Chai Tea.
1:Leslie Graham.
Like every other weekday, at 4.30, Leslie Graham would leave her office to go get herself a warm latte at Deep Mug Coffeehouse, a popular refuge for many New Yorkers on the corner of Reade Street and Broadway. Ever since she had been working as a Public Relations Executive for a high-end line of athletic equipment, she had been heading to the same coffeehouse everyday, and ordering her favorite drink: the Vanilla Bean Peppermint-Flaked Soy Latte, in a extra tall cup. Once she would pay for her beverage, she would sit down in the same big chair in the corner of the coffeehouse facing a small table, and plug in her laptop. After working on her computer for about 45 minutes, Leslie would take the bus, and head home.
Today, Leslie arrived at Deep Mug Coffeehouse after a long day at work. She hadn’t had a good day, and the only thing that would make her feel better was her warm Vanilla Bean Peppermint-Flaked Soy Latte. But, when she came up to order, she was told by the barista that the coffeehouse had run out of soy, and that she would have to order something else. Leslie sighed, quite unhappy, and took a glance at the menu hung up on the wall. She hadn’t ordered any other drink in years, and with melancholy chose the first drink that came to her eye: a Chai tea. A few minutes later, Leslie somberly grabbed her undesired beverage and made her way towards her familiar chair in the corner of the coffeehouse. But, to her disappointment, a woman holding a baby was sitting in her seat.
Leslie sighed once again and headed toward the closest available seat, a tall chair facing a giant window with a view on the busy New York street. She set up her bag on the long table connected to the big window and pulled out her computer. Then, searching for her power cord, she remembered leaving it on her kitchen counter this morning. Now, with a mysterious drink, a long day at work, and 45 minutes of watching people walk down the street, Leslie wondered how bad a day could get, and what she did to deserve such a crummy one.
While Leslie sipped her chai tea, she began to look out the window and watch the men and women walk down Reade Street. She noticed a middle aged man wearing a suit talking on his Bluetooth headset, and began to observe him very closely, she wondered who he was talking to, what kind of person he was, if he lived in New York or was just visiting the city for a while..... There were so many unanswered questions Leslie had about this one stranger, and curiosity began to fill her mind with new inquisitions....
2:Bruce Deacon.
The man’s name was Bruce Deacon. He was 46 years old and was a successful firm owner. He was married, with 2 lovely children, and lived in a nice house in Rye, New York. Bruce had accomplished all of his business aspirations, and his life seemed to be perfect. There was nothing wrong in his life, everything was just as planned, and everyone was happy.
Bruce had always been a good student, very hardworking, and excelled in math. He had been in his high school debate team from freshman year through senior graduation.
Bruce Deacon was also a great saxophone player, and during college, he had formed a jazz band, and they would play in little, laid-back, trendy hangouts for young adults. His college years were said to be some of the best years of his life.
Bruce met his wife when he was working at his first job. She was interning at the firm, and they fell in love the first day she arrived at the office. Some say it was love at first sight, because the two haven’t been apart since 1986.
Although Bruce Deacon has seemed to have acquired everything he’d ever dreamed of, there was one thing he had never told anyone. He had a secret dream, one that no one even knew fascinated him. Bruce wanted to be an opera singer. He dreamed of being casted in shows such as “The Magic Flute”, or “The Barber of Seville”. Bruce would practice in his bathroom when no one was home, and felt that if he ever told anyone about his talent, that he would be mocked, or teased.
Bruce Deacon had talent. He was a great baritone, and the voice he had seemed to be more powerful than him. He was scared to come forward to his parents and tell them his real love, because he knew they never had any real interest in opera, and they would tell him to stick with the things that had a “real future”. But, Bruce didn’t realize that people loved him for him, not what unusual interest and talents he had.
Until recently, Bruce thought that his parents only wanted him to be what he was already: a hardworking businessman. Bruce decided that on Christmas Eve, he would perform for his entire family: his wife, his children, his parents, his siblings, and even his in-laws. When he showed him his talent, all of the Deacons mouths dropped. Bruce really had an amazing ability to sing.
Now, Bruce Deacon really is a happy man. He has everything he’s ever dreamed of and done everything he’s ever wanted. He’s accomplished all of his aspirations, and decided that he never will hide anything from his family again.
Leslie continued to sip her chai tea. She was beginning to like it, actually: the sweet and creamy aroma was cheering her up. As she caught a last glimpse at the man walking before her she noticed a sheet of paper in her hand.
As the man walked away, Leslie wondered if he was an actor auditioning to be in the play. Maybe she would go see it one day, she told herself. But soon Leslie spotted another woman walking down the street pushing a stroller and her thoughts changed. She noticed how young the woman was, and the baby inside the nice stroller didn’t really resemble the lady very much. The woman had a smile on her face, and Leslie wondered what was going through her mind.
