Raven

2. 23 birthday

"Ok, so this should be it and ill be done." I say to Marge, she is the owner of the diner that she has hired me to help her "make hip" in her words, because she is losing money quickly. I hav updated all her wifi settings and her comm settings, I even installed the POS system for her waitress to enter orders in quicker and the kitchen to put out more of. I look at the older lady, she has gray hair tied into a bun, her kind greyish eyes is made me decide to help me and even though she tries to pay me I always slip the cash back into the cash register. She comes over to the table im at in her uniform dress that is light blue with a little apron on around her waist. "Here darlin, you are working so hard and I feel awful you havent eaten, youre so damn tiny too, you gotta get some meat on your bones for them boys to wanna come court you around sweetheart." I laugh as she sets down a slice of pie and a cup of coffee. I smile up at her. "Marge you literally are a life saver" I say as I dig into the pie. She asked me to work for her but I would have to wait till after the diner closes at 10pm to even start and i usually finish up around 1-2 am. Currently it is 12:53am, and I finished a long time ago, but the last few days I have felt like someone is watching me, and it makes me uncomfortable to leave the diner so late at night now and walk to the bus stop to get to my shitty apartment. "You still feelin off sweetheart?" she says as she sits across from me. This is how the last few nights have gone, I finish up my work and we end up talking at the table while she brings me pie and coffee for awhile. It is how I learned she is widowed and marge and her husband used to co own this diner together, when he passed 5 years ago she had to take out a second mortgage which she is falling behind on and she has about 2 months before the bank comes and closes down her diner, the last part of her life and the life she had with her husband. "Yeah, I guess. I just get this feeling that someone is watching me. Imi  not going to lie to you Marge, I dont always do the legal thing but I always do the right thing, and that can sometimes get me into some pretty shady places." i admit to her. She is the first person I have really opened up to since my Mother died 7 years ago. I dont want to go down that path. "Sweetheart, youre like the daughter I never had, I wish I could protect you from yourself sometimes, and i know when you are over there typing like a mad woman on bender that you are not always updating some bullshit this old building has to offer." she says giving me a wink.  "Marge how do you know so much about me?" I laugh at her. "Well sweetheart, I have watched you for two weeks now, and you are one hell of smarty pants, You never accept my money, i see you put it back in the cash register.. you have some good karma coming your way. maybe even a good man1" she says raising her eyebrows. "NO..nonono." I laugh as i finish the pie and start on my coffee. " I dont need a man, dont want a man. I have you and that is plenty. Are you mad that i put the money back?" I ask her. "No sweetheart, im worried though, this is Portland and people are cruel, i worry about your wellbeing" she says patting my hand. I get that feeling again that someone is watching but there is no one in the diner, I look around and at the few open blinds on the front windows. I need to leave soon, this is getting dangerous. Buttttt before i do. "Hey im gonna close these real quick okay?" i say to Marge as i make my way over her the windows. If stay any longer i will miss my pick up date for the car i rented and i have to leave, someone is watching me i just know it. I walk back ove to the table and pull open the files im working on. Marge Constance Burry Age 71,  As I look through her bank statements I see that the bank is charging her at least a 36% APR rate for the second loan she took out to save the diner and again she is going back to speak to them tomorrow morning. Well they will have a lot to speak about. "Hey sweetheart, why do you look so worn out?" Marge asks me. i glance up at her, "can i have an honest to god conversation with you, one that can only be between us and you cant tell anyone " I say. I trust this woman and I rarely do that at all. "Today is my birthday, Im 23 now. I dont take your money because i dont need to. I have my ways of making money well appear i guess you can say and i live the way i do to stay under the radar. I havent trusted someone in a long time and when i saw your ad it peaked my interest, and i feel you got very lucky with me." I laugh at that and she smiles "I have to leave in a few hours and I wont be coming back. Im sorry its such short notice, but I have already extended to finish this with you." I say quickly and quietly. It kills me to leave her. "Are you in some sort of trouble sweetheart?" she asks me as she reaches out and grabs my hand. "Listen to me, if you are, I can take care of you. I feel connected to you in a way that a parent is their child. I worry about you constantly, ever since you walked into this diner looking pale and scared and hungry" she says. I tear up a bit. "No Im not in the trouble you think i am, but there are people who want me found and i cant have that. like I said i am leaving here in a bit but i wanted to say thank you for everything and explain everything i did, for my birthday i gave you a gift." I smile at her.  I explain how to you the POS system and what all the passwords are for her wifi and that i encrypted her banking information, I show her everything is set up to work on its own and update on its own.  When im done she yawns and looks at me "Do you really have to go?" she says "Yes, I dont want to, and to be honest that is scaring me. I move alot to keep this as hard as possible for others like me and who want to find me. I dont want them sneaking around you in hopes to find me. She gives me a small kiss on the forehead and whispers something of like a prayer. " ok well if you are in portland again, and God fearing this old diner makes it through tomorrow, you come find me" she says as she turns away to walk up the stairs in the back to her small apartment. I look back at the computer i have about an hour before i need to head out to the car dealership. I get to work. I end up writing code like no ones business and within a short 30 minutes, marge now has over 5 million in her bank account. One of the largest codes I have written thus far but she if anyone deserves this. I then get to work, I get into the banking systems and pay off her loan in full and interest. I then order all new furniture for her small apartment, a new bedset and bedroom set, everything that the apartment would need. I set for delivery a week from today which is when her husband passed away 5 years ago, I sign the card being send with the extra cost that they deliver and set up everything, I then get to work on the diner, I set up the dates and times in the next week this entire diner will be remodeled and "hip" as marge wants it. I order new equipment, I set the construction company to come in and have it done in 5 days. They are being paid well so they better get it done. I then book flights for the 2 working waitresses here. One is a single mother of a 10 year old boy, she is hardworking and hasnt been paid in a month due to the struggles but contiunes to come in, I know she got another job to still pay her bills, the other is a married older lady her kids are all grown and out of the house and her and her husband fight a lot she works for no pay and he isnt happy about it. They and their families will go to Hawaii for 7 days  to a private beachside cabin and its all expenses paid.  I print everything out and write out a quick note for them. As for Marge. I begin to book her a flight, she told me once that her and her husband always wanted to go to Italy, I contacted a travel agency that will fly her first class and she will have a guided tour through Italy for 10 days. I print out all of her information, and write her a note as well, as well as 2 checks to both waitresses from Marge for the back pay and a bit extra for their hard work, Each will get half a million, which will leave marge with just under 2.5 million to do whatever she wants for the rest of her life without worrying about a single thing.  As I get ready to leave i stop myself, i go back over to marge note and write out a seriously of numbers. I write quick instructions of how she can reach me should she need to ever. When I walk out of the diner into the misty dawn of Portland, I smile. For my birthday I gained a true motherly figure.  I start to head over the the Max stop when I feel it. They are behind me. I turn and gasp and start to turn to run when one of the two figures grabs me while the other shoves a cloth next to my mouth, I start to see black dots before I can even so much as scream or do anything I realize someone has found RAVEN.