Foriegn Affairs

Exister, c'est oser se jeter dans le monde.

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Inspired by Edward Hopper (Automat)

 In her haste to escape the pouring rain, she ran into this coffee shop, almost closed for the night. The aroma of coffee beans coats the air like a warm hug, enveloping her with much needed shelter from the storm. As the brass bell chimes to signal to the cashier that a customer has entered, calm floods her body. Even though she hasn't been to this shop before, something makes her feel right at home. The cashier enters from the back room, dressed in a white shirt speckled with coffee residue and a plain, black apron.
She quickly scans the menu, looking for familiar territory on the extensive list of expensive brews, exotic chai teas, and specialty pastries. Finding the familiar order of a plain cup of coffee, she pays with three shiny quarters and moves to an open table, where she finds herself the only guest in the late hour. Still shivering from the spring storm, she greets the cashier with an appreciate smile and accepts the warm cup of coffee he brings to her table, party of one. She removes one fur-lined glove and drops three sugars into her dark coffee. As she sips, she can hear the rain pounding against the glass windows while the radiator desperately splutters to try and heat the shop. Leaning back against the wooden chair, she sighs with relief.
Her job is a difficult one. A nine to five, six days a week. As secretary to a prominent business man, she must always be mindful of how she looks and acts. Only in the quiet, stormy nights like these can she find solace and be herself without the smile and the clothes.
Closing her eyes, she drinks the last of her cup. Standing up, she grabs a crumpled dollar from her handbag and drops it on the teal linoleum table. Her chair scrapes the tiled floor as she pushes it in, getting ready to leave. The cashier looks from where he is cleaning up for the night and gives a slight nod. Walking across the shop, she grabs the door and is greeted by that same bell and more rain. As she hails a taxi, she realizes that she forgot her glove. Looking back at the cafe, all the lights are turned off. Only the facade of the building is lit by the fading streetlights. Not recognizing the cafe, she almost thinks that she imagined the night, the only evidence being her missing glove.
Finally, a yellow taxi pulls up to the curb, rescuing her from the rain.

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