Short stories are still my focus in 2023, but I’ve decided on putting my series together in a collection. I think it would work great. Girl’s Night and my Union Station series. For now, this post is about Union Station. I’ve been very busy, with my day job of course and putting the finishing touches on a Union Station 3 parter that kicks off with ‘Doris’. I’m becoming quite fond of my Union Station series and its characters, finding myself becoming invested in them, especially the employees of America’s third busiest rail station.
Doris, one of the station’s custodians was introduced in the pilot ‘9:20’. A single mother raising an adorable five year old daughter Angelique. Doris has recently ended a problematic relationship with her boyfriend Terry which takes an unexpected, concerning turn. Here’s a little preview. As with all my previews, what appears next may not be the final edited version. Thank you for reading it.
Doris: A Union Station Short Story
“Mama, mama can I go to work with you?!” Angelique said. The five year old was beyond cute with her big expressive brown eyes, long wavy hair in pigtails and chocolate milk stains that had sprayed across the crisp white collar of her shirt; it was a part of her uniform. Doris smiled, but felt so guilty. She was about to take Angelique out of the private Catholic school. Doris just couldn’t afford it anymore and was planning to tell her soon. Angelique was very intelligent for her age and Doris felt it was only fair to talk to her. Doris wouldn’t be able to afford next month’s tuition. Doug at work loaned her the money for this month. I love Doug, but it was embarrassing to accept his offer. I was just venting to him at work that day. Doris wanted the best education for her baby. She lived for it.
“Mama?!”
“Huh?” Doris said, and then checked the time on her phone. It was 1:12pm. Her shift starts at 2pm. Where’s Danette? Her sister was usually on time and texted when she wasn’t.
“Mama?!” Angelique shouted and slapped the palm of her small hand on the kitchen table.
“Hey!” Doris said.
“Well?!” Angelique said.
Doris smiled, seeing her own face in the little brown-skinned girl.
“Can I go to work with you?”
“Angelique sweetie I’m sorry not today.”
“Why mama?!”
“I just can’t I have a lot to do and won’t be able to watch you.”
Angelique put her little hand on her hip as she sat there at the kitchen table. “I don’t need nobody to watch me I can sit there and talk to Doug!”
Doris laughed, “Doug is at work too….we’ll both be at work.”
“I can work too mama!”
“Sweetie not this time.”
“You took me there before.”
“I didn’t have anybody to watch you that day.”
“I like the choo choo trains mama!”
“Sweetie I know you do,” Doris said, hating to tell her baby no, but she couldn’t take her to work again, not if she could help it. “Finish your grilled cheese, Tee Tee is on her way. You can watch scary movies with her until I get home.”
“I don’t want to I’m scared at night I hear mice in the room mama!”
“They not in the traps?”
She shook her pigtails.
Doris was devastated. She thought she was getting a grip on the mice. I gotta move! She rose from the kitchen table like she was in a daze, grabbed Angelique’s plate with the half eaten grilled cheese sandwich and took it over to the sink. Her eyes did catch a few mouse droppings on the floor by the fridge. She hurriedly wrapped the grilled cheese in two plastic bags, threw it away and washed the plate quickly. She dried her hands and turned back to her daughter. Just then, Danette walked into the kitchen.
“Girl I’m sorry,” Danette said.
Doris’ little sister by three years looked like she’d run a marathon. She and Doris barely resembled; they had different fathers and grew up together sporadically, and then one day realized they were all each other had. Neither of them really knew their fathers and from what their late mother said, weren’t missing much. Doris was dark brown-skinned and Danette was a few shades lighter, thin and much taller. Danette had a bushy Afro and Doris had her naturally long hair in neat cornrows.
“You had me worried,” Doris said.
Angelique looked up at her aunt and frowned.
“Girl I got held up, got to tell you.”
“What?” Doris said.
Danette looked down and saw the frown on Angelique’s face. “What’s the matter Fruit Loop?”
“Don’t call me that I don’t like it.”
“Yes you do Fruit Loop.”
“Stop Tee Tee!”
Danette started laughing and slowly a smile grew on Angelique’s face. Doris smiled too.
“You know you like Fruit Loop,” Doris said, and then looked at the time. “I better go!”
Doris walked over to her daughter, leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “I know, I don’t want to leave you either baby, but mama got to work so I can take of you and have a place to live, okay?”
Angelique was frowning again, but nodded her head.
“Now watch some movies with tee tee, don’t have to be scary….I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Can I get pizza from Italian Fiesta?!”
“Okay, but don’t eat too much of it, and not too late.”
Angelique smiled, “I’ll leave you some mama.”
Doris smiled, “Let me get going.”
“You got a minute?” Danette said.
“Not really.”
“Doris I need to talk to you.”
“What?”
Danette looked at Angelique briefly, and then motioned with her head out of the kitchen. “Be right back Fruit Loop.”
Danette walked out into the small living room. Doris was right behind her.
“What is it why can’t she hear?”
“I don’t want her to,” Danette said.
“Well what? I got to go.”
“You know why I was late getting here?”
“Why?”
“Terry.”
“Terry?!”
“Girl he was outside my house!”
Doris’ eyes bucked, “What?!”
“I thought you broke up with him.”
“I did it’s been over a month!”
“Well Doris, he showed up outside my apartment as I was leaving saying stuff.”
“What he say?”
“He said ya’ll didn’t break up and that you’re getting married.”
“Danette stop it!”
“I’m just telling you what he said.”
Doris was speechless. She shook her head, and then walked over to the couch and sat down.
“Are you sure y’all broke up?”
“Yes! That’s why I changed my number.”
“Doris he asked me for your number.”
“What did you tell him?!”
“I told him I didn’t have your new number.”
“Did he believe that?!”
“Girl I don’t know what he believes I had to get going.”
“I can’t believe….he only came to pick me up at your place once, awhile ago.”
Danette shook her head.
“I’m sorry,” Doris said.
“It’s okay he just ain’t over you girl.”
“Danette I had to end it with him….he’s not right, something was never right.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“I don’t know Danette. What do you think?”
“When it comes to men, I’m not the one, but you got to do something.”