Keisha Hawkins-Domino had gotten what she thought was the role of a lifetime in the Alexandra Academy school play. She was to play a Carribean woman named Bonto who ran a coffee shop. Bontu was without a doubt based on Buni Chuku, the beloved coffee goddess of Alexandra. The Perkatory was the after school hangout for Alexandra’s teens and Keisha and her friends were no exception. Keisha wanted to do the role justice so she had decided to do some research. She had taken a Saturday off her part time job in her dad’s barber shop. Her brother Levar was working instead, the newly elected school president Levar. The Hawkins-Domino family were very proud. But Levar working meant Keisha could try and connect with Buni, and hopefully learn how to be her.
Keisha was biracial so her skin was brown but light brown and freckled. She did inherit her mom’s African hair though and she had grown it out into dreads during the fog. She had a nose ring, lots of ear piercings and far set eyes and luscious full lips. Her fingernails were short but painted a sparkly blue. Keisha was at the taller end of average height and pear shaped to a degree but fit, smaller bust big hips. Today she was wearing a pair of high waisted distressed blue jeans with rips in both knees and a tucked in striped black and white t-shirt with a cropped little green puffy jacket. And yellow high top sneakers.Over her shoulder was a sort of messenger style bag that acted both as her giant purse and her school bag. It was a bag that contained her life really. It was a black canvas bag with brown leather buckles covered in assorted pins and badges on the upper flap. She wore contact lenses most of the time but at home or at night she wore glasses, or if she was just tired and didn’t feel like dealing with contacts. But today she had the contacts in because she’d never seen glasses on Buni and her goal of course was to emulate.
As Buni Chuku came to unlock the door and open, Keisha was standing there smiling hopefully at her “Good morning Buni. How are you today? I have a very strange request. I suspect Anton Zelenko told you he was sort of writing you into his play? At least I hope he did, because you’re in it. Anyway….here’s the thing. I play the character named Bontu that you’re based on and I’d like to do it authentically and respectfully. So basically I’m asking you to let me shadow you so i can learn how to…..be you on stage? I’ll work in your coffee shop for free to do it. I know how to make a latte even. My parents have a machine.” She sort of teeters side to side hoping Bini grants her request. She’d been a regular in the shop and was born and grew up on the island so she was known to Buni as was her family.
Buni started her morning the way she always did. Coming down and making coffee. She made one large carafe for Zilpha Ainsworth, because for some reason the older woman could make pastries like a champ, but couldn’t make coffee to save her life. Zilpha opened much later than she did, but the coffee would remain hot all day, so Buni made it first thing in the morning. Once she checked to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be, she headed for the front door, where she found waiting for her not only the pastries, but Keisha Hawkins-Domino, one of her teen-aged customers. Before she could say a word, Keisha started in talking about the play and how she was in it, or someone like her. After she spoke, Buni looked at her, amused. “I know I’z in the play. Not me but you bein me. I’z flattered.” Keisha went on to volunteer to work for free and Buni arched her brows. “I cain’t take ya work fo nothin, but I kin always use a new barista, so you kin do dat. Da minimum wage to start ya, but if ya ain’t keepin da job, dat be fine too. How dat sound to ya?” she opens the door wide to let the girl in. It was what the kids called ‘stupid early’ as Buni opened at 6am. So this girl must have been serious.
Keisha beamed at Buni “Yes! Yes yes please and thank you. My brother and sister can help my Dad in the shop. I would love to work for you.” She practically leaps in the door and then realizes there are things to carry “Let me take these to the kitchen?” She shifts her bag and reaches for the pastries. She was so glad Buni was flattered by it all and not weirded out. It was early but Keisha would have camped out on the sidewalk with a sleeping back if she didn’t think she could get up to an unusual alarm. Mornings were not a problem for her though if she actually went to bed on time, and last night she had. At some point in the night she had thumped on the wall between her and her sister’s room and Levar’s because he played his music way too loud before bed sometimes. But she had gotten back to sleep and now she got to learn Buni from Buni herself.
