Robert Jordan
03-31-2007, 04:58 AM
A New Dawn
Dawn spread its wings early on Friday morning. I wrestled with sleep for a few more minutes after the alarm clock went off, and then I thought the better of it and got up to take a shower. I walked into the bathroom in the house where I lived and looked into the mirror. I took a shower, and was very cold when I stepped out of it. After getting ready I didn’t eat breakfast because I wasn’t really a breakfast person and I had to catch the bus anyway. I gave myself ten minutes to check the internet for e-mail messages and Myspace. Fifteen minutes later I left the house and stepped out into the chill December morning.
I lit a cigarette and watched the smoke drift from my mouth with my eyes to the ground. The walk was a trek but pleasant nonetheless. The crows were flying and so were a large group of seagulls who looked to be racing to the ocean to go catch fish. I moved at a more brisk pace when I saw the seagulls flying high over my head because I did not want to be **** on. I crossed the freeway overpass with its incessant whir that almost blocked out the music I was listening to on my Ipod. I took a seat on the bus bench and lit another cigarette and listened to the music and watched the street and finally the bus came and took me to work.
After the bus ride past the coast the café was looking pretty busy. The small parking lot was crowded with cars and people of all different shapes and sizes coming and going. I went into the backroom where the locker was and the boss’s office.
“Henry,” my boss Dave said. “I need you to sign on early”.
“Aw **** Dave, I was going to go have a quick cigarette.”
“No way dude, you smoke too many of those things as it is.”
“Well, I really do want one.”
“Ah, geeze, go have one then.”
“Okay,” I replied.
I went out and had a cigarette and noticed Sarah’s car pull up into the veranda. I got a little nervous with myself and tried to hold a more comfortable pose. She got out of her car and walked towards the doors but when she saw me she stopped and came over.
“John,” she said, shaking her head. “Why must you smoke those dreadful things?”
“Because I like them, I guess.”
“But don’t you know they’re so bad for you and really disgusting.”
“Yeah, what time are you working?” I asked trying to change the subject.
“In about five minutes.”
“Oh cool, so I guess we’ll be working together today.”
“Yeah, that’s really splendid.”
“Yeah.”
I continued smoking my cigarette and glanced up and around and at everything but her.
“Well, I’ll see you inside John, and you really ought to quit smoking.”
“Okay Sarah, yeah I’ll try and heed your advice.”
She walked inside and was gone. She looked pleasant and had beautiful green eyes that sometimes looked blue and sometimes were both colors if you weren’t really looking. Her hair was shorter and almost auburn. She always looked pleasant and had the faintest smell of fresh strawberries.
I finished my cigarette and walked inside.
I was greeted with annoying Christmas music coming from the radio and even more annoying customers who would have no day ahead of them if they didn’t have their lattes firsthand. I was feeling particularly dizzy and incoherent. I had embarked on a fine drinking binge the night before with my good friend Paul, who also worked at the shop.
Paul was too clever for his own good. You just knew once you got to know him that he would either be a rock star or a bum in ten years time. Providence or luck would have it either way for all he cared.
Once the customers drifted away to their work holes Paul and I decided to go have a quick smoke. Our boss, Dave, mumbled his dissent but finally acquiesced and we stepped out into the cold air.
We sat against the side of the shop and lit our cigarettes.
“Man, I’m so out of it from last night,” said Paul.
“Yeah, me too.” I sat and smoked and blew smoke out of my mouth and watched it drift off into the concrete of the street and to the stormy sky overhead.
“We should drink again tonight”.
“Yeah, I’m down for it”.
“Do, you work tomorrow?”
“No,” I said with mute satisfaction. “Do you?”
“Yeah", I have to open”.
We finished our cigarettes and went back inside.
The lights were dimmed in the café and Sarah was behind the bar working at the register. A customer went up to her and ordered a latte and she handed it to me and gave me a smile. It was not even a half smile, but it filled me and for one fleeting moment my heart and head flashed the feeling. But then my pride got the better of me and I thought, what can I say? Sarah I am in love with you and I know you don’t love me back maybe so therefore it is infatuation but I want too be with you for the rest of my life and of every woman you are the perfect one and I am intimidated by you and that is why you are too me what you are.
I made the latte and called out it’s name, “Mike, your latte, is ready,” putting a faux French and British accent on the word, which made Sarah laugh in a half adoring and half pitying way.
