Coffee

A coffee shop sat at the corner. It's lights low with the accompanying sound of slow jazz music. Black on brown with the sound of spoons brushing the cups. The counter was back lit with low lights the color of warm milk. The chairs scattered about in tidy spaces filled with occasional visitors and guests. The quiet sound of chattering and jazz music filled this space with a comfy atmosphere and a slow feeling as time crawled by.

The owner of this cafe stood at the counter, slowly pouring water into the coffee drip. He was handsome with long fingers and a soft face that smiled without smiling at all. The coffee was legendary at this small corner cafe where the beans were roasted by hand and the confections were baked with perfection.

But our focus is not on the owner, no, but on his guest who was scheduled to arrive at the front door of this small corner cafe.

Seven PM when the door opened. The rain started to come in as the slight bell sound chimed. The sound of the coffee shop was heard, the listener? A woman dressed in a casual business attire wearing a smile on her face. She seemed to fit right in as if the cafe had found a missing puzzle piece that was just set into place. The owner greeted the new addition with a small nod then drew his attention back to the coffee he had been pouring. It was decaf, perfect for the hour.

The other guests did not look at this woman when she came in the door, for they were already accustomed to the quiet bell signalling a new addition. Occupying a chair close to the counter the woman sat in front of the man she had come to the cafe for. He was not the cafe owner but rather one of the few guests at this time of night. Greetings were exchanged between the two as they began to look at the menu. A silent exchange in the form of a nod and a rustle of the menu later, the two had ordered. A weak americano for the young woman and a iced americano for the young man.

With the orders placed and the drinks served the conversation began with idle chatter as the two rambled about their day.

"Splendid coffee as always"

"Mmmm..... the americano is especially bitter"

"Is that a compliment?"

"Mmmm..... yes?"

The talk continued as the man replied nonchalantly to his partners quips. The female partner on the other hand kept chattering away as the cake and coffee slowly disappeared into their stomachs.

"This cake is really amazing! You should really try it!"

"Mmmm..... okay"

"How is it?"

"Didn't you already say it was amazing?"

"Yeah but-"

"Then it's amazing"

This banter went on for an hour or so as time ticked by.

It was about eight PM when the two began to wrap up their conversation and return their cups and plate to the owner in a mannerly fashion.

As the man left the woman stayed and waved him off with the smile lingering on her lips long after the man disappeared into the foggy rain.

She turned to the shop owner as the man left, her smile disappearing and collapsing into a tiny frown.

"He forgot"

"He's probably busy"

"But he forgot!"

"Calm down, not everyone has a good memory like you"

"But- haaaa.... Your right, I should just let it go"

The woman stiffly sat down on the empty chair.

"I wonder if he still remembers my name."

"He came didn't he?"

"Yeah but- what's the point if he doesn't remember."

"You know what? How about I get you another coffee."

The owner walked off to find some more coffee beans as the woman was left to her thoughts.

She quietly stewed over her predicament as the owner began to make the espresso.

As the machine began to pour the rain started to come down in a torrent with raindrops the size of marbles falling from the dark clouds.

The cream was being poured into the cup as the distant sound of a thunderclap was heard.

The latte was completed with a simple flower design made out of steamed milk and handed to the woman.

"A decaf latte, just what you like."

"Thanks, I missed this taste."

The two conversed for a long while, their topic switched many times.

It was about nine PM when the two heard the rain start to subside as the thunder became less and less frequent.

Slowly but surely the atmosphere became quiet as customers left and the chatter died down.

The woman began to pack up as the time quickly approached ten PM- closing time.

The owner began to clean up unhurriedly; a clean rag was used to wipe the counter with a disinfectant cleaning spray.

He cleaned the espresso machine meticulously with small hand movements, paying extra attention to clean everything.

The woman on the other hand had already packed up and was waving goodbye to the owner with a slight smile. The silent exchange between the two went unnoticed to the last customer who also began to leave.

The door opened and the woman confidently walked out into the night. The rain had stopped and the clouds had cleared.

All that was left was that quiet street corner cafe and the owner.

Once he finished cleaning up, he swept the floor, put the chairs into their places, and flipped the sign to closed.

The owner left after locking the door and once again the shop was quiet, no sound other than the distant cars stopping and honking.

The cafe was quiet, and the city excepted the embrace of the night.

Goodnight Coffee.