Buni let’s Kiesha help with the pastries. They put the boxes on the counter and Buni motions for her to come in the back. “WHat all he got me doin in this play?” she asks. “Cause some of this he prolly don’t even know.” she opens the boxes. “Ya put da pastries out like this.” she has a pastry tray and a small display box. “ZIlpha bring mo in da afternoon so it's no worry bout dem gettin stale.” she then motions around. “I kin teach ya some ob da drinks. We ain’t big and commercial like dat Sigh. And some of da pastries be pre packaged from factories on da mainland now. Dey kin stay on the shelves a long time. But anyway what ya need ta know bout me fo dis play?” she chuckles. “He ain’t gon make ya try on my accent, is he?”
Keisha had stopped to hang up her bag and jacket and quickly wash her hands and then she got to work. “Mostly The Bontu character talks to Elliot when he comes to town and he barters fish for coffee. Eventually she gives him blunt advice on getting off his ass to kiss the girl. That part should be fun since Elliot is played by Romeo….my friend...the chatty one with the brown hair.” Keisha would have been seen hanging out with three guys all the time, Romeo Rogers, Zach Wong and Jacob aka Jake Carpenter. Romeo was chatty enough that she was sure Buni knew him by name. Her coffee shop crowd sure did when the three of them walked in after school. She puts the pastors in like Buni shows her and nods. Then she smiles “I’m not sure Buni. I think I just need a What would Buni do in my head if that makes sense?” She cringes “Not sure I can do the accent justice and I wouldn’t want to insult you by doing it poorly. But I’ll see if I pick any of it up.” she laughs.
Buni listens and grins, seemingly pleased enough with her role in this fictional town history or whatever it was. “I know Romeo. One ob dem new poplar boys.” she doesn’t look pleased or displeased, which means she doesn’t have passionate feelings about him for good or ill. “Wat would Buni do? Depend on a lot ob tings … little I know, dat … his name Elliot ya say … like some girl an drag his feet.” she considers her own accent. “Ya … ya might wanna see. It OK if ya don … everybody know ya be me.”
Keisha laughs “Yeah that’s him. Zach and Jake and I are just his entourage…..I’m kidding. He’s actually nice.” She takes in what Buni says about what would Buni do and the accent and nods “That works for me. There’s a girl who plays Zilpha….Sylvia they call her. Mr. Zelenko has to keep asking her to tone it down because it’s Mabel Stanley and she’s kind of hyper. But are you and Zilpha good friends? Maybe I should talk to Mabel more. She’s a grade or two younger so I don’t know her very well except by her reputation for being on every roof in town she can get to.”
Buni smiles. She gets to know the kids in town very indirectly. SImply observing them while they are in her establishment. Heading into the kitchen, she motions around as they talk. “ZIlpha be Mabel Stanley.” she sighs. “Dat girl bttah playin Spidahman stead of Zilpha.” she shrugs a bit. “I guess we be pretty good friends. She caint make coffee fo nothin, so I always make da coffee fo her an her shop.” Buni hesitates, which is unusual for the outspoken woman. “It wouldna hurt none. Depends on how much Zelenko got dem talkin, eh?”
Keisha looks around the kitchen and makes note of where some of the obvious things are for working as Buni talks. “Mostly the town characters interact with Elliot but Mr. Zelenko is all about adding layers so I think Mabel and I could.” She thinks “It’s an unusual play. I wonder how many of the new families in town will just think it’s a work of fiction being about the fog.Of my friends, only Jake and I know….I’m not sure we should tell Romeo and Zach. I never know if people will believe it. I mean Zach might know from his grandparents….and his Dad did grow up here and then moved away. I’m not sure Mr. Zelenko knows.” She laughs.
Buni shows Kiesha the kitchen and explains the few dishes they cook right on the premises. She also listens to what Kiesha is saying. “Could wind up being a long play.” she argues and looks thoughtful about the fog. “Dey a lot ob people gonna tink we all crazy when we talk about that time. But .. how hundreds of us gon hab da same story? I don tink it make no sense. Eberone from Adum ta Zilpha tellin da same story … if dey honest bout it. Do ya tink Romeo an Zach try and call ya a liar? Ya brin em to me an I set em right.” she nods emphatically.
Keisha smiles “I think it already is a long play so we’ll see.” She nods in agreement “Maybe we should just have a town hall meeting everytime we get a new crop of islanders and go round with stories to save them all time and disillusionment? And I will bring those guys in if I have to Thank you for the offer..” She concurs. Keisha notes all the locations of dishes they use “Ok I think I’ll remember most of this stuff.”
