Diana Mecum
Reflection: September 20, National Pepperoni Pizza Day
prompt: National Pepperoni Pizza Day (Sept.20)
Sept.4, 2020
https://nationaltoday.com/september-holidays/
Susan got to the restaurant early. Willow Street Pizza had been one of her favorite haunts for many years. She planned to get the Pepperoni Pizza and loved the simple combination of tomato sauce, mozzarella, and all natural Criminelli pepperoni.
She found a table, called over a waiter, ordered a glass of red wine, sipped it slowly and ruminated.
Why in the world had her ex-husband, Phil, wanted to meet up with her? It had been so many years since the divorce, gosh, was it 20?
Just as she started down the menu for the second time, and was seriously considering changing her order to Vegetable Pesto pizza, Phil walked up to her table.
"Hello, Susan. It's nice to see you," Phil started.
"Yes, hi Phil. Have a seat". Susan gestured across the table from herself.
Phil removed his jacket, took a deep breath, and sat down.
"I see you're coming from work. How is the new job going?" Susan ventured this question tentatively.
"Oh, about as well as can be expected." Phil had recently quit a long-time job with Yahoo!, and started a new job at Google. "We've got all of the usual late-night calls and stresses. Have you heard from Eloise lately?"
Eloise was their 25 year old daughter. She had just graduated from Boston University with a 4-year degree, and was planning on becoming a doctor. She had years to go.
"Oh, she's fine. She just got a new apartment and is working part-time as a manager at Target." Phil had worked to get a scholarship for Eloise, which helped immensely. She would not have been able to afford the tuition without the scholarship.
Appetizers arrived, and Susan and Phil continued in light conversation through the dinner. Susan enjoyed herself immensely. It was times like these in which Susan regretted the divorce. There were so many things which hadn't been said, so much to be repaired.
"Phil, I'm enjoying our dinner, but I have to ask, what prompted your invitation?"
"I've missed you, Susan. Especially since Carol's death in January." Phil had remarried, and he and Carol had had 10 good years, until Carol succumbed to breast cancer early in the year.
"I was very sorry to hear of Carol's passing", Susan responded. "She was a wonderful person. But, you know that!" Phil took a long sip of wine, and fell silent.
"Phil, actually I'm glad you asked me out tonight. It gives me a chance to say something that I've wanted to say for a long time ..."
"No, Susan, you don't need to do that."
"Yes, it's been troubling me for many years. Phil, a year before our divorce, I had an affair with Steve Ribley." There, it was said, Susan thought!
Phil looked at her in surprise, but remained quiet.
"I've wanted to tell you for so long. I've felt so bad about it. You were out of town on business a lot around that time, and I had my own problems. I was lonely. But I know that's no excuse."
"I wasn't the easiest fellow to get along with back then, I know." Phil looked at Susan, and smiled.
"What I didn't tell you, Phil, was that Steve was blackmailing me. He started 10 years ago. He threatened to tell you about the affair, and I was devastated. I just couldn't have that happen." It was Phil's turn to look shocked.
"That must have been terrible to deal with, Susan."
"It was. He asked for more and more money. Finally, six months ago, I said "No". I wasn't going to give him any more."
"What did he say to that?", Phil asked.
"He just laughed at me. He was an evil, depraved person. I never realized that when I first started seeing him".
Phil called the waiter over, and asked for two more glasses of wine.
"Would you like dessert?", he asked.
"Phil, I'm trying to tell you something here!", Susan gasped.
Phil set silent for a moment. The waiter brought the wine and the dessert menu. He glanced at it, and ordered a piece of New York cheesecake to share.
"Susan, there was something I haven't shared with you, also. You see, Steve was blackmailing me too."
"What!"
"Yeah, about six months ago. I guess this was about the time when you stopped paying him. He came around and told me about your affair with him. He told me that if I didn't pay him off, he would tell you that I know about the affair."
"Phil, I can't believe it! What did you do? Did you pay him?"
