Joined: 20 Oct 2006
Posts: 391
Location: california
Lemonade Stand {F}
"Hey Rock, Your'e so quiet. What are you thinking?"
"Trust me, Slim, you dont want to know."
"Of course I do. What's up?"
"Nothing. You'll just think I'm still the same fool I've always been."
"No. C'mon. What's up?"
"Well, ok. I've been thinking about K. again and I can't seem to get her out of my mind."
"What? Why the fuck would you even think about going there? That's fucking crazy, Rock. With everything positive you've accomplished. That's nuts!"
"See. That's why I didnt want to tell you. You don't know her like I do. You only know how fucked up I've been when I'm with her. I should never have said anything. I knew you would never understand."
"You're right I don't understand. I don't understand wanting to be with someone who constantly lied to you, cheated on you .What 20, 30 times? No, I guess I'm the fucking idiot. I'll never understand."
"You only witnessed the fallout, never the joy."
"Rock, I really, truly don't get it."
"Well let me try to explain how it is for me. It's like..."
" It's like driving down a street when it's 110 degrees outside. You're hot and dying of thirst and you see a lemonade stand. It's a really colorful stand located under a nice old shady oak tree with a smiling little 7- year- old selling her own special blend of liquid joy and it's only 50 cents.
You immediately pull over and buy a cup. It's Incredible. It's cool and refreshing with the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness.You've never tasted lemonade like that before. It's the best lemonade you ever had and it's exactly what you needed, at that moment in your life.
So the next day you drive by and see that same little girl selling the same lemonade. You stop again. It's absolutely fabulous. You get hooked. You keep stopping everyday. It's really wonderful to have that little slice of joy everyday, but then....
The weather changes. It's really getting cold outside, but you still want your lemonade, so you drive by the stand and it's not there. You drive by again and again. It's gone. No smiling little girl. No liquid yellow joy.
You are sad. You really miss your lemonade. You think about the lemonade a lot. How refreshing it was, how it tasted, how it made you feel.
Then, one day you're driving along in another part of town and suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you see another lemonade stand. You get very excited.
The little girls' smile is inviting and the stand is brand new. It's not made of the old rickety boards you are used to. It's red, white and blue with sparkles.You are really elated and immediately pull over. The price is 75 cents, but that's ok because it's been a long time since you had any lemonade and you know it will be worth every penny.
You anxiously pay the little girl and she gives you a cup. It looks just as good as you remembered. You turn to walk back toward your car, but you just cant wait, so you take a sip. YUK! It's really toooo sweet. You cautiously take another sip. It's terrible, far too sweet, not cold enough and overpriced. You can't help but compare it to your favorite lemonade.
You are an eternal optimist and you will never give up that easily. So the next day, you try a different lemonade stand and another and another and another. You never find that perfect cup again until...
The season changes and the weather warms up again. You are driving home from work and your mind starts to drift back to that perfect cup of lemonade. So just for kicks, you drive by the place where the old stand used to be. And there it is. You can't believe your eyes. The same rickety boards, same price and the same little girl with the same smiling face, but her eyes seem to be a little bit older.
You immediately pull over and buy a cup. You have to wait a little while because there is a line. It seems that other people also have discovered your little cup of yellow joy. But you wait and the anticipation has made you so thirsty you buy two cups. You swallow one before you even make it back to your car. It's perfect. Just as good as you remember it.
You start going back again and again, but it takes longer each time, due to the crowds. She doesn't seem to have a smile exclusively for you anymore. By the time you get your lemonade, you are tired and the ice has melted and the drink doesn't seem to be as refreshing as it used to be. But business at the old lemonade stand is booming.
So you stop patronizing the stand as often as you used to.She really doesn't need your business anyway. But sometimes your thirst must be quenched, so you stop by. And on occasion, the lemonade is perfect, cool and refreshing. Sometimes it's that way several weeks in a row. Then, at other times, it's not as good.
One day you wake up with a powerful thirst and head straight for the old lemonade stand. You drive there, but it is gone. You return every day and it's still not there You finally realize it's really gone. The seasons change, you drive by again, just in case, but the lemonade stand never returns. You really miss your lemonade.