Buni chuckles. “Dat not a bad idea. But some people just goona believe and some ain’t.” she finishes up the kitchen tour. “You gon be workin up front mostly wit da people. Ya don’t need no net fo ya hair .. I caint remember if ys eber wrap ya locs .. but dat might help ya workin up here.”
Keisha smooths her hand over her own locs “I can….for today I have a hair tie though.” She pulls a scrunchie from her jeans pocket and sweeps back her locks into a low ponytail “Better?” She looks to the front “That’s what I do at the barber shop..have done. I take bookings, ring people through, sweep up the hair, clean the bathroom...and with Covid all the sanitizing stuff….doorknobs, pinpad on the debit machine, even the sanitizer dispensers.” She grins “Sanitizing the sanitizer is so dope. Do you need me to wear a face mask? I always have one in my pocket.”
Buni watches and looks at Kiesha’s locs. “Ya been keeping it neat wit da aloe, so dat good.” she listens. “Ya workin at da barber shop too? When dat? Good ta work hard .. long as ya kin still work hard in school.” and nods. “Which bring me to da cleanin. Dey only one table here ta begin wit an I tool out all but one ob da bean bags. Basically we don encourage too much social round here fo nah. No mo dan 5 sittin in here, and 7 in the whole buildin cause dey two or 3 folks workin … so no mo dan 10 all da time. AInt’ a law but it make sense fo dis Covid.”
Keisha smiles about the compliment on her locs and then shrugs “It’s my Dad’s shop so whenever but if I’m working here, my brother and sister can fill in my times although Levar works at the pizza place too and he’s now the student council president at school.. But I bet LaTonya would love a bit more pocket cash now that she’s old enough to want to go out more with her friends. Dad does pay us for working...minimum wage too so it would be the same either way.” She nods about the Covid rules “I did know the capacity thing. Lots more take out and walk now...but that’s healthy too.” She looks at the bean bags “And those we can wipe down…”
Buni nods. “It good to keep in da fambly.” she notes. “And I been seeing ya sistah sort of followin dat Tony around, now he’s mo famous.” she chuckles. “Ta musicians and da actors always got girls followin dem … but it ain’t always cause dey such great men. Just cause day famous. How dat work?” she looks at Kiesha. “Ya got ta kiss dat Romeo? Ya like him nuff to kiss him or it jest da role?” she wonders.
Keisha grins “Yeah she definitely likes Tony. She might have competition though as there are a few…..but he does seem to talk to her at least.” She rolls her eyes “I dunno…..it’s like one of those moth to flame things maybe.” then she looks embarrassed “Oh no I don’t kiss Romeo….that would be a weird writing choice...although I guess we’re all playing adult characters. He has to kiss Elise. So does Rene...there’s another boy with a following...like Romeo...and Tony….and they’re ALL in the play.” She gets a little awkward “Romeo and I are…...strictly friends…..no kissing….” She flushes a bit but isn’t totally aware of why “Anyhow, teach me a cool coffee?”
Buni nods. “I tink he got more dan Vincent did but he made it clear who he liked and soon dey stopped following him. Plus he play da harp. Nice music but dese girls taday.” she shakes her head. She arches her brows. “Ohhh da hat girl .. one ob me best customahs. And Rene … one ob dem French boys. Very good mannahs in dat fambly. So all dem boys … and dey lil followers … must be sold out.” her voice is amused and dryly sarcastic. Then she nods. “Boy like him need a friend don want notion from him. SOmeone be real wit him and fo him.” she nods and turns finally looking at he menu … “Let’s make da Trinidad Cocoa Tea. It be dark chocolate, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, bay leaf, ground ginger, and vanilla. Ya put da bay leaf in ta start and take it out fo ya gib it to da customah.”
