Lady Light Up

"Can you stop smoking, please?"

I glared at the old, stern woman before me. It was late and I was exhausted so I did not have the patience I normally would on a Saturday evening to deal with this kind of situation. This senseless woman before me thought it would be alright to smoke in my diner. It was not the cleanest diner ever but obviously there were still some rules that people have to follow. For example, you cannot just light up a cigarette in a family diner. Not today, not in my diner.

The dark skinned women stiffly turned to me, as if I had insulted her. She peered at me with light blue eyes and I could tell by her glazed expression that she had seen a fight more than once or twice. It was like staring into a dead soldier's eyes. To be honest I was apprehensive to even say anything after that just because of the look she gave me. She sent a cold tremor down my spine.

It took me a moment to gain my wits again but just as I was about to speak this daring women took another deep, long drag of her cigarette. She then proceeded to blow the smoke directly in my face. I sputtered and coughed as I felt my lungs suffocate and burn from the cancer causing fumes. After, I could breathe, I shot her my most menacing stare.

"I'm sorry, but I am going to have ask you to leave". I demanded as fiercely as I could muster.

The woman continued to glare at me for what seemed a life time, then just as I thought she was going to ignore me entirely she gingerly grasped the rim of her beige, woven hat and tipped it forward in a small salute. Calmly, she raised from her seat and leisurely walked to the door.  When she has finally left I found myself staring after her. It was as though her presence was a frozen darkness.