Coffee and Mermaid

“A cup of coffee is not just a drink, it's an experience” she says.

Her eyes shine when she talks about coffee.

“Now, close your eyes and come with me!”

She grabs the coffee beans and begins to grind, as if she were putting her energy into that action.

“Smell it” she says, as she puts the powder into the colander and dumps the hot water.

“Do you see? It’s like traveling to the land of mermaids and being carried away by the waves”.

“You must”. She finishes filtering the drink and serves a generous cup.

I forget the lack of sleep of the previous days, the stress of the morning, the anxieties and absences. I take the first sip and feel the taste flooding me. The heart prepares to run and the body warms up, like a hug wrapped in blanket.

“That's what I needed” I tell her.

“Of course it was”

I keep drinking and when I close my eyes, I feel transported to another place. My feet are in the sand. I feel the grains scratching me gently. I look at the sea and she is swimming there. She comes back to the surface and her fin sways through the air.

“Would you like some more? Come get it!”

She jumps from one side to the other.

“Yes, please!”

I hear the sound of the cup filling up with the drink.

“What were we talking about?” she says.

“On the magic of coffee”

“Right. It is not every day that happens, but when we connect with the energy of the drink, we are taken where we want. What did you see?”

“The sea. The waves. Feet in the sand and mermaids”

“What are you waiting for? Put your own tail. You can be whatever you want!”

I open my eyes. No sign of the cafeteria. I'm in the water. Sea foam licks me like puppies dogs seeking attention.

“Where are we?” I ask.

There is no sign of her. Just me and my empty cup, until the day the mermaid will come to visit me one more time.