A series of essays and chats.....
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| ALICE IS ENCHANTED BY THE STUNNING NATURAL BEAUTY OF THIS NEW LAND RECENTLY DISCOVERED |
.....as seen through my eyes!
"Those who say there's nothing like a nice cup of tea for calming the nerves never had "real" tea. it's like a syringe of adrenaline straight to the heart!"
~~~The Cheshire Cat, 'Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll
By: Jacqueline E. Hughes
The neighborhood coffeehouse is a refuge for those
seeking conversation with friends, free WiFi, a cozy corner to create in, a good
coffee and tea selection, as well as a little peace and solitude. You, my
friends, will be able to come up with many more however, three places that make
me feel subdued to the point of gentle whispers and soft, controlled movements
are places of worship, libraries, and our local coffeehouse.
You might think otherwise about the noise level within
our coffeehouse since most of us gather with the direct purpose of talking,
reuniting with old friends, and conducting business.
Even so, each time I swing
open the large, double French doors, my visual consists of pockets of
interesting people. Like music to my ears, my audio includes everything from the
hissing of the espresso machine to the inquisitive verbal expressions of the
barista trying to determine if an order is for 'here' or 'to go.'
Let's grab a cup of our own, take a comfortable seat,
and sit back and listen to what today's chapter of "Coffeehouse Chatter" has to
offer....
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| KEEP CALM AND SMILE LIKE THE CHESHIRE CAT |
Introduction:
When last I snuggled into the corner seat of our local
coffeehouse in order to observe and speculate upon the lives of those around me,
I met a girl whom I affectionately named, Alice. Via her actions, I took it upon myself to build a
story around Alice which could not be substantiated considering I haven't seen
'Alice' since then. That is, not until today......!
My original thoughts:
ALICE: (Swirling her teabag to the point of frustration.
Waiting for someone to join her....soon. Lines crease her forehead. Her young,
pretty face aging with each tick of the 'cup-'n-saucer' clock that hangs on the
wall above her.) Well, Merry Christmas to me!!! And, I thought I was so smart!
He'd better get here soon before I turn into a blubbering, hot mess!! I'm not
ready for this. This wasn't planned. This is not how I wanted it to play out for
us. Well, he's not going to run. (Her deep blue eyes squinting at the French
door entryway) Neither one of us is ready to be a parent.... But, it will
work-out. We'll make it work-out together because, damn it....I love him so
much!
And, it appears that our beautiful, young Alice has lost her nerve, abandoned her tea and abruptly exited through the swinging French doors! Now, I sit here hoping that I wasn't, actually, right about our sweet Alice. That wouldn't be fair. I hope she's doing okay.
Today, let's listen in on the conversation between Alice, Brian, and Joe......
ALICE: (Speaking on her cellphone) Yes, I just sat down.
And, I am not moving one inch until you get here. So, please hurry! It's March;
it's Springtime and, I have so much to tell you! Soon, then?
(Sliding her cellphone back into her purse, a looming shadow
slips between the sun-filled window and the small table where she sits sipping a
tepid mug of decaf pomegranate green tea)
BRIAN: (Leaning on the back of the chair across from
Alice) Alice? Alice Monroe? Is that really you, after all this time?
ALICE: What on earth are you doing back here in Small
Town, USA, Brian? Didn't you head-off into the hills searching for bigger,
greener pastures to graze in?
BRIAN: Yes, yes I did. Hmm, may I sit down for a few
minutes? It looks like you're waiting for someone to join you. But, I am so
happy to see you again. May I get you a warm-up on your tea?
ALICE: No, thank you and, I am expecting someone.... Oh,
just sit down! You always seem to get your way no matter what I say, anyway!
(She instinctively swings her long, blond hair off of her shoulders with an
exaggerated twist of her head).
BRIAN: (Gently placing his porcelain mug of strong
Colombian brew on the table, he settles in) Alice, it's been over three years
now. I never meant to hurt you. You have to know that. We were still so young
with so much to think about and life got in the way.
ALICE: Oh, I see, that's what you're calling it
now.....life getting in the way? You've never been one to handle responsibility,
Brian. Never. Probably still can't, if truth be told. (Tears welling in her
eyes) I loved you! And, you left me. Simple as that.
BRIAN: I called you, Alice. I wrote to you so often my
hand should have fallen off from the effort. You wouldn't return my calls or
write me back. I wanted you to join me in California and begged you to come out
to see what life could be like out there, together. Eventually, I assumed you
despised me for leaving you here and making a better life for myself out
West.
ALICE: What I assumed, Brian, was that you loved me,
too. That after all we'd been through together, you would never leave here,
leave me. (Nervously swirling her teabag around in the chilled brew in her
mug, she demurely looks up into his eyes) So, are you doing okay? I mean, are
you happy out there?
BRIAN: Yes. (Pause) Her name is, Casey.
ALICE: Casey....(Rolling the name in her mouth as if it
were a glass marble)
BRIAN: She is why I'm back here, Alice. We're getting
married the first part of August and I've brought her here to meet my parents
and the rest of the family.
ALICE: (After a long pause) I'm, actually, quite happy
for you, Brian. I mean....I knew I could never contain you or your spirit for
very long. Even after we lost the baby, our baby, I knew you weren't running
away from me. You needed your freedom and you certainly would never find it
here, not in this old town, anyway. But, I couldn't leave here. This place is a
part of who I am. Kind of my 'comfort zone,' if you will.
BRIAN: Then, you're happy, Alice? (Gently holding both
of her hands within his soft touch) I mean, has life been good for you? I've
always needed to know. I let time fill-in the gap between us and it seemed to
cushion the blow of the unknown for me.
ALICE: I never thought I'd be going down this road
again, but I am happy now. Happy, content and ready for the future!! A few
months ago I didn't think that was even possible. I was nervous, scared, and
paranoid because I felt like I was reliving the past....our past to a certain
extent. And, I was. My fear was that this small town girl would never grow-up
and would always be hiding behind her emotions instead of building off of them.
By, God! I have grown-up, haven't I?
BRIAN: Reliving our past, Alice? What do you
mean?
(A deep, resounding voice hovers above startling both of
them)
JOE: Well, if I were a jealous man, I would be asking
you, sir, to step outside right about now! But, I know my Alice and there has to
be a reasonable explanation for you two playing patty cake and looking so
serious. (With a grin on his face, he extends a large, calloused hand for Brian to shake)
ALICE: (A loving smile spreading across her pretty face) Hi,
Joe! This is, Brian...Brian Ryder. Brian, I would like you to meet Joe Saunders,
my fiancee!
(When Alice stands up to give Joe a kiss on his cheek, we see the faintest curvature of a 'baby bump' as she protects herself
from hitting the table or spilling her tea)
ALICE: (Softly whispering into Joe's ear) The doctor says our
baby is doing well and we'll get to meet him or her in early August! Couldn't be
better timing.
JOE: I love you, Baby!
Okay. So, I was absolutely right while observing 'my
Alice' last December. But, it wasn't such a horrible story for her, after all.
Life takes time for us mere mortals to finally figure out. Somehow, we usually
do....or, die trying! Now, I'm wondering what they'll name the little tyke. I'll
keep sitting in my little corner and soon enough, I will find out!
Copyright © 2017 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved
