Chapter 14 - Midnight at the Diner
Midnight was approaching on Thursday when my phone rang, shattering the quiet silence of our home.
I snapped the receiver off the base. "Hello?"
"Dad! Get down to the diner now!" Kevin’s panicked voice shouted over the line. "Someone tripped the security alarm in the back alley!"
I sprinted out the door, grabbing my coat and camera, heart hammering against my ribs. By the time I arrived, three police cruisers were already on the scene, their red and blue lights painting the brick alleyway in pulsating hues.
Kevin and Marcus were standing near the back delivery door. The wooden door had been pried open, and the smell of lighter fluid lingered heavily in the damp night air.
"What happened?" I panted, rushing up to them.
"Sister Mary was leaving the shelter next door after a late shift," Kevin explained, his hands shaking slightly. "She saw two men carrying red plastic cans into our back storage room. She screamed, smashed the emergency fire alarm on the wall, and threw a heavy trash bin right through the side window to make as much noise as possible. They panicked and ran off before they could light the match."
Inside the storage room, five gallons of accelerant had been poured over our dry pantry goods—sacks of flour, cases of canned tomatoes, and winter supplies.
If Sister Mary hadn't been there, Gloria’s Corner would have been reduced to ashes before sunrise.
Gloria arrived ten minutes later, accompanied by Kayla. She walked past the police tape, stepped into the smelling, damaged storage room, and looked at the ruined bags of grain. She didn't cry. She didn't curse.
She picked up a broom from the corner, handed a second one to Kevin, and looked around at the gathering neighbors who had come out into the street in their pajamas to see what was happening.
"They tried to burn our building because they cannot break our spirit," Gloria announced, her voice calm and absolute. "We clean this up tonight. We open for breakfast at six o'clock tomorrow morning."
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By two in the morning, fifteen neighbors were inside sweeping floor tiles, washing walls, and bringing emergency supplies from their own kitchens to ensure the diner could open on time.
Among those standing on the sidewalk watching the neighborhood work was Tiffany, watching from the darkness across the street, tears streaming down her face.
