Night walker part 3

Night walker part 3

As time neared 3:30 am Shaniqua was ready to "punch out" and head home.  Home, where she could shower away the lingering reminders of her chosen job, a choice of necessity, she would never call her profession.  She did her best to hold on to bits of her humanity during her "shift".   Her large tattered shoulder bag carried more than the usual purse contents.  She carried mouth wash, body wipes, hand sanitizer, band aides, first aid cream and of course condoms.  She often thought of marketing a whore's survival kit, tentatively called Tidy Ho.  She was cold to the bone tonight.  It wasn't simply the winter temperatures in Harrisburg that were bone chilling but the sight of two dogs forced by neglect to cannibalize the third.  Shaniqua could handle man's inhumanity toward man but shudders at man's inhumanity toward animals.   She drove in quiet choosing not to turn on the radio, instead to soak in only silence and the car's heat.  Shaniqua typically used the radio to assist her in her drive home.  Music helped to take her away from the seedy side of the street and transport her to right side of the tracks.  Tonight or rather this morning she just wanted quiet; and heat.  Arriving at her place Shaniqua stops at her mail box, box 335 third row fifth from the left.  Too busy yesterday to check her mail she now sorts through the few envelopes pulled from the box.  There are two envelopes addressed with or current resident, one coupon flier for the local burger joint and one envelope goldenrod in color addressed to Bertha Thompson.  Shaniqua drops the junk mail in to the trash receptacle provided by the apartment complex.  There are two of the trash cans, one on either side of the bank of mail boxes in hopes of a cleaner entry hall.  Pocketing the envelope for Bertha Thompson, Shaniqua heads up to her apartment.  Once she has undressed, removed her make-up and prosthetics, showered in a very hot shower for what seems like a very long time, put on her winter jammies, she then sits to open her mail.

Dear Bertie,


by Lu'
01/3/13