Roza had learned very early on in life that life was a battle, left on the side of a road as a baby In a forgotten corner of the city, where the light of day struggled to seep through the grime of neglected buildings, where only the stars bore witness to her early struggles. She was swept up by CPS who then later wiped there hands of her at the age of 16. The last foster home that housed her felt like a cage, it was go to school and come home and do all the house work a real life cinderella movie she had to do it if she wanted to eat at all that day it was horrible.
I found solace in an abandoned shed that's secluded partially hidden away by the woods, its my sanctuary sure the wooden structure was small, riddled with holes but it shielded me from the worst of the elements. Cold nights like tonight where my fiercest of foes I go out and collect some firewood from behind the shed in the woods. My breath is visible as I walk around clutching the branches I have collected tightly to my chest. I started heading back once I had grabbed enough and put all the wood I had and arranged it to all fit in a small drum I had found when I first found this place and started cleaning it up for me to live.
I went to go back inside to grab some kindle I had left over and the fire starter I had gotten with my first pay check, when Fenrir jumped out from behind a board I propped up against a big hole in the wall for repairs later. I have five kittens who call this shed home with me well really I invaded there home but they didn't seem to mind, there is Fenrir, Loki, Thor, Odin and Freyr I guess its true that a stray can recognize another stray. plus I work everyday and bring them some sort of food back with me so there's that to. There soft purrs and warm fur bring me some joy to fill my lonely existence as I fall asleep as night.
I grabbed the kindle and the fire starter after giving Fenrir a pat and went back out side, since I don't like spending money I purchased a small hammer went around looking at all the garbage thrown around here and started pulling any and all useful nails gathering large bits of good wood and anything else I thought would be of good use. I had built with all I had found a attachment to the front door of the shed where I pull the metal sheets up on both sides and in front and attach it to the door of the shed, I then grab the metal sheet I keep in the shed to put outside over the top to make sort of a enclosed heater box that wont set the shed on fire and to stop the kittens from wondering out there and into the fire I put some chicken wire over the door so I don't have to worry about them cooking themselves and we are all nice toasty and warm the whole night.
My phone alarm went off letting me know it's 4am, I use a battery bank to charge my phone over night and charge the battery bank while I'm at work. Granted my boss was cool with it as she knows what sort of situation I'm in. I'm sorta glad in a way yeah my situation really sucks and no one can take me in but they really are trying there hardest to help me where I really need it.
My furry companions have already left definitely out somewhere close by hunting for food, I quickly shoved my jumper on taking note that I should probably stock up on wood this weekend, its getting colder in the mornings as winter is getting closer I have to make the fires last longer with thick logs.
I grab my work shoes and socks witch are sadly cold my fire must have gone out ages ago, I really love hanging my winter clothes on the chicken wire so there warm from the fire. The feeling in winter when it's so cold from the thin blanket of snow, and you wake up and it's freezing and you put toasty warm socks and jumper on, mmmmmm there's no better feeling in the world.
But today outta luck, I grabbed my phone and battery bank and put it in my bag before taking down the chicken wire and taking the metal sheets down. I stop for a moment taking in the beauty.
I closed my eyes listening to the rustling sounds from all around me I took a deep breath in, cold air filling my lungs.
"HAVE A GOOD DAY AND STAY SAFE MY FURRY FRIENDS!". I yelled out before I started my long walk to work. It's our thing I say it every morning to me it's like a small protection spell I have to say it and as long as I do I will see them every night for dinner.
So far for the last couple of months not one of us have been hurt not even so much as sick so it's a sign it must work. It really saddens me how I found them here when I stumbled across the shed, I couldn't find anywhere to sleep no one would take me in and it was going to start raining. I ran into the woods hoping to find a tree that would provide enough cover so I didn't get so wet, I had tripped over my feet stumbled a good few meters still couldn't get my balance tripped again, actually fell but this time I went over a small cliff edge went rolling for awhile and finally stopped.
I checked myself over wondering how death didn't come and take me as crazy as it was besides a few sore spots and scrapes I was perfectly fine, so since I was really just lost at that point I tried getting back to town to seek cover somewhere there and I come across the shed. I think it used to be apart of someone's back yard it's fenced off the house somehow is completely long gone like it never existed in the first place, not even a shred of a house here is left.
But it's was like people used it as a junk yard before I cleaned it all up there was building scrap materials and parts of cars, garbage bags filled with rot oh it was gross. Stella helped me out she drove her truck here and we loaded everything in and took it to the dump bit by bit, she got me this job my boss Linda was so great Stella had me sit at a free table to wait she excitedly ran off to go speak to her boss for a interview. She brought back a beautiful older woman tall, fair complexion with emerald green eyes and golden brown wavy long hair.
