This place was unusual today. It was generally crowded every Sunday morning. But, neither people nor cars took a promenade along this road. Even the weather was different from commonplace. The wind encircled Lucy and me with high potency, plus it was very cold.
I really hoped this spring could end very soon. The temperature was more like winter. The presence of the sun was unusable because it couldn't produce warmth here.
Lucy and I ambled on the street. Happily, we wore jackets and masks. It prevented us from getting cold, though the wind still could poke my back.
My hands were achy. I had been carrying this basket, which was full of grubby clothes for ten minutes.
Previously, I thought Jimmy had repaired our washing machine. But, Amanda told me that he forgot to bring the important tool yesterday. She didn't describe what the tool was. It composed a result that we still couldn't use the washer. Now, I had to take these clothes to a laundry shop. Besides, I might be able to find a side job there as well.
"Do you think Mrs. Potlin is busy today?" enquired Lucy.
"This's Sunday. She must be very busy," I said with full of confidence.
Mrs. Potlin was the owner of a laundry shop where was the nearest to our home. We rarely visited her place. However, we always went there every time our washing machine broke down. Else, it would be no clothes for us.
"Are you sure you wanna help her?" Lucy asked
"Yes," I spoke with a glad face. "It's the easiest way."
"So, what're you gonna do?"
"Well, let's see what's available. Ironing may be good."
"Then, I'd like to join."
I knew it. No doubt if Lucy wanted to go there with me. She always had a finger in pie.
"Okay," I said.
Time kept running. We'd been walking for almost twenty minutes. Mrs. Potlin's laundry shop wasn't far anymore, only a hundred meters forward then turn right.
Something strange existed far ahead. It was a white box van with a purple color word said "Litoss" on both sides. That was very unfamiliar since any vehicles, which are bigger than sedans weren't allowed to go throughout this lane.
Moreover, there was a big man who knelt facing the front wheel of the van. He held the wheel and contemplated every part of it. He must be the driver.
Lucy and I came near to the man. He kept moving his grimy hands from tread to rim, spokes, and hub of the wheel. He looked puzzled.
"You look like having a problem with the van," Lucy talked to the man.
The guy stopped touching the wheel. He stood up and breathed out. He faced us.
"Yes," said the man. "May I borrow your phone?"
This person was bad-mannered. He just asked what he want without introducing himself first. It was so icky.
"Sorry. I don't have any phone," Lucy said.
"Me too," I added.
The man mumbled, "Damn!"
His problem looked serious. The tire was deflated, the spoke was broken, and the hub was dented. The wheel was dying.
The guy rubbed his hands. He tried to remove dust from those.
"Do you know where I can find a phone around here?" he asked.
This guy needed a help, but he knew we weren't the right people.
"Two bucks," Lucy smiled.
"What?" the man spoke in a loud voice.
"Two bucks, or you won't get any answer."
Lucy used this opportunity to obtain benefits. She was cunning.
"Sigh!" The guy took out his money and gave it to Lucy. "Here!"
"Well," she answered. "There's no phone around here."
"What the—" he snapped.
"I've not finished," Lucy continued. "Well, you can't find any phone around here."
Lucy pointed to the left, "But, the nearest you can find is there. Just go forward. Then, turn left. You can find a cafe at the edge."
"How far is it?" the man asked.
"It could be eight hundred meters."
"Eight hundred meters?" he spoke in surprise. "Oh dear!"
"That's the only what I know," said Lucy. "Everything's up to you."
Lucy looked knowledgeable. But in fact, she was lying. It was very easy to know.
The big guy took a deep breath. He appeased himself.
"Okay. Thank you," he said.
It showed that this guy decided to go to the cafe where Lucy pointed at. Even though, any kind of cafe wasn't here or there actually.
"One more thing. Do you mind watching over my van?" asked the man.
"Extra two bucks," Lucy bade.
"Seriously?" he glowered.
"Two bucks for your request."
The guy sighed. He took out his money and spent two dollars again.
Lucy received it. She sniggered, "Thanks."
My heart joined contentment. It was very funny to see the slyness of Lucy. In the closed face, my soul couldn't stop chortling.
"Don't touch anything," the guy cautioned.
"Got it!" Lucy gushed.
The big man left us. He walked following Lucy's direction. His displacement was quite fast. His body looked smaller and smaller. He might not necessitate much time to arrive at the fictional cafe.
"Well played," I admired Lucy.
"Thanks," she said.
I placed the basket on the ground and rang my knuckles. My body felt light right away. It deducted the soreness on my hands, shoulders, and back.
Lucy kept her money. She stepped aside and scanned the left part of van.
"Litoss," she read the word on the van. "What do you think about this?"
"I don't know," I said. "Never heard it before. It could be the name of a company."
"What kind of company? Courier service?"
"I'm not sure."
"If this belongs to a company, why is it here?"
"Maybe he's a new worker."
"Hmmm... you're right."
I dipped into the van design. It was nice-looking with an abstract pattern.
"Look!" I pointed to the top corner. "There's a hamper picture."
I got near to the van and placed my right palm on its word.
"It's cold," I spoke with curiosity.
"It's maybe an ice cream truck," she opined.
"Yeah. It could be an ice cream company... Litoss' ice cream, maybe."
I removed my hand from the van. I concluded that the big man was a new employee of a company named Litoss and worked as a deliverer. He drove the van to this lane, which had the inapt structure for all vehicles except sedans. Those were the reasons why the van ended here.
"Don't you wanna open it?" Lucy asked.
"Why?" I replied. "Do you feel curious?"
"Yes!" she chuckled.
"Me too."
Lucy and I split up. She went to the west. I went to the east. We search for something to break the padlock on the van back doors.
My hands caressed the grass. It looked like looking for a flea in someone's hair.
I found nothing except some stones. However, Lucy obtained a rusty hammer. It was a fluke for us, although the hammer was a little damaged.
"Here!" said Lucy while giving me the hammer.
"Okay. Let's do this!"
I swung the hammer recurrently. Clashes between irons continually occurred. The heavy sound appeared over and over again.
My satisfaction came out. The padlock was wrecked. The van doors were slightly open.
I put down the hammer, moved my hands, and opened the doors wide.
"Wow!" Lucy and I exclaimed at the same moment.
It was hard to believe what were in front of our sight. Dry ice was flying inside. It looked like mist, which slowly vanished in part. Many things seemed. The dry ice still covered some of them. Several jerry cans of milk and bottles of orange water lined up inside. Some packages of frozen pork ribs lay on the right side together with eggs. A lot of mushrooms, garlic, cabbages, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants were assembled in a rack placed on the left side. All of them were very fresh and seductive.
"Did you know what I'm thinking?" asked Lucy with a big smile.
"Of course, I did," I giggled.
I took out a mobile phone from my pants pocket. My right thumb touched the phone screen in repetitive gesticulation. I held the phone near my right ear.
"Hello!" a woman's voice appeared on the phone.
"Hi, Amanda!" I spoke in gladness. "I found a jackpot!"