Art & Coffee

LOCATION- Brooklyn, NY sidewalk, It’s the afternoon around 4. Everyone is passing each other conversing frantically in a rush. Asia and Ronnie, on the other hand, are walking in complete silence. The hustling crowds moving around them have zero effect on the women as they seemed to be preoccupied.

Reluctantly, Ronnie says, “Are you okay?”, hoping to break the silence. Asia replies abruptly, “I’m fine, it’s fine!!”

Ronnie replies, “Look, you’ve known me long enough to know that I thoroughly enjoy all the time we’ve been spending together lately. But, I thought we were clear that our friendship was most important?”

Gathering her dignity, Asia replies, “I know our friendship is most important! Don’t you think I’ve gone over this and over this again and again! It’s just that whenever we’re, you know, close, don’t you feel like we should be something more? Like our relationship is meant to be more?!?!” The tears in her eyes began to swell. She had finally got the courage after their last night’s encounter to confront her feelings for Ronnie, but it wasn’t going the way she had hoped, at all.

“The key is to hurt them before they hurt you”, Asia recalled while comforting a seventeen year old Veronica after her first love dumped her. And even though Veronica aka Ronnie had begun to blossom into a well-nurtured rare rose, delicate yet spectacular, the first love always hurt like hell. But, no matter what, Asia was always there to pick up the pieces. When Ronnie caught her college boyfriend with her suite mate, Asia showed up with a bottle of tequila, salt, and lime. They’d cry, laugh, and drink somewhere in between reminding each other how special they were to one another. Soon it would be morning. They would be lying together, hungover, and baffled wondering exactly what the other was thinking.

The last time was this morning. Several mornings of the past 6 months began with Ronnie, in a NY minute, hopping in the shower, dressed, caffeinated, and running off to work before Asia could even get out of bed. The arrangement put Asia in a constant state of bliss, just because life had never been so good. She had the best of both worlds sleeping next to her every night, her best friend and her soulmate. This time was a little different, but Asia had no idea why? She had tried to call her at lunch, but she had a coworker take a message. By now, Asia felt slightly annoyed. She didn’t deserve this, least of all from her bestie. Ronnie, following her normal routine, was in fact a serial monogamous. No one knew this more than Asia. She was also sad because it was becoming clearer with every moment Asia kept overthinking, the love she felt for Ronnie was not the same.

They’d decided to meet at their favorite coffee shop near Asia’s place.“What if we sucked as a couple?” Ronnie just blurted it out. “What?” Asia said. She was at a loss. She couldn’t believe it. They shared everything. After all they’d been through, she had thought for sure a real relationship was right around the corner. “How could this not work? What is it?” Asia couldn’t stop the stray tear that fell. Suddenly, she couldn’t control them at all. “You don’t love me, do you?”

“Of course, I love you, Asia. Don’t be silly.” She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want to hurt her, but she knew she wasn’t ready for what Asia wanted. The real thing. All of it from the townhouse or a brownstone to the kids--at least 2---, the potential house in the Hamptons for weekend getaways… It was too much. She wasn’t ready. She wasn’t sure if she would ever be. Nothing ever came between them like this. Frustrated and overwhelmed, Asia just stood up from the cafe table facing who she thought was the love of her life with her heart in her hand. She couldn’t do anything more but reach out for what would probably be the last time. She kissed Veronica’s cheek, wiped away the tears and said, “Bye”. Walking away, the tears began to flow again but she knew she was doing the right thing. It was the only thing to do.

-----------------ONE YEAR EARLIER-------------------

“You want to do what?!” said the older guy standing on the curb of the coffee shop puffing his smelly cigar.

“An Open Mic Night! Come on. You know, when artists of all kinds are welcome! Most artists I know drink coffee so there’s a bar space for it plus plenty of profit there. AND, it would be a great platform for budding young artists to get started. You’re getting it, aren't you?” Asia was anxious. This is something she and her best friend, Ronnie, had been wanting for years. Finally, after several phone calls and emails, the owner had agreed to meet with them. The silence was deafening. The opportunity to not only showcase new work from new artists not just from Brooklyn but maybe they’d be able to convince a critic or two to come through from galleries in Manhattan! They could hardly contain themselves. Maybe they could get some performance artists, too. The possibilities were endless…

Asia couldn’t take it anymore, “What do you say?”

The owner took a deep breath. “Well, alright. We’ll try it for a month. If I don’t see some numbers, I pull the plug, Got it?”

Feigning their business persona, Asia and Veronica politely shook his hand. Then, as he walked to the corner, the two erupted in a scream too ecstatic to contain themselves a second longer.

“You see, a little persistence, a plan, and a will is all you need in this life!”, said Veronica, smiling as wide as her lips would allow.

“And you. None of this would be anything without you.” Asia looked deep into Veronica’s big green eyes. She saw her partner in crime, her road dog, her…everything. Before she knew it they were embracing their moment and each other. It had been years since the last time they kissed. They were best friends. What was this? What were they doing? It seemed as though the embrace lasted forever. Finally, Asia stopped to look into those gorgeous green eyes again. As she pushed away a single stray blond curl, she said, “Let’s go.” “Where are we going?” Veronica asked nervously. Her face was glowing like she did when she woke up in the morning all fresh and new and Asia noticed. All she wanted was to be alone with her bestie, and her soulmate.

