a word. Don’t even breathe if you can help it”. We stood there as we heard 2 of the men burst into my room and start tearing it apart. It only took a few moments for them to realize I had run. I jumped when pounding on the door I was standing behind. My buddy raised his fingers to his lips reminding me to stay quiet. He quickly removed his boxer briefs and stood in front of the door completely naked. He opened the door and greeting the men as if he knew them

“Hey, guy what’s up”

“Oh, man put some pants on dude, No one what’s to look at that”

“You knocked on my door man” for good measure he reached down and scratched his groin area. “What to come in for a beer?” I began to shake. I could believe her just asked them in for a drink. Was he going to give me to them? Both men groaned “Dude No, We want to know about the chick next door?”

“Can’t tell you much, never met her” my friend said shifting from one leg to the other “You know I stick to myself, you know I want out of this city”.

“That’s right you are planning on being a famous Doctor. Look I don't care what you are planning, you better let us know if you see her”. One of the men said as he slammed his fist against the door in a show of power.

With the tip of his chin “You know I got your back”. With that he shut the door. Once again he held his finger to his lips reminding me to stay quiet.

He pulled me into an embrace, slowly rubbing my back in a calming motion. We stood there in each other's arms afraid to move until we heard them thumping down the back staircase. Stepping back, I noticed the redness of his face as he slipped on his boxer briefs. “Sorry, I just knew that was the quickest way to get them to leave.” Moving over to the window he peeked out to see if the police had arrived yet. “Your best bet is to wait until the streets are covered with cops, then sneak out”. Taking a piece of paper from off the top of his desk he wrote a quick note, address, and phone number. Then he pulls back the backing on his mini fridge and pulls out an envelope handing me a couple hundred dollars bills “I wish I had more to give you”. He says while shoving it into my hand. “No, I can’t take this from you, I will be fine.”

Wrapping his arms around me and pulling him into my chest “No, I have got to help you. I lost someone very close to me because of those guys. I have got to get you out of this”.

We began to hear the sirens in the distance. It wouldn’t be long before the street was crawling with cops. I couldn’t move, I was losing everything I had spent the last couple of months building. Once again I was going to be on the streets, in a new town. I had to keep reminding myself at least I will be alive. “You can’t go out like that. Do you have any clothes in your bag?” He said reaching for my to go bag and pulling the clothes out. After I was dressed, he tossed me a sweatshirt and a ball cap to throw all my hair up into. Pulling the cap down to cover my eyes, he said “I want you to get to the bus station and get the next bus to Vegas. When you get there I want you to go to the address on the paper and ask for Romeo, tell him Bobby sent you” With that he gave me another quick hug and said “take care Bathroom Buddy”.