The Rust Belt | Connor Stacey
Allie liked the rain. Her yellow jacket fell just above her knees and had four petal flower patterns at the end of the sleeves where she would often crimp her fingers. Streetlights flickered as she walked to work. Allie saw new faces most days at the general store where she was a clerk. Dozens of young men—who were practically boys—often stopped in. They regaled her with their fantasies of what their lives will be like in the big city, when they arrived. Barrett was different; he seemed to blend in with the city. Allie could tell he had grown up there like she had. His words were quick and deliberate. He had dark skin and short, curly black hair. Today, he wore a gray button-down shirt. Allie liked that shirt. He’d bought it a few weeks prior at the store where she worked. Tonight, Barrett waited outside Joe’s Coffeehouse. He was on his way to work the night shift at one of the auto parts factories in town. On Thursdays, he would take his “morning” coffee with Allie on her walk home from work. Allie smiled and waved, splashing her way across the puddle that had formed along the crosswalk. Barrett knocked open the door with his elbow. “From the sounds of it, something in the paper’s got them all riled up today.” He pointed at a group crowded around a table. “No worries. Won’t stop you or me from enjoying a nice spring evening.” Allie went over to the counter where the waitress was already putting a pot on for them. “The usual?” she asked casually. Barrett nodded, “Of course! Bring me one of those cakes too. It’s gonna be a busy one today. I can feel it.” Settling in, Allie recounted the week’s events at the store. Its owners, the Coopers, were going out of town. Mr. Cooper’s brother was getting married. Mrs. Cooper was unhappy with the event’s sudden arrangement as she would have to leave the shop for a few days. Allie reassured Mrs. Cooper that the store would be fine in her absence. Barrett was no less busy. He rattled off the happenings at the factory, how everyone on the line was rife with work. Allie enjoyed hearing what Barrie was up to each week. As she paid for her coffee, she already longed for the following Thursday. Another few weeks came and went with the passing storms, Allie began to see folks on their porches reading the paper as they sipped their morning coffee. Storefronts cleaned their windows and put up the latest summer fashions. Before long, the first birds of the season could be heard from the tops of trees and buildings alike. Barrett had moved during that time as well. Allie had offered to help, but he insisted it was no big trouble. He lived alone, and his brother drove in from out of state to help with the process. This time when they met, Barrett had a tired look to him. Allie knew that things around town had been all in a tizzy lately with the closing of one of the larger factories after the company had gone bankrupt. Layoffs had spread to others in the area and the industry, and that included
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