Merriton

“Happy Freakin’ New Year…” Bree thought the words to herself while she brought steaming plates of food to ski jackets. Not as many as last year, but way more than should have been there in her opinion. The words floated through her mind as she took new orders from a pair of spoiled New Englanders with thick accents. They stunk like stale snow and sweat from their day skiing. The holidays are for home. All you folks should be at home snuggling with your loved ones on the couch or maybe celebrating with your hometown. Travelin’ on the holidays is just wrong, she thought to herself.

Bree informed the East Coast snobs that they DID have an espresso machine, but no frozen yogurt with live active cultures. “Doesn’t freezing them kill ‘em?” She thought to herself, but out loud she replied, “You should try the Egg Thing. It’s our specialty.” The woman who wanted the frozen yogurt asked, “What’s in it?” Bree smiled mysteriously, “It’s a secret… Not even I know what’s in it.” The woman looked at Bree’s 180 pounds of height and muscle and sniffed. Her gaze returned to the menu as she replied, “I have food allergies…” Bree smirked to herself. “I’ll come back in a minute and get your espressos ready.”

“Entitled ski jackets just march into our town and expect wheat grass juice and Pinkberry,” she grumbled to herself as she gave Angie the espresso order. She couldn’t imagine why all these people were in Merriton instead of home with their family. Angie noticed the grumble on her face and asked, “What’s the matter?” Bree tried to brush off her anger. “Table four wants frozen yogurt with active cultures.” Angie smiled and looked past Bree at the ski jacket on table four. “It’s just a food fad. Every year, it’s somethin’ different. Sometimes they stick and we end up with an espresso machine, but most times they just get replaced by somethin’ else. ‘Member last year? Everyone was askin’ for cupcakes.”

Bree just couldn’t smile at Angie’s good mood. Angie put her hand on Bree’s arm before she could rush away again. “No, for real. WHAT’S wrong?” Bree shook her head. The cafe was half full and the lunch rush hadn’t shown up yet. There was a second to talk… quietly.

“I just can’t BELIEVE these people,” Bree whispered to Angie, looking around her as if she was imparting a desperate secret. Angie’s eyes opened wide. “What did they DO to ya? I’ll have Curly scare ‘em off.” Bree shook her head. “They haven’t done anything to me. It’s just… it’s just, why are they HERE?!” Angie looked around to see if any of the customers had heard her star waitress and answered the question, “They’re hungry.” Bree shook her head angrily, “No, that’s not what I meant. Why are they skiing in Merriton when they should be spendin’ the holidays at home with their families?”

Angie looked at her strangely, tilting her head to the side like a dog. She handed across the espressos for table four. Bree delivered the tiny coffees, took their order for the vegetarian omelettes and delivered the order to Curly. When she returned to Angie, that strange look was still on her face. When she finally spoke, Bree breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry I didn’t even think about that. I know you got family in Montana, but we get really busy at the holidays. I didn’t even think ’bout givin’ you some time off.”

Bree was taken aback and confused. She shook her head, but stood there frozen. She felt like her cursor had turned into an hour glass or a colorful spinning ball while she waited to understand what Angie had said. When her brain unlocked, she said, “No, I didn’t want to go back to Montana for Christmas. My GOD, that’s the last thing I want is ruin my Christmas goin’ home. It’s just…”

Bree looked around the cafe and realized that the last thing any of those people wanted was to be at home for the holidays. There were no couches to cuddle in front of the television as the ball dropped on Times Square, only uncomfortable family silences. There were no huddled mass New Years celebrations, only loneliness in the crowd of strangers. It was as if every ski jacket in the restaurant suddenly morphed into individual people with damaged families and soul-crushing solidarity. They came to Merriton to ESCAPE the holidays, just like Bree had come to Merriton to escape her family, her lover and her career.

Bree walked around the counter and gave Angie a good long hug. “Angie, I got more family here than anywhere else in the world.”