“My place, NOW!”, she said. They embraced once more while in the cab. By the time the sun had set, they were together in a deep sleep only two people in love would share. Asia was sure they would be together like this forever.

----------------ONE HOUR LATER------------

AT THE PARK: Now, she wasn’t so sure. As she sighs a deep breath, Asia could feel the rush of memories with Veronica. How could she not have seen this coming? Or maybe she didn’t want to notice. Whenever the subject of commitment approached, Ronnie ran the other way. They both seemed to, honestly, yet Asia just knew they were ready to take the leap.

Asia found herself in the Park by the Bridge needing to collect her thoughts in the worst way. Her whole world had turned upside down in a matter of a day. “What do I do now?”, she said to herself still sobbing. The jogging that began when she stepped out of the cab had slowed to an intense stride. While the tears had subsided, Asia was still beside herself. As she looked around, it seemed as though she was surrounded by couples in love. All of a sudden, the ache in her chest had turned sharp and uncomfortable. “Oh God, I’m having a heart attack!!”. She stopped to get a hot dog and coke then found the nearest bench to calm her nerves. As she ate, she noticed the owner of their showcase space with the smelly cigar sitting with a brown paper package in his lap.

“Hey, Mr. Shalinski. How have you been? The coffee bar has been…” He raised a slow chin to suggest, kindly, to be quiet. He didn’t look at all as she remembered. “What happened?”, Asia asked empathetically. “Look, I’m sorry, this isn’t a good time to talk. I just…” Then, a single and all too familiar tear slid silently down his cheek. “This is my wife”, he said, caressing the brown paper package. No other words were spoken. They sat alone together with the aguishly silent tears flowing down both their cheeks. Before she knew it Asia drifted off daydreaming about the day her life changed forever: The day she met Ronnie.

She had been at her new home for five months, so she was adapting to the new environment fairly well. Great, in fact. Adaptation is important when a young girl enters the foster system. They never knew where they were going or with whom they would be living. This time, she knew it would be different. The lady was older. She had never had kids and her husband had recently passed away, so she was a bit lonely. Her name was Mrs. Ruthie Madisson, who was one amazing lady. She made breakfast every morning and she made a sack lunch with money hidden inside in case Asia didn’t want what was in the bag. Asia couldn’t have pictured a better place to live. Then, one afternoon while doing her homework at the kitchen table, there was a knock at the door. Ruthie said, “whoops! I forgot to tell you, we are having a new person come by today. That’s okay, right?”

Without hesitation, Asia replied, “Sure, why not?” At first, she felt apprehensive because she had gotten used to the Ruthie and Asia bachelorette space. Plus, she had welcomed Asia with open arms into this warm cozy place she proudly called home. But, who was coming to live with them? Ruthie opened the door to find Asia’s social worker, Francis, and a young blond girl with large green eyes.

“Hey Francis, who’s this?”, said Ruthie.

“This is Veronica McNamera. Say hello, Veronica”. Francis waited, hoping this transition for her would be better than the last. The meek young girl replied shyly, “hello.” Eventually, Asia rounded the corner to introduce herself. “Hey there, I’m Asia. It’s nice to meet you.” She stuck out her hand to shake. After a moment, Veronica reached out to shake her hand. When she looked up, Asia could see it all in her eyes. She learned how to read the look in the eyes of people to see what they might be trying to hide, a method of protection she levied once she knew for a fact that she was on her own in life. However, this time was different. Veronica wasn’t hiding anything but how scared and hurt she must’ve been.

“Shall I show you to your room?” Asia said, trying to infuse some sense of comfort to her without even knowing her. With hesitation, Veronica looks up at Francis who gives her the look new foster kids prayed for before going forward into the unknown home. Francis gives her the “it’s okay”.

By the time Ruthie came up the stairs, they were already discussing what to wear for school the next day. Later, Asia went to the kitchen for a glass of milk. Ruthie, curiously inquired about Veronica. “How’s it going? Is she alright?”

“Yeah. She’ll be okay. It’s hard in a new place, you know? She doesn’t know how cool we are”, replied Asia. Ruthie smiled. “You know it feels wonderful to be needed again, but I had no idea how cool I was?!” Asia grinned happily to herself. It did feel wonderful to be needed again. Veronica seemed to take to Asia better than she expected with such short notice. The times when Ruthie had taken in a foster and soon after regretted the decision still reminds her how grateful she was. For once, she knew for certain she made the right decision. Not long after Asia got her and Veronica a glass of milk and some cookies, she and Ruthie went to check on her. As they went up the stairs, the sound of sobbing came from underneath the door. Slowly opening the door, they saw Veronica trying frantically to clear away the tears not knowing they had already been heard. Along with Asia, Ruthie put the plate of cookies down to embrace the scared young lady. Her face was wet with tears. Trying to gain control, she said, “I’m okay, really. I’m just…” She couldn’t contain herself anymore. She cried and cried not knowing when the tears would stop. They squeezed her tightly to console her the best they could. “Just let it go, dear. You’re safe here, in this house, okay? I won’t let anything happen to you, do you understand?” She was adamant Veronica knew before she went to bed that she was safe and everything would be okay.

