Privateering

Episode II: Waking Up, Catching Up, Levelling Up

03/16/2023 - Levallier, Corporal (USMC-Retired)

          Walking into my kitchen which was on my right as I cleared the hallway I spied the time; 6:53 a.m. and noticed the microwave that sat above my oven all black had finally been synced. They were usually off by a difference of five to ten minutes. My kitchen coming from the hallway that led to my bedroom held first a multicolored tile, blue, light blue, gray, and white tiny squares that made up a larger square in a pattern that spanned the whole kitchen. An island with a few drawers and lower openings was first visible then one would see the countertop; blackened marble with the stove, microwave, coffee maker and other appliances within reach. On the Island was a Domino's pizza box, some bananas held up by a metal hanger and one bottle of water that must have been frozen because the amount of water that surrounded it was ready to spill off the edge like a waterfall and it was sitting in the middle! 

           "Damn I'm stupid!" I said aloud. I opened the pizza box eyeing only two left; had there been more? "She has certainly come and gone." I said aloud as well. The sun was now shining through enough to allow for a clear enough view that I didn't need to turn on the light. I grabbed a broom, dust pan, dry towel, mop and bucket out of the closet. When I finished cleaning I grabbed a banana, the pizza box and the door to the fridge. I stared into the fridge, into the dark cool evenly distributed spaces. There was a short delay in that it would not light up for another 12-15 seconds so the only light was from a small bit of sunshine that reached around my figure and touched a fruit flavored drink in my already fully considered thoughts; one of taking with me. 

          Satisfied with my choice I put all the cleaning supplies in their respective places, peeled open the banana, slid the bottle of fruit juice in a pocket of my backpack, swiped my keys off the rack next to the front door and plopped them in my back pocket. I opened the door and met the sunlight on equal ground, as rays filled my eyes I didn't even flinch as I finished my banana, pulled my shades out of my breast pocket, flicked them on; making the daylight go from its normative sky blue with a hint of reddish pink due to the early morning to a sky that pinkish near the sun like that of a carnation at the bottom of my shades to a cerulean blue toward the top of them. I stood for a moment and stared at the open sky, nearly forgetting about the banana peel. Near my island was a small trash can on the adjacent wall, which was deep blue, dark but discernible. 

          I tossed the peel into it and closed the door. For a moment I looked down at the clean cut grass then peering at my shoes and considered changing them. I was wearing a pair of three month old Nikes, they were SB's that had just come out and already had issues, especially the right side with a tear on the left side near the nape. It was time to get a new pair but to be honest they had become much more comfortable the day I noticed the tear. I took my keys from my back pocket and locked the door. I walked past the garage that connected to my house. I looked at the pure white garage door and then I continued walking. 

9:37 a.m. - Kellie's Coffee (Shop)

         I love to go to a good coffee shop and get my bearings straight amongst people but not directly having to speak with them. Put it this way; you know that feeling you get when you're sipping on your favorite hot or cold beverage? I particularly preferred a white chocolate macchiato with a bit of ice, surrounded by others in a decent proximity whereby you can hear their conversations but can completely tune out once you're immersed in your work or perhaps your studies. It's quite gratifying really, uniquely calming and today was the day I'd be meeting Aliosia at my current location of Kellie's Coffee; a coffee shop downtown. Usually I wouldn't mind driving but the spring weather is very much temperamental and I liked temperamental because it created an one-of-a-kind opportunity to train ibn an unknown set of levels in which I could not myself predict and considering the fact that I biked here, including taking a downhill slope at nearly a 45 degree angle; I was traveling in lane with traffic in excess of 30 miles an hour!

        Of course Aliosia would kill me if she found out that is how I preferred to travel, had traveled and would continue to until she stopped popping into my house in the middle of the night for a pizza without so much as a voicemail! But, that was often and I'd grown used to it and often found the sight of her on my couch or at my computer desk slumped and drooling with my keys in her hand or on her keychain. As I continued to think and research positions within the private sector she walked in. 

10:27 a.m. - Kellie's Coffee

        Aliosia with her semi long, dainty, seemingly self propelled into perfect. No... a perpetual bounce of a stride. She nearly waltzed over to the counter but as soon as she saw me she no longer stepped toward the given I couldn't possibly be drinking two oversized cups of coffee... maybe I could. She smiled at the barista who smiled back and began to walk my way. She was of a great figure, at about 117 pounds, five foot four, sporting a fairly tight light blue and red splotched tank and dark blue jean shorts and a pair of white ospreys; I couldn't help but stare a moment. I held up the steaming extra large mocha, complete with several other special items O cannot remember. The only reason I'm able to have it in the first place is because the barista memorizes her order. A tip well earned I say and she promptly receives one the minute I walk in. "Oh you got it!" Said happily as I kicked out the chair a bit.