Gloria is a busy lady today, always is, always has been. She was the kind of girl who was brought up with manners, to not waste time. And, unlike all the rebels and derelicts she knew who thumbed their noses at their elders, she was the girl who took all the adults’ lessons to heart, weaving them into the identity that she wore now. She was the girl that all the grown-ups pointed out to their daughters, saying “Why can’t you be more like Gloria?”. Gloria took their praise to heart, letting it bake her into the woman she was today. A girl who followed the rules. A woman who you could always count on.

Today is a typical Tuesday afternoon, and she’s an hour and a half behind schedule, like she usually is. She speeds down the highway to help speed up the process, but it really is no use. She’s behind, despite all her efforts. There is always so much that she needs to get done, and so little time for her to do it. It’s hard to catch her breath with all the chaos around her, but she has so many people counting on her. It’s good to keep busy anyway, so it helps maintain her positive attitude. Idleness breeds laziness breeds a sour attitude, is what she says.

Speaking of idle, what she’s late for is lunch with Cathy, who’s probably miffed at having to wait. But Gloria isn’t really bothered by the likes of Cathy. As far as Gloria is concerned, Cathy is a diva that expects to be served who has all the time in the world, just like some queen bee. Gloria has tried to get Cathy to be busier, to do something worthwhile with her life other than her silly little dalliances like pottery and tai chi. But no, Cathy just keeps doing her little hobbies like she’s the only person on the earth. She doesn’t seem to care that so many people are holding down the fort for her to keep her frivolity going. Gloria sighs. All that she has done to help Cathy, and she knows it will never be reciprocated. For that matter, Gloria never gets a thank-you from her. But that’s the way that it goes, with Cathy and lately everyone else, it seems.

Gloria isn’t sure what has happened over the years with people. Back when she was a child, she learned to be appreciative of things. She learned that you have manners, and be polite. You say thank-you. You say please. Now, you were lucky if someone had enough courtesy to send a text saying “BRB”. No one took the time out for anyone else, but it seemed that everyone wanted time from you.

Like now. Gloria has just come back from getting her sister Laura a bunch of baby clothes for her youngest child. Laura, it seems, was too lazy with her so-called diagnosis of postpartum depression to take care of her own child, which she went out of her way to have when she was way too old at forty-three. But it figured. Even though she was forty-three, Laura definitely earned the term, ‘baby’ sister. Gloria had always been the one to clean up after her. Laura was such a mess, constantly getting divorced and remarried, and now having this child that she was so ill-equipped to handle.

So now, it was Cathy who wanted to have lunch with Gloria, to talk to her about something, as usual. Cathy always had a habit of dumping her problems on Gloria, like she was an unpaid therapist or something. Cathy was too cheap to get a therapist, Gloria noted. Every time the two of them went out to lunch, Gloria was always the one who paid. Cathy would get out her wallet, and take forever to take out two or three singles, making pretense of poverty with her antics when Gloria knew darn well that Cathy was far from broke. This irritated Gloria to no end, every time. So to put an end to the madness, she always shooed away Cathy’s ridiculous show of paying, and paid herself. Cathy would sigh, and smile. She’d say thank you then, of course, once her meal ticket was taken care of. Gloria wasn’t exactly sure why she hung out with Cathy at this point, but she figured there was probably some ticket in heaven she could cash in one day. Lord only knew, she wasn’t going to get any brownie points from anyone down here, so ungrateful everyone was nowadays.

Gloria was startled by a loud bark of a horn. She’d just run a red light, and some jerk in the intersection going the other direction was screaming and yelling at her now. Terror flooded Gloria from the near miss, but the lunatic’s rantings was what really got her. This was just so ridiculous, she thought. Here she was, running late, trying to go take care of a whole bunch of fools, and here this nut was going ballistic over an honest mistake. Gloria crept her vehicle out of the crazy man’s way. She felt like some kind of beaver slinking away from a snake. People were just so crazy, nowadays.

Still frozen from the trauma she’d just escaped, Gloria kept her car on the road and pushed forward on the road. Always keep going, was her motto. No use sulking, when there was work to be done in this world. Not that she knew a lot of people who were willing to follow it like she did. But Gloria always kept her character as spotless as she could. Move forward, keep going, don’t feel sorry for yourself. That was what she would always do.

With this effort, it took her another twenty minutes to get to the restaurant. Gloria chose this steakhouse, because at least when she suggested this one, Cathy didn’t roll her eyes. Gloria tensed at the sight of Cathy’s blue Mazda parked right near the restaurant. Cathy was going to be difficult. With nothing to do with her life, she’d probably been here the whole time, and would probably have an attitude like she usually did when Gloria was late at all. Maybe if Cathy had some responsibility in her life, she would understand and besides, not have so much time on her hands.

Gloria opened the door to the restaurant, assaulted by the smells of charbroiled meat and the ice cold sensation of air-conditioning. There was Cathy, lounging at a table, nursing a drink, calling over a waiter like she was the queen bee. Well, that’s what she thinks she is, Gloria thought. Hail the drama queen! Cathy is here to be served. And look, thought Gloria, I’m here to fall in line.

Gloria sighed at the disaster of her own actions. Why she always was in this position of dealing with such mooches and losers, she would never know. This is what you got for being a nice person nowadays. Speaking of being nice, she reached Cathy and hugged her hello. Cathy was stiff in her arms. I knew it, Gloria thought, she’s displeased once again. All must hail the drama queen, as usual. Gloria sat down, ready to begin yet another session where her services were bled from her on demand.