DONUTS IN AUTUMN
a short story
It was a brisk autumn afternoon in Central Park on November 26th, 1958. People were passing by from every corner. Couples huddled close together, their souls entwining in a state of communion. But for people walking alone, without any direction, the feeling of the autumnal season was a lonely pumpkin. It was on that chilly afternoon that I bumped into Lara Peterson.
She was vibrant, an orange soul. Though not exactly the most beautiful girl, she carried her own charm well. Her hair was a deep mahogany. It was what defined her and made her unique. It was rather funny, actually, because she talked as if she was in a far-off world of her own. She looked up at the sky and said, "You know, looking up is better. …show more content…
Calm, but a beautiful sight to behold. Did time stop in that moment?
"Coffee?"
That grating, smoker 's voice brought everything back in focus. Betty, the waitress, was looking down, steno pad in her hand and a pen behind her ear. Her hair was graying but she took great efforts to hide it by dying it her natural hair color, chestnut brown. Her makeup, a little too much. She was beautiful in her own day, but now, she was just a shadow of the woman she used to be. The dark circles under her eyes were obvious as she bobbed her head. How long had Betty been working today?
"I don 't drink coffee," Lara said to Betty. "Tea?"
Betty didn 't smile or even look at Lara. "We don 't have tea. The sign says Donut 's n ' Coffee."
Perhaps it was the way that Betty spoke to her, but Lara cowered. In that moment, it was clear to see Lara and the way she looked at Betty with awe and something else unreadable. Perhaps frightened by Betty 's no-nonsense attitude?
"Water then."
Betty nodded, looking down. She wrote 'water for the young, beautiful girl ' on her steno pad.
Realization dawned. Betty was jealous of Lara 's youth and it 's why she was curt with her. But looking into Lara 's eyes, it was easy to see that the younger woman 's fascination with
a short story
It was a brisk autumn afternoon in Central Park on November 26th, 1958. People were passing by from every corner. Couples huddled close together, their souls entwining in a state of communion. But for people walking alone, without any direction, the feeling of the autumnal season was a lonely pumpkin. It was on that chilly afternoon that I bumped into Lara Peterson.
She was vibrant, an orange soul. Though not exactly the most beautiful girl, she carried her own charm well. Her hair was a deep mahogany. It was what defined her and made her unique. It was rather funny, actually, because she talked as if she was in a far-off world of her own. She looked up at the sky and said, "You know, looking up is better. …show more content…
Calm, but a beautiful sight to behold. Did time stop in that moment?
"Coffee?"
That grating, smoker 's voice brought everything back in focus. Betty, the waitress, was looking down, steno pad in her hand and a pen behind her ear. Her hair was graying but she took great efforts to hide it by dying it her natural hair color, chestnut brown. Her makeup, a little too much. She was beautiful in her own day, but now, she was just a shadow of the woman she used to be. The dark circles under her eyes were obvious as she bobbed her head. How long had Betty been working today?
"I don 't drink coffee," Lara said to Betty. "Tea?"
Betty didn 't smile or even look at Lara. "We don 't have tea. The sign says Donut 's n ' Coffee."
Perhaps it was the way that Betty spoke to her, but Lara cowered. In that moment, it was clear to see Lara and the way she looked at Betty with awe and something else unreadable. Perhaps frightened by Betty 's no-nonsense attitude?
"Water then."
Betty nodded, looking down. She wrote 'water for the young, beautiful girl ' on her steno pad.
Realization dawned. Betty was jealous of Lara 's youth and it 's why she was curt with her. But looking into Lara 's eyes, it was easy to see that the younger woman 's fascination with