We were having coffee at the local cafe in Frankton. It was just us touching base on how the investigation was going, but secretly I wished it was more than that. As Vella and I waited in line for our orders to be taken, a man in military paraphernalia came in. His graying hair was cut short, and his eyed all but said 'I've seen enough, but I can't stop.' He moved to the back of the line and a stout man and his family at the very front beckoned him to take their spot while telling the woman at the register to prioritize his order first. It was early in the morning so it was mainly the elderly who were in the cafe. The Bobs, Gertrudes all smiled and nodded at the act of selflessness and kindness that man had shown towards someone who defended our country, and by extension, our freedoms.
"They can't be serious," Vella mumbled.
I was taken aback and nervously looked around to make sure no one had heard her. We only had to wait a few minutes longer. I couldn't believe Vella was this selfish over coffee.
"It's just going to be a few minutes. It's not a big deal," I said back to her.
"It's not about the wait time, Alex. They're acting like he's some messiah because he was in the military!"
The old man in front of us gave us a glance and shook his head. I was going to drop it in hopes Vella would stop talking, and she did, but I couldn't help myself.
"He did something most people wouldn't. To defend our rights to be able to be here and have this conversation in this cafe without having to worry about terrorists blowing us up."
Vella always had a natural scowl for an expression, but I knew when her general discontent began to arouse into genuine anger.
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