FROM TIME 2 SET It OFF SHE HANDED ZOEY THIRTY DOLLARS AND SHE REACHED IN HER SMOCK TO GIVE THE LADY FIVE DOLLARS CHANGE. THANKS HAVE A GREAT TIME HERE IN AMSTERDAM ZOEY HAD A BUSY MORNING AS SHE KNEW SHE WOULD , IT WAS SUMMER AND EVERY SUMMER FOR THE LAST 16 YEARS SHE KNEW WHAT FACES WAS FAMILAUR AND WHICH ONES WASN’T AT THE ZOEY’S SOUVENIRS……. HOW MUCH IS THIS SEA SHELL CANDLE HOLDER A CUSTOMER ASKED ZOEY WHILE HOLDING IT IN THE AIR FIFTEEN DOLLARS THE LADY WITH THE DREADS SAID BUT I’LL GIVE YOU A DEAL 2 FOR $25. O.K I’LL TAKE THEM ZOEY WRAPPED UP THE TWO CANDLE HOLDERS IN SOME NEWSPAPER PLACED THEM IN A PAPER BAG AND HANDED THEM TO THE LADY. FARMERS MARKET. SHE LOVED IT THERE SHE BLENDED IN WELL , AS SHE RUNG UP SELL AFTER SELL SHE WAS RELIEFED THAT SHE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF HER RENTAL SPACE FOR SUMMER AND WINTER. EACH WINTER THAT PASSED BECAME MORE OF A STRUGGLE FOR HER TO CONTINUE TO LIVE IN AMSTERDAM BUT SHE HAD NO CHOICE. IT WASN’T LIKE SHE COULD JUST WALZT BACK INTO L.A LIKE NOTHING EVER HAPPENED. SHE WAS SURPRISED THAT SHE HAD BEEN INCOGNITO FOR THIS LONG. SHE FIGURED THE FEDS WOULD HAVE CAUGHT UP WITH HER A LONG TIME AGO. SHE WANTED TO BELIEVE THAT CHANGING HER LOOK HAD A LOT TO DO WITH HER NOT BEING INDENTIFIED AS A FUGITIVE WANTED IN THE UNITED STATES. SHE GREW HER DREADS FOR YEARS SO SHE COULD NOT BE NOTICED AFTER SHE CUT HER HAIR SHE JUST ALLOWED IT TO LOCK UP TOO DEPRESSED TO DO ANYTHING WITH IT. SHE ALSO USED FOUNDATION DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO DARKEN HER SKIN COMPLETION AND GLOVES TO HIDE HER HANDS. HER WORK CLOTHES WAS THE SAME EVERYDAY NOTHING FANCY AT ALL JUST SWEATS, T SHIRT AND A SMOCK. ZOEY THOUGHT SHE HAD ALL THE MONEY THAT SHE WOULD EVER NEED SHE HAD PAID A HEAVY PRICE SHE WOULD HAVE NEVER IMAGINED THAT SHE WOULD BE CLOSE TO BROKE THINGS WHERE EXPENSIVE IN AMSTERDAM, AND SHE DIDN’T HAVE MUCH MONEY LEFT AFTER PAYING FOR A NEW IDENTITY IN ORDER TO LEAVE MEXICO. SHE HAD TO GET OUT OF THERE AND IF SHE HADN’T IT WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN LONG BEFORE THEY CAUGHT UP TO HER AND RETURNED HER TO CALIFORNIA TO STAND TRIAL. SHE PAID OVER 40 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE REAL LEGGITS IT CAME WITH A NEW SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER A NEW NAME AND IT ALLOWED HER TO ENTER AMSTERDAM WHERE SHE FELT SAFE FROM THE FEDS.SHE ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT HOW THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO LOVED HER AND HAD HER BACK WAS ALL DEAD AND SHE FELT SO ALONE. FOR MANY YEARS SHE WAS DEPRESSED, SHE CLEANED FOR A LITTLE OLD LADY IN EXCHANGE FOR LIVING IN THE LADIES BASEMENT. SHE WAS ABLE TO SAVE HER MONEY AND STAY LOW-KEY. THE LADY WAS BLIND AND YEAR AFTER YEAR SHE WAS GETTING SICKER AND SICKER AND AFTER ABOUT TWO YEARS OF SAVING MONEY SHE HAD EARNED FROM HER SOUVENIR STORE THE LADY HAD DIED BUT NOT BEFORE ZOEY TELLING HER ABOUT