The Changing of the Man

Immaculate in a dark grey suit, Devin tapped one Greggo Orlato dress shoe impatiently. A snap of his wrist displayed a gold Rolex watch that he glanced at sharply. Steel blue eyes transferred their sharpened gaze to the cause of Devin's annoyance. He radiated his displeasure with a sigh as he stood in line at the Stop N Go market. All he wanted was his bottle of ice tea yet he had to wait and wait.

Up ahead stood a young woman with tiny blond haired girl clinging to her mother's leg. Clearly of poor upbringing and highly uneducated looking, Hair in a turd bun and no make up on, she looked more like a teenager than a mother. Her baggy shirt drooped over worn denim jeans. A pair of faded sneakers completed the ensemble. Despite the cool Fall morning, the woman had no jacket on.

Dismissing the woman as trailer trash and not worthy of his time, Devin glanced at the little limpet still clinging to her mother. He could not fathom what she could be wearing as her mothers ratty plaid jacket enveloped her from head to toe.

The little girl kept her gaze glued to the floor as her mother dug frantically through her purse.

"Just give me a moment, please" she said as she fumbled out some change and dumped the coins on the counter. "There, that should cover it."

The clerk patiently counted out the coins. "I am sorry miss, but you are still 20 cents short," he said. "Do you need to put something else back?"

The young woman flushed and looked at what was left of her items. She glanced down at her little girl and sighed. Patting the child on the head, she put aside the stick deodorant. She pushed the bread, jelly, and milk toward the clerk. She paused briefly before placing the cheap plastic doll into the pile.

"I think this is all we need for today, thank you" she told the clerk. The little girl finally raised her head up. Seeing the doll being bagged up, she lit up and gripped her mother's leg even harder.

The clerk smiled and rang up the remaining items.

Devin observed the exchange in disgust. Who in their right mind went grocery shopping at a convenience store. And couldn't she attempt to dress better? Must be some welfare mom, he thought. Playing the system. What, she preferred to keep stinking instead of getting the damn deodorant. So her kid could have some cheap fall apart doll?

Still smiling, the little girl turned and caught Devin's stare of displeasure. The smile melted off her face and she looked down again. The mother, too busy grabbing her bags and trying to shove everything back into her purse, did not notice.

Devin cleared his throat noisily and continued to tap his foot. The imbecile of a woman finally noticed that she was taking too long, and wasting his precious time.

"Sorry," she muttered as she grabbed the last of her belongings and swung around. Flustered and in too much of a hurry, she ran into Devin. His ice tea bottle hit the floor along with her purse. She gasped and dropped down to hands and knees to pick up everything.

"Damnit!" He snarled, "could you be more careless and inconsiderate?"

Fuming, Devin bent down and grabbed his ice tea bottle. He met the eyes of the woman still on her knees trying to pick up the contents of her spilled purse. The little blond girl stood beside her mother staring at the floor in shock.

"Perhaps you should have gotten the deodorant! You might be able to see where your going if it weren't for the stench reeking off of you!" He hissed. The woman stiffened. Slowly, she raised herself and looked at him again. Something in her eyes, eyes far too old for such a young woman, shook him to silence. His entire being froze. Unfathomable and ancient, her eyes mirrored a soul that had been through far too much. And had felt unbearable pain.

Something in his every fiber came undone.

"I...I'm sorry" he stuttered. He reached a hand out but she had already turned away. Grabbing hold of the girls hand, She moved past him towards the door. She paused and looked back at Devin. Unshed tears sparkled in her hazel eyes.

"I said I was sorry!" and then she ushered the child out the door and was gone.

"Wait!" Devin called. He slapped some cash on the counter under the disapproving glare of the clerk and headed toward the exit. His foot caught at something and Devin looked down. It was a small black book, faded and tattered.

She must have dropped the book! He grabbed it and sped out the door. Looking around frantically, and wondering why it suddenly mattered, Devin searched for the woman and girl. They were nowhere in sight.

