Marge poured fresh cups of three-hour-old coffee for the guys seated at the counter.
“Thanks, Marge,” Dennis T. Hernandez said with a smile. He added three tablespoons of sugar then took a sip. “I love the coffee here. It tastes just like I make at home.”
Bob Lee Colwell dunked his two-day-old glazed donut into his cup, took a crunchy bite and added, “You can’t get coffee like this anywhere else in town.”
Tom Behren Jr drained his cup and nodded. “Best coffee, pie and donuts in town. Period!”
The members of the Greater Delaware Procrastination Society used Frank’s Diner in Shawnee Ferry, Delaware, for their semi-organized daily meetings. It happened to be the only diner still open during the locally-enforced shutdown of 2020.
Mayor Wendell Blasingame rushed into the diner, sat next to Hernandez, motioned for a cup of coffee and tried to catch his breath.
“Settle down, Wendell.” Hernandez patted the mayor on the back and asked, “What’s the rush? Did someone catch you at your office and demand you actually do something for the town beside shake hands and kiss babies?”
“Something like that.” Blasingame took several deep breaths, looked over his shoulder at the entrance then answered, “Spencer Jessie reminded me of my campaign promises.”
Hernandez laughed. “He’s new in town. None of the locals actually believe anything you say. They’re still waiting for the traffic signal at Main and Broadway you promised twenty years ago.”
“There’s a lot of red tape to sort out.”
Art, the cook, popped out of the kitchen, grabbed a donut, took a bite without removing his ever-present cigarette, checked the 2016 calendar on the wall and asked, “Are you guys going to come up with any predictions for next year? It is the end of December.”
“We’re working on them,” Colwell replied. He pulled a folded-up sheet of paper from a pocket of his leisure suit jacket. “This is last year’s list.”
Behren snatched the paper from Colwell, quickly read the list and shook his head. “These predictions were for 1972, and nothing we predicted actually happened.”
Marge shook her head and chuckled as she carried three breakfast specials to the tourists seated at table ten.
“Let’s make predictions that might be more relevant to the current world situation,” Hernandez said then pounded a fist on the counter. “I’m tired of taking an eternity to make even the simplest of decisions.”
“Would you like a refill?” Marge asked as she returned behind the counter and grabbed the half-empty pot of decaf.
Hernandez shrugged. “Maybe. Not sure yet.”
“Let me know if you need anything else,” Marge said sticking her pencil into her beehive hairdo.
“I predict one thing that I’m certain will happen,” Behren said. “One hundred percent. No doubt about it.”
“And what might that be?” Hernandez asked as he tried to decide if he wanted more coffee.
Marge made the decision for him and filled his cup.
“The government will raise taxes…”
Everyone within earshot laughed.
“They always raise taxes,” Colwell said. “That’s like predicting the sun will rise in the east, or Tom Brady will win the Superbowl.”
Marge rang out one of the customers then asked, “Is he still playing? I thought he retired ten years ago. Isn’t he almost sixty?”
The guys looked at her then each other. They shrugged.
“I’m not sure, but must be close to collecting social security. I think his son plays college ball now. He’s a punter for some Ivy League school. Brown, maybe.”
“What about the predictions?” Blasingame asked glancing at the clock. “I have a staff meeting in ten minutes and don’t want to be late. Mrs. Rosenbloom is bringing homemade brownies. Can we wait until summer?”
Marge snorted, rolled her eyes and said, “I predict it will be 2022 before you guys come up with any predictions for this year.”
“She’s right,” Hernandez said grabbing his fedora and putting on his coat. “I’m late for a budget meeting.”
Colwell gulped down his coffee. “Me, too. Not a budget meeting, but I forgot to file my taxes. I better stop at my accountant’s office and take care of that.”
Marge looked at Behren. “You gotta be someplace?”
He shrugged. “I got all day. I’m actually on vacation.”