HER PAST. SHE KNEW A LOT ABOUT ZOEY AND NEVER JUDGED HER SHE TOLD ZOEY THAT SHE WOULD TAKE HER SECRET WITH HER TO THE GRAVE AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT SHE DID. AFTER LIVING IN THE BASEMENT OF THE HOUSE FOR FREE THREE MONTHS AFTER SHE DIED.THE LADY’S DAUGHTER DECIDED THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY RENT IF SHE WANTED TO CONTINUE TO LIVE THERE EVEN THOUGH HER MOTHER WAS DEAD AND GONE. HER DAUGHTER NEVER REALLY LIKED ZOEY BECAUSE SHE WAS JEALOUS OF ZOEY AND HER MOTHER’S RELATIONSHIP, BUT SHE KNEW SHE COULDN’T ALLOW HER MOTHER HOUSE TO GO TO THE BANK SO THE MONEY THAT ZOEY PAID HELPED WITH HER MOMS PROPERTY TAXES WHICH WAS EXTREMELY HIGH. 6 THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR ON A HOUSE THAT WAS 95,000 DOLLARS THE HOUSE WAS CHEAP AND BEAUTIFUL BUT SHE KNEW THAT SHE HAD TO HAVE PAID FOR THE HOUSE IN FULL AT LEAST 10 YEARS AGO BY PAYING THE TAXES ALONE. ZOEY ALWAYS SEEMED LIKE SHE WAS HIDING SOMETHING BUT JAN DIDN’T BOTHER TO FIND OUT WHAT IT WAS BECAUSE AS LONG AS HER RENT KEPT COMING IN ON TIME SHE REALLY DIDN’T EVEN CARE AND BESIDES WHEN HER MOM WAS ALIVE ZOEY TOOK WELL GOOD CARE OF HER. THE DAY WAS ALMOST GONE AND IT WAS TIME FOR ZOEY TO CLOSE UP SHOP, SHE WAS TIRED BUT ANXIOUS TO KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY SHE HAD MADE. SHE CLOSED THE CABINETS AND COVERED ALL HER ITEMS WITH A TARP AND HEADED TO THE SELLERS ROOM TO COUNT UP ALL HER PROFIT FOR THE DAY. THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY NINE DOLLARS NOT BAD SHE SAID TO HERSELF. SHE SLID TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX DOLLARS IN HER ENEVELOPE FOR RENT AND LOCKED IT IN HER SAFE AT WORK AND KEPT THE REST OF THE MONEY FOR HERSELF. SHE ALWAYS PAID HERSELF FROM THE MONEY THAT SHE MADE SHE WAS HER OWN EMPLOYEE. ZOEY FINALY GOT HOME AFTER THE 30 MINUTE RIDE BACK ON THE TRAIN TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY SO THE RIDE WAS MUCH LONGER LEAVING THE SHOP THAN GOING PEOPLE HAD OVER CROWDED THE TRAINS TO ENJOY THE OTHER PARTS OF THE NETHERLANDS. ZOEY OPENED THE DOOR TO HER HOUSE AND KICKED OFF HER SHOES TOSSING THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR. SHE MADE HER WAY TO HER ROOM AND RAISED HER ARMS OVER HER HEAD TAKING OFF HER SHIRT. SHE THREW IT ON THE BED AND WENT INTO THE SHOWER TO TURN ON THE WATER SHE STUMBLED TO TAKE OFF HER PANTS SHE WAS SO TIRED FROM THE BUSY DAY SHE HAD . AFTER HER SHOWER SHE FLOPPED DOWN ON THE COUCH AND TURNED ON THE NEWS. SHE WATCHED THE NEWS FAITHFULLY FOR YEARS TO MAKE SURE SHE WASN’T ON IT. WHILE WATCHING THE NEWS SHE SAW THAT TOMORROW WILL BE THE LAST DAY THAT THE BANDS WOULD PLAY IN THE CITY FOR THE SUMMER FESTIVALS SHE HADN’T BEEN ANYWHERE SINCE SHE SAW HOW EASY SHE COULD BE NOTICED AFTER HER RUN IN WITH BLUE SHE COULD NOT RESIST THE URGE TO CHECK OUT THE LAST NIGHT OF MUSIC AND THE CROWD.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 05:00:45 +0000