Starting over. Trying to get back on my feet. Need money or…
* 5 gal bucket
* Trash bags
* Garden shovel
* Metal dog pooper scooper
* Dog treats
* Water
Some people laughed. That was fine. Others handed the homeless man cash. Which was also fine. One guy tossed a rather nice quality pooper scooper at Jake while laughing as if it was the greatest joke in the world. He seemed a bit off, but that was one less thing to buy. When Jake figured he had enough cash to buy the rest of what he needed, he wandered down the hill to the building supply store and went shopping.
Jake wandered down the street just off Main until he came to the first house with a fenced off yard and a large dog. The place needed some work. It must have been old because the siding was falling apart and they didn't make 12 inch Masonite siding anymore. He set his bucket of supplies down and knocked on the front door. The dog in the backyard barked wildly, but there was no sound of movement from inside. Jay shrugged to himself and made his way to the next fenced off yard.
***
“Hi. My name’s Jake Carter. I'm offering dog poop clean up for $50 a yard today. Would you be interested?”
The older woman stared at him for an awkwardly long time before saying “no” and shutting the door in his face.
“Where is the rich side of town?” Jake asked himself as he picked up his bucket and headed down the street. At the intersection he looked up the hill. It would be harder walking, but the nicer houses were usually higher up.
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***
Nickolette pulled a folding chair out of the trunk of her car and flopped her ass down in it with a sigh. The sky was getting darker, the air was getting colder, and the other people in the campground were starting to huddle around their tiny fires or disappearing into their fancy campers. A campground near the highway on a weekday certainly lacked the party atmosphere she had come to expect. With a dejected sigh she pulled on the tab of her tin of sausages and looked at the cold and sad chunks of meat. If only she had a way of warming them up. Either one of her neighbor's little firepits or the small stove the guy in the next spot was using. Couldn't be jealous of him though. He was sitting on a sleeping bag, heating water on a little camp stove presumably to make noodles. He had a gray plastic tote and a bucket. That was it. As if summoned by her thoughts, he looked up at her.
Nickolette gave the man a smile and an upward head nod. “You travel light.”
He laughed. “Literally everything I own.”
“Your girlfriend kick you out?”
“Ex wife.” Came the reply. He seemed a bit bitter about it, but it wasn't aimed at her. “What about you?” He asked, using the same upward head motion to note her car.
Nickolette laughed. “Girlfriend kicked me out.”
They both laughed and a not-awkward silence fell between the two as Jake finished cooking his noodles and Nickolette chewed on a disappointing sausage.
“You're not the guy I saw on the corner begging this morning are you?” Nickolette asked, hoping it didn't sound offensive.
“Probably. Only took a couple hours.”
“And you made enough to stay here?”
Jake looked around at his camping spot. “Yeah, not much for $30 is it.”
Nickolette snorted. “Yeah, not sure I can afford it until payday.”
“I'll go halfsies with you. Not like I'd actually be any closer.”
“What? And give up all this room?” Nickolette asked, gesturing at the empty space behind her car. The camping spots were long and narrow. Fit for campers and the truck to pull them. If she took the front, and the guy took the back, they would actually be farther apart. “On a serious note, I'm good with that.”
The guy nodded. “I'm Jake Carter.”
“Nickolette Aliea. Nikki for short. Nix for fun.”
“Ha, well met Nikki.”
Nickolette raised her bottle of water in a mock toast.