Asia interjected, “Neither will I!” she said. And with such a declaration, they were the three musketeers.

Veronica aka Ronnie, with Asia and Ruthie’s unwavering support, came around. She began to open up in ways that surprise the other two every day. The day Ruthie caught her taking selfies in the bathroom mirror was the day she reassured herself that, for certain, Ronnie was definitely “okay”. At first she was frozen at the unexpected viewer, so she took a deep breath. A faint smile appeared on her beautiful round face as she looked upon the lady who had vowed to protect her. Ronnie was safe. But better still, she had found a family out of thin air. Asia was content with their family as well. Who knew things could work out so perfectly?

Back at the Park: While finishing her hot dog and soda, Asia looked over at Mr. Shalinski hoping he would agree to what she was about to ask. “Why don’t you bring her to the 2nd Annual ‘Art & Coffee’ Artist Showcase. It’s not like you don’t own the place besides you should’ve already come by in the first place”. It was never in her nature to leave someone she knew in such a state. Taking some deep breaths of his own, Mr. Shalinski gathered his wife to proceed to the showcase wishing he would’ve brought his wife, Cheryl, to one of the shows for the past year. Asia accepted a sense of calm accepting the possibility of her future with and without Ronnie as she prepared to get to the 2nd annual “Art & Coffee” Art/Poetry Showcase.

Meanwhile, at the coffee house, Ronnie was preparing for a soundcheck while having a French Vanilla cappuccino. What the hell was happening? To live without Asia was not an option. But, they WERE more than just friends. She was her confidant. All of their bad-girl stuff happened together. They got caught stealing outfits together when they were way too young. Sometimes, they convinced the cop that their caregiver would make them steal the items just to getaway. Believing them, the cops usually let them go, and they went thankful not to have to explain themselves to Ruthie. But, no matter what, the love they shared felt as though they would grow old together, anyway. The fact that Asia wanted to risk it all to be exclusive seemed ridiculous. But, now, Ronnie wasn’t so sure.

As she finished soundcheck, she also finished off her cap. She had walked behind to the coffee bar just as she noticed a man had entered the front door carrying something with him, but he didn’t look at all like a courier. Rather out of breath, he quickly grabbed a seat in the corner while peeking through the curtains. Ronnie said, “Can I help you?”

The man replies, “No, thanks.”

“Well, we’re having our 2nd annual “Art & Coffee” Art/Poetry Showcase shortly if you want to attend. It’s open to the public. Are you an artist?” Ronnie knew something was wrong with this situation yet she tried to stay calm.

The man says with an annoyed deep voice, “No, I just need to rest for a second.” “Sure thing, man”, she says. Without warning, four police cars pulled up to the front door and they drew their weapons. Ronnie had no time to even acknowledge what was happening before the man lunged for her. He wraps his arm around her neck then sets a bag on the coffee bar. The prick pulled a gun to press to her temple with his right hand. “Oh my God, oh my God, please don’t shoot me, PLEASE?!” she screams.

“Shut up, you hear me!!!” the stranger said angrily. He pulls her behind the bar. “Get on the floor, face down, and don’t you move!!”, while she begged, pleaded, and prayed for her life. The gun was on her, but he paced back and forth trying to figure out how to get out.

“This is the Police. Come out with your hands up!!!” Ronnie and the stranger could hear them over the loudspeaker. The stranger got agitated. He grabbed Ronnie by her beautiful blond hair and dragged her off the ground towards the door.

“You come any closer and I will end this chick, you hear me?” he said. She would gasp and plead and gasp and plead, then she lost consciousness. She fell limp to the floor. Before the man could even raise his gun, they shot him in the shoulder ending the siege with a slight wound. Just as soon as it had started, it was over.

Asia arrived just as they were putting Ronnie in the ambulance.

“That’s my friend, wait, that’s my friend! Oh my God! Are you alright?” Asia says as she gets in behind the paramedics without request. As they drive away, she leans over to kiss Ronnie’s forehead. She had been sedated from the ordeal but she managed to take in the oxygen from the mask.

Still loopy and out of it, she glanced at Asia, then she worked to take the mask off her face. Her hand reached for her bestie’s cheek just as Asia grabbed her hand to kiss with a familiar flow of tears falling down upon it. She looked at the paramedic. Then, Ronnie said, even though she was thoroughly buzzed, “Isn’t my girlfriend gorgeous?” Asia smiled as they embraced for what she knew, now, would be an eternity.

Back at the coffee bar, investigators began processing the sequence of events when finally the lead detective inquired about what the assailant had been carrying which looked so suspicious. “What do you think is in this thing to make him flip out like that?” Mr Shalinski responded from the corner, “could be poison, could be ashes. Who knows? Can we get this done quickly please, I got a hot date at 7, huh?”

-The End