Mom Gets A Valentine

Dear Readers,

Listening to, “Who Wants to Live Forever?” here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOjXKPdm94Q. I’m game. I have so much to do still and I haven’t yet started.

Well, we have gotten through half of Feb successfully without any snow—and I mean none to speak of, save for two inches over at this end of town a long time ago, I can’t remember which month and (for the sticklers) perhaps half an inch on Saturday and an inch this morning. Bare, soggy ground, otherwise – not complaining. I like the color brown, really I do. [Except you can’t jolly well ski in the mud.]

Today was Valentine’s Day, and I forgot it, till I went for coffee with my brother and mother to a tiny coffee shop in downtown Elgin.

It’s a cute place and –for the record— my favorite coffee shop. This is because I love the staff. There are two of them. The first time I stepped into the shop, both of them were behind the counter, a guy and a girl. I found myself totally fascinated by the girl. She was tiny – came up to the guy’s shoulder – feminine as a pixie. It was her face, though, which…made my day, you might say. I couldn’t stop looking at it and smiling and, finally, surrendered myself to blatant staring. Her face looked like that of a child no older than thirteen, clear and tanned, and she had dark, curly hair as short as a boy’s and coal black eyes, full of mischief. It was the tomboy, George, right off the pages of my favorite adventure story. And she'd grown up, same as me, too! 

After a few minutes of staring and grinning to myself, I whispered, “Tasha! George!”

She said, “I know!” The same thought had come to her head and so I knew it wasn't just my imagination.

The George girl was the shyest little thing, but I finally got her to look at me and by the time we left the shop, we were both smiling rather shyly. I never got to talk to her.

Oh, it is so amazing to meet someone out of a book! And out of a childhood favorite, when I’d almost forgotten the children from it and the child who used to read it. I wanted to thank the coffee shop girl, but of course, that would just be silly.

 ...

I started out by saying that it was Valentine’s Day today, did I not? Well, it was, but I’d forgotten, till we went for coffee to this shop. I hoped I’d see the girl, but only the guy was there today (he’s also the nicest person, but last time I was too distracted to notice him much) and he rung us up at 12 dollars, so Mom looked in her bag, but found no purse there. My unfortunate sister had taken it to borrow Mom’s credit card and had not returned it to its home in the bag.

I laughed, Mom came up with threats against the ill-fated Sister and Brother ran to the car to get money from my wallet while I explained to the guy about the missing purse. He says he does the same thing. We laughed. He’s easy to talk to. He has ruddy cheeks and the kindest eyes. He doesn’t look like he belongs behind a coffee shop counter – he looks like he should be a Marine. He has an elegant blue tattoo on his forearm.

Calvin came back with all the money from my wallet – four dollars. Go figure. He’d also brought the container of toll money. I’d predicted out loud that he would. I know him.

Mom said to take her Latte off our order and ring us up again. While the guy did that, Calvin and I counted out little stacks of quarters. We put the stacks on the counter next to the four bills. I thought it was a huge joke and so did the guy, but he said, “If you don’t quite have enough, I can price it down for you.”

We had enough. While he made the coffee, I threw a dollar of quarters into the tip jar. Then he handed Calvin his large Vanilla Caramel Latte. While he disappeared behind the counter to make mine, Mom said, “If we’d all had smalls, then I could’ve gotten one.”

I said, “Hmm, well, it’s probably better you don’t have the sugar.”

“Lattes don’t have sugar.”

“Oh. Well, you shouldn’t have caffeine, anyway, right?”

Mom laughed. “I ordered caffeine-free.”

“Oh,” I said and felt bad. Mom said it’s ok, Tasha owed her one.

The guy seemed to take a long time making mine. Finally he handed me my medium Vanilla Caramel Latte. Then he handed one to Mom and said, “Here’s your Latte – it’s on the house. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

It was hilarious.

Mom called him sweet and I said we’d be back.

So that was fun and the coffee shop guy outdid my dad today.

And, because of Mom’s Valentine, Tasha got off the hook.

Just thought I’d tell my own coffee shop story...

***

Don’t lose hope. I’ll put the Canada pictures up –I haven’t forgotten. But these things take time, if they are to be done well. I’m collecting stories from every time my brother tells them and I’m waiting for the card of (edited) pictures from Cal. When I get the stories and pictures together in the same place sometime next week, you’ll get the post I’ve promised.

Until next time, au revoir!