Keisha looks thoughtful as she listens to Buni about Vincent. She nods. He was known for his devotion to Fiona Reinhardt and now she had been told the two were getting married. She smiles about Elise. “Elise is fun.” And then nods about the politeness of the Beaulieus “they are very nice.” She hears the rest with a faraway expression but then briefly nods and repeats “Trinidad Cocoa Tea. I like that one….ok..” She pays careful attention. “So they don’t eat the bay leaf….makes sense...like soup…”
Buni nods about the bay leaf. “It ain’t poisonous or nothin, ya just don’t wanna go chompin on it like some goat.” she proclaims. “Now you make one.”
Keisha pauses and runs through the instructions in her head and then begins, putting in the ingredients and following the directions as Buni had instructed. At the end she fishes out the bay leaf with a spoon and sets the drink on the counter for inspection looking hopeful she’s gotten it all right. “Nothing for the goats….” she holds the bay leaf and looks at it “Do we compost here? Like this and tea bags and stuff?” She looks around for a bucket but as it's the first thing in the morning, everything is clean.
Buni watches her like a hawk, but Kiesha makes it exactly the way it should be made. She looks at the bay leaf and nods. “Ya, we compost, just put it in dere. I dinna used to, but I start in da fog, like everybody else. Da hippy Phoenix teached me an helped wit da garden in da back. She picks up the tea and inhales from it and takes one of the plastic spoons and tastes it. She nods, then pushes it in Kiesha’s direction. “Ya make it like me .. dat be a good ting.” she pronounces. “Now ya drink it.” she picks up the one she made and drinks sips it. “Ya don hab ta worry too much but da garden .. dat stuff now da wat dey callit … secret menu.”
Keisha looks relieved when Buni says she makes it like her and that’s a good thing. She nods about the compost and then sips slowly. It’s hot but she’s good with that “Mmmm….yep I like this one. Thank you. So you do all the garden stuff? I’ve helped my parents with our vegetable garden so I know a bit.” Every kid in town old enough to help during the fog knew some gardening.
Buni sips her own tea and nods. “AIn’t no tanks. I need ta know ya kin make all dis.” she grins. “Ye git to make ebertin in time. An yes … I do all da garden stuff. Used ta do it in Trini but no need ta here till da fog. Now … I kin make da drinks I made dere … dey Alexandra special nah.” she laughs.
Keisha beams “I love all the drinks here Buni. And I love that you brought all the Trinidad recipes and now we get to enjoy them.” She looks around. The shop was open but on ana early Saturday morning the streets were still pretty empty. She sees one of the vets, Simon Alvin walk by with his great dane but he doesn’t stop in. Sherry Martin is across the street unlocking the laundromat door before she heads in. She looks rough but she always does. Maybe she’ll come get a coffee or maybe she drinks the awful ones from her little machine.
Buni smiles. “I bring some Trini to Alexandra and it a good ting.” she replies. She looks around her shop. Sam Wright walks by and then pauses and turns towards the door. Buni leans into Keisha. “Sam Wright … he a large Trini coffee.” she whispers.
Sam Wright stops and decides to go in after all. The station coffee isn’t bad … but it isn’t Perkatory either. As he opens the door, he calls. “Mornin, Buni. Trinidad Coffee … large please.” he sees Kiesha and smiles. “Hello Kiesha. Are you working here now?”
Keisha hears Buni and nods “Large Trini coffee….” She grabs the recipe binder for the ratios. “Hi Sargent Wright. How are you today? Yes. Yes I am. Let me make you that Trinidad Coffee right away.” She starts the order and moves around making it exactly as Buni has it printed out, tracing her finger down the list once halfway through and then finally presenting it to him on the counter. She hasn’t learned this cash register yet so she waits for Buni to demonstrate or tell her that part.
Buni nods as Kiesha handles it. “Yea … she workin out good too. Just ya wait.” her cash register, like most, is older now that the fog has left them behind the times. But she nods. “Dat 2.25 fo da large, dan da tax dan da card ting.” she demonstrates and holds the card reader out for Sam.
Sam grins as he’s rung up. “Good. I know she’ll be trained up just as well as you, Buni.” he swipes his card and toasts them with his new coffee. “Have a great day, ladies.” and he heads off to his 7am shift.
Keisha watches carefully with the register and then debit machine. “Have a good day Sargent. Thanks.” She examines the till “It’s kinda like the barber shop one. This should be easy.” She looks up at Buni confidently. “I got this.”