"I didn't want him troubling you any more, Susan. I was fed up with the whole thing."
Susan was dumfounded, and just sat quietly, staring blankly ahead.
Then Phil ventured, "I don't know if you know this, but Steve died last month?"
"What?"
"Yeah, it was a crazy thing. Some hit-and-run driver struck him while he was doing his morning jog. The driver didn't even stop. It was in the paper."
The waiter brought the wine and cheesecake, and Phil pushed the plate between them. He then raised his glass in a toast, looked her directly in the eyes and said, "To us, Susan. And, I love you."
Weeds August 2, 2020
title and prompt: weeds
Vinod Sagi was an ambitious young man. About 30 years of age, he had worked hard to emigrate from India in 2018. It was very difficult leaving his family of 4 brothers and a little sister. His parents outwardly encouraged him to venture to the US, even with the tightened immigration policy, started in 2016.
Vinod did have one brother living in the US, which helped immensely. Prasad was the oldest of the children, and had come to the US in 2014. He came with his newly married wife, Sailu, and they had a beautiful little girl, Kiara, two years later.
Vinod and Prasad got along well. There were the monthly dinner get-togethers, and the frequent parties and celebrations. But, there was always a subtle rivalry between the two brothers. Prasad, as the oldest, had seemed to get many advantages and perks that the younger siblings were not party to.
This made Vinod's determination to get the software testing job with the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco even more urgent. He had gone to 2 interviews for this position, and really felt he had a good chance to get it.
Vinod's resume had been spotted by a recruiter off of LinkedIn. When he got the first call, he was super-excited! He really enjoyed software testing, but especially enjoyed that this job was in San Francisco. Unlike most techies his age, he actually enjoyed taking Caltrain to the city from Campbell. It gave him time to work on some writing which he was doing. Even though he had lived in the US for two years, he thought often of the pollution in Hyderabad, where he grew up, and he was chronicling efforts by other young adults of his age to reduce the contamination levels.
So, he didn't mind the 90 minute commute to San Francisco, and had tried to convey this to the hiring managers for the position. He was acutely aware that they would consider the 90 minute commute a drawback. But, he persisted with attempting to convince. He even enjoyed taking the busses from the 4th & Townsend Caltrain station. First he hopped on the #30, and then he took the #14 to the Ferry Plaza. He loved the excitement he felt whenever he walked in this part of the city. There were so many outdoor lunch stands by the Ferry building, that he would never have to eat twice at the same place.
The first and second interviews went well. He had talked to 4 people in a small office. The manage was remote, calling in from Houston. His direct supervisor, Sally Holdstrom, would be working in the San Francisco office. He had liked her immediately, and felt that it was a good mix. He would be working with a diverse cultural and gender mix, which he liked. Also, the job being with the Federal Reserve Bank, he would learn a lot about Internet security, which was a plus.
The interviews went well, but he hadn't heard back from them. He thought about it all morning, and finally decided that he would need to give his recruiter a call this morning, to see if he had heard from Sally.
He fed his cat, Jinx, his favorite breakfast, and gave him an extra pet. Then, just to lift his spirits, he put on his best sable colored jacket, with a light red paisley tie. Somehow, the combination worked.
He walked to his car, and immediately started sneezing violently. Oh, my God, it was the weeds that had grown up along the parking strip. Why couldn't his apartment complex pay to have a gardener cut down these weeds. They always triggered his allergies, and he didn't need this additional stress today.
He figured that he might as well just drop into Safeway and get his allergy medication prescription refilled. Why wait? He was sure that by the time he made it to Target, where he worked as an assistant manager, his sneezing would be in full gear.
So, he stopped into Safeway, and greeted the pharmacist, Alice, who he actually knew by name. "Hi Vinod, back for some more Zyrtec so soon?" She laughed good humoredly.
"Yeah, 'fraid so!" He reached in his wallet for his insurance & change cards.
