Exploration

Exploration:  Third person persona narrator tells a story of ritual by using 
all times to tell a story of one time, which emphasizes change.

******************************************************************************

	He glances up at the clock as he has every morning for the last year.  
Ten minutes to…  And the door of the coffee shop opens.  She smiles or frowns 
as she enters and walks up to order.  “Hi” and “Hi” and then the “How are 
you”s.   “And?” he asks as always.  “A mocha,” “A latte,” “A caramel mocha,” 
and lately, “A soy chai”.

	“Beautiful skirt,” “Nice coat,” “Cool boots,” “Lovely dress,” “Shoes,” 
“Necklace,” “Earrings,” “I like that outfit,” he says as he steps over to the 
steamer, pushing his co-worker out of the way.  He always makes her order 
himself.  “What’s up today?” he asks, while he pours the soy.  “Big meeting,” 
“Clients from out of town,” “Quiet day, today,” “Nothing.”   More often lately 
she looks at him sadly and shakes her head – no answer.

	And then she asks him, “Anything going for you?”

	“No,” he always answers, and it’s the truth.  “You are the highlight of
my day,” he says, also the truth.  She blushes and they talk about the weather, 
the Ravens, Orioles, Christmas trees, cherry blossoms, her great aunt Isla, his
nephew Tom, her car, his, her job at the bank.  She sits at the bar and reads 
the paper, folding the paper into half pages between sips, and quoting from 
articles she finds.  “Did you know VW is making a new car?”  “This lady had 65 
dogs!” “W is such an idiot.  Did you hear…?”  “It’s flooding in Seattle.”  But 
lately, “The stock market,” “People are losing their retirement,” “Another bank
is closing….”  And the laughter is gone.

Kathleen Speck
03/06/09