Buni smiles. “Ya .. it be bout da same .. prolly up to seein em in the street and saying dat man gon want this kind ob hair cut … just always let em surprise ya if ya want. I get a lot run through da menu too. You learn who like wat.” she nods. “I glad to see ya do got dis.”
Keisha laughs “Well you know hair too….for some of us. But yeah some people always want the same cut. Then you get the randoms. The I need to chop it all off because I'm making a big life decision people. You could write a psychology paper on people and their hair...or people and their coffee.” She grins.
Buni laughs and nods. “Well I cain’t do white hair. It feel so fragile. And in the fog .. some of our sistahs bout freaked out cause no mo perms. So … I helped em best I could. And yea … it in da mind so ….” she grins. “Ya got to wondah … do the Trini coffee want the same kinda haircut …. Is it linked yanno?”
Keisha looks fascinated by the whole line of thought “The hair coffee connection! You could have something. You could do a lot. Blood type and coffee…..personality traits and coffee…” She tilts her head “Someone’s surely done a study somewhere. I mean culture and coffee…..Trinidad traditions here but I know all kinds of places have types of coffee like types of bread.”
Buni grins. “I kin look it up on dat Google .. when I got time .. which means nebah.” she proclaims. “Alexandra got traditions .. dey got da Winter Festival … damn near Thanksgivin’ to Valentines day.” she laughs. “Ya know bot mayors try an git me to serve me winter drinkall da wintah festival?” she rollsher eyes. “I tell em both decembah ONLY!” she huffs.
Keisha snorts “So we’re not like Starbucks...we won’t make the holiday drinks if people ask nicely and we still have the stuff?” She nods “I get how that takes away the special factor.”
Buni rolls her eyes. “I just a lil cafe on a little island. People come here cause I got more what you call it than Sigh. People have mo fun here … I’m glad dey done from here.” she snorts. “So when I say December only I mean December only.” she scoffs. “I ain’t stuttah.”
Keisha cracks up at Buni’s way with words “Point taken.” She flips through some of the other recipes in the binder trying to learn them and the door opens as Sajani Singh walks in in a Northern Yoga t-shirt and tights with her colourful purse over one shoulder and a big fuzzy cardigan wrapped around her.
“Morning Buni. Oh hi Keisha….you work here now? I’ll have a medium Trinidad Breakfast tea please.” she leans against the counter and fishes in her purse for her wallet. “How are you ladies doing?”
Buni beams with Sajani walks in. The woman was so bright and literally colorful. “Mornin Sajani! No twin wit ya? Patrick is yours, right? I kin neber tell dem part without dey woman wit em.” she shrugs. “I doin good .. got me a new worker .. dis be like a day off almost.” which is something Buni never took.
Keisha flips to the page in the recipe binder and immediately starts making the tea. “Well you could take a day off once I learn all this Buni. I’d be happy to work on my own.” she smiles at Sajani and keeps working.
Sajani giggles “No twin and yes Patrick is definitely mine. I’m glad i can help people know it’s him?” She shrugs and then marvels “Would you actually take a day off Buni? I’ve never seen this place open without you in here.” She teases a bit.
Keisha brings the tea to the counter and then tries her hand at the till. It goes well and she hands Sajani the debit pin pad and she completes the transaction. “Do you want a receipt Sajani?”
Sajani nods and then reaches out her hand and takes it as she waits for Buni’s reply.
Buni chuckles, watching Keisha work. “What I gon do on a day off? Notion, dat what.” she smiles at Sajani. “Both dem boys need someone. An dey happy ‘nuff.” and shakes her head. “I like workin. Mabbe once I git tired of it I try a day off.” she shrugs.
Sajani grins at buni “That’s the point of a day off. Do nothing. Revel in the nothingness.” She takes her tea and toasts it “thank you both. I’m off to go do something.” She waves and spins and heads off out the door.
Keisha laughs “Have a good day Sajani. Most welcome.” She turns to Buni after “You just let me know once I’m trained. Happy to give you the time. But I do hear you. And it’s your shop.”
A minute or two after Sajani is gone from sight on the street Michelle Kim literally stumbles in looking a bit haggard. “Hey Buni, I need some inner peace so I can crash. Just caught baby number 5 for a newer family to the island…..long labour for a 5th but everyone’s healthy.” She blurrily looks at Keisha “You’re behind the counter?” She’s a bit delirious and confused.