"Dammit!' He grumbled. Unsettled, he got into his Mercedes with the black book still in his hands. For a moment, Devin just sat there, trying to figure out what exactly had transpired. A sudden urgency gripped him as he thought of the woman and child. He had to know they were ok but he didn't know where to find them. He looked down at the small black book he held. He opened the book and began to read.

Eleanor tried to ignore the stinging feel of shame that crept up her spine. Determined not to show how badly the rich looking man had unnerved her, she swung Jenny up into her arms and hugged her. She carried her little blond haired daughter the rest of the way to their small studio. She sang softly as she walked, albeit a bit of a fast walk, and tried to reassure Jenny with her eyes.

That it didn't matter. What other people thought didn't matter. Because they were wrong and she and Jenny were going to make it. It made Eleanor sad that her child could already pick up on how poor they were, and how others judged them. She needed the deodorant, but some things were more important. Like seeing Jenny light up at the sight of the doll. Because it mattered.

Today was her little girls birthday. Jenny was now three years old and older in spirit than most adults. Like me, she thought. Eleanor felt ancient at times. The burden to provide and to protect, even now, even after they had escaped so much, weighed heavily on her mind. Locking such thoughts into the back corner of her mind, she focused on her child instead.

She swung Jenny onto the patched up sofa and gave her a big hug. Digging out the convenience store doll, she proudly presented it to a now shining and giggling little girl.

"Happy Birthday Jenny!" she sang.

Later, as Jenny played with her little doll, Eleanor went to the kitchen to make their dinner. Tonight they would dine on peanut butter AND jelly sandwiches with a cup of nice cold milk. She smiled.

Devin ached with the written misery of the mothers words. he cried as the story unfolded in all it's terrifying detail. Abused and neglected, with no family to turn to, she had bravely saved her daughter. And herself. From a monster in the form of a man that liked to hit women and children.

He learned that the woman's name was Eleanor and she was only 19 years old. Her daughter was 3 years old. His heart contracted when he realized that it was the little girls birthday today.

Shame and remorse broke his heart and shattered the soul. He had been very wrong about Eleanor. Her writing was compelling and he could see that she was educated. However, that couldn't save her from the monstrous boyfriend that got her pregnant or from the family that turned their backs on her. It didn't save her from the monster that tried to kill her and her baby.

Eleanor had saved herself and her child. She was stronger and braver than he ever could be. Yet, she still struggled and that hurt him the most.

A feeling of fierce protectiveness enveloped him. Determined, Devin flipped the book open again. In the front cover of the black book, he found her address. A plan sparked in his head. Putting the book aside, Devin got to work.

A knock on the door caught Eleanor by surprise. She silenced Jenny with a look and snuck up to peek through the front window. Outside stood the rich man from the Stop N Go market. Uncertain, she crept the door open.

"May I help you?" she asked, all the while wondering how she could possibly help someone like him. He was far beyond her class.

Devin smiled and pulled out a bag full of presents along with a bouquet of flowers and presented them to Eleanor. Caught of guard, she accepted them.

"I owe you an apology'" Devin said. "I misjudged you and I treated you poorly. Forgive me. Inside is a note for you along with your black book. I hope you will read it." With that, Devin walked away.

Baffled at the strange exchange, Eleanor shut the door. She dropped down by Jenny and showed her the flowers. Jenny squealed and smelled them. Then she shrieked in happiness as her mother pulled out several pink wrapped presents with big shiny bows on them.

On the bottom of the bag was her little black book along with a big manila envelope. Hesitantly, She opened the envelope. Inside was a note that read;

Eleanor and Jenny,

You deserve so much better and I will help you in any way possible. My soul cried for you and my heart is forever yours. I will help you get on your feet, I will protect you and your child. The monster will never again lay a hand on either of you. I give you my word. Here is a small check to get you started. I will look in on you in a few days.

Love

Devin

Eleanor reached in and looked at the check for $20,000 she held in trembling hands. She looked at Jenny and saw her smile. Laughing and crying, Eleanor hugged her daughter tightly.

"Happy Birthday my sweet Jenny!!

Together, they opened her birthday presents.