Smiles and Joy

Anne stood at the side counter waiting. She'd ordered a cup of hot water to steep the specialty blend of leaves and herbs in. She drank the foul tasting malodorous concoction eight times a day. She knew it wouldn't make the slightest difference, based solely on the smell it might actually put her in the grave sooner, but her Oma believed so strongly in the herbalist and his homeopathic remedies. She just didn't have the heart to tell the woman who had always been there for her, that she just didn't have faith that the rotten tasting concoction she drank by the gallons was doing anything for the tumors pressing on her brain.

"I have a cup of water for Anne." The snippy, tight faced barista behind the counter called out far louder than necessary.

"Thank you, have a wonderful afternoon."  Anne chirped with as winning of a smile as she could produce. Her goal in life had recently changed. Anne no longer planned for the future now she just wanted to spread as many smiles and as much joy as humanly possible with her time on this earth. Taking the cup she walked the four feet to the little side bar filled with sugars, creams, straws and everything else someone could possibly desire to add to whatever they were drinking. As Anne pulled the pre-measured disposable tea bag from the little metal canister she kept in her purse she could still hear the prissy barista behind the counter talking to one of the other girls.

"I can't believe that. I hate it when people do that. They think it's alright to just order a hot water and bring their own tea in. I mean please, it totally screams cheep. Her clothes are nice enough even if her whole head scarf look is a bit too dated."

Anne wasn't confrontational, even with her unbeatable hand in any argument. It flew in the face of her life goal, but every once in a while someone had to betaken down a peg or two in order to make everyone else around them joyous. So here went nothing. Slowly turning back to the baristas behind the counter Anne politely cleared her throat  and with a radiant smile interrupted the girl "Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear. Not that I was trying, but I believe everyone in the establishment could overhear since you were making no attempt to moderate you voice. I'd like to bring your attention to the fact that I tipped quite generously for a cup of hot water. Over two hundred percent  for that matter. The fact of the matter is this is probably your first actual job and the only reason you have it is because daddy threatened to stop paying for your extravagant life style. So let me give you a lesson in customer service. You don't have to agree with the customer, you don't have to like the customer and you certainly don't need to respect the customer. However you do need to give them what they pay for, do it with a smile and have enough common decency to wait until they have left the premises before you start insulting them." Stopping for air and to wipe the newly forming perspiration from her brow. The girl found enough of a sense of righteous indignation to jump in.

"Look I don't need to take this from you. I don't deserve to be harassed by some poorly dressed street urchin." The barista was putting on quite a show of being unjustly wronged.

Anne hated to play the winning card, but it had come time. Her tea had steeped and she was ready to leave so she needed to make her exit. Slowly reaching up she pushed the head scarf back off her bald head roped with ugly pink surgical scars. In a calm even voice Anne spoke directly to the barista ignoring the silent mass of people in the shop watching. "You may or may not deserve to be harassed, I'm not the judge of that but I certainly do not deserve to be persecuted because I choose to drink a tea concocted with medicinal herbs in a special blend to try and slow the progression of the disease ravaging my body. You may think your actions don't warrant being harassed by me, well I don't think I should be dying, so I guess neither of us is getting  what we think we deserve today." Flipping the scarf back over her head, Anne picked up her tea and walk toward the door. Turning as she opened the door, letting the noise of the world into the petrified, silent shop she smiled back at the girl, speaking in as genuine a tone as possible "I still wish you a wonderful afternoon." Anne stepped out into the bustling side walk surrounded by noise, activity and life of the ever turning world.