The small mall was buzzing with agitation, countless customers wishing to shield themselves from the chilly wind outside decided that a small shopping spree might be just about perfect on this brisk night. In the middle of this unusual crowd a quite odd pair of women could be found, sitting in the worn off décor of a soon to be abandoned restaurant.
The first one was short and demure looking. Her square-cut hair was coal black and she wore a modest blue dress. Thick black glasses hid her shadowy eyes. She looked tense from the way she sat but at the same time bore a meek smile. The other woman with whom she chatted looked the exact opposite of her. She was tall and laid-back, was wearing a red lumberjack as well as a leather jacket. One could tell from their conversation that this unlikely couple has known each other for pretty much all of their existence. The whole dynamic of their conversation seemed like a time-tried mechanism.
Usually, Patty would do the first part of their dialogue, discussing about whatever subject crossed her mind, then she would suddenly shut down to hear Marcie' s advices which more often than not came in the form of acerbic one-liners. However this time was different, for once Marcie was doing most of the talking, she needed to:
-"I can't believe that you proposed to Chuck, Marcie. "Patty exclaimed, still astonished by Marcie's announcement. "I guess I was right when I said to him that you were even crazier than me back when we were kids. You already planned to marry him at that time, right?"
"Hm maybe, sir I don't really remember."Marcie briefly replied.
"Marcie, first I would love you to stop calling me sir for once in your entire life, secondly stop lying to me, you perfectly remember it. Chuck was hospitalized for some injury and you confessed to me that you dreamt of marrying him. How romantic!" Patty responded with gentle irony.
"May I remind you that at that time you too had feelings for Charles? Jealousy is a vicious feeling sir." Marcie replied half-jokingly.
"Marcie you are so cute when you are irked!"Patty guffawed "Besides I have never been in love with this blockhead."
"Are you sure sir?" Marcie inquired, staring in Patty's now dodgy eyes.
"Anyway, why have you never told me that you and Chuck were dating?" Patty demanded, quickly ducking Marcie's insinuations.
"Because we never did."
"You proposed to him without ever dating him!? You truly are one of a kind Marcie. Why have you done such a thing, it seems so out of your character."
"Because I wanted to do it with all my heart, Patricia." Marcie replied, her apparent sincerity even more amplifying Patty's bewilderment.
"Uh… I don't doubt it Marcie, I don't doubt it." Patty tried to regain her composure "And chuck just replied yes without any hesitation? I knew him as far more indecisive."
"Not exactly, I hm, I had to court him first." Marcie confessed, looking oddly contrived.
"You had to court him!" Patty laughed "As a kid I imagined you could be a lot of things when you would grow up but a gallant knight was certainly not one of them. And what did you do exactly to court Chuck?"
"I listened to him, a lot. I wanted him to know that I would be here for him." Marcie confessed.
"Chuck always needed someone he could tell all of his miseries, right? This is surely why he accepted your proposal right from the start, I guess. You know Marcie I kind of admire you for being that bold, being Chuck's confident for an hour is already quite tiring so I cannot imagine how exhausting it might be to be his confident for the rest of your life." Patty pitied.
"As much as I hate to admit it, you are not entirely wrong. I hope I will be able to alleviate his miseries somehow." Marcie admitted
"You can bring lot of things to Chuck Marcie but happiness is not one of them. Trust me on that." Patty warned
"I fear that you might be right Patricia. But maybe there is a way we could be happy together."
"I am sorry but I don't share your optimism. Chuck is a desperate case. Ok he is lonely and he works in a boring job but, hey! I am in the same boat as him and I don't look like a sad puppy all the time like he does."Patty rebuked
"I guess it is part of his charm. Besides are you really happier than Chuck?"Marcie replied with a hint of sarcasm
"Maybe not but at least I pretend to! Marcie, while I wish you the best with Chuck, please don't neglect your own well-being. You are my best friend, I want you to be happy and to be honest I am not sure that marrying Chuck will lead you on the road to eternal bliss, to say the least." Patty cautioned looking genuinely worried.
"I know Patricia. But this is the road I want to take." Marcie affirmed with a surprising conviction in her words.
"You really love him don't you? I guess it would be foolish for me to try to reason with such a heartfelt affection. *sigh*"
Their conversation then continued for at least half an hour before the two friends finally parted ways. Patty remained at her table sitting alone and looking greatly bewildered. Marcie was going to marry Charlie Brown. This affirmation remained deeply stuck in her head. How could Marcie of all people, manage to do something of her life before her?
While she was persuaded that this sudden union would be far from perfect and would certainly break in a few years (as she covertly hoped) she still felt deeply jealous towards Marcie.
She took a sip of her milk shake and reflected. Maybe she was still attracted to Chuck- No it would be gross- she thought -I cannot be in love with that blockhead I am not a kid anymore- maybe she thought Charlie and Marcie were going to be happier than her –how could that be when she knew Chuck spent all of his days moaning about his life and when Marcie was able to provide as much emotional support as a budget fridge- .
Patty's mind kept wandering aimlessly for a while before she realized she was sat in an empty family restaurant, nervously sipping a kid's menu milk shake while silently raging about the fact that her best friend's dream just realized.
She knew that quite some time ago, when she was still in college and had the faint perspective of a future she would have been genuinely happy for them. But now here she was; a 38 years old celibate college dropout who was forced to work in the oddest jobs she could find to make end meets.
In the space of 8 years patty had been a cashier, a fast food employee, a night janitor, an unlicensed cab and a self-taught exterminator. She knew that she could not live like this for eternity and that one day she would have to get serious and resume her studies but in a twisted sense she kind of liked the messy life she was leading. After all, while the pay was low and her shifts were hard she had the feeling of being in control.
At least she was not sitting all day in the same office like Charles or Marcie did for more than 10 years, and frankly the perspective of completing a dubious degree in a fishy community college was not the most appealing one.
She then finished her drink, suddenly remembering that her night shift in the nearby fast-food would soon start, and walked out of the restaurant, reluctantly marching towards another tiresome night as she faded in the buzzing crowd.
