Interception

I am not a morning person. I'm a night owl by nature.

But i choose to start my work day early so i stand a chance of having enough motivation to run an errand or two at the end of the day if need be.

There is this customer, Sook*, who comes in our store almost every single day. He's one of those who are desperate for attention.

Most days, by the time i come into work, the coffee is gone.

I am not happy to come to a near-empty pot and have to make some fresh myself. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the brewing process. For the ritualism and aroma and time away from my dreary desk and all. But when i have just arrived, all i want is to pour that first mug of perk-me-up, and retreat in my office, my back to the staff on the floor and all the patrons, thinking in my head, "Don't look at me!"

And Sook would time and again approach and comment, "Ahh... Fresh coffee, huh?" Or simply making an observation, "Ahh... No more coffee, huh?"

Sook is such a regular that, on occassion, he'd make a fresh pot himself. And when i make the innocent mistake of not peeking through the blinds before making the coffee pilgrimage, he'll be gesturing, presenting the drip, uttering, "Made fresh, just for you!"

One time he actually digressed from coffee and mentioned a football game... in Hawaii, no less. I'd clocked in two minutes earlier, and all i wanted was my freaking coffee without harassment. Mug in hand, i turned to him and stated stoically, "I don't give a lick about sports."

This morning, again i was crouching to fetch a pouch of Columbian from the cupboard under the coffeemaker. I do so limbly and bounce like a tigress. Every time i do that i think, "What a waste with all this agility i'm not having sex!"

So, as i had my knees bent, Sook came up from behind me and, again, seemingly compelled, remarked, "Oh! Making coffee!"

I almost had to bite my lip in order not to turn around, straight-faced, to inform him:

Yes, Sook. That's what we do here. When coffee is out, we make more. That's the general idea. Get used to it!


*Not his real name