As he did this, he thought he heard a familiar voice: "Mr. Sagi, is that you?" He turned to look at the speaker, and it was none other than Sally Holdstrom, his supervisor for the job in the city.
"Yes, hello Ms. Holdstrom. How are you?"
"I'm fine, thanks. Hey we have been trying to reach you, but by some odd coincidence, my admin got your phone number wrong. Would you give me a call at my office today? We are prepared to make you an offer."
"Yes, certainly! Thanks so much. I'll call this afternoon."
"Ok, we'll talk later today, then. Bye for now.", Sally finished, and continued on to the canned fruit aisle.
Vinod paid for his prescription, and was just about jumping as he walked out of the store. He picked up his phone to call his brother.
"Hey, Prasad, guess what? I got the job! ... Yeah, no kidding ... And you know the funniest thing? If we didn't have a weed problem at my complex, I wouldn't have gone to Safeway to refill my prescription. Providence works in mysterious ways, don't you think?
prompt: Escape Plans
June 6, 2020
Camilla had been looking so much forward to this day outing! It had been a year and a half since she had taken a train to San Francisco, with the Covid-19 pandemic. Oh how she had begun to hate that word, "pandemic", every syllable, and the reverberations she heard in her ears when she read or heard it.
But, this was June 2021. With a herculean effort by over 100 clinical laboratories, a vaccine had been developed and distributed in record time, in only 14 months. That, combined with face masks and social distancing practices, had allowed the Fine Arts museums to open in May. And specifically, Camilla wanted to visit the Legion of Honor Museum.
Camilla had asked Anaya if she had wanted to join her for the day trip, but Anaya had been called in to work overtime at the library that Saturday.
So, here it was, a Saturday in mid-June, and Camilla had gotten on the early morning Caltrain to San Francisco. Oh, how she had missed the train rides to the city. The ride up passed without event, and by 10:00 she had arrived at the 4th and Townsend station.
It was a quick walk to the #30 bus, and off she set for her first stop of the morning, "The Grove" restaurant, located close to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She had wondered if the same man would be the host, but she didn't see him this day. And, she realized, she had never asked his name. Breakfast was wonderful! She had eggs, hash browns & crisp, thick bacon, which was always her first choice. She even splurged on fresh squeezed orange juice.
The rest of the morning went as usual. The bus ride from Geary St. at Union Square was beautiful. It was always special to see so many diverse people taking the bus. It always took about an hour to get to the museum from the restaurant, but the trip was worth it.
As she got off the bus, and walked towards the Legion of Honor museum, the large plaza and statue of "The Thinker" worked well to get her in the mood for the wealth of artwork inside the doors. Every time she saw the statue of "The Thinker", she remembered that it had always been her ex-husband's favorite piece of art.
The morning and afternoon went especially well. The exhibits were extraordinary, as usual. They reminded her of the 2019 special showing of "Early Rubens". Prior to seeing that exhibit, she had had no idea of the talent of Peter Paul Rubens, and was amazed at how well the paintings were preserved for over 400 years.
The day was going really well, and Camilla was about ready to wrap-up and start the ride back. She always had dinner at Super Duper Burgers on Chestnut Street. She loved to sit outside and people watch. Actually, people watching was one of her all-time favorite pastimes!
As she was leaving the building, she thought that rather than take the #18 bus down the hill, following Legion of Honor Drive, she would actually walk the one mile distance. This might be a lot of fun! She had tried this a couple of years earlier, on her 65th birthday, but of course, at that time, she was walking uphill. What an effort that had been! Walking downhill on a cool afternoon was a different story.
She started down the hill, enjoying the lawns and golf course, and watching the golf players tee off. About half way down the 1 mile stretch she realized that she did need a rest, and found a park bench nearby. She sat down for a moment, picked up her Kindle, and read a chapter of "The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax". She was happy to have found a new author she liked.
