Church services just ended, Bill and his wife Claire had a trick, they would exit the Cathedral 5 minutes before the final AMEN. The parking lot was not constructed with consideration of the people who had places to go, so staying the extra 5 minutes would mean an extra 15 minutes, just trying to weave past those old ladies who crept at 3 miles per hour, or worse the families with their Children On Board, SUV’s, who braked at every squirrel or chipmunk. It was a Sunday, and the Denny’s had all-you-can-eat breakfast, and Bill always worked up an appetite waiting for the Pastor to finish his preaching. Claire was always waiting to see what kind of fine suit the pastor would wear, and always wanted to comment on the dress his wife chose to wear to set the mood, and it matched his tie! “Always a new dress and suit Clair would comment under her breath, just how God would want it. Bill scooted out of the parking lot took the main boulevard, and just as he got to the spot where the major boulevard had intersected with the highway, the one spot if you were lucky to get the green light, you were a free man, and able to get the best booth at the Denny’s and begin to eat all you want, watching the old ladies and those families with 6 kids arrive and wait in line.
“What the Hell,” Bill shouted as he slammed on the break, ready to cruise through the yellow light, and the beckoning call of bacon at Denny’s. Claire was looking at the contents of her pocketbook, for her lipstick, she bumped her elbow, and told her husband, that it was Sunday, no need for that language now. “Look at this shit, Bill said, paying no attention, to Claire’s lecture. Claire was ready for another this is Sunday lecture, when she saw lines of people carrying signs, declaring the police are murderers and those unnecessary Black Lives Matter. Bill pressed hard on his car horn. A few protestors ignored him with one or two providing their middle finger as their horn. “Fuck, Bill said, looking straight at the protestors, isn’t it enough we had to wear masks to enter the church and had to sit at least one seat apart, now this, what happened to FREEDOM in MY country! This time Claire was also having had just enough and said AMEN to that. “Well,” hissed Bill, the Governor said OUR FREEDOMS are just as important ha these Leftist Commies, so here we go, Claire. And with that, he stepped on the brakes, set his eyes straight ahead, and got to the other side. Claire turned her head to see what just happened, and Bill yelled to her, OUR FREEDOM is more important than a bunch of Commie lovin’ traitors. And Bill and Claire continued on to their all-you-can breakfast!
On that same Sunday morning, Isabel a 71-year-old woman was in the passenger seat with her la hija, (daughter) Edelira, they waited until the end of services. Both wanted to have a leisurely breakfast at Denny’s and order from the Tropical Cuban menu. Unexpectedly, as Edelira arrived toward the intersection where the protest was now in full bloom, Edelira slammed on her breaks. “Madre María, ¿qué haces mi hija?” shouted Isabel. Frustrated, and shaken, Edelira said, they protesting again, mama. Edelira sighed rolled down her window, spat and said, “no sabes nada de verdadero tormento y tortura, ¡vivimos a través de Castro! ¡Esto es América, todos ustedes son egoístas!”
