PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
The dark woman looked nervous as she served the older white couple their coffee.
“Thanks.” He nodded his head and smiled when she set the tray down. His wife looked at the waitress, the owner’s granddaughter, with unbidden pity.
“This is the last place in town to get a decent cup of coffee,” he said putting two sugar cubes into his small cup.
“Harry, she was scared to death of us,” said his wife.
“I can hardly blame her.” He took a sip and decided it needed to cool. “The whole anti-immigrant movement has chased away most families like hers.”
It’s Wednesday and time once again to participate in Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ 5 December 2025 edition of Friday Fictioneers. The idea is to use the image above as the prompt for crafting a poem or short story no longer than 100 words. My word count is exactly 100.
There are a few places like this in and around Boise where I live. I recall my wife and I having a coffee in a place that looked very much like the one in Rochelle’s photo probably a year or two ago.
But it really brought up a pain point for me. We used to visit a place called the “International Market” some years back. It was a large warehouse space that housed numerous businesses, all run by immigrants. My favorite was “Kava Coffee” run by two Iraqi brothers, but I also liked eating at the Ethiopian place. In addition, they had clothing sellers, butchers, other food vendors, you name it. The children of the proprietors would run around playing all over the place. It had a real family and community feel.
That is until someone decided to burn it to the ground. Yeah, the fire that completely destroyed the place was determined to be arson. I don’t think the immigrant community ever recovered.
The irony is that we’ve had an immigration center here for over thirty years. I know Idaho has a reputation for being racist, but it’s largely undeserved (rural counties in California have a lot more white supremacist groups), especially in the Treasure Valley.
Don’t get me wrong. I believe immigrants should follow a legal process to enter and live in the U.S. No, I don’t believe that harassing some nineteen-year-old Mexican girl who’s been hired to be a nanny is a proper application of our punitive illegal immigration enforcers. I’d rather see drug dealers and human traffickers put in prison or deported.
But terrorizing immigrants who just want to run a business and live in peace is beyond tragic.
Sorry for the soapbox, but some things hit me harder than others.
To read other stories based on the prompt, visit inlinkz
Fantastic Schools Familiars is available at Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats. It contains my short story “Dead Cat Fever.” If you like fantasy stories about all manner of animal and other familiars serving (or not serving) masters and amateurs of the occult, this one’s for you.
In addition to my latest science fiction novel being accepted for publication, another short novelette was just picked up (I haven’t signed the contract yet, so I can’t give out details) which is exciting.
Plus, I’m still editing my fantasy novel diligently to make it submission ready. My ten-year-old granddaughter has gone through over half of it already and she likes it, so I’m encouraged.
There are a few other projects which should publish in December, but so far, no hard dates have been locked in. Hoping for any day now.
2026 should be a lot of fun.
poweredbyrobots.com 
The only means by which legal immigrants will ever be able to feel safe is by making the clearest possible distinction between them and the invaders who have violated immigration laws, by enabling them to assimilate into American patriotic culture and become naturalized citizens as quickly as possible, and by the quickest possible deportation of the invaders. Prior generations of legitimate immigrants prided themselves on how quickly they could become Americanized. Such an attitude honored immigrant efforts and undermined the bigotry and resentment expressed by some dishonorable Americans. It also tended to weed out immigrants whose intentions were not so honorable. One technique for making the needed distinctions is the proposed insistence on presenting valid citizenship identification before voting or during employment application. The process of obtaining documentation of such identity that qualifies citizens, legitimate immigrants in the process of naturalization, and temporary residents such as authorized migrant workers and family members of citizens. Those who lack such authorized identity could then be deported to ensure the safety of legitimate residents.
LikeLike
ProclaimLiberty, when European invaders came here, did they adopt the ways of the original inhabitants “as quickly as possible”? Oh that “immigrants whose intentions were not so honorable” had been deported immediately. Unfortunately here we are, maligning others so we can continue to rape and pillage as we please.
I have said all I will say on the subject in this comment. I don’t want to engage in one-up-person-ship with you, but your bigoted statement begged some kind of response from me. Thanks for listening.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Where do you perceive bigotry in my posts here? I merely have insisted that the nation which has maintained liberty for itself and many others throughout the world for 250 years be allowed to preserve its beneficial ideals. Amongst them has been a receptiveness to immigrants who wish to support and benefit from them. The nation’s founders were not themselves immigrants to any already-defined nation, but were rather colonists and settlers into open territories among peoples whose ideals and definitions of land ownership and management was different. This sometimes allowed benign coexistence but at others engendered violent conflicts. Nonetheless that does not invalidate the ideals of the USA or justify their disestablishment by immigrants to the established modern nation. That is the nation into which legitimate immigration may occur now, but only if without detriment. Resistance against detriment is not bigotry. Defense of 250 years’ worth of benign ideals is not bigotry, nor does it require or presume bigotry. Your accusation of “continue[ing] to rape and pillage as we please” is tendentious and unfounded — and quite contrary to the nation’s ideals which I advocate. Alas for human frailty and sinfulness that fall short of the foundational ideals.