As she grabbed her stuff and stood up to continue back, she saw a large mailing envelope, just visible under a bush located behind her. It seemed to be new and clean, and she wondered why someone had left it there? She walked over to the bush, reached down, and picked up the parcel. It was heavier that she expected, and had a name & address printed on the front. She placed it in her bag, and continued on down the hill.
As she reached 34th & Clement, she turned and continued on to 33rd & Geary. Just as she got to the corner for the bus, the #38 arrived. She reached for her Clipper Card to pay her fare, and as she did so, she saw 2 men running towards her from about 2 blocks away. She quickly boarded the bus, paid her fare, and it was off. As the bus started out, she looked out the window, and saw the 2 men waving & cursing, gesticulating angrily at the bus. One of the men was Caucasian, and the second was Hispanic. The first man had the worst case of acne she had ever seen. The Hispanic man had long brown hair, to his shoulders. They were not the type of people she wanted to meet up with alone.
As the bus sped off, she realized that perhaps she should have left the package alone. Now, she was dying of curiosity to figure out what was in it.
Well, she wasn't going to let 2 strangers keep her from enjoying her lunch at Super Duper Burgers! She continued on the #38 to Sacramento & Fillmore, and then transferred to the #22 to the restaurant.
She ordered her lunch, a cheeseburger with fries and the best strawberry shake in the state, and went to the restroom. Seeing the 2 men following her had shaken her up. She reached in her bag, pulled out and put on a bright orange sweater. Then, she unwrapped the bun she had been wearing all day, and let her long hair fall down her back. Finally, she put on sunglasses and lipstick. She looked good enough to pose for the cover of Senior Cosmopolitan magazine! She really looked nothing like she had when she entered the restroom.
She found a table outside, and the waiter brought her her lunch. She decided that she had over reacted, and that there was nothing to worry about! She adopted her regular people watching pose, and once again took out her novel. She plugged her earpiece into her iPad, and listed to the Audible recording of Mrs. Pollifax. After about 10 minutes, she felt more relaxed.
20 minutes later, she was considering if she wanted an IPA. Should she leave her iPad outside while she went inside & ordered? She decided to risk it, picked up bag, went inside & ordered the beer. Just as she was walking back to the table, the 2 men appeared, walking furtively down Chestnut St. Fortunately, she kept her presence of mind, and they didn't recognize her altered appearance! They continued on, and she went back to her place at the table.
After the beer arrived, she reached in the bag, took out the package, and opened it. Inside were several large bundles of $100 bills. Having a mathematics degree didn't always help with doing simple arithmetic calculations, but she did a quick reckoning, and figured there must be close to $100,000 in this package! There was also a sheet of paper, with several names and addresses handwritten on it. What in the world had she picked up?
prompt: Choose Any Icon
May 3, 2020
LINK: Chord Wheel by John F. Morgan
camilla monterey hotel 6 casa verde way snuggles muffin
Jan 6, 2019
Official January prompt: a rule for living
Improvised prompt: Camilla looks up at the night sky
Camilla looked up at the night sky as she left the restaurant. It was especially beautiful tonight. The colors contrasted between light smoky gray and warm granite. There was a light or spark behind the clouds which made them appear back-lit.
Her dinner at Casa Verde, in Monterey, had been wonderful! It was a restaurant which she had dined at year after year. Savoring a plate of spaghetti and ravioli with marinara sauce, she lingered over a couple glasses of red wine, and read her latest Agatha Award novel, "The Plot is Murder", by V.M. Burns. After 30 minutes, she put it down, and thought about the three-day vacation which she was just now wrapping up.
It had been almost five years since she had last been to Monterey and Carmel. Way too long, and she missed it! Carmel being her favorite tourist spot, she had dragged her ex-husband here year after year, when she was married. This particular trip had been all about taking photographs of houses.
Her photograph taking phase, or craze, had begun earlier that summer, when she signed up with the American Heart Association to walk in the Giants 5K. During her training, she had walked the residential areas of Campbell, and the nostalgia she had felt with houses, and their history, flooded back into her memory.
