Chapter Six: Standing Up

Chapter Six: Standing Up;

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Bella:
I smoothed my hands down my lap for what had to have been the fiftieth time in just over an hour. Looking down at my hands I scrutinized the lines of one of the few skirts I owned. This particular one I had bought a week after the divorce between James and I was final. It was a bit of a celebration as well as a sympathy gift. Now I was wondering what had made me think this was something appropriate to wear for the interview at the bank.
It was a simple skirt, reached just an inch below my knees, zipped up the back and was sewn from a cotton fabric printed with little forget-me-nots. I had paired it with a plain white blouse and matching flats. I had figured that looking nice and smart would help when it came to obtaining the loan I needed. I was beginning to think that I might have been better off in a dirty pair of jeans and worn t-shirt.
My hands smoothed down the skirt again as the woman, a Mrs. Edmonds, flicked through page after page on her desk. She wasn’t the friendliest looking woman, with her blouse buttoned all the way to her throat and her steel grey hair pulled to the back of her head in a severe bun. She wore little makeup, though I couldn’t really be sure on that, the way she kept her lips smashed together and her eyes scrunched in a scowl it would have hidden any color.
My head snapped back up to her as she let out a sigh that was almost exasperated with the way it sounded. She set the papers aside, and slowly removed her glasses from the tip of her nose as though what she was doing took too much effort.
"I don’t know what you want me to say, Mrs. Swan-Hunter." She actually made it sound like she was put upon for just doing her job. People like her have always annoyed me.
"Well, I was hoping for a, ’you’re approved,’ or something to that effect." Mrs. Edmonds sighed again, a little more harshly this time and set her glasses back on her nose. She flicked through the papers again before setting them in front of me.
"You are far from a good risk. Too few assets, you have the farm, but you are asking for more money than the entirety of that property is worth." I just stared at her and then quickly glanced down at the papers.
"You are also recently divorced, and your son is too young to co-sign. With out a husband on the scene I just don’t see how the bank would agree to take a risk on you. I’m sorry." She was sorry? If I hadn’t been raised right I would have torn that bun right off the back of her head. She was no more sorry than a wolf was for killing a deer.
"A husband? I don’t see…" She lifted a hand and removed her glasses once again.
"You are a woman, Mrs. Swan-Hunter." In all my life I have never….
"Are you kidding me? Please don’t tell me that I would stand a better chance getting that loan if I stood to take a piss instead of sat down." She just sighed again, sat back in her chair and placed her folded hands on the desk in front of her.
"I’m sorry, but that is just the way the world is." I stood then, glaring down at her as hard as I could.
"No, that is not the way the world is. Not anymore, my God it is the nineteen eighties!" I took a couple of breaths and looked around me, most everyone’s eyes were on the two of us.
"I would walk the streets, but I fear half the town would drop dead from shock!" Without another word I spun and stomped out of the bank.
I had intended to just head home, wait for Danny to get off school, but I found myself parking my truck just outside of Billy’s.
The bell on the door chimed as I walked in causing Billy’s head to raise to look at me. He flashed a large smile, a strange expression passing over his face before disappearing. He said nothing until I sat down at the counter to the Soda Shop and rested my head in my hands.
"What’s wrong?" I lifted my head just a bit and combed my fingers through my hair.
"Nothing…everything. I feel like I’ve been flung back in time…sorry I’ve got a headache. Do you think I could get a coke and an aspirin?" Billy nodded and set to work filling me a glass and setting two white pills in front of me. I downed them without a word and just sat there.
"You’ve been working too hard." I caught myself before I smoothed down my skirt again and looked up at the kind face behind the counter.
"And I’ll just be working harder. I’ve been trying to get a loan at the bank in Forks. Silly me, I hadn’t realized that the lack of a penis would keep me from getting one." Billy’s eyes widened a moment at my words, though at the moment I couldn’t find humor in it. I quickly looked around me and turned back to look straight at Billy. I sat up and steeled myself.
"Hey Billy, you’re not really hurting on money are you? What do you say to making me a loan? I would repay it in full, interest too." I really didn’t like the sigh he gave me.
"I don’t really know you, your character and all." I knew my mouth was agape, but I had thought we had been building a friendship.
"Come on Billy, I’m desperate. My Dad left me some money, but I spent most of it on the farm. Danny’s school supplies cost me a pretty penny and he is eating almost twice his weight in food. The farmhouse is falling apart at my feet and I’m still having to take my shower with cold water.
"I’m reliable I promise." I swore I saw pity in his eyes, but it passed quickly as he reached under the counter and pulled out a large black book.
"These are the people I still have on my books; J. R. Pearson lost his wife last year, her insurance didn’t even cover half her funeral costs.
"Emily Norman, husband left her and their four sons. She works for Sue, but one paycheck is barely enough to pay the bills that bastard left them with.
"John Brown was between jobs when his house burned down, insurance claimed that he had set it and refused to pay. I could go on if you like…." He raised an eyebrow at me and I suddenly wanted to just jump over the counter and smack him.
"No, fine I got it alright? I’ll just be leaving now." I was only half way out the door before he had caught up to me and grabbed my arm.
"I’m sorry Bella, but I know things will work out for you. You are a strong and smart woman." I nodded my head and left.
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I watched as Danny dragged the bucket of water up to the porch. I know he wasn’t too happy with me, he had been hoping to go down to La Push to hang around with the twins, but I had made him help me around the house.
He didn’t know it, but I could hear him as he grumbled and complained. I hated the fact that I couldn’t just let him run off, but he was the only help I have.
"Look Danny, things are different than they have been before. It is just you and me at the moment, and I couldn’t get the loan. We don’t have a lot of money, so we are going to have to watch what we spend." I washed out the rag I had been using to clean the window, Danny doing the same.
"That means no more eating at Sue’s, and no buying things unless we really need them. Alright?" He threw his rag in the bucket and just stared at it.
"Alright?" For a moment I actually thought he was going to stomp off, but he looked up at me and gave me a small smile and a nod of his head.
"I’m sorry about all of this, I never wanted any of this for you. But we have to make do with what we got and have been given. We will make it work." His smile lifted higher on one side and he nudged me in the shoulder.
"I know Mom." And that was that. At least there were some things he took after me.
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Author's Note: Sorry about not posting the past two weeks. My muse is an annoying thing, plus not been feeling the best either. But here ya go, short, but at least something. :)
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.