Read Online Room at the Inn (Bellingwood #5.5) by Diane Greenwood Muir - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Diane Greenwood Muir
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and Doug had offered to take Obiwan along, leaving her and Henry and Eliseo to clean up. They'd worked quickly and Henry took the pizza boxes and a bag of trash downstairs for her. Eliseo finally seemed to be part of the family. He'd sacrificed his Sunday morning to play with them. Since she knew he'd be in the auditorium cleaning this morning, Polly had helped get the horses and donkeys ready for the day, then followed him in and insisted he let her help clean up. They'd worked steadily, gathering trash and the few leftover plates and silverware off the tables, then wiped everything down. While Eliseo put the majority of the tables away, Polly had vacuumed.
Jose Rivera had come down while they were working and helped Eliseo rearrange the tables for the evening’s holiday party. Polly couldn't imagine being stuck in a single room all the time and was glad he felt he could move around freely. He took over the vacuuming and Eliseo had given her a nod to let him, so she ’d gone into the kitchen to see if Sylvie had leftovers for lunch.
Not only were there leftovers, but on one of the containers, Sylvie had written a note: "Polly. Serve this for lunch."
She opened it and found sliced roast beef and ham. She loved that woman. A bag on the prep table also had Polly's name on it and in it was a package of buns and two bags of potato chips.
Polly went back into the auditorium and said, "Sylvie has lunch for us. It's just sandwiches and chips. Jose, you and Maria can eat wherever you'd like, but please help yourself."
Eliseo and Jose spoke to each other in rapid Spanish and she sighed, then walked away. Pretty soon Eliseo showed up at the kitchen window. "We'll eat here, if that's okay, Polly. He's going to get Maria and Salvador."
"Are they going to be all right with this?" she asked.
"It's difficult for him to accept your hospitality. He's a proud man and has had some trouble. They were living in Chicago with his family, but are heading to southern California where her family lives. I don't know if they have enough money to make it across the country. But I told him that you were generous and a good person and that if I could learn to accept it, he could, especially when there was a baby involved."
"I don't want him to feel bad," Polly said. "What can I do?"
"We could use the help this week. Let him work with me."
Polly breathed a huge sigh of relief, "Yes! That's perfect. You figure out what you need from him and please, let me find a way to give him some cash at the end of this to help them keep going. I don't want him to be working here simply for room and board."
"I'll do that and I will speak with Sylvie. Her Christmas break has started, so she won't be in school, but I suspect she might be able to use Maria in the kitchen, too."
He stepped back, his face blushing.
"Can I leave you to this?" she asked, pointing at the food on the counter. Eliseo nodded and Polly went upstairs.
The last day and a half had been busy and Polly was ready to settle in. Henry was coming that evening and she wanted to beg him to help her go through the stacks of boxes in her garage to look for her family’s Christmas decorations. The Santa Claus Polly had picked up at the Antique Shoppe was in the middle of the dining room table, but that was it.
There was a knock at her front door and Polly waited a heartbeat. Lydia opened the door and called out, "Can I come in?"
"I'm here!" Polly said. "Come on in. I have fresh coffee."
"It was getting chilly out there. I'm glad they have some heaters for those poor folk who will be sitting outside tonight."
Polly poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Lydia. "It's over here. Let's get comfortable."
After they sat down in the living room, Po lly handed the envelope to Lydia, who looked at the pictures, read the card and then, the letter. Lydia's eyes were swimming with tears and Polly pushed a box of tissues toward her. "I know. It destroyed me, too. Henry even got teary-eyed last night
Jose Rivera had come down while they were working and helped Eliseo rearrange the tables for the evening’s holiday party. Polly couldn't imagine being stuck in a single room all the time and was glad he felt he could move around freely. He took over the vacuuming and Eliseo had given her a nod to let him, so she ’d gone into the kitchen to see if Sylvie had leftovers for lunch.
Not only were there leftovers, but on one of the containers, Sylvie had written a note: "Polly. Serve this for lunch."
She opened it and found sliced roast beef and ham. She loved that woman. A bag on the prep table also had Polly's name on it and in it was a package of buns and two bags of potato chips.
Polly went back into the auditorium and said, "Sylvie has lunch for us. It's just sandwiches and chips. Jose, you and Maria can eat wherever you'd like, but please help yourself."
Eliseo and Jose spoke to each other in rapid Spanish and she sighed, then walked away. Pretty soon Eliseo showed up at the kitchen window. "We'll eat here, if that's okay, Polly. He's going to get Maria and Salvador."
"Are they going to be all right with this?" she asked.
"It's difficult for him to accept your hospitality. He's a proud man and has had some trouble. They were living in Chicago with his family, but are heading to southern California where her family lives. I don't know if they have enough money to make it across the country. But I told him that you were generous and a good person and that if I could learn to accept it, he could, especially when there was a baby involved."
"I don't want him to feel bad," Polly said. "What can I do?"
"We could use the help this week. Let him work with me."
Polly breathed a huge sigh of relief, "Yes! That's perfect. You figure out what you need from him and please, let me find a way to give him some cash at the end of this to help them keep going. I don't want him to be working here simply for room and board."
"I'll do that and I will speak with Sylvie. Her Christmas break has started, so she won't be in school, but I suspect she might be able to use Maria in the kitchen, too."
He stepped back, his face blushing.
"Can I leave you to this?" she asked, pointing at the food on the counter. Eliseo nodded and Polly went upstairs.
The last day and a half had been busy and Polly was ready to settle in. Henry was coming that evening and she wanted to beg him to help her go through the stacks of boxes in her garage to look for her family’s Christmas decorations. The Santa Claus Polly had picked up at the Antique Shoppe was in the middle of the dining room table, but that was it.
There was a knock at her front door and Polly waited a heartbeat. Lydia opened the door and called out, "Can I come in?"
"I'm here!" Polly said. "Come on in. I have fresh coffee."
"It was getting chilly out there. I'm glad they have some heaters for those poor folk who will be sitting outside tonight."
Polly poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Lydia. "It's over here. Let's get comfortable."
After they sat down in the living room, Po lly handed the envelope to Lydia, who looked at the pictures, read the card and then, the letter. Lydia's eyes were swimming with tears and Polly pushed a box of tissues toward her. "I know. It destroyed me, too. Henry even got teary-eyed last night
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