I try not to be too depressed when I wake up the next morning.
The fact that I burned my waffles to a crisp doesn’t exactly help my mood. I’m hungry, so I force myself to eat them.
After bathing and dressing, I’m feeling pretty down. I give Lisette a call.
Lisette is working, but invites me to come and visit her at her job. I step outside and see a site that cheers me up a bit.
I haven’t seen an ice cream truck since I was a child. The truck turns and pulls up in front of my house. Suddenly I’m feeling a little giddy.
I walk up to the truck and scan the menu.
I choose a strawberry flavored cone with candy sprinkles. It’s hard to be depressed when you’re licking ice cream.
With cone in hand, I cannot help but smile. Strawberry cones were always my favorite as a child.
I sigh as Desmond crosses my mind, but I’m determined to not let my sour mood destroy my appetite for my cone.
I quickly lick away at my creamy pink ice cream cone. It’s more delicious than I remember.
Afterward, I hail a taxi and head to town to visit Lisette.
Lisette works at a charming little pet shop just a little walk from the downtown area.
“Hey Athena! Come on back!” Lisette calls as soon as I enter the store. “How’s it going lady? You sounded so depressed when you called.”
Still not quite comfortable greeting her any other way, I grab her hand to shake it. “Things didn’t work out between Desmond and I,” I answer.
“What do you mean? Did something happen on your date? Was he rude? Did his breath stink? Don’t tell me he’s married!” Lisette says in one breath.
“No…nothing like that. We just don’t have anything in common.”
“Okaaaay?” Lisette says in a dragged out way.
I detail what I mean. “It’s just…things that are important to me, are not important to him and vice versa.”
“See… that’s why so many of us women are lonely!” Lisette says.
“Lisette, I know I’m getting older, but I’m not willing to settle.”
“Who said anything about settling? You don’t have to marry the guy, but what’s wrong with going out every once in a while and enjoying his company?”
“But-” I begin.
“Did you enjoy his company?” Lisette interrupts.
I think it over. “Well…yeah. I actually did enjoy it.”
“But- what do we talk about, if we can’t talk about things that are important to us?”
“You don’t strike me as a person that needs to always be talking,” Lisette begins. “Why not do things that don’t require talking?”
“Like what?” I ask showing my naiveté.
Then it dawns on me what she might mean. I lean over and whisper in her ear, “You mean woohoo?”
“Well…that’s nice too, but I meant going to movies and concerts.”
We both giggle like teens.
I glance around the pet store. “Maybe I should just get a pet and just live with the fact that I’ll be single for the rest of my life.”
Lisette smiles, but her tone is serious. “I’m with you on the pet part, but you will not be single for the rest of your life…I promise.” Right now, I am very grateful for our developing friendship and her faith, although I’m not convinced.
Lisette returns to her work and I decide to look around the pet store.
The first terrarium I walk up to contains a snake. I cringe. “People actually keep these things as pets…they make my skin crawl,” I call out to Lisette.
“Yep, I get requests for snakes at least once a week,” Lisette answers. “If you want a pet, try adopting one. They’re free and the animals desperately need homes,” she adds.
“Sounds good to me. Talk to you later!” I call out before saying goodbye and heading out the door.
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