Lucky

“I always said, my Granny sure conjured a special angel for me, to be so blessed!” the woman next to me crowed at the bus stop.

“Yep, I’ve lived right here in this town my whole life, had a darn good job at the Stop-n-Shop since I was fifteen and never a thing to complain about. My Granny, she was a kinda witch, ya know, and she said she made sure I was watched over every day by a special spirit! Yep, not so much as a broken bone or even a stubbed toe. ‘Course I never got my heart broke or nothin’. Guess I’m pretty lucky.”

The light caught her greying hair and glinted in her soft eyes, staring off into the twilight blandly. She had a plain bag cradled in her lap, sensible sneakers and jeans in the style they sold at the nearest chain store. Her face did lack the care lines you’d expect to see in someone her age. And if she wasn’t quick to smile, well, who was these days?

She was keen to follow this line of conversation and I thought she was a rare creature and wanted to figure her out a little better.

I asked what she liked about the old hometown that kept her here.

“Oh? Well, I’ve got this job, see? So, I guess I just don’t need to wander around the world. I mean, I been up north to the city for a day trip but this is just fine. Yep, nothing to complain about.”

“So, what do you do for fun? Not a lot of options in a town like this.”

“Oh, I’m lucky. Granny left me her house and I’ve got a big ol’ porch to sit on and watch the traffic. That don’t cost nothin’!” she chuckled.

“Must be that angel, huh?” I asked, “making your life so good, that is.”

“Oh yes!” she eagerly replied. “Not a care in the world.”

"Pretty sunset," I said.

"Oh, is it?" she replied. "Seems like any other to me."

Thirty years earlier:

“Goddamn it Jenny if you go off and marry that damn boy I will curse you! And I’ll curse your firstborn with a demon of mediocrity!”