Chapter Forty: Passports:

I went out to get two passports on the same day. First one I did? Bekkah’s. It started out with a little question.

“Would you like to get your passport today?” I asked her as she got dressed for school in her room. (It’s still strange to call it her room after all of this time.) Bekkah paused and turned to me.

“What?” she asked.

“Your passport,” I repeated. “Would you like to get it today?”

“Why?” she asked.

“Well, you eventually want to get out of the country, do you?” I offered. “Getting a passport is the best way to do it.” She completely turned around to me.

“Are you sure that’s okay?” she asked. “We aren’t even family.”

“So?” I asked. “I can just say that you are my niece.”

“Wouldn’t that be lying?” she asked.

“Does it matter?” I asked. “You need a passport. So, what do you say?” Bekkah frowned a bit at first.

“If you say so…” she muttered. I patted her on the shoulder.

“Good girl,” I told her.

“When are we going?” she asked.

“Now,” I said. My former stripper friend blinked at me.

“Right now?” she asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

“But… what about school?” Bekkah asked.

“I’ll take you to class,” I told her. “Don’t worry. Now finish getting dressed.”

“Alright,” she mumbled. Don’t worry, you’ll thank me later.

I live about eight blocks from the post office. It surprises me that it’s still around after all of these years. Even Katrina couldn’t take it out. Even with all of this e-mail and internet dominating out lives now, that damn post office refuses to go away. That’s good enough for me. I pushed open the door. As expected, there wasn’t much of a crowd today (I mean, really. Who goes to the post office nowadays?) Bekkah kept her eyes to the ground as I looked around.

“Hello?” I called. “We’re here about a passport. Is anyone here?” The old man at the desk looked up from his newspaper. There’s another thing that amazes that is still around. I feel like I have stepped back in the 1950’s in this place.

“What do you want?” the old man asked. I smiled as I leaned over the counter.

“Hello sir,” I said. “I am here to get my niece a passport.” Bekkah looked up at him as she forced herself to smile. The old man adjusted his glasses as he leaned for a closer look. He looked as if he didn’t believe me.

“Yes, she is my niece,” I said. “So could you please hurry it up?” The old man frowned at us. Come on, do you not know the meaning of “hurry up,” old man? He sat back in his creaky wooden chair.

“Right this way,” he said. Bekkah followed after him once I nudged her along. I watched her for a few seconds before I followed them as well. I helped her out with the paperwork. The old man stood over us watching the whole time. I still think he doesn’t believe that Bekkah is my niece. I wasn’t going to test him on that. My former stripper friend was smart enough to keep her mouth shut the whole time as well. The old man read over everything as he adjusted his glasses.

“Are you sure this is correct?” he asked. Bekkah nodded.

“Yes sir,” she said. He took the form with him.

“Come back here with me,” the man said. “We need to get your picture for your passport.” Bekkah gave him a quiet nod and walked over to the picture setting.

She gave an awkward smile for the camera for her picture. It’s ironic, actually. She’s a pretty girl, yet she ended up with a weird picture.

“Excuse me,” I spoke up. “Can we retake that?” The old man frowned at me. I threw up my hands.

“Just saying,” I said. The old man looked over at Bekkah. She only lowered her head.

“Okay…” she mumbled.

“Hey, it’s up to you,” I said. “Do you really want to?” Bekkah took a moment to think. She gave me a real little smile once today.

“Okay!” she chirped. I glanced up at the old man.

“You heard the lady!” I said. So, when the pictures were done, I paid the fee and we left. I dropped Bekkah off at school.

That was one passport down, one more to go.

Violet’s process started with the same question I asked Bekkah that morning.

“Would you like to get your passport today?” I asked her at the bar after I dropped Bekkah off at school. (I lured Raccoon over to the bar via text once I was sure that Bekkah had gone inside the building.) Violet looked over at me from her drink.

“Huh?” she asked.

“You know,” I said. “You do have a passport, do you?” She slowly shook her head at me.

“I don’t think so…” she mumbled. I shoved aside my glass.

“Well let’s go get it,” I said. “I’ll help you out.” Raccoon looked down at her hands.

“I’m not so sure…” she mumbled. I gently held her hands.

“It’ll be okay,” I assured her. “I will be with you all the way.” She looked deep into my eyes.

“You promise?” Raccoon whimpered. I pressed my forehead against hers.

“I haven’t let you down, have I ?” I asked. She shook her head at me. I gave her a little smile.

“Well then, let’s go,” I said. Raccoon blinked at me.

“Right now?” she asked.

“Yeah!” I said. Then, I took her by the hand and led her out of the bar before she could say another word.

So, we went back to the post office. The old man gave me a strange look.

“What do you want now?” he asked.

“I have come to get another passport,” I said. “This time, it’s for my friend here.” I patted Raccoon on the shoulder. She only gave the old man a little wave. That old bastard sneered at me. He already can see through what I am doing here, but neither one of us was going to say a single word.

“Right this way,” he grumbled under his breath. He led Violet over to do the paperwork and take her picture. The old man raised an eyebrow at me as I pulled out my wallet.

“Anymore passports today?” he whispered at me. I pressed my lips together as I shook my head.

“No,” I said. “Have a good day.” I took Raccoon by the hand and led her out the door with me. She looked over at me with a bit of a lost face.

“What was all of that about?” she whispered.

“Nothing…” I lied as I pushed open the glass door. “Nothing at all.”