Photography © Shannon O’Connor

 

Kitty Dukakis Orders Coffee

One time, Kitty Dukakis stumbled
into Starbucks, and order a cup of coffee with a little
steamed milk. She wanted to know why it cost
so much, and I told her it was a misto, but she insisted
it was only a small amount of steamed milk, and we shouldn’t charge
extra. I wanted to tell her to shut up because her husband
ran for president, and she could afford fifty more
cents for a misto. I didn’t say anything, but watched
her palsied, shaking head, as she complained, not realizing
privilege has its pitfalls,
from one unstable woman to another, understanding
that when we get older, we want what we want, and if we’re
used to getting it, we will complain if
we don’t.

She paid the extra fifty cents, and never came back
to our store.
I could picture her going into her local Starbucks, the employees
succumbing to her requests.
We cultivate familiarity, but rules
are rules.
Elitism doesn’t grow everywhere, only where seeds
are planted, and baristas who follow company standard
don’t have to cater to the Kitty Dukakises of the world
or anyone else.

 

Shannon O’Connor has an MFA in Writing and Literature from Bennington College. She has been published previously in Oddball Magazine, as well as Wordgathering, 365 Tomorrows, and others. She is the chair of the Boston Chapter of the National Writers Union. She does not work at a coffee shop anymore, but she still drinks a lot of coffee.