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The workers were anxious to leave because it
was Friday night and the afternoon staff had an anticipation to leave and get
on with their evening. Several of them worked all morning until night. Evelina
was distracted. She laughed and spoke with customers, but she wasn’t
thinking of them. Perhaps she was thinking of the man that came to see her.
Through the kitchen, a door led to the bar and then to a small office space in
back. Since it was Friday night, everyone was paid, some in checks and others
in cash.
A different shift finally was to begin. Belicia had taken off her
apron and was washing her face in one of the washing sinks. I bit my lip. I
wanted to speak to Evelina. She had many people around her and then the new
shift was taking instructions and then she was by herself in the office
shuffling papers around and writing notes. Noise from the bar began to pick up
and beer bottles could be heard clanging on the counters. A baseball game on
the three televisions suddenly turned louder.
Evelina had a broad back and
her breasts moved freely without her tight apron. Her finger tapped upon her
cheek as she looked over her papers. After a short while, she went out and then
came back and her hair was a little wet and hand brushed and her face was very
clean and she had on a fresh layer of lip stick, a light color. She would own
the grill one day. The boss was a nice man and owned many places around the
city, but she was too smart and worked too hard not to get bigger things. Her
hands wouldn’t always be like my hands.
Evelina turned when she heard
someone call for her. A waitress came in and retrieved her envelope. The woman
thanked Evelina, bowed, and left quickly.
“You leaving, Gary? Thanks
for everything,” Evelina said writing an additional note. She flicked her
hair absently away from her face and her eyes were warm and friendly.
“See ya.”
Evelina smiled and gripped my arm with her hands and
strode passed me. She had the faint smell of early Hyacinth over the vague
odors of cooking that filled the tiny room. We were close together.
The man
from earlier was waiting at the front counter of the bar and she saw him,
hesitated, and then went to him. They spoke and she complained about looking
the way she did after a long day at work. She covered her eyes with her hands
and shook her head. Evelina dropped her apron at the bar counter, gathered her
jacket about her and tucked her purse under her arm. She did one final check
for the evening. Then she left with the man.
I was standing in the front
lobby, staring into the full length gold framed mirror hanging on the wall.
Belicia appeared next to me.
“Vamos a la montana?” Belica asked
quietly.
“Yes,” I said, “a la montana.”