Isme’s Journey
Isme’s Journal #32
After brainstorming for awhile last night and coming up with a short list of necessities and a long list of maybes. My head was whirling with possibilities! So I decided to go into town for breakfast this morning. A change of scenery, and some hot food I didn’t have to make or do dishes from, sounded like just the thing I needed.
I was totally shocked when I realized that the server in my section was CHERRY!!!
It was she, the Cherry, the one who ruined my career hopes at the Times. I had to find out what happened. She didn’t recognize me at first. She came over and took my order. I watched her take other orders. She seemed a bit lost and flustered. I kinda felt a little bad for her. I ate my meal and paid my bill. I was wondering how to approach her. I heard her say to another server that she was going on break. So I took that as my sign. She had gone out of the building. So I followed her out of the building and around the corner.
As I approached her I said “ Hi, Cherry.” She looked up. At first she was startled. Then she looked at me a little closer and started to look a little afraid. My new more athletic appearance must really have changed my look, because the more she looked at me, then more fear I saw in her eyes. I thought her eyes were going to pop out of her skull as recognition dawned on her.
I calmed her, said I just wanted to talk. She breathed again. But still looked super nervous.
We started talking. I eventually came around to when did she decide to become a restaurant server. She said it was the only other job she was qualified for. As the full story came out. That stunt she pulled on me, got her noticed by some of the higher ups. At first it looked good, like they liked her initiative in getting dirt, made her the editor of the gossip column. But then she dug up too many things on the Big bosses daughter and published them without any discretion what so ever. They were not even really all that bad. According to her, the worst thing was that the daughter of a prominent editor gets bad grades in reading. Because she had also published some loosely true things on several other writers for the Times and some prominent local citizens, she was unceremoniously turned away from the Times. On the grounds that a humorous gossip column shouldn’t be a clothes line for everyone’s dirty laundry. And she was too much of a headache to keep on staff.
I wanted to say something about what goes around, comes around, but what would that make of me? A big jerk. I was feeling a little sorry for her, but instead of feeling bad about what she had been doing to people, she tried to tell me it was my fault. IF I hadn’t written that poem, none of this would have happened.
I had a moment of that “slapped in the face” feeling, then I got over it and told her how GLAD I was that it had happened. I have an awesome new life!
I left her. As I walked away, I waved goodbye over my shoulder and said “ I hope some day you learn to be kind to others and then great things will come your way too!”
I caught one glimpse of her astonished face as I turned back around the building. I guess I hope she does learn to be kind. I hope that when she does good things do happen for her.
After all of that, my day of hunting seems very unremarkable.