(From her novel-in-progress, Taming Jaguars.)

Vera opened the French doors of her kitchen. “Linda,” she said warmly.  

An older woman wearing thin, baggy, beige pants, a white blouse, and a navy blue and orange silk scarf walked inside. She looked about Vera’s age. Her mousy brown hair was put back in a ponytail, and she wore a green sun visor hat. I hadn’t seen anyone wear a hat like that since the 1980’s. 

As Linda stood by the kitchen island, I read the designer labels on her shoes and purse. 

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” she said to Vera, giving me a thorough look up and down. “I didn’t think you’d have someone from the Center here so early.”  

I had no idea what she was talking about.

“Oh no, no,” Vera said. “This is Jasmine. She’s Patsy’s friend.” Vera walked to my stool and gently patted my shoulder. “Of course, she’s my friend now, too.” She smiled, and sweetly looked into my eyes.

“Of course,” Linda said. But she didn’t smile, and she didn’t say it sweetly. I still didn’t know what ‘the Center’ was. Vera immediately cleared it up, as if she read my mind.

“I guess Patsy didn’t tell you, Jasmine.” Patsy shook her head ‘no’ from behind the stove, as Vera explained. “I volunteer at a Women’s Recreation Center.” 

“Battered Woman’s Shelter,” Linda corrected her.

“That’s not accurate at all.” Vera motioned to Linda to sit down on a stool beside me, but she remained standing. “They don’t live there,” Vera continued. “It’s just a place for them to go as a safe and supportive space. These women are in a period of transition. Sometimes, they have just left an abusive marriage, other times, it’s a turbulent, dead-end relationship.”

“Most of the time, they just don’t want to end up dead!” Linda laughed at her own joke, and it was the first time she looked happy since she walked through the door. But her sour mood didn’t phase Vera at all. She just giggled and offered her French coffee which Linda finally felt comfortable enough to share with us. 

Chrissi Sepe appeared previously at our main site, New Pop Lit, with the feature story, “We Love to Watch Zee Cockroaches.” She’s also appeared in our zeens, most recently in Fun Pop Poetry, available at our POP SHOP.  

We also posted here a note about Chrissi’s previous novel Iggy Gorgess.