“The age old discovery-

Forgiveness, Forgiveness, Forgiveness-

Is the only way to true happiness.”

-Sri Chimnoy

“Cono mami, tu si esta buena hoy!”

A man named Rodolfo De la cruz yelled that obnoxious statement to Sierra as she walked to her shop that morning. She would usually take Rodolfo’s weak Come-on’s as the harmless annoyances they were, smiling as she kept on walking.

However, she had forgotten to bring a can of ground coffee from her store to her apartment the day before and therefore had no coffee to drink that morning, putting her in a particularly surly mood.

So she responded in an equally obnoxious tone:

“Shut the hell up, you should go tell your wife that shit, not me!”

The man’s face grew red with embarrassment as he said, “Damn Sierra, my bad!” and walked away keeping his head down to avoid being seen by who we can assume was his wife.

Sierra crossed the street and got to the front of her business, taking out the keys from her purse that opened her humble yet prosperous little grocery/witchcraft store, and began to open the security gates.

“H..hey Sierra.” A voice said with a tint of hesitant skittishness.

Sierra turned around and saw a handsome dark skinned man standing about seven feet away from her.

She didn’t recognize him at first, looking at him quizzically, unsure of how to respond. “Hey? Sorry, do I know y… Wait oh my God, Lamar?”

The man, who just a second ago seemed as nervous as a cat next to a rocking chair, suddenly brimmed a bright jovial smile.

“Yea… I’m in town for a few days,” He began, “thought I’d try and see you, see how you doing. You look exactly like you did back in Allentown.”

Sierra quietly pondered on exactly how to respond to seeing this man she was seeing in front of her. All of her past thoughts and feelings rushed into her brain like a single burst of psychic energies, both pleasant and painful.

She remembered the road trip.

She remembered getting to know Lamar through such odd circumstances, the way he was so quick-witted and how she loved the way he smirked. She always said he looked like a young Wesley Snipes and he would just try to Recite lines from Blade, A movie they had ended up seeing together on subsequent dates at her house, as her mother vigilantly watched over them.

She then began to remember how it ended between them.

“Nice to see you too big shot,” She began, “I’m doing fine here. Still alive. You need a soda or a séance you can come here later. Now if you’ll excuse me I gotta busy day today so…”

Lamar opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but then just turned around and began to walk away.

Sierra looked behind her back, suddenly sensing an icky feeling of guilt from inside, and turned around.

“Lamar,” She said, “I’m… I forgot my coffee this morning. I’m a little off. You wanna drink a cup with me and talk for a bit?”

Lamar turned around and nodded in agreement as he shared with her his signature smirk.

Sierra turned around before Lamar could see her blush.

They walked into her store after she opened all the locks and turned off the alarm, hearing the meows of Cornelius, the store cat welcoming Sierra into her “Bodeguita”

“Good morning, Cornelius.” She said as she walked past the store front counter and headed to the Red door, asking Lamar to shut the door behind him.

“So what brings you to New York?” Sierra asked Lamar as she turned on her office coffee machine.

“Well, I just got back from a meeting for my client’s newest book,” Lamar answered, “I remember asking your mom about you, she told me you had an “Evil witch store” or something So I found your address online and thought it’d be nice to see you again, it’s been what, nine years since we last saw each other?”

“Yeah, but who’s counting?” Sierra responded as she looked at her coffee machine slowly brewing the dark brew she desired so desperately.

SHE was counting.

When was it, she thought, when they had that last talk that ended what they had?

It was right after high school.

Sierra wanted to leave Allentown, she had saved enough money from working at Burger king to move to NYC, and wanted Lamar to go with her.

Lamar wanted to go to college.

They were both mad at each other, leaving each other bitterly but only because they knew deep down that both of them needed to find their ways in life, and unfortunately, Their ways in life didn’t include being together.

So sierra made it to NYC, found a roomate and worked hard at her uncle’s Bodega until he decided to retire and move back to the Dominican Republic, selling her the store at a minimal profit.

She has now owned this store for the last four years and had almost no time for dating. No time for almost anything but her business.

Lamar meanwhile, went to Lehigh university to stay close to his mother, and after graduating, decided to become a Literary agent, helping up and coming authors get their voices heard through the art of writing. He’d had a few relationships here and there, but never anything serious.

They said none of those things to each other.

They simply talked about how they’ve been lately, how their families were, and what they’re planning on for the future.

“Well, I’d like to expand my business,” She said “Maybe open up another store in a few years. You?”

“Honestly,” He answered, “I haven’t really thought about it. I wish I was as ambitious as you are.”

“Well, you look nice,” She said as she giggled slightly, “You’re dressed in a suit and all that. That’s why I called you big shot earlier.”

They both chuckled together.

It seemed that in the air there was a feeling and aura of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Their friendship was beginning to mend.