LikeLike
We are all impoverished by hatred of the Other, and enriched by diversity
LikeLiked by 2 people
There are many kinds of diversity, and diversity for its own sake is no guarantee of enrichment. Each kind requires examination and evaluation. The standards and parameters of such evaluation were laid out in the founding documents of the USA. Deviations from those standards do not constitute enrichment. Specifically, Marxism is not enrichment. Islamism is not enrichment. Both of these are actually recipes for impoverishment. Freedom to speak or argue or advocate for such “-isms” is guaranteed by the Constitution, as is freedom to counter them responsibly. Adoption of them by the violent insurrection that characterizes them is not consonant with the American values that enable discussion of them. Anarchy is unsupportable and must be met with forceful indictment. Advocacy of diversity is no justification.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Within limitations, Neil. I don’t think I’m enriched by people who are illegally in the country as drug smugglers or dealers or as human traffickers. Also, while I have known people who were in the country illegally who were really benign (the aforementioned teenager hired as a nanny), we have laws for a reason. Even so-called liberal nations like Canada have strict immigration laws. There are few to no nations on earth without them and there’s nothing wrong with vetting people who want to be residents and especially citizens.
LikeLike
Bravo for citing another kind of “-ism” that I neglected in my political considerations above: “criminalism”.
LikeLike
Wonderful story and I did enjoy the sopa box part and feel your beautiful heart.
On a side note, I walked into an Asian Grocery store and in the back they had a small eating place – about eight booth/tables only – serving Indian cuisine. There was a language barrier and I ended up leaving without eating (was on a time crunch too)- but I saw AMAZING food being served and my hubs promised to take me there. I also took pics of the menu and so will know what I want when I return.
LikeLike
I’ve got a few stories like that.
Many years ago, I was with friends at a Japanese restaurant in San Francisco. Our waitress spoke in very heavily accented English and it took me forever to figure out that she was asking me if I wanted vanilla ice cream for dessert.
When my wife and I were on a tour of Europe in 1985, we had many food adventures especially in Italy where we sort of guessed at things and ended up eating whatever we were served. Not always the greatest experience, but it was educational.
LikeLiked by 1 person
James – thanks for sharing.
I was in Europe in 86 and we might have crossed paths without knowing
—
Also, it sounds like you both had a great approach as you “sort of guessed at things and ended up eating whatever we were served”.
LikeLike
A snap shot of today’s political turmoil.
LikeLike
I’ve been writing a few of those lately. Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great story James
Hatred is a thing that rots you from within
Timely
LikeLike
Thanks, Laurie.
LikeLiked by 1 person
how sad, it’s like getting there in the land of the free.
LikeLike
There’s always been strife between different peoples, not only here, but in many other countries. Sadly, it seems to be part of the human condition. I hope compassion is too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is such a sad state of affairs how so much hate has been riled up.
LikeLike
It tends to wax and wane with the times, Dale. Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is true… depending on who is stirring the pot.
LikeLike
The history of mankind is also a history of migration, colonialism and xenophobia. We need to accept this: be kind to people on the move; be kind to people who are scared of change.
Topical story. Sad that it rings so many bells.
LikeLike
Thanks, Patrick.
LikeLike
It’s appalling what is happening in this country. We keep repeating the same horrors over and over that I can no longer say that this isn’t who we are. The cruelty seems to be a point. And yes, there should be laws and a legal process, but the goal posts shouldn’t keep being moved and there should be a clear path to citizenship not terrorizing residents of communities, families and children and committing human rights violations. Idaho IS known for being racist (sorry) but I think you hit the nail on the head when you stated “rural” areas it’s usually remote places that don’t have the mixed communities that believe these made up stories because they have no idea or experience.
LikeLike
The current application of ICE is completely over the top. I agree that they’ve become a terrorist organization and all they’re doing now is picking off the easiest and least “dangerous” targets just to show they’re doing “something.” That said, our immigration laws are broken and our systems seems to be dependent on exploiting the cheap labor of people who can’t afford to report being mistreated because they’ll be deported.
LikeLike
I’m with you on your soap box!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for making this subject matter your focus- it cannot be brought far enough into the light.
LikeLike
You’re welcome, Violet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This really resonated with me, James, as both my parents were immigrants from Sicily. Everything they had they worked for. They loved being citizens of the United States and were proud of their adopted country while never forgetting their roots. We are on the highway to hell in this country right now and if my parents were still alive, they would be crying at the evening news. Good story.
LikeLike
Thanks, Nancy. I appreciate the personal insights.
LikeLiked by 1 person