He took another sip of bitter coffee, scrunched his face as he sipped and wondered why he drank such a horrible tasting brew.
His hands still shaking, he read the letter she'd sent him, undoubtedly a reply to his hastily sent missive a week before.
He read:
"I received your letter dated July 10th." She always did that, dated her conversations. He found it odd, and knew no one else who did such a thing. "I did not know that I had been such a disappointment to you. Which was interesting since I always thought I was the one who should have the complaint.
I spent three years waiting on you hand and foot, I washed your clothes, cooked your meals, mended your shirts, I cleaned your house, I fed your stinky dog, even cut your oily hair! And you are the one who is disappointed with me, well, that is rich!"
He paused and thought. He remembered that she once made him a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast and that she occasionally rinsed out a coffee mug when there wasn't any clean ones in the cupboard. He didn't remember the haircut, unless she meant that time she pulled a gray hair out of his scalp and hinted that he buy a hair dye. But he was sure she was right, men never notice all the things women do for them.
He read on;
"I listened to your insipid jokes, put up with your obnoxious parents, kept my mouth shut when your stupid friend Jake came over to visit, and what gratitude do I get? You send me a poisoned letter telling me what a failure I've been...well let me tell you a thing or two!"
He stopped again and thought. His jokes were bad, she was right about that, but she had made him happy, and when he was happy, he got giddy and told bad jokes and talked too much...felt bad about that. And true enough, she did put up with his parents that time they dropped in from Chicago for two days. He didn't think they had been obnoxious, in fact she'd gone to her sister's house for most of those two days, but once again, she was probably right, they were his family, so he was not an impartial judge. As for his friend Jake, he knew it wasn't right being pals with him. He knew she disliked him, found him too coarse, just a plumber...but they had been friends since grade school, and Jake had always been there for him, no questions asked, but still, it was wrong to stay friends, he should have thought about her feelings.
He turned the letter over and read:
"Besides, don't kid yourself thinking I ever loved you. Don't flatter yourself. You were a phase. I'm so far over you it would make your head spin. It's not like you were ever going to be anything, just a dumb electrician. They could teach monkeys to do that!"
He put the letter down, picked up his cup and sipped, again he scrunched, for some reason he kept trying to drink coffee. Even though the taste of it was so bitter that it almost made him ill, he still kept making a cup every day...and would slowly sip on it during agitating moments, while he paid bills or listened to his neighbors argue. It was odd, because when he was with her, her never had the desire to drink the stuff.
Author notes
An unauthorized sequel to: http://allpoetry.com/poem/4624163 by MariGoes 
In a list
This Is A Comment And Applause Free Zone. Emoticons Are Welcome And Encouraged, However.
Comments
1 - 19 of 19
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oo. i read the first story and read yours.
Shiz you have talent. Lots of it too.
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Wow. Okay. I had to go read the original by MariGoes because this was so good I had to know the beginning. Don't get me wrong. Yours was great enough in and of itself, but then I read the author's notes and had to go read...
You really did a great job on this, not only by itself, but as a sequel.
Write on.
~*~SP~*~
And, just to appease to your emoticon...junkie...ness
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Wow, thanks! That was very kind of you.
Yes, Mariza's story started it all. Actually she wrote one about a year ago which actually started it. Thanks for dropping by!
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A story that comes with every reader's commentary and mine is that the woman finally burst into full bloom and proved she is a noxious weed.
As she blooms her poisons are released. The man whom she has rejected is drinking coffee as a way to repel her poisonous blooming.
I love your story so MUCH! 
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Thanks! I like your interpretation! It's not that far from my own. And yes, everyone reads a story or poem and brings their own thoughts. Isn't that neat!
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Aye, it is neat, as you say. And there can be many, many ways to think about the message of the poem or story.
Random poetry can be a wonderful adventure.
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When I read a story like this ( on the side of the guys), makes me smile,,, like this...
Sometimes I couldn't help but wonder... WHY?
Feelings of bitterness or dissatisfaction ... on both sides?
Maybe... coffee was not the answer but... milk with lotsa sugar ... ! to make guys sleep tight and no sour-bitter memories but "sweet" dreams. 
Yet,,,, I like the plot.
Sorry...couldn't relate much on this story cuz I had a happy memories...
Summer51
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Forgot the applause
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LMAO that was really funny! My favortie part is the second paragraph where he's trying to reconcile his version of events with hers. The ending was really well done too, it gives great insight into the person reading the letter and why he would put up with a woman who was such a hag.
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Cool, someone liked the end! I kind of liked that myself. Thanks!
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Yes, great last paragraph, setting the letter aside,
linking the coffee drinking when reading the leter
to the mundane, paying the bills, listening to the
neighbors. The fact that the coffee is so bitter----does that
imply he is rather punishing or blaming himself for
the situation?
Your question about using "scrunched"---he "grimaced"
comes to mind...
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hmm I discovered the art of reading a letter and the art of drinking coffee
...works together...they compliment each other...the gulps and sips of the bitter taste... 
the details about the woman are very insteresting... I would love to read letters like this...here I am being snoopy lol
Sorry again Sir Yem for the missend im
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well spoken Aesthete
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Ah, the story seen from masculine perception,
so skillfully airing all the dirty details.
He said, she said! Hmmmm...what about an impartial observer, a mirror on the wall.
___________________________________________________
In a rare monent, both he and she occupied the same space, once again.
From the bathroom came an insistent voice, "Get in here, now!
Startled, they ran to the bathrooom.
The bathroom mirror commanded their attention,
"Here, look right at me. What do you see?"
She self-consciously brushed back her hair with her hand. He wished he would have shaved that morning.
"Now," said the mirror, "change places, quickly, quickly while the reflection remains."
As the two switched places and stared intently, the mirror had
one last message to convey,
"There, in the merged images, you can see
what makes you complete. You each are at your best when reflected
in the eyes of the other. Don't close your eyes to that."
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A perfect example of how
men and women view things differently
like I mentioned before
we should each come with directions
this is really funny
but kind of sad as well
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You two should get together and write a full novel..it would be tintilating, scathing, and a very fun read...Kudos to you both...
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Yeah, but show me a monkey that can diffuse the trigger on that letter bomb you just sent- that shoulda been a sign it wouldn't have *smile*-y faces as a post script! Good one Yem, glad I caught up to ya'.
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We have that age old battle of the sexes thing going on. MariGoes blames the man, I write a parody and blame the woman.
Thanks!
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No way I'm going back to that emoticon column and copy/paste all I have to say here using symbols
This is quite fuuny - hm, you making fun of my coffee, aren't you?
This is like a 'he said/she said who the hell is talking the truth' kind of thing. And I liked it, despite the lots of coffee consumed during the making of this story
Very good sequel!
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