Scenes from the coffee shop

"It is a glorious day," remarked a barista walking to the counter, occupied with his tasks of the day. I gazed out the distant window with curiosity to remind myself of the weather outside. The light shone on the building opposite, leaving the kind of impression of light only possible in winter.

It is a wonderful day.

I am sitting in a cafe. I have been reading a new book for the last hour. My mind has been focused on every word and the unraveling story. What is going to happen next, I wonder? I stopped reading when I heard the barista make the aforementioned remark. It is wonderful to hear reflections on the day; it makes me feel more connected to the world.

Winter is here. The pavements are slightly slippy, although, perhaps characteristically, I did not think to check before I left the house in my trainers. It is somewhat cold. But the sun is out. There were few clouds in the sky when I arrived at the cafe. A lone star shone in the sky. I always wonder why one or two stars are visible in the early morning. I love these moments.

I looked around and saw one patron with her eyes closed, opening them a few seconds later. I am tired too. We are both reading books.

Baristas are engaged in conversation. Other patrons are, too. Musak is on in the background. Sometimes I discover a song on this cafe’s playlist that sticks in my head for days; today, the music is of no particular interest to me.

The coffee grinder howls.

A patron smiles.

Two customers line up at the counter, one having just placed their order and the other placing their order.

This is the cafe. It is alive here — the music, the people, the light, the brick walls all give this building an alluring warmth. Like I could sit here all day, reading and writing.

A barista takes an iced coffee to a patron. I will go back to reading the book I was reading now, occasionally stopping to reflect on my surroundings.