Drip 3

Today i prided myself for supporting local businesses by patronizing a laundromat, nail salon and coffee shop, all independently run, all in one afternoon.

I'd never noticed the coffee shop before.

"You're new here, aren't you?" I asked the woman who took my order.

"We just opened last Sunday," replied the woman with a smile.

"Congratulations!" I said.

I observed a Hawaiian theme in the shop: posters, the t-shirts, the staff itself. It seemed family owned. But you couldn't tell from the menu or the name of the place. I was perplexed and intrigued.

I love cultures that have been infused with many roots. "Someday we'll all be the shade of milk chocolate," some comedian once said.

As i was adding sugar and half-and-half to my Italian brew of the day, this little girl in a pretty pink dress, probably around 5 (age, not time), lingered around me. Quite frankly she was in my way. Normally i'd be annoyed, but for some reason i was curious and amused instead.

I looked down at her, smiled and asked, "Do you work here too?"

She nodded, bright-eyed.

I cracked up.

It was a moderate cloudless day. I desired to take a few leisurely moments to let the world stand still. Or turn less rapidly.

As i gazed out the glass walls someone asked me how i was doing on this glorious day. I turned around to find the paternal figure of the family with a laptop at a random whimsical table.

After swift pleasantries i cut to the chase, "You have Wi-Fi here?"

"Yes, we do," replied the cool collected paternal figure never lacking cordiality but never caramelizing it like fructose.

At that moment i decided i liked this cafe.

It was perfect outdoor weather, so i sipped my caffeine right outside on iron wrought patio furniture, my favorite. Who could ask for more?

In my peripheral vision the little girl from the additives station kept peeking out the door to catch a glimpse of me.

I turned to her, smiled and said hello.

She said hello back, graciously. Then disappeared.

In lieu of shyness. That's refreshing. Not to condemn the shy. I was shy as a child. Nature vs nurture. Who's to say?

But she was drawn to me? Lil ol' me. Really? Wondrous.