Part 13
Walking turned into thirst and soon I found my feet had decided to deliver me to the doorstep of my favorite lounging spot. A small awkward building painted a virulent green bore the legend Coffee. Tea. Sea. over the door and true to advertising served a variety of beverages and had a huge window overlooking the harbor. I headed to my accustomed spot in a corner at the back of the narrow room, a velvet covered wingback chair and a small table tucked between the edge of the windows and the counter. One wall was covered with jars of teas and coffee beans, steam pipes twisted into a gordian knot of brass fittings in the midst of it all. Ferocious glubbing and roaring noises emanated from the back counter as drinks were prepared barely muffled by the wooden screen separating the preparation from the consumption. A large tattooed man with arms bearing illustrations from five of the seven continents nodded at me pulling a cup from under the counter and turning to the whistling machine. I was presented with a tall cup shaped like a daffodil with a lovely little handle like fretwork filed to the brim with foamy goodness. I took it carefully and inhaled the rich aroma setting it carefully on the little table.
"Diary?" my genial monolith asked. I had rarely heard him say more than one word at a time. I nodded in reply. He smiled at me displaying very large teeth, a nod later and he was back behind his counter manning the pipes. I pulled out my book and pencil nudging the table to a comfortable position. I sat and sipped calling up my earlier incident for review. I had expected some shock and resistance to Luther. I hadn't expected random interventions in the park. My society was one that would politely pretend they hadn't seen a naked man taking tea ten feet away on a bright sunny day rather than deal with something one simply didn't do. My father was wont to make rude comments about this tendency and I usually agreed with him. Today I would have been glad of some of that willful ignorance. This laid a new filter over things. Could I expect more assaults if I continued to appear in public with my… friend? And if we chose to take it further than friendship, what then? Small minds have always hated proof of a world larger than themselves. I rather enjoyed being the thing that made their tiny heads explode but I was contrary and had little to lose. My family was another matter. Mother had important clients that might be turned off by a scandal. Obversely they could flock to her door in droves for the same reason. Father….was a law unto himself. I wouldn't worry about him unless he told me I should. I had rarely met a more formidable man when roused and I heartily pitied anyone that tried to disarrange his world over this. He had views. I sipped again appreciating the beverage. I should discuss this with Luther first of all. He was principally involved in the unpleasant business. If he was unconcerned then hang the young fool. If there was a group of idiots causing trouble he would be the first to know as the main recipient. I wondered briefly if that was the motivation behind an unseen position in the back room of a museum where hardly anyone ever went. If so it was a brilliant career choice I had every intention of exploiting. If he was unhappy there then I would have to see if a more pleasing arrangement could be made. That would leave a vacancy in his present position that I knew the perfect person to fill. Namely me. I scribbled some of this down as it passed through my head turning the occasional page. When I had my head sorted and my cup was empty I left the customary coins in the saucer and set it on the counter. Next stop, museum. I had a mission.
****
Wow. We are quite a ways in to this little jaunt of mine. I will admit to being very surprised at the sheer amount of work I actually did on this. As you can probably tell we are approaching the end of the prewritten backlog. Due to the poo and corruption going on around here it has been awhile since I had a writing afternoon I could count on. With the dribs and drabs I have managed to put down we have another week of updates, maybe two if I get a blinding flash of inspiration. If I don't then the plan is to take a hiatus for the holidays and return in January when I have had a chance to breathe a little in the semester break.
Things you can do if you like what you are reading; Post to your social media site of choice and tell your friends what you like.
Throw some spare change into the tip jar if you can. I use it to go sit in my coffee shop and write more of the things you have been reading.
Spend a few minuets and tell me what you have enjoyed about the series so far, what you wish I had changed, or what you want to see happen. I make no firm promises but you always inspire me with your feed back.
"Diary?" my genial monolith asked. I had rarely heard him say more than one word at a time. I nodded in reply. He smiled at me displaying very large teeth, a nod later and he was back behind his counter manning the pipes. I pulled out my book and pencil nudging the table to a comfortable position. I sat and sipped calling up my earlier incident for review. I had expected some shock and resistance to Luther. I hadn't expected random interventions in the park. My society was one that would politely pretend they hadn't seen a naked man taking tea ten feet away on a bright sunny day rather than deal with something one simply didn't do. My father was wont to make rude comments about this tendency and I usually agreed with him. Today I would have been glad of some of that willful ignorance. This laid a new filter over things. Could I expect more assaults if I continued to appear in public with my… friend? And if we chose to take it further than friendship, what then? Small minds have always hated proof of a world larger than themselves. I rather enjoyed being the thing that made their tiny heads explode but I was contrary and had little to lose. My family was another matter. Mother had important clients that might be turned off by a scandal. Obversely they could flock to her door in droves for the same reason. Father….was a law unto himself. I wouldn't worry about him unless he told me I should. I had rarely met a more formidable man when roused and I heartily pitied anyone that tried to disarrange his world over this. He had views. I sipped again appreciating the beverage. I should discuss this with Luther first of all. He was principally involved in the unpleasant business. If he was unconcerned then hang the young fool. If there was a group of idiots causing trouble he would be the first to know as the main recipient. I wondered briefly if that was the motivation behind an unseen position in the back room of a museum where hardly anyone ever went. If so it was a brilliant career choice I had every intention of exploiting. If he was unhappy there then I would have to see if a more pleasing arrangement could be made. That would leave a vacancy in his present position that I knew the perfect person to fill. Namely me. I scribbled some of this down as it passed through my head turning the occasional page. When I had my head sorted and my cup was empty I left the customary coins in the saucer and set it on the counter. Next stop, museum. I had a mission.
****
Wow. We are quite a ways in to this little jaunt of mine. I will admit to being very surprised at the sheer amount of work I actually did on this. As you can probably tell we are approaching the end of the prewritten backlog. Due to the poo and corruption going on around here it has been awhile since I had a writing afternoon I could count on. With the dribs and drabs I have managed to put down we have another week of updates, maybe two if I get a blinding flash of inspiration. If I don't then the plan is to take a hiatus for the holidays and return in January when I have had a chance to breathe a little in the semester break.
Things you can do if you like what you are reading; Post to your social media site of choice and tell your friends what you like.
Throw some spare change into the tip jar if you can. I use it to go sit in my coffee shop and write more of the things you have been reading.
Spend a few minuets and tell me what you have enjoyed about the series so far, what you wish I had changed, or what you want to see happen. I make no firm promises but you always inspire me with your feed back.