"Flash Fiction -- Newspaper Annie by Miriam E. Waters"

by Miriam E. Waters

The newsstand, a collection of weathered boards, leaned precariously against the side of a downtown business.  It was an eyesore, but its operator and her newspapers were beloved elements of the city.  She had occupied the same space for over 30 years, setting up shop at the close of the last “great” war.

She was a constant for her customers, always present when they stopped by on their morning trek into the city.

The old woman bent to retrieve a fresh newspaper from the stack beside her chair as Eleanor exited the bus in front of the newsstand.  Like countless others, she often stopped to exchange a few friendly words with the old woman.

“Hello sweetness!” the old woman greeted her.  “How are you on this glorious morning?”

Eleanor smiled as she warmed at the familiar greeting.  “Happy to be alive,” she replied.  “Did you save a paper for me?”

“But, of course dearie.  You’re one of my favorites and it wouldn’t do to have you go without one.”

Their daily encounter lasted only a moment, but Eleanor treasured it.  She worried about “Newspaper Annie.”  She often wondered how the old woman could endure the harsh winters and blistering summers ensconced in that weather-beaten pile of boards.  She felt compassion for Annie and her apparent need to continue to peddle her papers.  The old woman must be in a desperate situation to continue her vigil so late in her life.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Eleanor promised Annie.

“I’ll be here waiting for you, as always,” the old woman replied with a toothy smile that lit her face and accentuated the lines around her eyes.

The following morning Eleanor discovered a shuttered newsstand. The familiar structure was empty except for bales of untouched newspapers waiting to be claimed. Eleanor couldn’t believe Annie, the faithful steward, wasn’t in her usual spot.

A headline visible above the fold on a nearby stack of unclaimed newspapers drew Eleanor’s attention.  “Heroine’s Promise Fulfilled.”  With disbelieving eyes she read “The loss of Annie Engel saddens the citizens of this grateful city.  Annie’s quiet mission of providing for countless war widows with the proceeds of her newspaper sales will forever be remembered.”