THE MOMENT
"It's all over the news," Ken nodded as he answered the question. He didn't consider himself a judgmental person by nature, but he was suddenly far less interested in pursuing a relationship with someone who didn't even know what was going on in the world. He met a match at a coffee shop with high hopes. But, he quickly learned how uninformed she was. "American Sellers, the corporation running America, has filed for bankruptcy. The country is in total chaos right now, and everyone's on edge. Violent riots are happening everywhere, people can't be trusted anymore," he said.
"Really?" Victoria asked with genuine surprise, and a small giggle. She made a deliberate action of surveying the coffee shop before her violet eyes landed on him again. It was a quiet Saturday morning, with about half the booths and tables filled with other patrons. She could see a steady stream of pedestrians walking by, enjoying the bright morning downtown. "I never would've guessed," she said.
"That's why I watch the news, to stay informed," Ken replied.
"Tell me more about American Sellers, I'm not familiar," Victoria asked, and Ken's eyes widened. He gave his own condescending chuckle as he shook his head.
"You don't know a thing about the world you live in, do you?" he asked. Victoria shrugged with a smile. "They're only the biggest corporation in the world. They ran the government like a successful business, and did a pretty good job of it."
"Until they went bankrupt?" Victoria asked.
"Wasn't their fault, you know what the economy is like," Ken shrugged as he stared out the window at the busy sidewalk. "Now the country's in the toilet."
"So... is anyone doing anything?" Victoria asked.
"Not without some major cash," Ken replied. "The Country is being auctioned off in a couple of weeks. But, I can't imagine anyone wanting to buy the current hell we live in."
"It doesn't look that bad to me," Victoria commented. It was a sincere statement, but she was also interested in buying the country now that she knew it would be for sale. It was genuine, and even playful, but Ken sighed and shook his head.
"I'm sorry, I don't see a reason to continue this date," he said it as he stood from his chair, drink in hand. Victoria almost corrected him that it wasn't a date, but she could see he was on his way out anyway. "You're just too focused internally, and you have no idea how bad things are in the world right now. I'm going to give you some advice, and I hope you take it," he added. "American Sellers Broadcasting is still thriving; it wouldn't kill you to watch the news every now and then," he started walking away with a final dismissive statement. "You should learn to see the real world for what it is."