She had walked for hours this trip, taking hundreds of snapshots with her iPad. The quality of the photos was really spectacular, considering that she did not have a high-end camera.
The house she loved the most was discovered the second day of her trip, in Carmel. She had taken the long walk from Ocean Ave. along the water and Scenic Rd. As you loop around and back up into town, you cross 13th Ave. At this intersection was a house with an old-fashioned white picket fence, and an archway covered with primroses. It fascinated her. She had taken tens of photos of the house and yard.
She had actually worn herself out over three days, walking almost non-stop for 6 to 8 hours a day. For the first two nights, she had had dinner at Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row. She especially liked "The Chart House" and "Bubba Gumps". The latter was a tourist trap, but fun none the less.
Well, tonight was the last night of the vacation, and she was going to take it a little easier. The quiet meal at Casa Verde restaurant on Fremont St. in Monterey, was just what she needed. Having finished her meal, she was ready to go back to the hotel, or perhaps take a walk. She paid the bill, rose from her seat, and walked outside.
That's when she saw the beautiful sky. The sky was special. She felt as if she had a premonition, and something portentous was going to happen tonight.
She decided that she was up for the short walk, turned right at the corner, and walked down Casa Verde Way. The houses appeared industrial, and really weren't anything special. She hiked along the underpass for Highway 1, or Cabrillo Highway.
Twenty minutes later, she turned around and started back to the hotel. It was just as she came back out of the underpass for Cabrillo Highway, that she could have sworn that she heard the meows of one or two kittens. No, it had to be at least two, as they were meowing in tandem. She took her flashlight out of her purse, and aimed the beam into the shadows and crevices of the underpass.
Then, she saw the gleam of two pairs of kitten eyes. She called them, "Hey, kitties, kitties". They first retreated back into the shadows, but then turned around and came slowly out of the dark. She assumed that they were very hungry.
"Come on sweethearts, let me get a look at you". Slowly, foot by foot, they crept closer to Camilla, and finally allowed her to pet them. She thought that they were domestic kittens that had been dumped at the underpass, or perhaps had wandered from a nearby house. They were too tame to be feral kittens.
As they came closer, she scooped up each of them, one-by-one, and placed them inside her jacket, which was fastened closely at the waist. She petted them, and searched for five minutes to see if there might be more kittens hidden in the darkness. Fairly satisfied that there were only two, she proceeded back on Casa Verde Way to the hotel.
Before she let herself into the room she realized that she would need to get them some food, at the CVS, next to the hotel. She continued to carry the kittens, now snuggling in and sleeping in her jacket, into the drugstore. She bought cat food, a litter tray, and a couple of bowls. She then returned to the hotel.
As she released the kittens from her jacket, they walked curiously around the kitchen. She opened the can of cat food, and placed the bowl in front of them. It must have been some time since they had eaten, because they devoured the food. The next thing she did was to set out the litter box.
The kittens were obviously from the same litter. She wasn't sure, but she thought they were male and female. Their colors were soft gray and white, with gray at the top of the faces and back, and white noses and underside.
Once she was confident that they were settled in, as much as possible in this hurried fashion, she placed a sweater on the ground for them to cuddle in, and sat on the easy chair, and continued her novel. To her surprise, after a few minutes, the kittens jumped into her lap and nestled.
"You know, she said, if I get to keep you, I am going to name you "Snuggles" and "Muffin", for the boy and girl. The sweater she had left on the ground wasn't needed, as the kittens kept her company that night.
The ride home the next morning was different from what she had expected. She planned to return in the afternoon, before dark. But, with the kittens, she left mid-morning and got home before noon. She called the "SPCA for Monterey County", and reported that she had found the kittens, and would be taking them to be fixed and microchipped. No, no one had reported lost kittens of their description.
The next thing she did was to call her vet, and set up their first exam. She took them down the following week. It turns out, that the kittens were about 6 weeks old, and were male and female. Neutering dates were scheduled, and they were microchipped.
