A Whole New Life
By Susan McLeod

"Venti caramel macchiato, please."

Laurie gave her order and scanned the dessert case for a cinnamon stick. An empty space greeted her eyes, and she sighed. All out. That figured.

Laurie was not having a good day. After a nasty argument with her boyfriend the night before, she had gotten almost no sleep. The burden of smiling her way through eight hours of work weighed down on her. It was something she could not face without ample caffeine. And so she had left early for Starbucks, arriving just in time to have the last parking place stolen right out from under her. The jackass even had the gall to smile triumphantly as he ignored her signal and bulldozed his way in. As she circled around the lot again, Laurie imagined him choking on a danish. This made her feel slightly better.

After three circuits, a car finally pulled out at the very end of a row. Laurie got out into the freezing February morning. The wind battered her all the way to the door. After waiting in line for what seemed an eternity, she got her drink. Of course, there was no place to sit, but then she caught sight of a hand waving, and she recognized Maggie, a woman who lived in her apartment building. She had spoken to her a number of times and liked her, so she accepted a chair at her table.

"Hi, Maggie. It's packed in here today, isn't it?"

"Sure is." Maggie was a small, dark woman with long straight bangs that shadowed her eyes. "I had to fight for this table. Some guy almost shoved me aside, but I was just a little too quick for him."

"Probably the same jerk who cut me off in the parking lot," said Laurie, scooping the whipped cream off of her drink. "Whatever happened to manners?"

"I think the last one died in 2002." Maggie smiled. "At least I got to step on his foot."

"Good for you!" Laurie took a cautious sip of her macchiato, found it too hot. "I never have the nerve to do anything but imagine revenge. I pictured him keeling over with a danish stuck in his throat. I read somewhere that's the perfect way to handle anger. You visualize getting even with the person, then let it go. Nobody gets hurt."

"Does it work?" asked Maggie.

"You know, it usually does. But if it's something really bad, they might have to die two or three times."

Both women laughed. "In that case," Maggie said, "Stephen is lying right now with a bullet through his non- existent heart."

Stephen was Maggie's husband. He had recently graduated from law school, and always seemed to be working. Laurie responded with an emphasis on the word that all females understood. "Men."

"Trouble for you ,too?" Maggie asked sympathetically.

"Oh, just the usual. John and I had a fight last night. He's been miserable at the office, complaining non-stop. So I told him about an ad I'd seen and said he ought to apply for another job. Apparently that makes me too controlling."

"You scared him, that's all. He knows he should be doing it, but he's afraid to." Maggie stirred her coffee slowly.

"Stephen, on the other hand, has no fear. He didn't even care when I found out he was cheating on me. Guess what he said? 'Well, she's prettier, and a lot more willing than you.' "

Laurie gaped. "Maggie, are you serious?"

"Oh, yes. He has no guilt at all. It's my fault, you see, for not satisfying his needs. Never mind that we've been married for ten years and I worked two jobs to put him through school. Now that he's a lawyer, he doesn't need me anymore. It's as simple as that."

Laurie was stunned. She didn't know quite what to say. "Maggie- that's awful. I'm so sorry." The other woman shrugged. "It was hard to take, at first. But the shock's worn off. There's nothing to do now but make a whole new life for myself." "You're a very strong person," said Laurie with sincere admiration. She felt ashamed of her petty problems. She could take a lesson from Maggie and start showing more grace under pressure.

"Well, Laurie, you know what I figure? You can't let yourself be anyone's victim. It's up to you to make decisions and be responsible for your own destiny."

They finished their drinks, and Laurie pushed back her chair. "I have to get to work, Maggie. Why don't you come over tomorrow night? We could go to the movies, or just talk."

"I'd like to, but I'm moving today. I'll give you my address and you can come see my new place." She took out a piece of paper, scribbled on it, and folded it over. "There you go. I'm really glad I ran into you. Thanks for being a friend."

Laurie stooped over and gave her a hug. "Bye, Maggie. Good luck!"

She walked out of Starbucks feeling very different than when she'd come in. There were a lot worse things in this world than not getting a cinammon stick. No more visions of people choking , or getting upset over things that didn't really matter. Let that policeman skip parking and pull right up at the curb. He risked his life every day. He deserved some small perks.

As she was waiting at the first traffic light, she opened the paper to see where Maggie was moving to. She was still staring at it when a horn blared behind her and made her realize that the light had turned green. She automatically switched from brake to gas pedal and drove on.

Her own decision. Moving today. Making a whole new life for herself.

The piece of paper fluttered to the floor.

'I did more than imagine my husband lying with a bullet through his heart. I'll be at the state prison. Please come visit. Love, Maggie.'