Tiny Fish

As I headed to the soup kitchen to start the week, a man bumped into me. "Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry." I pushed up my thick black glasses, today of all days my cat, Monty had to mess with my last pair of contacts.

"Watch out, watch where you walk." A tall man behind me spoke out. His accent was nothing from around here, but if I had to guess it sounded Italian or maybe Sicilian.

"It's okay, Russ, it was my fault, now let's go before we're late." The man I bumped into grumbled as he brushed down the wrinkles on his dark gray suit, before turning abruptly and walking away.

"Sorry!" I screamed out as I pushed my glasses back onto my face. "Today's not my day." I sighed trudging on the sidewalk to Anna's Soup Kitchen. "Morning Romona," I waved to my not-so-cheery best friend. I watched as she put her long ebony hair in a bun.

"Epperly, we are here every Monday, can't we at least go one Monday to like the beach or something?" She whined as Clark handed her a hair net.

"Romona Lirette, could you really have a good time on a beach knowing that these poor souls are here needing us?" I questioned giving her big puppy dog eyes and motioning towards the homeless people sitting at the tables.

"Yes!" She spoke up without a thought, as Clark handed her an apron.

"Romona!" I yelled as I stomped my foot, taking a hair net and apron from Clark.

"Okay, okay you win!" Romona threw her hands up as she headed behind the table.

"Good morning, Patricia!" I smiled as the owner of Anna's Soup Kitchen came out with a big pot of chili. The sweet older woman had inherited the soup kitchen from her mother, Anna. Her gray hair crept out from the sides of the hair net as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. 

"Oh, hello again Epperly, here again, I see, instead of out getting yourself a husband." Patricia fussed at me as she started serving the first people in line. 

"I love being here, Patricia." I bit back as I smiled awkwardly serving the cornbread next to her.

"Besides that's what the weekends are for, Pat," Romona spoke up and she bumped my hip, putting salad on their trays. I giggled as I tried to hush her.

"I'm sure it is for you, Romona but I highly doubt that Epperly goes out," Patricia said as she slapped another spoon full of chili on the next person's plate.

"Don't tease her, she'll find someone in her own time, Patricia Lee." Clark passed by as he placed down another tray of freshly baked rolls. Clark Sons was Patricia's husband of forty years, his salt and pepper hair was always kept short and hidden under his many fedoras. He laid his mocha-colored hand on his wife's shoulder before hugging her from behind.

"We're all just tiny fish in a big pond." A homeless man spoke out as he took his plate of food to the table.

"That's right, Mr. Newcome, we are all tiny fish!" Clark called out letting go of his wife. "You see Pat, she has plenty of time, she's bound to bump into someone." 

"To recall, I actually did bump into someone this morning, quite literally." I snorted as I gave the next person cornbread before getting punched in the arm by my best friend. "Ouch"

"You bumped into a hot guy and didn't tell me?" Romona complained as she put more salad onto a young woman's plate.

"You met a man?" Mr. Newcome asked as he took off his bright red beanie showing his bald head except for what little brown hair went around his ears.

"Yes umm.." I scrunched my nose at him before turning back to Romona. "Well, not exactly, I was on my way here, and of course you know Monty ruined my last pair of contacts."

"His name is Monty?" Mr. Newcome dropped his fork to listen to our conversation more clearly. Mr. Newcome as he goes by has been coming to Anna's Soup Kitchen since Patricia's mother opened this place. No one knows his first name or even if Newcome is his surname, whatever it is, whoever he is has been the first and we never forget him. His big round dark green eyes always shimmer when he comes through the door, he always has a big smile on his face and insists on helping clean up afterward.

"Monty is my black short-haired cat, he's three," I answered before gathering my thoughts and continuing. "So, as I was on my way here, I accidentally bumped into this tall dark-haired man. I'm not actually sure if I hit him or he did me but either way I profusely apologized. Then his friend I'm assuming started yelling at me."

"He yelled at you?!" Mr. Newcome and Romona said simultaneously while he stood up and she put her hand on her hip before they looked at each other.

"Unfortunately, the guy I collided with called him, Russ I believe, but he said it was fine and they were going to be late for something," I stated as I took off my apron and hair net following behind Romona as we grabbed something to eat and sat down at a table.

"Well, details, I need details on how he looked!" Romona boasted as she took a bite of chili before adding black pepper to it.

"Of Russ?" I questioned, furling my shapely black eyebrows in her direction.

"What? No! The guy you bumped into duh!" She squealed as she took a bite of cornbread before adding butter to it.

"Oh, well he was tall and had dark hair." I took a bite of chili making room for Mr. Newcome to slide in.

"That is not it. Come on, details." Romona said forcefully as she gave her cornbread to Mr. Newcome who waved his hands in refusal before making a gagging sound.

"Yeah, spill it girl, hot or not." Mr. Newcome snapped his fingers before laying his chin on his arms across the table.

"Well he was wearing sunglasses so I couldn't see much, but he had a beautiful tan complexion, high cheekbones, full rose-colored lips, and a profound voice," I spoke shyly while my cheeks turned pink. 

"Yup, tiny fish," Mr. Newcome huffed as he exited the bench.