The Late Night Coffee Drinkers

Peacekeeping

Francesca arrived smelling like sweet coconuts from her new body spray line that John financed. "Olivia and Xavier are here" Millie immediately noticed coming inside. "Should we give them peace offering by introducing them to each other?"

John thought for a few seconds, "by that you mean introducing them to each other? For months we had been saying she needs a male company".

They had a look at them, both are solo flight. Francesca frowned, "but are pastors allowed to have fun, and do you think he would want to have fun with her? I mean, he is lanky and she is the opposite." John and Millie tried their best not to laugh and not to seem judgmental but they are only humans. "One and zero actually compliment that is what we call the number ten. And the only input available is one and zero both in computer and electronics" Millie grinned, followed by a sip of coffee.

"If Catholic priests molest children, 'Spotlight' made the public aware then I'm sure making Xavier and Olivia meet wouldn't be bad" John had a quick glance on Olivia. "Xavier is her type, Westerner with beard, religious to Jesus just like her. We are a diverse group of three: a transsexual, a homosexual and a heterosexual, offering friendship to seemingly conservative Christian is part of all inclusive" Millie misses Olivia a bit, she's generous and thoughtful despite the flaws which everyone has.

Xavier is probably the least likely person Olivia will be judging, a fellow protestant, a fellow religious person and a man with a beard... the perfect package.

"However, I think peacekeeping in Middle East, Iran and North Korea is more viable than us doing peacekeeping to Olivia" Millie's pride swallowed the self unless sarcasm intended.

"We better leave some legacy" the wisdom sets of John, coming in terms with her judgmental ways.

"Who will speak to who" reluctance is still apparent to Millie, not wanting to waste her on skirmish nonsense. "You speak to Xavier, and I speak to Olivia" Francesca took the lead, understanding the damages Olivia did to her friend. Damages big enough beyond repair, losing a potential big client for a copywriting service.

Francesca approached Olivia's table, with a large coffee and empty answered test papers. She smiled at her, like it is the first time they've seen each other - tabula rasa. It's been months since they've last seen and spoke, wounds healed and memories forgotten.

Millie approached Xavier, forgetting her silly questions about religion... about the creation view of dinosaurs and challenging the Christian view of homosexuality and transsexuals. Mending the ostracism she suffered from as a child. Forgiveness, what kind of word is it... her young conscripted friends speak of some sort of depression when friends are died from rockets. Maybe it begins today, a change of a view. After all it is willingness to as change as an individual that one finds true change. Change of a government, has no meaning than if an individual being did so.

"Thank you, for teaching me the notion of forgiveness... it isn't easy but nobody said life will ever be easy, unless you're stupid" probably one of the humblest moments of Millie's life. Humility, another tricky paradigm that they avoided but today it was the beginning of the big change.

Xavier smiled at her, she sees him as a mentor to this day. "Would you want to join us" her heart felt warm, a transformation of delivering damning reports to what disrupt by changing good to bad or bad to good and what not. He stood up, took his things, walked to their table and sat next to John.

After Millie made Xavier sit with them, she approached Olivia and Fran. "How have you been" another humbling moment for Millie, feeling disoriented. Change it makes you disoriented, but it is this feeling that will prepare you for another kind of change.

Surprisingly Olivia smiled at Millie, "I'm good". Francesca left them to catch up, "what has been going on". So many things have happened for Millie and was curious if Olivia was the same, she always had so many things to talk about. "I've decided to stay for another four to six years, the school had some changes and Dieter will be in primary so I will see him less. The principal wants me here, maybe I'm a good teacher". The days Millie wished she has the listening skills of a man... the art of mastering on pretending to be listening while the mind is shut down.

"How was Singapore, did you like it?" This is when pretty much, they stopped talking when everything was about Olivia and her false accusations. "Singapore is so clean and orderly, and everyone in the MRT are on their smartphones" she narrated, whilst Millie pretended to seem interested yet truthfully she is bored.

"I had been so busy and tired. I overslept in Singapore on the first day of the teachers workshop. I crammed my way out of bed and just brought my toothbrush and toothpaste and did it at the school," Olivia went on and on. It made Millie think if she's really this shallow or her English isn't good enough to have a substantial conversation. 

"In Vietnam I had to go with my colleague the annoying one. I was trying to get my seat changed so I don't have to sit next to him but I can't. He wanted to be talking about the next semester already", Olivia shared her experienceqm

"Good for you, I'm glad. Why don't you join us," Millie took that small window of opportunity when Olivia ran out of English vocabulary

Olivia's work is done as there's nothing to mark on empty test papers and obvious wrong answers. She said "alright" she was enthusiastic to be accepted by a group again, she tidied her things and followed.

"Xavier is here, the bearded Christian missionary I told you about" Millie gave her the forewarn, which sparked Olivia's intrigue and curiosity... probably hope as well.

John introduced Xavier to Olivia, and the latter cannot seem to contain her excitement. Beard - tick. Christian - tick. Good looking - tick for Olivia... oh a perfect man.

"Olivia is our Christian friend" Millie also cannot contain her excitement. The idea that Olivia is finally getting some action on her sex life, after years towards decade of draught and famine.

"It is nice to meet you" Xavier greeted her, and Olivia's eyes twinkled like an amount of hope had entered in to her system.

"I am from Poland, what about you" she was rather keen and the trio were watching and have nothing much to say. Watching them is probably more entertaining than sharing their personal life happenings.

"From Canada, what are you doing here" he asked.

"I'm a teacher at an international school and you" Olivia smiled at him, like some sort of chemistry was happening.

"I'm a missionary" Xavier answered.

John and Millie had tried to contain their laughter.