The cool and crisp feeling of fall surrounding the air sets up a perfect mood to curl up in the warmth of a hot brewed coffee. The happiness of autumn fermented well with this all-time favorite beverage is better relished in the company of friends. In this ever so busy life, friends and a cup of coffee are the little extra kick one needs to pep up a rather ordinary day.
Soaked in the week’s stress I planned to give myself a little caffeine therapy because coffee is always a good idea. As I sat near my window relishing the warmth of my drink, I could see the shedding leaves being drifted away by the wild rising wind, just like time and the hustle bustle of our lives compel us to drift away from people we could never stay without. Soon my thoughts went down the memory lane and I was reminiscing about those good old days with friends when we used to enjoy nature’s retreat from summer at our favorite coffee junction. I missed those days and friends with whom the only form of contact became a mere exchange of random pictures in a WhatsApp group.
A little voice in my heart demanded to make an effort for a reunion with those friends. I left a message on my college WhatsApp group, “It’s weekend tomorrow! Let’s catch up at our favorite coffee joint and relive the moments.”
After sending the message, restlessness crept in my heart. Will they really come? After a while, my phone started to buzz with many notifications sent by my friends in the group. Some of them seemed pretty excited with the idea of a reunion while some had their reasons to give it a pass. After much deliberation, we all agreed to meet at 5 in the evening, the following day.
The day arrived and it seemed as if the sun rose with an unusual kind of excitement. I woke up and ground my coffee beans to make this happy morning even better. The day seemed to pass at its own slow pace but unable to handle my impatience I left for the coffee joint way ahead of time. I was there half-an-hour early. The place, as usual, was brimming with inexplicable buoyancy. Luckily, I was able to occupy our favorite table by the side of a floor-to-ceiling window.
I was excitedly waiting for my friends, the whiff of coffee unleashed the door and a gush of memories flooded my mind. You can say it was a kind of “déjà-brew.”
Suddenly someone patted me on my shoulder. It was Kim, one of my friends. I was more than overjoyed to see her. We were soon joined by the other buddies in the group.
It was like a dream. The subtle roar of, “It’s-been-a-long-time-since-we-came-here”, filled the room and our hearts with an untold delight. It was a surprise as everyone turned up even those who wanted to give it a pass. From “what’s-up-these-days” to sharing a few gossips while we slurped our Americanos, Latte’s, Cappuccino’s with some tasteful chocolate chip cookies, we filled our cups with magic.
It was a leisurely time with chit chat and laughter. I realized even though time and career drifted all of us apart, nothing changed between us. As the clock struck eight, we reluctantly decided to wrap up and head back home, but with a promise, “No matter what, we’ll take some time out for coffee and friends.”
Let’s relish the cozy warmth of the season, let’s capture happiness in a cup and make an effort to catch up with our long lost buddies. Let us take time out for people we love and send them hearty reminders with our warm greetings. After all ‘Life is too short for anything less than a stellar coffee and phenomenal friends.’