One day, while you are driving to work, you start to notice what appear to be drive-thru lemonade stands everywhere. Stunned, you continue looking around. They're literally on every corner. When did that happen? You were so busy worrying about your lemonade, you never noticed all the others.
You drive up to the window and ask the smiling girl for a lemonade. She looks at you rather strangely and says,"We dont sell lemonade here. You'll have to have coffee." "Ok, I guess, but I really wanted lemonade." Then she says, "No one sells lemonade anymore. If you want lemonade, you have to make it yourself."
What a great idea. I'll make my own lemonade. So, I'm off to the store. Once inside, oh Jesus, so many choices. There are mixes, concentrates, fresh, etc.
Everyday I made my own lemonade. At first, it was really good and quite satisfying, but then, after a while , I became bored. I realized it was not just the lemonade itself that I desired, it was the entire experience of the lemonade. The drive, the purchase, the stand, the smiling girl and especially,the anticipation.
So back to the drive-thru lemonade/coffee stands. Each day I tried something different, mochas, cappuccinos, smoothies. They were good, but I still longed for that special lemonade. Then one day...
I was driving home from work and spied a new drive-thru. I pulled up to the window and vaguely recognized the smile. She looked me straight in the eye and before I could say anything she said, "Im really sorry, but I don't sell lemonade anymore." She could see my face change, my smile disappear and couldnt help but notice the resolute sadness in my eyes. I looked back at her and said, "That was the best lemonade I ever had. I'm so afraid I will never taste anything like that again." She said, "I think you should try a nice warm cup of herbal tea. I can squeeze a little lemon in it, but I can never make the lemonade for you again. I know how much you think you thirst for it, but you really don't need it.... Besides, the acidic content is really not good for your ulcer and you really don't need the sugar either."
"Ok, I'll have the herbal tea. Jesus is it really $4.00?"
"No. Today, for you, it is free.
I thanked her, hesitated for a moment and then drove away, carefully avoiding the rear view mirror.
So, now does herbal tea quench my thirst in the same way the lemonade used to? No. No way in hell! It's not even close. But it does help me to relax and reflect.
Life is better now and getting better everyday. I miss my lemonade, but I know I won't die of thirst without it. There was a time for lemonade and there is a time for herbal tea. I think I'm definitely in my herbal tea years now, although an occasional cherry limeaide sometimes hits the spot.
"Well Rock, now Im really confused and really thirsty."
"Cherry limeaid?"
"Yes and I'll buy, Rock"
"Thanks. And thanks for listening and for trying to understand."
"I love you Rock and Im proud of you."
"I love you too, Slim."
And I will always love you K---love,r
Wed Nov 01, 2006 1:44 am
Allison
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 4216
Location: Florida
What a great story! I hope we will be reading more from you soon.
Alli _________________ Alli
Wed Nov 01, 2006 11:53 am
rachelle
Joined: 20 Oct 2006
Posts: 391
Location: california
Alli,
Thank you for taking the time to read and respond.---rachelle
Wed Nov 01, 2006 2:02 pm
drdj2006
Joined: 30 May 2006
Posts: 183
Location: Ohio Yall
i do love a good lemonade _________________ I promise that to all the pain there is pleasure. That no matter how hurt you could ever be there is always something better waiting for you.
SIX
Fri Nov 03, 2006 3:13 am
rachelle
Joined: 20 Oct 2006
Posts: 391
Location: california
me too--thanx---------rachelle
Fri Nov 03, 2006 3:16 am
SWAY
Joined: 14 Apr 2005
Posts: 1560
Location: Upstate NY
rachelle,
I loved this story, and I too, love lemonade.
SWAY _________________ Giving myself to others has made me jaded...
Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:09 pm
rachelle
Joined: 20 Oct 2006
Posts: 391
Location: california
Thanks all for reading---rachelle
Thu Nov 09, 2006 1:06 am
egnarO
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
Posts: 40
quite relatable i must say...
nicely done!
E. _________________ | you see all my light and you love my dark |
Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:20 pm
rachelle
Joined: 20 Oct 2006
Posts: 391
Location: california
Thankyou egnarO for reading and taking the time to respond.---rachelle
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