"You must be Roza, I have heard so much about you over the years, Stella always talked about you every day after school how she made a new friend. She told me what happened with CPS and your foster parents I'm so angry but as you know times are tough and I am already looking after my parents, I can't afford another mouth it's a miracle I can keep this place running and just cover there medical bills. But I will help you with anything you need that's within my power to do so, so in saying that here's a $300 paycheck instead of docking your pay next week when you start I'll only take $50 and you can slowly pay back the advance payment, Stella said you found a place to stay go buy what you need I will have a uniform here ready for you come Monday when you start". She sat across with a check of $300 in her hand held put towards me I look up at her and she gives me a huge smile, I look back down at her hand again before looking over at Stella who was jumping up and down excitedly clapping her hands together mouthing at me that I have the job.
Who knew a fall down a cliff would bring me this much fortune that's when Stella took me shopping and I mean shopping, she wanted me to buy pillows blankets, clothes, camping gear you name it she wanted me to get it. She did get it right with some things, as I ended up getting a camping pillow, thermos blanket, one cooking pan, fire starter a small hammer, battery bank a $20 phone the cheapest sim. Stella of course thought I was mad, that Friday night I spent the night at hers after explaining to her mum our plans for the next day she let me stay and Stella drove us back to the shed in her truck the next morning, I started clearing out debris looking everything over pulling out all the nails I could pull and throwing the rest into the trucks tray, she ignored my weirdness as I could have just purchased nails but I didn't want to spend all of it at once I wanted a meal tonight.
All the grass and weeds where over grown twisting it's way tangling everything in its way, so we had our work cut out for us but I couldn't stay at Stella's again her mum said no. So I had to get the shed ready by the time we even dug our way to the door of the shed it was already midday, Stella ran back over to the truck and grab some things Linda gave us so help out with the shed issue, she came back with a bucket of cleaning supplies a broom and a whole box of bug spray items. We knew Linda hated bugs but this was something else she had at least five different sprays three bombs some incent stuff ant bait and two different kinds of rat traps, we where never going to look at her the same way ever again.
We pried the door open after putting masks on we didn't know what we would find in there, could have been someone's body disposal site for all we knew. We braced ourselves flung it open not expecting to find a box of skinny barely alive kittens, I told Stella to go to the dump and free up some space on the truck and gave her the last $50 of my paycheck and told her to get me two days worth of kitten milk a small blanket and two tins of plain tuna. I was ok with my meal tonight that was going to last me the weekend going on these little guys, there so skinny and small there just like me defenseless against such a large world.
Once she left I went over to the items I got and opened the thermos blanket, I bunch it up on the ground making sure it was flat in the middle with high sides to protect them from the wind. I moved them out the box one by one placing them into the middle of the blanket, it will provide them some warmth while I get some work done. I set the box that they where in aside and popped my head inside the shed to have a good look. It wasn't as bad as we had expected it was definitely dusty and dirty cobwebs everywhere but pretty much empty no dead bodied.
I got to work happy it was empty less work I got the broom and went to town scrubbing the walls, floor and roof scrubbing off all the dirt before sweeping it all out the door. I kept going on repeat until every last spider had been swept out the door or run away scared, I grabbed a bug bomb set it off before quickly shutting the door and going over the join the kitten on the ground in the shade. I looked at them and smiled to see there small frames sleeping without shaking wildly they must have warmed up that's a good sign.
Two hours in Stella should be back soon the dump Is on the other side of town, this area used to be in poverty run down shacks for homes people put up fences here trying to be like the rich, it back fired of course society advanced they didn't. So when the rich started building apartment complexes everywhere and malls they needed room kicked everyone here out, the people who stayed died no one knows what happened to the rest. It's why this is here they never used this land someone had to have lived here and it was just left abandoned for the woods to swallow. the dump is on the other side of town as the rich made the poor travel to work as they all worked at the dump, and since we still have a poor community the dump is still running.
I had already gone through the rest of the yard and separated all the materials I was keeping and made a pile of everything that was going to the dump, by the time I finally heard Stella's truck coming. I quickly opened the shed door to start airing it out so we could get to work soon in setting everything up, I then went to go help Stella.
"Oh hey, I hope you don't mind but I used some of my money to buy you a few extra things". Stella said while grabbing bags out the back of her truck.
"Yeah no biggy, as long as you didn't go to crazy". I said peering into the bags.
Back then I wanted to hit her for spending so much money but I appreciate it now. we grabbed the bags and carried them over to the shed, Stella stepped inside the shed and gave a thumbs up.
Before we did anything we got the surface bug spray and lined the entire inside and around each hole, to limit bugs and to be in Linda's good book as we know she will ask we also went along the outside with more spray. Stella whipped out a cozy looking fire red dog bed it felt like it was made out of silk. She watched me as I rubbed my face all over the soft material she shrugged and giggled telling me she was trying to find a big cat bed but there just wasn't any so instead she got a over sized dog one.
I mean it was pretty big I'm 5"5 and it would fit me comfortably and the kittens, I figured out quickly she had gotten it for me more then the kittens, after I went through the bags and got curious as to what Stella was doing I looked in the shed to see that she had set up a bed on the far wall with a pillow and had gotten some cleaning supplies and started wiping the walls and floor removing any unneeded chemicals, she had also hung up a bug zapper she must have purchased with everything else she really does think of everything. The shed is much bigger on the inside then it looks on the outside, its about five meters by five meters so not big but not small either, I scooped the kittens up in the blanket and brought them inside the shed placing them on the floor, before grabbing them one by one and placing them on the dogs bed. I grabbed the blanket and laid it over the bed before helping Stella bring the rest of the bags in. its going on 5pm Stella needed to go home for work the next morning, she sometimes picks up some weekend hours at the café for something to do.
