LETTER 68
The Usual
A fictional letter from Management.
Written
On Monday, Management ordered a black coffee.
We drank a little. There was a jug of milk on the table by the window. We took our cup over.
On Tuesday, the woman behind the counter saw us coming.
“Black coffee?”
We nodded.
She reached for a cup.
“I remembered,” she said.
We sat at the table by the window.
On Wednesday, she had our cup ready before we reached the till.
“The usual.”
We put down the money.
She set the milk jug beside the cups.
“Some in this morning?”
“No, thank you.”
She held the jug above our cup.
“Just a little?”
“We like it black.”
She put the jug down and turned to a man who wanted directions to the station.
When they were both looking at the street, we added the milk.
At the window, we stirred without letting the spoon touch the sides.
Management