3:Gosha ZwalotoWski.
Her name was Gosha Zwalotowski. She was 24 years old, and was born in in Tomaszów, Poland. She lived during the Communist Era in Poland, and times were tough for her and her family. Luckily, she was able to keep a close bond with them, and grew especially close to her sister.
When she turned 16, she fell in love with her longtime neighbor, Pawel. They would escape together at night when both of their families were asleep. She never had felt so happy in her whole life. When she was with Pawel, she felt like a whole different person: free, unique, and beautiful.
One night, Pawel’s parents followed the two into the forest together, and the next morning, the two were told that they would never see each other again. Gosha never even got to say goodbye to Pawel, and never laid eyes on him again. Pawel moved away very quickly after the incident, and Gosha never forgave her parents for not defending her that morning.
When Gosha was old enough to leave home, she decided to move to America. Her family was having a hard time with money, so she decided to work for a while until she could cultivate enough money to send over to them, and then move back to her hometown.
When she moved to America, she began to work for a family in the Upper East Side of New York. She was amazed with the gigantic houses and beautiful streets in the neighborhood. She was hired as a nanny, and took care of two young children and worked 6 days a week living with the family.
Gosha was happy working with the family but really missed Poland. She sent long letters to her sister, and would call her from time to time. Poland had changed a lot over the past few years and Gosha felt like her family needed her more than ever. She sent most of her salary over back home and would send pictures of New York City with the money.
Her sister was fascinated by the city, and dreamed of coming to New York to visit Gosha. Gosha was sure that one day her sister would join her in America after things got better, but for now her parents needed her.
Today, when Gosha was taking the baby for a walk, she got a phone call from her sister. Sounding quite excited, she announced to Gosha she was engaged to a longtime family friend, and they were to marry in the summer. Gosha was so happy she nearly screamed in the middle of the street.
When she hung up, she thought about all of the wonderful experiences she had had in life. Despite the tough times, she managed to find joy in the little things: the long winter days with her sister, where they would cook dinner together and joke around while making a meal, or the escapes with Pawel at night, where Gosha was tenderly loved for herself, and not what she was trying to be.
The woman with the stroller’s smile was contagious. Leslie smiled for the first time today, and continued to enjoy her warm tea. Looking on the cold January weather, Leslie appreciated the warmth inside the coffeehouse. Another woman walked before the window. She was older, Leslie could tell thanks to her silver hair that contrasted with her dark, chocolaty skin. By the way the woman looked out at the street, she could tell this lady had lived a long, fascinating life.
4:Nadine Sanders.
Her name was Nadine Sanders. She was 76 years old. Nadine was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1933, and was raised there as well. Nadine was a hardworking girl, the middle child in a family of 7 children. Her mother died when she was 8 years old, and Nadine decided that it was her time to take responsibility for her actions. She helped take care of her younger siblings while the older ones would help their father with household chores. She worked very hard in school, got good grades, and tried her best to take care of her family.
Nadine studied to be a nurse, and finished college. The following year, the Vietnam War broke out and she decided she wanted to take part in the American Red Cross. She was sent to help take care of wounded soldiers in Vietnam.
Nadine loved helping the men get back into shape. She loved seeing the looks on their faces when they were able to get back up and walk again. She also grew very close to her fellow nurses, and Vietnam felt like a second home.
One day, a young man was brought into the nurses’ tent. He had a deeply cut wound on the side of his right leg, and it looked like he had been shot in the foot as well. Nadine rushed to his side and started disinfecting his injury. When he finally opened his eyes, after moaning in pain, Nadine noticed the deep blue of his stare. She had never been so captivated by someone’s gaze before. The two glances met, and then Nadine quickly got back to work. When she was done bandaging up the man’s leg, he let out a long sigh.
“You saved me”, he told her. “You saved my life”.
Nadine’s heart raced. Never had she felt like this before. This stranger, this man whom she spared from death, made her feel immensely joyful, warm, and.... in love.
The man stayed in the tent for a few days. She carefully watched over him, and made sure he was alright. Every time she caught a glance from him, she would be taken away by the beauty of his eyes. A few nights after they first met, she noticed a tattoo on his forearm. “Spes quod fortuna mos addo duos una” was written in black ink. For some reason, the mysterious phrase stayed in her head forever.
The man left, healthy, weeks later. Nadine felt so empty inside because she knew she would never see him again. “Spes quod fortuna mos addo duos una” would resonate in her head over and over again.
A few months later, Nadine returned back to the U.S. She went back to Detroit, and took care of her family. There, she continued to work as a nurse in a pediatric care center.
