For
once, she hadn’t been completely honest. She had for all intents lured the
woman on her couch here with a lie. Although the woman she worked with was
technically a friend, they had in fact had three conversations that contained
subjects not pertaining to work, she knew she had over stepped her boundaries.
“You don’t have to stick around.
But you should.” She said. “You haven’t even read the pamphlets.”
“You must have spent a lot of
time on these.”
“I care.”
“I see.”
What
time she had spent making the literature, printing it, folding it, handing it
out, inviting the people around her was so unimportant to her and she wondered
why it was that everyone else seemed so concerned about how long the process
was when the actual outcome that she intended from it was far from beginning.
She watched her friend gently turn the pages and unravel the pamphlets’ meaning
in her head, while she nervously bit the same corner of her pinky nail. When
she was finished, she turned it back over to the beginning and looked at it as
a whole. She placed her hand on top of it like she was comforting the paper in
its restlessness and spoke in a very smooth tone.
“Teresa, I didn’t know you felt
this way. In fact, I’m sure none of us knew you felt this way.”
“Us?”
“All of us. You know, at the
shelter.”
Something about her friends tone
was worrisome, was she sad? Was she concerned? Was she confused? People never
seemed to be able to truly say what they mean, instead they liked to use
inflection for subtext. It was a stupid copout. She took a moment to think
about how most social interactions were in fact, a stupid copout.
“I misunderstood our
relationship.” Even though this was a grand statement, she didn’t move one bit.
“Teresa, I…this is just
very…radical. I mean, we help animals for a living, or at least try to and this
is just a little antithetical to our beliefs.”
“No it’s not. It’s completely in
line with what our beliefs should be. But aren’t. Think about it. I’m right.”
“Beliefs are sacred, T, I hold
that very close to my heart, but this is less about beliefs and more about the
deconstruction of a societal mainstay, of a societal need.”
“Don’t call me T, it’s strange.”
Three forgettable conversations and an awkward home visit were proof of that.
“You’re right. Sorry. I’m gonna
go. Your house is very lovely. I admire your D.I.Y. attitude towards
everything. See you Thursday?”
The question was stupid because
seeing her Thursday was inevitable, that was the next day they both were
scheduled to work.
“Thursday.” The co-worker left
with a smile and a delicate wave that involved only her fingers.
*************
I'm working hard on my piece I'm gonna self publish...a bit worried, a bit excited, mostly worried that I'm gonna fail.
Sigh
ClassyBiped
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