Dawn spread its wings early on Friday morning. I wrestled with sleep for a few more minutes after the alarm clock went off, and then I thought the better of it and got up to take a shower. I walked into the bathroom in the house where I lived and looked into the mirror. I took a shower, and was very cold when I stepped out of it. After getting ready I didn’t eat breakfast because I wasn’t really a breakfast person and I had to catch the bus anyway. I gave myself ten minutes to check the internet for e-mail messages and Myspace. Fifteen minutes later I left the house and stepped out into the chill December morning.
I lit a cigarette and watched the smoke drift from my mouth with my eyes to the ground. The walk was a trek but pleasant nonetheless. The crows were flying and so were a large group of seagulls who looked to be racing to the ocean to go catch fish. I moved at a more brisk pace when I saw the seagulls flying high over my head because I did not want to be **** on. I crossed the freeway overpass with its incessant whir that almost blocked out the music I was listening to on my Ipod. I took a seat on the bus bench and lit another cigarette and listened to the music and watched the street and finally the bus came and took me to work.
After the bus ride past the coast the café was looking pretty busy. The small parking lot was crowded with cars and people of all different shapes and sizes coming and going. I went into the backroom where the locker was and the boss’s office.
“Henry,” my boss Dave said. “I need you to sign on early”.
“Aw **** Dave, I was going to go have a quick cigarette.”
“No way dude, you smoke too many of those things as it is.”
“Well, I really do want one.”
“Ah, geeze, go have one then.”
“Okay,” I replied.
I went out and had a cigarette and noticed Sarah’s car pull up into the veranda. I got a little nervous with myself and tried to hold a more comfortable pose. She got out of her car and walked towards the doors but when she saw me she stopped and came over.
“John,” she said, shaking her head. “Why must you smoke those dreadful things?”
“Because I like them, I guess.”
“But don’t you know they’re so bad for you and really disgusting.”
“Yeah, what time are you working?” I asked trying to change the subject.
“In about five minutes.”
“Oh cool, so I guess we’ll be working together today.”
“Yeah, that’s really splendid.”
“Yeah.”
I continued smoking my cigarette and glanced up and around and at everything but her.
“Well, I’ll see you inside John, and you really ought to quit smoking.”
“Okay Sarah, yeah I’ll try and heed your advice.”
She walked inside and was gone. She looked pleasant and had beautiful green eyes that sometimes looked blue and sometimes were both colors if you weren’t really looking. Her hair was shorter and almost auburn. She always looked pleasant and had the faintest smell of fresh strawberries.
I finished my cigarette and walked inside.
I was greeted with annoying Christmas music coming from the radio and even more annoying customers who would have no day ahead of them if they didn’t have their lattes firsthand. I was feeling particularly dizzy and incoherent. I had embarked on a fine drinking binge the night before with my good friend Paul, who also worked at the shop.
Paul was too clever for his own good. You just knew once you got to know him that he would either be a rock star or a bum in ten years time. Providence or luck would have it either way for all he cared.
Once the customers drifted away to their work holes Paul and I decided to go have a quick smoke. Our boss, Dave, mumbled his dissent but finally acquiesced and we stepped out into the cold air.
We sat against the side of the shop and lit our cigarettes.
“Man, I’m so out of it from last night,” said Paul.
“Yeah, me too.” I sat and smoked and blew smoke out of my mouth and watched it drift off into the concrete of the street and to the stormy sky overhead.
“We should drink again tonight”.
“Yeah, I’m down for it”.
“Do, you work tomorrow?”
“No,” I said with mute satisfaction. “Do you?”
“Yeah", I have to open”.
We finished our cigarettes and went back inside.
The lights were dimmed in the café and Sarah was behind the bar working at the register. A customer went up to her and ordered a latte and she handed it to me and gave me a smile. It was not even a half smile, but it filled me and for one fleeting moment my heart and head flashed the feeling. But then my pride got the better of me and I thought, what can I say? Sarah I am in love with you and I know you don’t love me back maybe so therefore it is infatuation but I want too be with you for the rest of my life and of every woman you are the perfect one and I am intimidated by you and that is why you are too me what you are.
I made the latte and called out it’s name, “Mike, your latte, is ready,” putting a faux French and British accent on the word, which made Sarah laugh in a half adoring and half pitying way.