On a cold winter night in 1989, Nadine was at the grocery store purchasing food, and was looking through the rows of food when all of a sudden, she bumped her cart into another man’s cart. She quickly apologized and reached for a can of soup. Unfortunately, she could not reach the can, and the man that had recently hit his cart on hers noticed she was struggling. He offered to help and reached for the can. As he lifted his arm, Nadine noticed familiar words tattooed onto his arm. “Spes quod fortuna mos addo duos una”. Nadine gasped, and looked at the man’s face.
There he was. There he was staring right at her with his deep blue eyes. It had been over 30 years since she had seen him, the injured, thankful soldier.
“You....”, babbled Nadine. “You....”
The man stared at her and his eyes began to sparkle. He lifted his pant leg up and revealed a scar. “You’re the woman that saved me”. He stretched his arms out and embraced her.
Nadine and the man are now married. They have been traveling all around the world together, and every day Nadine is in awe of what a beautiful miracle has happened to her and her husband. Today, they are visiting New York together for the first time, and Nadine has already fallen in love with the city.
Leslie stared at the woman as a grey haired man ran up behind her and held her hand. The elderly couple seemed so in love and just seeing the two of them made Leslie’s heart race. It was so beautiful to see such joy within two people, no matter what the age.
As Leslie continued to drink her tea, she noticed a teenage boy walking in front of the window. He was listening to music and she curiously inferred why he was not looking so happy....
5:TRENT WHITE.
His name was Trent White. He was 14 years old and was a freshman in high school. He was born in Chicago, and lived there until he was in 7th grade. Trent moved to New York two years ago and is still adapting to the situation.
When Trent moved to New York, he started to argue a lot with his parents. He felt like they were only looking at him as if he were a little kid: they didn’t realize he has a mind and heart of his own.
At school, Trent wasn’t doing very well academically. The transition from Chicago to New York stressed him out and his grades went down. He missed his old friends and thought the city was too big and crowded. The only thing Trent could think about was Chicago, and what was going on in the city without him.
Trent’s parents were shocked when they discovered their son’s new grades and his new attitude. Ever since the move, Trent was quiet, aggressive, and disagreeable. No one knew what had gotten into Trent, and his new personality was not pleasing anyone in his family.
Trent didn’t have as many friends in New York than in Chicago. At school, he was mainly quiet, and always listened to music when he was out of class. He barely spoke to anyone, except for his few friends - a couple of guys that also were very shy.
But, Trent had recently met a girl that really intrigued him. She wasn’t like all of the other girls that seemed to only care about their hair, and their excessive amounts of makeup. She would always come to school early, with an iPod plugged into her ears and would wear all kinds of retro-looking sneakers with bright neon green shoelaces.
Trent began to also come to school early, just to watch this mysterious girl. One day, she spotted him, and decided to sit down next to him. For the next few days Trent would look forward to coming to school and talking with his new friend.
With her, Trent felt like a different person. They spoke like adults, not judging each other, and completely oblivious to the world around them. They spoke about music, about life, about everything and anything. Trent had never felt any happier.
When Trent would come home, it would feel like reality was crushing back onto him: his parents would treat him like a little kid, tell him what to do, and sometimes just seemed to forget he was sitting with them. They didn’t seem to acknowledge that their son was 14, not 8 anymore, and had his own opinions, thoughts, and cares.
Trent continues to come to school early everyday, just to sit down and talk with his best friend. When he goes back home, he tries to remember how much of a good time he is going to have tomorrow morning, instead how just sitting around the house. These days, Trent has been making the most of his life: no matter what city he’s in....
Leslie looked at the teenager begin to smile, as he changed the song on his iPod. She remembered being his age, and smirked as well, trying to figure out if he was going through the same things as she had.
Leslie drank the last sip of her tea, and decided it was time to go. She decided that she would get the same beverage tomorrow, and wondered why she hadn’t tried it before.
6:Epilogue.
Then next day, Leslie came out of work, went to the coffeehouse, got herself a chai tea, and realized she had forgotten her bus card. She laughed at herself, noticing how forgetful she was these last few days. After looking out the window for a little while, and observing the pedestrians, she decided to start home, and hailed a cab right next to the bus stop that she normally took.
As Leslie got in the cab, she looked back at the street behind her. She saw the coffeehouse, her office building, and the bus stop. There, she noticed 6 people standing, waiting for the bus: a short middle-aged man, a young woman with a stroller, an elderly couple, and two teenagers - a boy with a smile and a girl with bright green shoelaces- sharing earphones and holding hands.
Leslie decided, looking back onto the busy New York street through the cab window, that nowadays, she was going to embrace the changes in her life. She was going to do something different once in a while, and try not to care so much about the unnecessary things in her everyday life. Leslie was going to change things up a bit, and look out more....
