David had twenty minutes until his train came, so he ducked into a 7-11 to grab a coffee for his trip. As he approached the coffee counter he noticed a frail Asian girl probably on the short side of eighteen and visibly pregnant. She was eyeing the Doritos hungrily. He passed her and when he caught her eye she immediately looked down. She seemed frightened and completely out of place.
David noticed he wasn’t doing too well himself. He got the coffee in the cup with little trouble. However, when he poured the cream he couldn’t help but notice the tremor in his hand. Courage, he thought.
He capped the coffee and went to pay. His path to the cashier brought him again to the pregnant girl, who was still staring at the Doritos. David now saw she was crying.
“Excuse me,” he said, “are you okay?”
The girls eyes flashed in terror. She shook her head. “I don’t speak. Only a little.”
David stepped back from her so it didn’t seem like he was invading her space.
“It’s okay,” he said. “Do you need help?”
“No,” she said, but the tears ran faster now. “I don’t need.” She looked at David.
He smiled and raised his hands in front of him. “Are you sure?” he said. “I don’t want to bother you.”
She stared at him and then wiped her tears away. She reached into her pocket and pulled out several foreign coins. She held them in her open hand and pointed to the Doritos. “How much?”

Lien stumbled into the store, her arms crossed tightly. Her body was breathless and her thoughts were racing. She was relieved, for she knew her child would be safe under the care of the nuns, but the whole ordeal had left her in a tumultuous state of mind. She needed a place to unwind, to stroll through, to forget. The neon sign of the 7-Eleven promised at least the first two items.

Sweetness had just received some money in the mail from Lula Ann. She could spend it on a fresh deck or cards, or her face cream, but at the moment all she wanted was a Slurpee. She found pleasure in small treats, because the broad strokes of her life—her uncommunicative daughter, her bitter insistence that her parenting methods had been necessary and beneficial—weighed much too heavily on her heart.

Mayor Hanover hadn’t been to a 7-Eleven in years. She was more of a champagne person than a Big Gulp person. But the campaign trail has a way of taking people to places beyond their comfort zones. She and her staff had a half hour to spare between fundraisers, and this cluttered, bright convenience store was the only place they could stop for some refreshments that wouldn’t topple their already strained schedule.

Lucy, Lien, and Sweetness are waiting in line at 7-Eleven and strikes up a conversation.
Lucy: Such a long line at 7-Eleven today.
Lien: Yes. Very long.
Lien smiles politely and nods.
Sweetness: I only wanted to get a slurpee.
Lucy: Me too, and just some snacks for my baby. He just turned a year old. Such an adorable thing. I can never get enough of him. Do you guys have kids?
Lien and Sweetness look at the ground and don’t respond.
Lucy gets curious about why they weren’t responding.
Lucy: Is that a yes? How old are they?
Sweetness: She’s five now…
Lucy: Oh wow, not a baby anymore huh? And you?
Lucy looks at Lien.
Lien: Maybe two…
Lucy: Maybe? How do you not know how old your own child is?
Lucy laughs.
Lien: I don’t know where she is.
Lucy stops smiling.
Lucy: Oh… I’m sorry…
The line starts moving.
Lien: It’s okay.
Sweetness: Look, the line is moving now. And it’s my turn to checkout. I’ll see you guys around.
Lucy: Alright, bye!
Lien: Bye.
Sweetness goes to the cash register, checks out, and leaves.
Lucy turns to Lien.
Lucy: My turn now. Have a great day miss!
Lien: You too.
Lucy checks out and leaves.
Lien checks out right after and leaves too.

I entered a 7-Eleven because I was looking for some coffee after such a long voyage.

I remember seeing a young lady trying to grab some donuts inside the donut case. I was waiting for her to finish because since ahe was pregnant I didn’t want to rush her and she was in the way of me getting to the coffee area.

Then a lady appeared from around the donut case and approached the young lady and told her, “you still haven’t decided in which donut you are going to get, its been 15 minutes already you know?”

The young lady replied saying, I can’t only think for myself, I also have to think for my child and how she feels.”

At this point since I was waiting to get by and didn’t want to get in the way of these ladies I kindly said, “Pardon me please.”

The lady told the younger girl, “For goodness sakes please let this lady pass by Lien.”

 

I tried to be quick because I was drained and had to get back to my husband. As I was choosing my coffee, the conversations between the two ladies continued on.

 

“Lien you know what, I will choose the donut for you,  have even chosen the baby’s father as well because if it was a white man you would have not been acting like this. You young girls nowadays don’t never know ehat you want in life.”

“Don’t you agree with me ma’am?”, the lady asked me.

 

I didn’t even know what to say nor wanted to get inlvolved. But to not seem as I was ignoring  the lady I said, “A human has different journeys and hopefully those journerys take us to the right route.” I actually thought about what I said and connected it to my life because I actually was lost at that specific moment.

 

The lady told Lien, “I hope your child isn’t like you”, and took grabbed hee to the check out.

 

I heard Lien say, Sweetness, I hope this donut is as sweet s your name nd not like you.”