Coffee Shops

I walk through the door of the cafe and breathe in that savorous aroma of freshly brewed coffee. I make eye contact with the barista and she starts making my order. I sit down at a table near the window with nothing but my eyes and imagination to keep me entertained. I stare out the window, wondering when my next story will come to me. 

My gaze lands on a woman, struggling with one, two, three, four black and white bags. They're all labeled 'Dolce & Gabbana' and are bulging, the clothes and accessories trying to escape from the bags they are being carried in. From my knowledge, I know that store to be a very expensive one. Not many people can afford one thing from that store, much less can afford four bags full of items from the store. I decide to not use her for my story, for I feel her character is too commonly used in stories. Though, I could switch it up and make the rich lady the 'good guy' or 'hero' in this situation. She could have bought al of the clothes for the homeless shelter a few streets down. An interesting place to buy things for a homeless person, but they would appreciate it nonetheless. Still, I decide against her as the character.

My eyes search for a new person and I find another woman, this time much older. Before I can study her more, a man quickly walks out the door of the Lewis and Davis Law Firm. His strides are long but fast in his dark blue suit. He's in a hurry to go somewhere. He's heading to a meeting with Cory Hernandez, a man trying to stay in the country he's dreamed of living in for years. Will this frenzied man be able to help Mr. Hernandez or will he be forced to return to his home country, the one he can't take his family back to for his daughter and wife's safety? This makes me think more about who this man could be. Who says this man has work for the law firm? He could be someone looking for help. He could be moving quickly because the firm won't help him and he's emotional. This story has begun to lose its interest for me so I move on.

A young woman catches my attention. She's waving her arms frantically but happily. I search a group of passersby and see a man walking toward her. He reaches her and she envelopes him a hug. He picks her up and twirls her slightly, this elicits a giggle from the woman and he sets her back down. They sit next to each other on a nearby bench, holding hands. I start to imagine what they could be talking about. Although the man shows no weakness on the outside, his mind is filled with doubts. Does she really love him? Is it too early? His left hand slides into his jacket pocket and closes around the small, black box that his worries branch from. If he's going to do this, he has to do it now. His heart beats faster and he begins to sweat. She asks him if he's okay. He stands up, shakes off his nerves, and gets down on one knee-

"Excuse me, Sir." I hear from behind me as someone bumps into me. I jolt forward in surprise and my arm bats to the side, knocking over my coffee. 

"Oh, dear! I'm so sorry!" the woman apologizes. 

"It's fine," I reply and she walks away with flushed cheeks, embarrassed.

I stand and get some napkins to clean up my, now cold, coffee. 

Reviews

[William Liston]

Though quite brief, this write gives an interesting insight into the mind of a writer. Your examples of twisting real-life instances to make a story's plot show a lot about the creative process — how some ideas light a spark, while others don't. Perhaps I'm reading beyond your intentions, but I saw the coffee as a symbol of the speaker's emotion. At first, when the writer begins searching for a story, the coffee is hot and freshly brewed, but at the end, when no inspiration was found, it turned cold. I thought the symbolism (whether intentional or not) gave the piece a nice undertone. Well done.

- William Liston