Eldeaux Vignette - Rafael

The sun emerged after a night of rain. One Rafael had to weather on the porch of an abandoned home. The sun was a nice change, he thought. The ground was still wet, pooling with water, tarnishing his already torn boots and soaking his feet.

He happily walked through it. It was Tuesday. Cheques came on Tuesday, so Rafael made his way to the post office in the hopes his would be there. He had plans with it. He would get himself something to eat and see a movie. The first one he would see since they put sound to them.

He didn’t know the name of it. Just that it was talked about at one of his Shelters -- it was about the Pasėn Civil War and he always dreamed of seeing someone like him on the screen. Even if it was about the worst time of his life, even if it carried pain, it would be realized.

His face twisted as he walked towards the post office, a particular puddle adding to the matter as it drenched his jeans as well. But he got there, 15 minutes before they opened.

He had to wait 30. It made him anxious. Yet the doors would eventually open, the clerk explaining the mail sorting process had changed and they needed to train. Rafael wondered why it would change or why that was needed. He was fine being confused, however. He often was and nobody spoke to him simply anymore. Maybe that was his fault.

His box was huddled in the bottom corner of the office and as he checked it. Empty. He hated to think of why. He hoped it was the sorting process and he could go ask. He hated to think of asking. The people here weren’t nice. Especially to someone as unkempt as him.

He hoped it would come tomorrow then, so he wandered out, the disappointment still stinging his side.