Pumpkin Spice Latte

Mary’s physician’s assistant had given her a gift card because of her wellness check. It was an out of the way coffee grind located on the other side of town in the hospital, her doctor said it was great! We jumped on the city bus along with our citizens. It had been unbearably hot and humid and the local folk had dressed accordingly. I was in a Chewbacca Star Wars T-Shirt, shorts, sandals while Mary was in a short yellow mini dress with flats. Both of us sporting water bottles and sun glasses. I could see the bus coming from the east, the solar panels on the roof illuminated the green and red color charging pattern.

A Hispanic woman with her baby in a carrier and a younger daughter about 4 years old waited along side of me. The baby was pretty well behaved only screamed out about 80db in bursts of 10 seconds every now and then. Her daughter tried to calm the baby while mom was involved in her mobile device, swiping and making sounds to herself. To Mary’s right waiting with us was a curvy black girl with a very thin tube top and shorts and sandals. Hard to say how old she was maybe late 30’s or younger, she wasn’t saying much but talking to herself in a language I couldn’t understand, maybe French, Haitian, dunno. Behind her was a street person with a back pack, dirty rags, soiled hat, long hair and some horrible teeth. This is public transportation for the masses, cheap efficient and slimy.

The bus, carried 60 seated and about 80 with the standing room, heavily weighted it moved easily around Mount Riverside. There was a security officer onboard in fact they rotated from bus to bus at the transfer stations along the route. They observed everyone with eyes of a predator. Once I had observed a gal who tried to lift a little old lady’s purse as she tried to enter the bus. By the time the would be pick pocket had taken a second step the officer hit her with a baton across her waist. Bent over clutching the old woman’s purse a second whack from the collapsible baton her arms went limp as the officer pulled the handbag free. There were other problems plenty on the routes but that’s the only one I saw. Nobody seemed to bother us or cared, we walked around like the invisible duo. Chameleons in Love. Blended into misty vapors floating lovers.

Next in line Mary ahead of me with the fare. Fifty cents, fifty cent grab a transfer for the way back. Miss Tube Top behind me taking her time looking for change. She touched my shoulder. Mister could you give me fifty cent for the bus? No I said. No change Miss. Miss tube top looked a little loopy, eyes fluttering and shaky, worn faded yellow cotton T-shirt. That’s what it was. Not a tube top but a do-it-yourself cut away t-shirt, ribbed collar cut away plunging down low from her neck. Tight fitting almost worn to barely covering her breasts. No, I didn’t have any change. I was seated next to Mary just behind the handicapped seats behind the driver watching Miss Tube Top standing on the curb next to the swinging door. Then by accident her top suddenly moves up and down unexpectantly almost exposes her breasts. My guess her arm got in the way. The bus driver had been watching her enter and exclaimed, “No you not coming in here showing those titties”. The homeless guy with the soiled NAPA hat laughed grinning saying, “here’s my change Bus driver”, as he placed in the coin bank. With the door shut, we headed to down the route to Mary’s appointment at the hospital.

The Tesla solar bus moved as silently as the wind, efficient, marginally quiet, non-polluting. No heavy shifting of transmission gears, no groan of the diesel engine. Just swift relaxed movement. Our stop, the transit center would be next. I was wondering if Miss Tube Top attempted to get on another bus. Probably.

The transit center where all the busses converged. The hub of incoming and going. We exited out the rear doors and headed to route 7, the hospital route. The bench and kiosk were empty. Mary grabbed a seat to take a look at her mirror. I raised my hat and wiped the perspiration off my forehead. The advertising poster in the kiosk was new. It had a smiling family of three with one on the way standing in front of a beautiful home. The caption said “You could be proud new owners of this house on Spectrum Planet Oscar 757.” Strange recruitment for colonists. The bad times were gone, the earth’s air and climate were almost normal, global warming stopped and reversed, cancer cured, everybody had jobs, lived longer, loved longer, food and water plentiful. Yet they still wanted more people on Oscar757. The commuter train took workers out to the space port 7 days a week. There seemed to be a big push now for young bodies for space.

Mary had been acting a little strange for about 8 weeks now. Confident, sure of herself, but holding something back. She hadn’t had a bite to eat this morning because of the hospital test. Complained of some aches and pains but the doctor said she was fine just a little normal imaging and it would be ok. Just a look see if everything looked good. “Stem aren’t you excited to be at the new hospital?” she said. “Yeah it’s Ok I guess” I replied. It was a monster of engineering. 15 floors high, dark non-reflecting solar panel glass windows creating enough energy to run the hospital 24 hours a day providing enough energy to power the complex at the same time. Both of us entered the elevator to the 10th floor for the imaging labs.  Room 1001 was across from the elevator. The receptionist greeted us with a smile and said “You must be Mary Seed; please take a seat the technician will be right with you. You didn’t eat anything right?” Mary nodded. I pulled out my book from the back pack, Positive thinking for Morons a guide to fulfillment. This is where you could be deceived. The book had been rebound with a made-up title. It was a technical manual for a new thruster, that’s a one-man fighter to be used on Oscar757. I had been recruited to pilot the craft along with 10,000 other personnel, pilots and army to defend Oscar757 from hostile forces. It was between China and Us at this point who would colonize the planet first. I hadn’t told Mary yet I was waiting for the latte lounge after the imaging. We were going to Oscar757. That could wait after my Chili Lemon Mango slush.

“Here’s your wife good as new, the tech will email your doctor and text you the findings Mary, you’re good to go” said the receptionist. I couldn’t wait for the Slush; Mary wanted the Pumpkin Spice Latte. We walked to the elevator, pushed the lobby button. The lounge off the lobby. They served anything you could think of, coffee, whiskey, lemonade, milk shakes, beer, wine, Diet Pepsi. The hostess guided us to the dimmest part of lounge. It was quiet and relaxing with plushy, cushiony chairs that held you up on a cloud of comfort. The server walked up and asked us what we wanted. Mary ordered for the both of us.

Mary grinned the most gaping smile looking at her phone, her cheeks looked like they were going to burst, Stem you are going to be a father. “Ha you’re kidding right, really? As I sucked down my Chili Mango Slush. No, the text message confirms it. Congratulations, Dad. “How’s that Pumpkin Spice Latte?” I said smoothly. “Creamy and sweet just like you baby”. I sucked down the last of the slush making noise with the straw. “That’s good because we’re going to Oscar757 Luv”. Out came the Spice all over the Pumpkin colored table cloth. I grabbed the cloth napkin dipped it into the water glass and wiped Mary’s face, it’s going to be great Luv and the kids will love it.