"There's someone out there for everyone, maybe even me," Artemis Patenaude said to herself, and the six-foot-tall, twenty-something, plump young French Canadian woman walked through the Rideau Shopping Center, smiling at all the happy couples. Men and women, women and women, men and men, folks of all hues, everyone looked happy. Fitting, as this was Valentine's Day, and as usual, Artemis was alone.
Walking by the quaint little store Nyx, Artemis headed to the women's washroom, and once there, she sat down on the toilet bowl to do her business. Earlier, she'd gone to the Shawarma restaurant located right next to KPMG, where she worked as an account manager. The cheerful owner recommended a chicken and beef Shawarma sandwich and she agreed. Right now, Artemis was regretting that decision.
"Tried to shit but only farted," Artemis grumbled as she got off the toilet seat, ten minutes later. Artemis's farting problem was nothing new. Indeed, it was as much a part of her as her alabaster skin and her reddish brown hair. Artemis readjusted her clothes, washed her hands and checked out her reflection in the mirror prior to exiting the women's washroom. I hate my life, Artemis thought.
A couple of weeks ago, Artemis Patenaude came home to find her boyfriend Richard Wilkins in bed with her best friend Meeka Jones, and this was the beginning of her nightmare. This can't be true, Artemis thought, as she watched the man she thought loved her go at it with the lady she once considered her best friend.
Richard, a tall, blond-haired and blue-eyed stud originally from Calgary, Alberta, approached Artemis at a KPMG office party a year ago, and they began seeing each other. Artemis once commented to her best friend Meeka Jones that she thought her boyfriend Richard was secretly seeing someone. Meeka, a tall and pretty, no-nonsense young Black woman originally from the island of Jamaica, assured Artemis that she was only imagining things.
Artemis found Meeka on top of Richard, riding the hell out of his dick. That bitch, Artemis thought angrily. Artemis grabbed a flower pot and threw it at Richard and Meeka, and they barely dodged the projectile, they were that into each other. Artemis stormed off in tears, but not before telling Richard and Meeka they were dead to her.
After this unfortunate discovery, Artemis lost both her best friend and her boyfriend. Richard moved out of the two-bedroom apartment that he and Artemis once shared in The Glebe area near downtown Ottawa, and subsequently moved in with Meeka Jones. These two deserved each other as far as Artemis was concerned. Someday I'll find the right man, Artemis thought hopefully.
Intent on heading to her place, Artemis was riding down the escalator when a rather tall, dark-skinned young man rushed past her, taking the escalator steps two or three at a time. As Artemis gasped in shock, a couple of young White guys came rushing past her, clearly chasing the previous guy. At first, Artemis thought that they were mall security, but they were wearing plain clothes, and had shaved heads and tattoos.
"What the fuck is going on?" Artemis wondered, and she was in the small crowd of people that gathered on the second level, close to the RBC Bank ATMs, as the young Black man and his pursuers got into it. The brouhaha attracted the attention of mall security, and Artemis watched as they immediately grabbed the Black dude, and ignored the two White dudes who had clearly attacked him.
"Excuse me, this guy was defending himself, these two came after him," Artemis said to one of the mall security guards, a young White woman with dark hair. The other security guard, a tall young White guy with dark hair, held the young Black man's arms behind his back while the two bald-headed young White guys laughing. This isn't right, Artemis thought, but what could she do?
"Ma'am, we'll take it from here," the male security guard said, and Artemis shook her head, and planted herself in front of him. She pointed to the two bald-headed young White guys and repeated what she'd previously said. The two bald-headed White male assailants looked at her, their faces reflecting outrage and anger.
"You're arresting the wrong person," Artemis said, and she stood her ground, refusing to give up. That's when someone rather unusual happened. Other passersby, among them a young Asian woman and an older lady with a Montreal Canadiens tuque, stepped in and backed up Artemis's story. The security guards looked unhappy, as did the two young White dudes. What were they going to do?
"These two attacked me at the bus stop upstairs, I ran, I didn't steal anything, I didn't do anything, these two called me slurs and attacked me," said the young Black man, speaking for the first time. The two young White guys glared at the young man, and clenched their fists menacingly. One of them looked at Artemis, and shook his head in disgust.
"You look like the kind of fat White slob who would date this negro," Baldy said, and he shook his head, while his buddy laughed. They turned and walked away. The male security guard let go of the young Black man, who rubbed his sore arms and looked at the security guards, angry and disgusted. Then his eyes fell upon Artemis, and he smiled at her.
"Ma'am, thanks for letting them know, I'm Ibrahim," the young Black man said, and Artemis smiled and shook his hand. Ibrahim gave a statement to the two security guards, who looked contrite now that their jumping to conclusions revealed them to be complete and utter fools. A couple of racist White guys had attacked a young Black man, and the security guards sided with the White dudes, of course. Bunch of morons...
"Ibrahim, I'm Artemis, and I honestly think you should speak to a lawyer, these two did you wrong, and they let the bad guys get away, I'll give you my information if you need a witness," the young woman said, trying to be helpful. Ibrahim nodded, and he and Artemis exchanged information, and then went their separate ways.
"What's this world coming to?" Artemis said to herself as she walked from Rideau Street towards Metcalfe Street, and then Bank Street. Once there, Artemis caught a number seven bus heading to Carleton University. Within minutes, Artemis reached her apartment in The Glebe, and went to take a long, warm shower. The events at the mall haunted her thoughts. I guess Ottawa is a racist place, Artemis thought, disgusted.