She left I went through the bags using my phone as a light now it's gotten darker I found the milk and the bowl I also came across a hand charged lantern, so Stella solved the light source problem first day. I set the kittens up with milk, I'm planning on feeding them milk over the next couple of days till they put some weight on then start them on the tuna. I named them all that night and we became a family. The last of my happy memories fading as I walk in the back door of the Café, as usual Linda is here she's been up since the crack of dawn making all of today's sweets.
She let's me come in early and use the emergency staff shower, she got one installed after the amount of times beverages have been spilt all over us. So I still shower of course she also washes my work clothes, she takes them home and washes them when she does the Café laundry.
I jumped in for a hot shower quickly washing my hair to remove the smell of smoke from before chucking on my work uniform, I quickly dried my hair and attempted to style it. The best I can ever achieve is a messy bun. I have thick messy black long hair I couldn't tame this even if I wanted to. I went out and grabbed all the supplies and restocked everything on the tables then wiped each table down again.
"Hey Linda I'm all done here are you ready to open?". I yelled out.
"Yes you can open this early you know only Nate is going to he here until much later". She hollered back
I flipped the open sign on the door and started getting everything ready for Nates coffee order. He orders the same thing everyday a full cream cappuccino with three sugars with a slice of banana bread toasted and buttered. Nates nice he's in his late 30s he comes here just because he enjoys the coffee and the company, he told me his work is busy and full on there's never any quiet then he goes home to screaming kids and there mum yelling. He helps out he's brought them in here before he goes home and quietly gets there beds ready, goes down relieves his wife of her duties starts quietening them down so mum can have some piece he gets them bathed ready for bed put them in bed then he goes to bed and repeat.
His wife is fine with him spending his mornings here away from them since he helps her he also deserves some just him time and this is how he chooses to spend it.
He normally just sits drinking his coffee reading the paper, just as I grabbed the paper for him to put it at his table ready for him he walks through the door.
"Good morning Nate, your table is ready your coffee will be ready shortly". I said bowing my head and walking away to make his coffee.
"Isn't it your birthday today Roza?". He asked peering over his newspaper to look at me.
"It is just another normal day Nate you know that". I said finishing off his coffee, I brought it over to him and sat down across from him.
"how is everyone at home you haven't brought them in, in some time now:' I said starting our morning chat.
"hmm it has been quite sometime hasn't it, I might bring everyone in tomorrow my boss gave me Thursday off so i could spend time with the family. I haven't had time off in months but I'm hoping by next month this project will be done and I can put in for some leave". he said happily.
"boy, that project still isn't done its been what, close to a year now hasn't it". I said in disbelief.
"yeah but I've been working on it hard getting huge chunks of it done everyday trying to get it to go faster and pulling late nights, but me and the wife agreed the other day that with the money I earned doing the overtime, we would buy you a birthday present for last month when she had to run Camron to the hospital and you came over straight away to look after Alice till one of us came home, we where extremely grateful we didn't know what we where going to do so we got you this as a thank you from our family to you". he said while digging in his jacket pocket.
he pulled out a small box and handed it to me I opened and my eyes went round there was no way I was accepting this, it looks so expensive I would have been fine with a two dollar card this was way to much. In the box was a stunning necklace, with three big gold encrusted leaves coming from a beautiful multicolored gem, the more I looked at it the more I could swear the colors where moving around and glowing I snapped out of it closing the box and tried to hand it back.
"Nope sorry Roza you know what the misses would say and do if I where to bring that back home saying you didn't accept it". He quickly said while giving me the look I know all to well.
Sarah is nice and a great mum but boy oh boy there is no such thing as saying no to that woman not even her kids tell her no, no just doesn't exist in her home so I very much new she would never leave me alone until I accepted it, so I swallowed the lump in my throat not wanting to accept such a nice gift but having to anyway.
Nate looked at his watch and folded his paper up and finished the last couple of mouthfuls of coffee. "Alright that's me off see you tomorrow Roza and yes it maybe just another day to you but still happy birthday Roza you have people who care just remember that". He quickly said before running out the door.
"He is right you know, happy birthday girl you only turn 17 once". Stella said from behind me wrapping her arm around me giving me a hug.
I rolled my eyes and followed her out the back to the kitchen.
"surprise!". both Linda and Stella yelled in unison.
Linda stepped aside to display the cake she had made this morning with three lit candles.
"we wont embarrass you by singing happy birthday but we did make you a cake now you need to make a wish". Stella said pushing me towards the cake.
well I guess if I have to make a wish then I wish to be able to save up enough to be able to buy my dream home out in the country, I then blew out my candles and Stella and Linda clapped and cheered.
"alright girls you can eat some cake when you go on break I just heard the bell we have customers". Linda said turning to go back out front to take the persons order.
we followed suit and got to work.