A View From Above
Another perspective from Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants
It was 10 am. There was still dew on the leaves of the tree outside of her home from the drastic decline in temperature last night. She was making her way to the train to start her morning shift at the cafe. She usually leaves home early to stop into her parents shop downstairs for a quick “Hello.” and “Have a nice day.”
But after that fight with Ramon last night, she couldn’t bear for them to see her in such a mood, she was never good at hiding her emotions and her mother is skilled in the art of perception. So she went in the opposite direction this morning when she left her apartment and made it to the station just in time to catch her 10:15 train.
When she made it to work the station was already bustling with travelers heading to opposite ends of the peninsula. She swiftly made her way behind the bar for a quick espresso to start her day, greeting Marcel & Diana, her fellow co-workers, along the way in. Marcel was prepping slicing lemons & limes for the bar while Diana sat at the register closing out the morning's receipts.
“There’s a couple that just settled in on the patio, Emse. Could you take care of them first?” asked Diana.
As she took her last sip of espresso and made her way back around the bar:
"Dos cervezas,” said the man through the curtain.
“Big ones?” replied Esme, turning right back around to grab the drinks from the bar.
“Yes. Two big ones.” replied the man.
Esme quickly took the two glasses of beer over to the table. As she placed down the felt pads and glasses, she looked at them both. The girl was American, and he was a man of business. She had seen this many times before at this café. Men with their young girlfriends, taking trips into the city for the weekend. The woman was pensive, staring out into the line of hills in the distance.
As she made her way back inside, Esme pulled up her hair as the sweat had already begun to prickle her neck from the heat outside.
Diana was waving a plastic fan as she continued diligently at the register. “How was dinner last night? Did you two have that talk after all?” She asked.
Esme responded with a deep sigh and a look of remorse. “We did.”
“Didn’t go over well, huh?”
“It did not.”
From outside again, “Listen,”
Emse pulled back the beaded curtain to respond. “Four reales.”
“We want two Anis del Toro.”
“With water?”
After a few moments, Esme repeated “You want them with water?”
“Yes, with water.”
Marcel poured her two Anis del Toro and she returned to the patio to place them in front of the couple, beside their almost full beer. As she turned away, she could hear the girl commenting on the licorice taste of the Anis. She never did like any of the traditional beverages herself. She made a note to herself to remove the cost of the Anis if the girl leaves it untouched.
When she returned to the bar, Diana sat in wait. “So... what did he say?”
“He said no, Diana. He might as well have said no. I don’t think he ever thinks in the long term.” Another deep sigh.
“Aw, honey.” Diana now made her way around the bar to embrace her. “I’m so sorry. These boys just don’t have any understanding of our traditional Spanish conventions.”
Another couple made their way to the patio. Esme released herself from the embrace and said “I’m not even sure I understand them, Diana. I guess I can’t blame him.”
After greeting the new table she turned to look at the couple from before. The girl was so very distant from here. Speaking as though it were to herself, but the man responded. She wondered if they might be enduring the same thing. The man signaled to her for another round as she made her way back into the bar.
Esme gave Marcel both orders and made her way into the kitchen area to give the chef the food orders. Chef always greets her with a great big hug and an even bigger smile. This gesture alone, even if it occurs each time, warms her heat enough to get her through the rest of the day.
When she returns to the patio with drinks for both tables, she takes the new table their order first. As she walks back towards the first couple the girls face has transformed to definitive sadness, as she delicately holds one hand to her belly, eyes still gazing far away. When she finally sets down the two glasses on the table she notices their ticket on the table for Madrid. “The train comes in five minutes.” she warns, in hopes of freeing the girl of whatever conversation they were having that made her mood change so drastically.