When she got home, she once again settled into her chair, and once again had lap companions. Well, for a moment at least. Muffin got impatient, and left Camilla's lap entirely for Snuggles, who, true to his namesake, settled in and taken a nap.
"Ok, guys. Welcome home.", Camilla said contentedly.
tarot card wheel of fortune
July 7, 2019
prompt: tarot card
HOLDING HANDS IN CAESARS PALACE RESTAURANT
Camilla held Anaya's hand. It was the first time they had sat and relaxed since they arrived at Caesars Palace in Vegas two days ago. The restaurant they had decided to have dinner at was called the "Searsucker". This was a new American eatery & bar, and was garnished about with a cowboy motif. They shared a cut of filet mignon, and talked about the week leading up to this trip.
QUICK RECAP OF WEEK UP TO ARRIVAL AT HOTEL
What a crazy, madcap, & fun trip it had been! They had decided at the last moment in early July to drive to Vegas, and had frantically logged into Expedia to make the hotel reservations. Fortunately, there was a Fourth of July promotion going on, and they were able to save almost half off of the bill.
CAR DRIVE TO VEGAS
Two days before the 4th, they started out on the road trip. The drive to Vegas had been a little hurried, but memorable. They had decided to take a less-travelled route, Highway 95 through Eldorado National Forest. Rather than drive 11 hours in one day, they split it up, staying overnight at a travel lodge, overlooking Walker Lake, Nevada. The second day was really hot, and Camilla blessed her newly installed air conditioning for the hundredth time.
Once they drove into Vegas, finding Caesars Palace had been easy, and moving all the luggage to the room was a synch. This left plenty of time to gamble a little at the slot machines, and take in a couple of shows. And, of course, they felt obliged to eat out twice a day at restaurants. This was pricey, and they were just at that point in the week of trying to rein spending in a bit.
ORDERING MEAL AT DINNER. CONVERSATION AND REMINISCENCES
Camilla dipped into the mashed potatoes, and savored the unusual flavorings. She listened to Anaya's melodious chatter, and thought back over their spring together.
Camilla remembered the day that she and Anaya had gotten back together. It was May 1. Anaya had lived several years in Florida with her mother, who was in failing health. Sadly, her mother had passed in December of the previous year. It had taken some time to deal with the tragedy, sell the home, and settle the estate. There had been the usual bickering amongst siblings, but all in all, they had pulled together and got the job done.
Camilla felt that it was forever before Anaya took the flight out, and they moved in together on 11th Street in San Jose. But of course, it was only a few months. Packing and unpacking didn't take too long. The only things Anaya had excess of were books, and of those, she had a super abundance! There was a special personal story to go along with every one of the histories and novels. And, Anaya remembered just what she had been doing at the time she read the book.
The summer was full of unpacking, gardening, and job searching. Camilla worked as a software tester, for a long-time employer. Anaya, on the other hand, was struggling to find work. She ended up working for the San Jose Library, as a desk receptionist.
It was at one of the couple's frequent summer barbecues, eating hamburgers, and drinking glasses of red wine, that Camilla announced that it would be fun to drive to Vegas, and do a little gambling. Did Anaya agree? Absolutely, it would be a great break!
CAMILLA TALKS TO ANAYA
Camilla took her last bite of filet mignon, and put her fork down. She looked up at Anaya and said, "We've had a wonderful trip, haven't we?"
Anaya agreed. Camilla then said, "Anaya, I've been so happy since you moved back to California. I'm so glad you returned." Anaya looked at her, and they held hands, without talking.
"You know, it might be fun to try out luck at the Roulette Table?", Camilla posed.
"Do you really think so?", Anaya asked. Up to that point, they had only played quarter slots, which of course, no longer used real quarters.
"Sure, let's try it one time." was the answer.
So, they left the restaurant, and found a roulette table in one of the large gambling rooms. Camilla had never gambled in this way before, but she did look up the rules and odds briefly, the night before they started out on the trip.
