A Cup of Coffee – Christmas Story 2022

A Cup of Coffee

            I first noticed him the day before Halloween. 

I woke up thinking. No, I was desiring, a cup of Pumpkin spice coffee. So I gave in and on my way to work, I stopped at the corner coffee shop named, believe it or not, “A Cup of Coffee”.  I was standing in line waiting and watching the folks in front of me as they stared into their phones.  There were two people ahead of me, a young man wearing a bright red stocking cap and a middle aged woman sporting a blue hoodie and jeans directly in front of me.  Both were staring into their phones.  I glanced around at the few tables scattered here and there around the small room.  A woman was sitting at a table staring at her computer screen as she clattered away on its keyboard.  I smirked in jealousy.  I then glanced toward the window and saw him sitting at one of the two booths planted there.  There was a cup of coffee in front of him, cradled in his hands.  There was steam rising from it as he stared out of the window.  I took a good look at him as he looked oddly familiar to me.  His shaggy white hair was just over the collar of a plaid jacket that looked rather tight  across his belly.  He had a stubby white beard that framed the profile of his face.  I shook my head, smiled and took a step forward following the woman in front of me.  I looked back toward the window to catch the man looking at me.  He smiled.  He had vivid blue eyes with pince-nez glasses hanging on to the end of his nose. I smiled back at him and he touched his nose, then turned his head to look back out the window.  I returned to looking forward, finding the server waiting for me to place my order, so I did.  As I waited for my large Pumpkin spice coffee, I looked back at the booth and he was gone.

The second time I saw him was on Black Friday, you know, the day after Thanksgiving, the biggest shopping day of the year,

On my way to join in the mayhem, I decided to grab a cup of coffee from the “A Cup of Coffee” shop.  As I opened the door, I glanced toward the booths and there he was, sitting in the exact same one he sat at on Halloween.  He didn’t notice me though because he was staring at the ceiling.  I walked to stand in line to place my order.  It was a little busier than the last time I was there but, like before, everyone was staring into their phones.  I take that back. I remember there were a couple of little girls at the counter laughing and giggling at each other.  A man beside them asked them something and they both turned toward the glass counter, jabbering and pointing at the same time.  They both stopped, stared at each other and then burst out laughing.  The man shook his head and spoke to the server.  I watched as the man turned holding a cup of coffee in one hand, a brown bag in the other, and was followed by the two, giggly, bubbly girls.  He handed one of them the brown bag. pushed open the door, and they were gone.  The coffee shop went quiet and I could hear for the first time that Christmas tunes were flowing from the speakers.  Shaking my head, I glanced back at the window booth again and looked eye-to-eye with the man with white hair and beard.  The eyes gleamed above those spectacles on his nose.  His beard seemed longer.  He smiled and nodded at me.  I returned the smile with one of my own and returned to face forward again.  I had already decided to stop at his booth after I received my coffee order.  As I held my Columbian coffee, which was the coffee of the day, I turned toward the booths at the window and the man was gone.

The last time I saw him was yesterday.  I stopped at the coffee shop on my way to pick up the one gift I forgot to get, the one for my wife. 

When I entered the shop, no one was there except for the two attendants behind the counter talking to each other.  I walked right up, and one of them walked to the bank of coffee pots and the other waited for me to order.

“He will have the coffee of the day,” said a voice behind me.

I turned and there he was. 

“Make that two,” he continued.  “Care to join me, Ken?”

“How do you know my name?”

“Oh, I know all about you,” he said, stepping around me and took the two cups of coffee from the attendant.  He walked to the booth by the window and I dutifully followed.  I sat across from him and he handed me a cup.

“Well,” I began.  “I thought you looked familiar, but I don’t recall from where or when.”

He laughed aloud, a full hearty one, and placed one hand on his stomach as he did so.  “I don’t think you would remember me because we have never really met.”

I squinted at him.  He just chuckled and sat back in his seat.  He looked me over carefully and then removed his pince-nez from his nose placing them on the table.  He leaned forward and asked me, “Do you believe?”

I looked him over carefully before answering.  His white hair was a little longer,  his beard was fuller, and brighter than the first time I noticed him.  He smiled at me and his eyes smiled, too.  A funny thought occurred to me then.  If I really admit it, I probably wondered it when I first saw him.

“Noooo,” I started to say as I laughed.  “It can’t be!  Are you –“

“I remember your first request to me, Ken,” he interrupted.  “Do you remember?”

“No way,’ I answered.

“Do you remember?”

I sipped from my cup, French Roast, was Flavor of the Day, one of my favorites.

“I will give you a hint, a book.”

I smiled.  I remembered.  I answered, “Red Fish, Blue Fish.”

“You still love books, Ken.  That’s why you are such a good librarian.”

We looked at each other as we each sipped our drinks.

“Why are you talking to me now?” I looked at him over the edge of the cup.

“Ahhh, good question.  You see every year I show up somewhere, as myself, to someone.  Actually, to an adult.”

“Why not a kid?”

“Adults who believe pass on the spirit so much better.”

“But kids enjoy Christmas more,” I challenged.

“Do they?” he placed the specs back on his nose and began to skootch out of the booth.

  “Where are you off to?” I asked watching him pull on a bright red coat.

  “Oh, I think you know,” he said smiling at me.  “I almost forgot.  Here is something your wife asked for this year.  Enjoy another cup of coffee on me, Ken.’

He placed a small box wrapped in red with a tiny green bow around it.  I looked up at him and he touched his nose.  He patted me on the shoulder, smiled at me again and said, “Merry Christmas, Ken, and Happy New Year.”

I turned in my seat and watched him walk out the door. 

What do you think of that?!  Enjoy your cup of coffee!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from me!

Greg