Problems Anonymous(complete)

Chapter 2

"Maisy.", I said pointing to myself before I extended my hand to shake his.

"Macy? Like the department store?"

"I guess.But it's spelled differently."

"You're so tiny like the little star at the end of the logo."

I blushed.I was 5'4, which isn't usually considered that short.But I was also pretty thin.I glanced down at his long lean legs.Of course, next to this monster, anybody would seem tiny.

He laughed at his own connection.

"Alright Maisy star", he nicknamed me as he scribbled on a piece of paper, "here is my number."

I borrowed a piece of paper from Eddie and wrote my own number down. We walked out together.

"So, I always hear you talk about sickness and uh other things.Like, not alcohol related things.", he questioned as he took out a cigarette.

I shrugged.

"I mean, you're right. I don't drink.But, I-I don't know.We all have our fair share of problems, I figured this place is just as good as any to be."

"It's a little strange", he shook his head, "Sweet heart, this isn't Problems Anonymous, it's AA."

I eyed the cigarette he was rolling between his teeth.

"Seems this is an escape for more than just a bottle of beer."     

"You have a point", he shrugged, tossing the thing on the wet pavement and smearing it in with his shoe.

"I shouldn't smoke.Don't really like it anyway."

He jammed his hands in his pockets.

"But can we ever really escape our problems?"

"I have my own way of trying."

He eyed the bar on the corner.Pretty ironic our meetings were this close to one if you ask me.

"I used to think so too."

He laughed, "Funny, how something can screw up your life so much."

"But you're here now, aren't you?"

"Ya, and?"

"So turn things around! Life isn't over yet."

"So just start over?"

"I mean, ya, what else are these meetings for?"

He shrugged.

"They're for answers.", I replied to my own question, as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

"Answers to what? Ways to govern our lives? Answers to life?", he scoffed, "Newsflash Maisy, there is no answer to life.We're alcoholics, and no matter how hard the world tries, we always will be.There is no solving it.This isn't some equation to be answered.I like to drink.Everyone else here likes to drink.And maybe they come here for false hope, but face it, humanity itself is a lost cause.So why not just drink while you can?"

His cold breath puffed into the night, and his eyes seemed almost sorry that his thoughts were so contradictory to mine.

"Then why do you come?"

"It's an easy way to pick up girls.I mean, look we barely met, and you already gave me your number.", he teased, softening the previous tense moment.I rolled my eyes, and his laughter settled.

"And you? What do you hope to accomplish out of these meetings?"

I pursed my lips as I whole heartedly answered him.

"Meaning."

Our eyes met and I couldn't tell if he was impressed or amused.

He licked his lips.

"Alright Maisy star, I can dig that."

A taxi approached, and he opened the door to get in.

He smiled, holding up my number.

"Ok 'buddy', good luck.Call me if you need any help with that."

I called back "you too" before the taxi drove off into the jumble of other vehicles swarming the San Francisco night.

A smile couldn't help but paint frozen on my face. Sure, we clashed on views of the world, but at least he was thinking, more, I don't know, broader.We see a bigger picture. Ya, in a world of let downs and chaos-call me a sissy, but I wanted to believe there was a positive. He saw the world for what it was-point blank. But at least he had deeper thoughts than most. Most of humanity chooses to be blind. To be so caught up in pretending that everything is fine, that they forget it's all an act. I won't pretend, but I won't not believe in something either.

I flipped the spare coins that were in my pocket, the ones I already knew that I'd stop to give to whoever I saw along the way. I was not about to give up hope.To me, it's all I had left invested in this world.