WALK INTO CASINO
TAKE THE SPIN ON THE ROULETTE TABLE
"Ok, let's just place a bet on red, to start." Camilla was thinking that she was an expert at this point. They put $25 on red, and won. Ok, this wasn't too hard. The wheel spun, and landed on red. They had won! They left the $50 on red, and the wheel spun again. Red again! Yeah!
Just for the heck of it, they placed the $50 on "1", since Anaya's birthday was January 1. The wheel spun again. This time it seemed to happen in slow motion. Amazingly, it landed on "1"! They had won $1,750! Camilla & Anaya looked at one another, and thought for a moment. Just one moment. They left their chips on "1". Then, almost as flawlessly as Rick allowed the young Czechoslovakian to win in Casa Blanca, the ball rolled, bounced, and fell on "1" a second time. They had one $61,250! They sat for a long moment, just staring at one another. No words passed between them. Reality then set in, and they grabbed the chips and went for the door!
The Argument
Feb 3, 2019
prompt: that xxxxx on the corner
They had argued over a very trivial thing. Camilla had gone to visit Anaya at her apartment on 11th street. The afternoon had gone well. Anaya was not tech savvy, and Camilla was able to lend assistance with creating a remedial website of Anaya's art. Anaya was an accomplished artist, and her work was modern and abstract. It is difficult to put into words the vibrance of the pieces, the colors and perspective.
The afternoon had continued pleasantly. The two women shared a pot of tea, and talked about their latest activities. Anaya was tutoring adult Indian students. She helped them with their English pronunciation. Camilla had been playing the guitar for 5 years at the time, and had recently switched over to the Native American flute. After playing a couple of pieces, Camilla ventured tentatively that she had purchased many of the wood flutes. Anaya asked how much they had cost, and Camilla hesitated, and didn't answer. Camilla knew that Anaya was very "economical", shall we say, with money. There had been too many flute purchases! Hence the reticence in a response.
Anaya immediately picked up on her friend's reticence, and her feelings were hurt. A week later, they talked on the phone, and Anaya told Camilla not to call her back.
As mentioned, the cause of the argument was very trivial.
Anaya had reached out several times to apologize, but Camilla wasn't ready to reconnect. Life went on. Anaya had separated from her partner, and moved away. Camilla had major surgery, and continued working the same job.
Camilla had known from early on in the friendship, that she was in love with Anaya. Anaya was feminine in the manner of reaching out and wanting interaction and conversation. She had the most glorious voice, and that had always been an important quality.
The two women were so different. It's hard to know, when looking for a relationship, whether to seek someone like oneself, or someone totally different. Anaya had all the different blessings from Camilla. She was verbal, and a voracious, life-long reader. Camilla was just the opposite, spacial, and a mathematician. It was work for Camilla to find a book she enjoyed, and to be able to settle down with it.
Their conversations had been long, intimate, and intense. They shared deep aspects of their personalities and backgrounds that they would share with no one else. And, Camilla did with Anaya something she had done with no one else in the last 30 years. She laughed. Not just occasionally, but every time they talked together. Uncontrollable, delightful, spontaneous laughter. And, their conversations were "girl talk". She couldn't remember the last time she had participated in "girl talk". It must have been decades ago with her mother. That was her other cherished relationship.
Camilla had a fragile and brittle ego. She recovered slowly, if at all, from breakups. But, in this case, after two years, she felt that the powers that be allowed her to heal sufficiently. She gave Anaya a call on Christmas. Most was forgiven, and all the delight and joy of the friendship was restored.
After a month of phone conversations, Anaya flew out to visit Camilla. The plan was for Anaya to take the shuttle from the airport, and then the bus to 3rd & Santa Clara. They were to meet at Starbucks, have coffee, and then walk to Camilla's place in downtown San Jose. So, that's what they planned.
At 2 in the afternoon, on the appointed day, Camilla walked from the church to Starbucks. And there, Anaya was, standing on the corner.