paper cranes
Submitted by chaoticzhen on Sun, 05/30/2010 - 01:26.
who: zhen and janey
where: outside the soup kitchen
when: afternoon
Zhen had been spending her day at the soup kitchen, though her turn was over as new people had come in, so she was heading out. She'd been spending part of her time lately folding paper fans with designs she'd drawn on the paper in colored ink. Today she was giving them to people as she passed them, like the bum who sat on the steps of the building, who looked at her like she was crazy. This, however didn't seem to deter her in the slightest. She just kept walking, and she sat down on the bottom step, handing out cranes to anyone who passed by. Most people didn't actually take them, but there was the occasional one. "And this one is for you."
Tagged:
.
Janey was on her way back from the cathedral for the second time that day, still feeling very scattered and uncertain. She needed to go home and cook a nice dinner for Danny, to make up for how disappointed he'd probably been at lunch--coming home fro a relaxing meal and instead being rewarded with a difficult conversation. If nothing else, cooking would take her mind off of things. She was approaching the soup kitchen, and felt a twang of guilt when she realized she hadn't taken a shift there all week. Things had been busy, with Danny's injuries being the top thing on her mind there hadn't been time to spend on much else, but still--she needed to snap out of her self-centered mindset. She made a mental note to go in to the soup kitchen soon.
.
Zhen was looking around, still handing out paper cranes, watching someone she'd just handed one to crumple it up and drop it onto the sidewalk in their wake. Which made her wonder why they had taken it to begin with, unless their purpose was to try and crush her spirits. Really, though, she didn't have a crushed anything. People could do with them what they wished. While she was looking, however, she spotted Janey. She didn't say anything, handing another crane to a passerby, and she wondered how the woman was doing. She didn't look especially happy--though Zhen imagined that was Janey's normal state of being these days. Possibly it was her normal state of being in life in general, for years now. She did hold a crane towards her though, as she got closer.
.
Janey hadn't even noticed Zhen on the steps until she was nearly there. And, at first, seeing the woman crouched on the steps with her hand outstretched, Janey didn't pay much mind. It was something beggars did often, especially outside the soup kitchen. But then Janey realized there was something in the person's hand, and that's when she realized it was Zhen, offering up a paper crane. Janey wasn't sure what to do. Should she take it and just keep moving, or did she have to stop and talk? What if Zhen asked how things were going with Danny? What would she say?
.
"Hello." she said to Janey once there was clear recognition there. "This is for you." she added, holding out the paper crane specifically to Janey, stretching her arm out farther so it was clear. "How have you been?" she asked. Since last time she'd seen the woman, she'd been bawling her eyes out. And Zhen had made damn sure that she went up one side of her bastard husband and down the other for the state he'd put her in. In Zhen's opinion, Danny had deserved every emotional bruise that day.
.
Well, there's my answer, Janey thought. Zhen had spoken to her, so of course she'd stop and talk. Unfortunately. She took the crane delicately, careful not to drop it on the damp ground. The paper was a bright baby blue that seemed even more vivid against the dreary colors of the day.
"A little better, thanks," Janey said vaguely. She wasn't even sure it was the truth, but the last time she'd told Zhen the truth, things had gone too far. Something about the woman seemed to put her off her guard, and Janey didn't need another breakdown this week, especially not in the middle of the street. "What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to shift herself out of the focus.
.
"Forgive my saying as much, but you don't look better." She said to Janey. Possibly she needed to take a better hand in this. Possibly Danny needed a wake up call that he wasn't going to forget or blow off. She wondered if Janey was in a car accident, if Danny would be so happy to sweep her under the rug. Or kidnapped. Hm. It was something to consider. At least then Danny might for a second realize what he was losing. That was the goal here.
"I'm here because I volunteer here. Today I've finished my shift, and it seemed like the kind of day where people needed something to brighten their day. So, I made cranes." she added, actually having a reason today for what she was doing, even if a good lot of the time she didn't have a rational explanation.
.
Janey tried to shrug off Zhen's comment about her not looking much better, and said, "I'm surprised I've not seen you here before, as I volunteer fairly often too. Though I haven't been in lately." She paused, and looked at the crane again. "I like the idea. It's certainly brightened my day."
.
As do I. I suppose I do so at odd hours." Zhen said. "And I'm glad it worked then." Even if in Zhen's opinion, it didn't really appear like Janey was anything like cheered. But depression did that to people, and she was imagining that Janey was in the grips of it entirely. Yes, she really did need to do something. What, she wasn't sure. She'd come up with something. Then either Danny would have an attitude adjustment on a massive scale, or Janey would realize that he just didn't give a shit about her. Either way, it'd force some change.
.
Janey could tell Zhen didn't believe her, that things were better, and she didn't want the other woman to push. She couldn't handle it, not today. She glanced at her watch. "I'd better get going. I've neglected everything I was supposed to get done today." And it was true. She hadn't done the wash, hadn't figured out a meal for supper, hadn't done anything but lunch with Danny, pray, and wander the streets with her arms full of groceries.
.
"Of course." Zhen said, quite aware she was getting the brush off, and that was clear too. She didn't seem upset, but she knew a 'I don't want to talk to you' excuse when she heard it. "Have a nice rest of the day, Janey." she said. Yes, Janey needed something shaken up in her life. Her husband needed a good, hard lesson taught, and Janey? Well. She might need one too. Wallowing did not a single person any good in the history of man. And Janey seemed just as unwilling to do anything as her husband. So, it was clear she was just going to have to take matters into her own hands. But that was alright. That was what she did.