Cafe

Chapter 1

“Why is it that you insist on doing this every day?” She asked as she held the warm cup in her hands. “It’s a waste of time and I don’t even like tea.”
“It’s because we’re so busy we do this,” he replied “because we have so much going on in our lives. We need a time to slow down and collect our thoughts for the day. Morning doesn’t work because you would rather sleep as long as you possibly can before rushing to work instead of coming over here to wake up in deliberate, dignified manner and enjoy a quiet moment with your friend before the day begins. “ He poured a splash of cream into his amber filled cup making it a murky brown. “And it’s not that you don’t like tea, you just don’t appreciate it. Yet.”
Alex was a musician. He wasn’t a very good musician, but he thought he was so he spent his days at his one room shack of a third floor apartment writing his masterpieces, none of which were completely finished. No one was quite sure how he paid for anything, but rent came on time and there was always money for tea, which he called his “Existential bliss”. No one was quite sure what that meant.
Samantha was also a musician. She actually was very good, but didn’t think she was so she held a regular job and lived in a regular apartment.
“Is Brennan working tonight?” Asked Samantha, nose wrinkling from another sip of tea while simultaneously reaching for the sugar. “He’s worked every night this week.”
“I hope not,” Replied Alex, who then took a sip from his cup and gave a sigh of either bliss or existentialism, one could not tell. “Lord knows he needs some time off.”
Brennan was the third musician of the trio. Brennan was an excellent musician, and knew it too. But Brennan never performed in public or wrote music that anyone knew about. He did teach private lessons, but never touched the instrument or sang a note while he taught. He was an excellent teacher.
As well as teaching,, Brennan worked most nights at the local café where Alex purchased his tea. On his night off, he hung out with Alex and Samantha. Most of the time they ended up hanging out at the café. Brennan didn’t mind this because he and the café were one. Much like Alex and his tea.
It was late Fall, one of those Falls that make you sigh when you think about it. The weather was getting cooler but not cold, the rustle of leaves was the only indication of a slight breeze. A perfect time to pick up jogging but not have to be in it for the long haul because you knew it would be too cold for it in a month. Not too cold for iced tea (is it ever?), not too hot for a warm cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Or existentialism.
Alex and Samantha rode to the café on a scooter. The scooter belonged to Samantha. Alex didn’t believe in the unnecessary use of fossil fuels so hitched rides to places further than a bike ride a way. He sat carefully and somewhat rigidly (Samantha wasn’t the best of drivers) on the back of the scooter while balancing the last of his tea in a small Styrofoam cup (the tea was in the cup, not Alex).
Down the not so busy street they zoomed. Zigging and zagging, not to avoid traffic, but because this Fall was one of those Falls and Samantha felt alive. The wind on her face made her want to sing, but she didn’t because she thought her voice sounded anemic. Instead she zigged and zagged.
Before they could even enter the café they heard Dan. Dan was always in the café. Not literally always, but enough that one could say he was always there. Dan was always at the café because Dan loved coffee, and Dan loved people. Most of all Dan loved to laugh. It was the same kind of laugh that belongs to a maniacal pirate, but Dan was so friendly and his face was so kind that when he laughed it didn’t seem maniacal at all. He did frighten small children though.
Dan spotted Alex and Samantha as they walked in. “Come in, and know me better man!” he cried.
They came and sat at Dan’s table. “What is that from?” asked Alex, who, thought that anything interesting anybody said (besides himself) was stolen from another person.
“The Muppets.” Said Dan with a twinkle in his eye. Then he burst out laughing again.
Café Lift was a coffee shop where musicians, poets, businessmen, rich, poor, young, old, all felt welcome. It was where the cool people and the people who wanted to be cool hung out. Set on the corner of Straight Street, it was far enough away from Main Street to avoid the frantic busy feeling people on that street experienced, but close enough that there was always a decent amount of people inside.
“What can I get for you?” Said the waitress walking up to them.
“Just a small coffee for me.” Said Samantha.
“Can you heat this up for me?” Asked Alex, swirling what was left of his cup of tea.
“Bad form!” Came a voice from behind. Samantha and Alex turn around to see Brennan walking up with a half scowl half amused expression on his face. ”Bringing in an outside beverage and asking to have it heated up is frowned upon in the coffee business.”
“First of all, this is tea, not coffee,” retorted Alex, “and this is tea that I purchased from this establishment, making it a drink from here, making it okay for me to ask for it to be heated up. Why should I pay twice for the same product?”
“When you buy tea to take home to make, it’s meant to be made and consumed at home.” Said Brennan, in an overly dramatic way. “When you come here to for tea, you pay for the service of us making it as well as enjoying the environment this establishment offers.”
During this whole conversation, the waitress went between reaching for the cup that Alex still had raised in the air, to pulling her hand away, depending on who seemed to have the advantage in the argument. Finally she just stood there, frozen with a look of helplessness.
Brennan waited a few seconds because her expression amused him, then said, “Go ahead an heat it up for him. But this is the last time!” He warned.
“I’m sure.” Muttered Samantha.
As it turned out, Brennan did have the night off and joined the table.
“So what exciting adventures do the three of you have planned tonight?” inquired Dan.
“I dunno,” replied Alex “ probably the same thing we always do. Sit around and talk about stuff till the shop closes, then walk around town and talk about stuff till someone gets tired and we go home.”
“ Actually,” intervened Brennan “I have a little surprise for our trio this evening. With your permission, I’d like for us to go to an undisclosed location for an undisclosed event.”
“Oooooo.“ Samantha cooed “ Sounds mysterious.”
“I’ll bite,” said Alex “ but I highly doubt it’s going to be as exciting as you’re making it sound.”
“That’s fine, set your expectations low, that way you’ll be even more blown away when we get there.” Brennan said with a gleam in his eye. “This adventure could very well change our lives.”
“A real life adventure!” Dan said with a big smile on his face. “That’s something everyone needs to have at least once in their life. I’ve had my share, it’s good to see you three are beginning one. Be careful, but not too careful, for that’s part of what the adventure is all about isn’t it?”