Keisha gives a little awkward wave “Wow you’re really tired. I’ll make your tea Michelle. I work here now.” she flips to the page in the binder and begins.
Buni winces at Michelle. “Girl, ya look terrible.” she tells her, bluntly. “Gib her da extra big one. I’d ask who spit out dey 5th but I feel like ya might not member it.” she almost teases.
Levi Samuels walks in, looking awake and ready for a long day. He pauses seeing Kieshs, but turns his attention to Buni. “Miss Chuk. I’d like to ask if you do … well.. Bulk deliveries. I’d like to order coffee for the offices. I’m Levi Samuels, one of the…”
Buni cuts him off. “One ob da new lawyers. I know who ya is and I kin do somethim. Ya kin just order fo eber day or ya kin just email me what ya need come da mornin.” she suspected his office isn’t always busy.
Levi looks delighted. “Wonderful, because it may change day to day. SHould I pay you ahead of time …”
Buni shakes her head. “I run ya up a tab. Ya good fo it. I send coffee ta da clinic too sometime. It Saturday .. wat you doin up so early?”
Levi shrugs. “I’m an early riser?” he offers. “For now can I just get your house roast? Medium?”
Buni nods and looks at Kiesha. “Dat a easy one.”
Keisha makes Michelle a large inner peace tea and rings her through. She’s been cleaning the debit pin pad between each customer using it like she does at the barber shop too. “Thank you….sleep well eh?” She passes her the receipt.
Michelle fumbles a bit at the pinpad like she’s working to recall her own code and then holds up a finger when she gets it and answers Buni “5th child of the Guptas…..Gita and Navin. He teaches at the school. Thank you Keisha….and see you Buni.” She takes her receipt and vaguely looks at the man in the shop. She works in the clinic so she knew Jasper and she’d seen them walking. Through work gossip she knew this guy’s name but it was slipping through her brain “Levar…..no that’s Keisha’s brother…...Leroy…..no that Simon’s dog….Larry? Whoever you are, have a good one.” She sort of pets the man’s shoulder as she passes and works her way back out the door.
Keisha laughs as she starts pouring the house roast “I’m guessing your name’s not Larry. I’m Keisha, and that was funny.”
Levi watches Kim, a bit bemused. He doesn’t bother to tell her his name, but lets her go on her way. He looks at Keisha with a chuckle. “I’m Levi Samuels. Samuels and sons Attorneys At Law.” he tells her. “It’s good to meet you, Keisha. You’re a student at the school with my brother and sister. Daniel and Ruth Samuels. They’re a bit younger than you.”
Buni watches Michelle leave carefully, looking concerned. “Tank da lawd dey ain’t much traffic in da streets.” she shakes her head and looks at Levi as he speaks to Kiesha.
Keisha smiles warmly “Nice to meet you Levi Samuels. I don’t know your younger siblings but I’m in 9-10 so they might be in my sister LaTonya’s class if they’re 7-8s….if they’re younger they might be with my little cousins, Shanika and Des Fairchild?” She shrugs “i don’t expect you to know everyone’s name in the school...but I have heard yours.” She doesn’t out him because she knows better from life with her older brother Levar and how it all goes but she hints at the knowledge “Romeo Rogers is one of my best friends.” She looks at Buni and then hands Levi the coffee. Buni knew about Levar and Otis and had always been kind to them so she knew Buni was safe. But she respected that Levi might not know her well.
Levi nods. “Well, Daniel is in the 7-8. He mentioned a LaTonya, so she might be the one.” he smiles. “Ah yes. Romeo. He’s a good kid.” he doesn’t say anything to Buni, but he also doesn’t care so much anymore. He and Jasper have held hands and kissed in public. Now he pays for his coffee and smiles at them both. “You ladies have a fantastic Saturday.” and he heads on out.
Buni doesnt seem to be paying much attention to the conversation, but she has already seen Jasper and Levi in public together. “You too Mistah lawyer.” she waves after him. Then she looks at Kiesha. “Afta round 8 or 9 da tourists start comin, but withno ferry been pretty quiet.” she warns.
