24hr LAUNDRY MAT

Feeling tired today, I woke up early just to beat the crowd here at the 24 hr laundry mat. This place is raggedy. I once used a wash machine that left my clothes so wet I had to wring them out by hand and dry them at least three times. At $2.50 a run mine you. Still here I am again another Saturday with these old tile floors, that smell like dog piss and trash juice. There’re four change machines and only one works. That’s at your own risk. I never put a dollar in that thing. Then there’s the t.v. that only gets one channel. I can’t forget Crazy Charley who’s always here. Nice and helpful guy, he always goes and gets my change for me. Today he keeps tapping my pocket. I feel like I’m about to get robbed. He umm doesn’t really have it all, if you know what I mean. But a nice guy. Never really understood why the call him Crazy Charley. Charley watches me as I load change into the machine. “I’ll fold those clothes for you,” he said. Just give me $2 so I may buy me a chicken sandwich. Pretty hungry here. “I’ll give $5 if you do my load,” said Mr. Johnson. I’ll be back in two hour. “Oh, I can handle that,” Charley said. But before you leave that will be $20 and today I’m not asking. “And I’ll give you $3,” I said. As Mr. Johnson walked out the door handing charley a $20. Me and Charley watch him as we unload my clothes. He walks out and in walks a big guy in a all black long coat. He pulls a shotgun! “Both of you empty your pockets,” he says.

I throw everything I have on the floor and I stand there shaking. “Oh no, I’m not giving you nothin’,” Charley said. “This isn’t a game,” the man said to Charley. “Oh, you go on get now.” Charley said as if he was speaking to a dog. I’m so scared I peed my pants, I guess I blend with the tile floors now. The stare on the man's face is that of a killer. That stare had me so scared I hid behind a dryer shaking as if I was one. “You gone on get now!” Charley yelled. This is my territory. “I’m not the type to ask twice,” the man said. And he fires a shot in the air. I run out the back door and I just keep running and running. Oh, what a day.