The Complete Zagzagel Diaries by Bryl R. Tyne Read Free Book Online

laundromat. Actually, I alit in the alley behind Mel’s, where my charge, Charley, had set up residency for the last couple of years.
    Charley’s wall-less accommodations were nothing special, but she liked to call them home. On the other hand, Charley, as Papa had foretold in His I-am-the-all-knowing speech, was very special, and in many ways.
    With the exception of children, you see, humans are unable to see me unless I divulge my presence. My cloaking ability, however, had no effect on Charley, never had, not even as she’d reached adulthood.
    “Morning,” she said, as I kicked a misplaced, half-shredded bag of trash toward the nearest dumpster on my approach.
    “How are you today, Charley?”
    “Fine. Fine.” Flagging me over, she smiled, but frowned and, with a gasp, covered her eyes as I rounded the dumpster. “Zagzagel! Cover up, for Heaven’s sake! You’re in the presence of a lady.”
    How easily I forget these tiny details, but my name from her lips in such a scornful tone refreshed my memory—real quick. Before she had a chance to dress me down again, I made myself presentable, as you humans deem proper. Though I’d chosen the finest of silks, admittedly, I was uncomfortable. Hiding my disdain for the confines of the suit and tie I now adorned, I stepped forward. I didn’t need to ask Charley’s approval. Her smile said more than any words could ever say, and for a brief moment, I forgot my woes, my worries, my constant odds with Papa. Charley’s ability to lift my spirits was a gift.
    “Got yourself a new chair.” I pointed to a sturdy looking, thigh-tall crate not present on my last visit.
    She chuckled, appearing almost embarrassed. “Not fond of sitting on the ground these days.”
    Of the many alleyways, overpasses, and bridges Charley had held residency in, under, and around over the years, behind this laundromat had been her wisest decision. High, along the scored brick wall, ran a row of dryer vents. Not only did they provide Charley warmth during cool nights, but she used the fresh laundered aroma of dryer sheets and fabric softener to air out her tattered clothing also.
    “What are you up to?”
    Standing beneath one of the vents, Charley shook what looked to have once been a crisp, white button-down dress shirt. “Just a bit of laundry. You?”
    Now, she knew, I could not answer her, not with any detail.
    It had been a while…a long while, but with this assignment, I was compelled to agree with Papa. Sometimes, the truth does more harm than good. Thanks to Charley’s extreme independence, she was good at tossing knowledge around in her head and coming up with a solution or a way to cheat fate. The less time she had to do this, the better.
    “Thought I’d drop in, see how things were going on your end.”
    She eyed me suspiciously, smoothing out the moth-nibbled shirt. “Seems I haven’t seen you in ages, Zag.”
    “Well, you know how it goes.”
    Only those in dire need garnered my direct assistance. No, being homeless was not Charley’s need. She’d lived on the streets for the last twenty years—her choice. Having the heart of a lamb, Charley didn’t want to burden her family.
    Charley gave the shirt a brisk snap. “Still as talkative as ever, I see.”
    She was also as tenacious as a wolverine.
    Once she made a decision that was the final word in the matter. From her determined actions, I knew I’d garnered her curiosity. If I were wise, I’d steer the subject in another direction. “Hungry, Charley?”
    Without as much as acknowledging I’d spoken, she threw on the blouse with its lacy cuffs and collar, and proceeded to button it from the top down. She motioned with a jerk of her chin for me to come closer, but as I neared, she held up one hand indicating I stop. Only after she’d fastened the final button on her shirt did I realize what she intended. With a muffled grunt, holding one hip, she squatted and picked up one of her stench-filled blankets. She gave it a