Keisha nods “Pretty sure there’s only one LaTonya. They broke the mold with my sister.” She smiles a little shyly about Romeo without realizing she’s doing so. “You have a good one too Levi. Nice to meet you.” She turns to Buni “That makes sense. So maybe I’m starting at a time that’s a little tough for business…” She has awareness about it because of her father’s business but at least he had regulars. Surely Buni did too. “Our town sure loves your coffee shop though at least.”
Mitch Taggart breezes through the door and saunters up to the counter. He likes Buni and the shop, but Mitch being Mitch, he doesn’t like to look like he likes anything. He casually shoves his hands in his pockets and head jts at Buni “House blend please. Large with cream and sugar.” He sees Keisha there and gives her a nod but if she’s training he’ll take a coffee from Buni if he can. Trainees were unpredictable and this was a teenager.
Keisha looks between Mitch and Buni, picking up on the man’s body language and hesitating. He wasn’t the friendliest guy and maybe Buni knew how to handle him.
Buni shrugs. “Well da building been done been paid fo, so I don’t worry bout dat. An only locals work fine by me. I lub bein lubed.” she laughs and them Mitch came in. He was one of those men she felt had to be gruff to prove they were a man, because she’s spied him in the occasional nice moment when he didn’t know she was lookin. He looks right at her and orders. She takes a deliberate step back and looks at Keisha and then him. “Da house blend … he like ..” she pretends to be trying to remember. “How many dem cramer packs and sugar for you, Mitchell?” she called him by his full name because Mitch seemed ot be the most comfortable UNcomfortable. But they offer liquid and powdered creamers so it would help Kiesha to learn how many to give out.
Mitch bristles a bit as his full name like he was in trouble with his mother “Two and two.” He grumbles “Thanks.”
Keisha smiles a bit shyly at him “Hi Mitch. I’ll get it for you. How are you today?” She moves to pour the coffee into a to go cup.
Mitch snorts at Keisha “Just peachy...kid. And you? Buni got you workin hard?” He seems to accept the switch to Keisha. She’s pretty fearlessly friendly.
Keisha sets down the cup and grabs the creamers and sugar “Double double.” she intones and moves to the cash register with a smile “I’m good and yes working hard but loving it so far.”
Mitch pays and nods “Alrighty then.” He takes his cup and dumps the fixings in and uses a stir stick from the station and puts it in the bin before looking at Buni “She did good. Cheers ladies.” and with that he’s out the door. For Mitch, this was as friendly as he got sometimes when the world was watching.
Buni watches him leave with a smirk. “He in some good mood taday.” she announces. “He usually like servin a rabid wolf.” s he rollsher eyes. “So … how you like da job? Ya learning bout me any?”
Keisha laughs “Well lucky me then serving him today. He’s slightly less scary without knives too. Must be a butcher thing.” She smiles at Buni “I love the job.” she thinks “I am learning about you. It’s kind of interesting what I’m learning about the town too...on this side of your counter.” The Perkatory really was a HUB as well as a window into the culture of Alexandra. Keisha hadn’t expected the whole package.
Buni nods. “I ate ta tink what he do if he dinna have meat to slash.” she rolls her eyes and grins. “It is a different view, fo sho. Sometime I feel like dis town is all fambly. Good and bad. But all da shops must be like dis. Petah at da bar an eben Josh as da Chief. We all look out.” she nodes in agreement with herself.
Keisha has to chuckle and nods. She listens to Buni’s wisdom and agrees “It is like a family….a big messy one.” She gestures at the counter “You get moments here…..I dunno snippets. I don’t get that working in the barber shop at the cash desk. Dad does when they’re in the chair...which I’m sure you do too. But this…” She taps the counter “Is like the barber chair….if that makes sense. By the time I ring them through over there, they’ve had this moment and then it’s impersonal.”
Buni considers that. “Dat true. An here dey .. well used to .. sit an talk .. not os much nah so I ain’t da hot bed ob gossip.” he laughs. “But you see. Dey come in out da rain cold an we make em warm. Dey come in hungry fo Bake an Shark .. or whatevah I got fo dem … an dey leave full an happy. I like watchin dat an being part ob it.” she grins. The town was very much her home now.
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