Coffee talks

Grey Earl

He was always sad and I never understood why. The first time I met him was at a record store as I was looking through vinyls. "I really like that album,"I told him as he picked up Humanz by Gorillaz. He didn't say anything in return.

"If you like that album you might also like Muse Simulation Theory." I said to him as I handed him the album. "It's an experience."

He took the album from my hand then asked,"Do you work here?"

"No,I just come here sometimes to look at records,"I answered sincerely.

"What other bands do you recommend listening to?"

"Depends on what you are looking for?"

"I mostly like Rock,Alternative and some Indie music."

"Well Muse,Tame Impala,Cage the Elephant and Fitz and the Tantrums are some of my favorite bands. They all have these amazing sounds in their music. It's like art for your ears."

"I will try to listen to them,"he said as he headed to the register with both albums in his hand. "What's your name?"he asked before heading out the door.

"Arabella,what's yours?"

"Axel,"he answered as he walked out.

I don't know what it was but something made me want to follow him. "Where are you going?" I asked him.

"To get coffee,"he said coldly

"Oh I know this amazing coffee place,"I told him as I grab him and pulled him to follow me.

"This place has the best coffee and pastries,"I assured him as I opened the door and heard the sound of the small bell ring.

"It looks cozy,"he said monotonously. The place itself was aesthetically pleasing. Small and cozy. Filled with greenery and a calming atmosphere.

"I would like a lavender honey tea and a grey earl tea for my friend,"I told the barista.

"One Lavender Honey tea for Arabella and what's your friend's name?"

"Axel,"he answered.

"I usually order black coffee,"he told me as we choose a place to sit.

"Really? I'm not very fond of black coffee."

"Well it helps me wake up."

"I love this song,"I told him as Apocalypse by Cigarettes after sex started to play.

"It's a good song,"he agreed. I sang along to it as we waited for our teas.

"What's your favorite song?" he asked me after the song ended. By this time we had our teas. I took a sip of it as I taught about it.

"I like a lot of songs but I don't have a favorite song. I feel like your favorite song says a lot about who you are as a person and there isn't a song that I have heard that would describe me. So I would say I'm still looking for it. But some songs that I really like are Piledriver Waltz by the Artic Monkeys and Andromeda by Gorillaz. What about you,do you have a favorite song?"

"Wires by The Neighborhood."

"Great choice. I wish it where that easy for me to choose a song. That I could just hear the beginning of it and say yes that's the one."

"Maybe you'll find your song someday,"he said as he took the first sip of his drink. "It's good,"he then said.

"Do you ever yearn for something that you haven't done yet? Like you have this longing for a time that hasn't happened. For a piece of music you fell in love with but you haven't hear yet."

"I barely want to live in the now much the less think about things that haven't happened." He answered.

"Maybe you just need broaden your horizons and be a little more optimistic,"I tell him.

He shrugged as he took another sip.

"It was nice meeting you but I have to go,"he said once he finished his tea.

I stayed at the coffee shop staring at my empty cup now. I had met a lot of people in my life but no one had an aura of sadness like he had. He seemed like all he wanted was for the universe to suck him up. I was a sucker for people like that.

"Would you like another cup?"The Barista Julia asked me.

"Yes please,"I answered.

I listen to the music as I drank my second cup of tea. I watched as people came in and out of the coffee shop. I loved being in this atmosphere where the smell of coffee lingered,where strangers sat in a comfortable silence and only the echo of laughter from closed friends was heard.

The people who came to this coffee shop was a range of hipsters to businessman with their computers. I didn't fit into those categories. I pulled out a book so I wouldn't look so conspicuous. It was a copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Every autumn I would re read it.

I was on the tenth page when I decided to get up and go into a bookstore. I had read the same book for five years now. It was time to broaden my horizons. A faint musty scent intoxicated me like an old perfume as I entered the bookstore. I looked though the shelfs but no book spoke to me.

I then saw a shelf with books that were wrapped in brown paper. Blind date with a book the sign on top of the shelf read. I read through the descriptions of each before deciding on one.

I carefully unwrapped the brown paper after purchasing it,No longer human was the name of the title.

I took my blind date to a nearby bench. This time of year my small town transformed into a Halloween town. It was the only time of year where my small town was no longer a ghost town.

Every shop was decorated with pumpkins and ghouls. The trees where decorated with jack-o'-lanterns. The leaves had begun to change colors. Autumn was the only time I felt alive. I put on my headphones and choose an autumn playlist to play. I sat on the bench next to a fake skeleton and began to read my new book.

As I read the book I could relate to the author I also didn't know what it was like to be human. I didn't have any friends since high school. I knew what it was like to be alone and alienated from society. Ever since I can remember I always felt like I was living someone's else's life. Like I was no longer human,just a shell or a npc.

I watched as the leaves did their waltz with the wind and then as they slowly kissed the ground. I got up and picked up a few leaves.

I sat on the dead grass and pulled out my sketch book. I laid the leaves in front of me and began to draw. Drawing was the only thing that made me feel human. As I sketched the leaves I could see how distinct they were from one another. Two of them were a shade of yellow and the other two were brown.

Even though the leaves were dead they felt so alive. I held the leaves in my hand studying them carefully. They had so many lines. I drew each line carefully. I wanted to make my sketch feel alive as well. I then colored them with my pencils shading in the darkest parts.

The sun was beginning to go down so I packed all my supplies. I watched the sun set. As it set the light shone on the buildings for a little while. The sky looked red and the clouds looked like pink cotton candy. Then darkness came.