Fiction Friday: Bobby Morrow

Bobby Morrow had a routine. He strolled into the LA Fitness in Marina Del Rey at 7:15 am every morning, carrying a black duffel that he’d stash in the same locker farthest from the locker room door. He ran for 45 minutes on the treadmill, lifted weights for an hour, then finished with another 30 minutes on the elliptical. He never had a towel of his own, using the paper towels from the wall dispenser to wipe away the sweat he earned from his workout. He was black, tall, and muscular. The type of man who you’d assume was a bouncer at a club or a college basketball coach. But Bobby Morrow was neither of those things. He was homeless.

After showering and changing into the clean clothes in his duffel bag, he would walk to the Jack in the Box on the corner and have two breakfast sandwiches with coffee. Customers who saw him through the window while waiting in the drive-thru probably wondered how such a handsome man could eat such vile food. A thought that would be soon be replaced with sheer delight as their own bag of vile food was delivered.

Bobby didn’t understand how handsome he was or how women would gaze at him as he passed. He had no concept that his grooming practices made him look like an above average man. Mirrors scared him, so he avoided them altogether. He’d memorized his face, so he never missed a spot with his electric razor. The crappy haircuts they gave at the soup kitchen somehow looked okay on him. He looked normal.

What Bobby did know was that he’d get confused if he walked past Centinela, so he stayed on the west side of town. Cars were loud and frightening, so he looked both ways ten times before crossing. Dogs were angry beasts - best not to look them in the eye. But these few things that Bobby knew weren’t enough to keep the panic attacks away, so he developed a routine. Gym and breakfast sandwiches, followed by a full day of collecting cans so he would have enough coins to wash his clothes at the corner laundromat.

(to be continued)
Freewriting for a character in the latest pilot I’m working on. What do you think?