He came here and set up today, the coffee man from Café Carousel.
He set up here today at lowly Roosevelt.
With his craft table and its black skirt; with his gleaming dual-boilers and his array of rainbow syrups.
He came here today to serve staff free drinks: cinnamon mochas, vanilla lattés, and caramel macchiatos.
Word of the coffee man spread like firing neurons.
Staff ran like electrical signals through dendrites and axons.
“Free espresso drinks for all!”
“Free espresso drinks for all!”
The cell body pulsating with the mind-blowing good news.
In the staff room was the coffee man.
In line, we stood each silently holding tight that this would last
Till at least those in line got their decadent cup in hand.
Was this real, was a coffee man serving drinks to Title 1 Roosevelt?
Don’t question it; don’t speak out loud; stay silent — quiet.
Call no attention to this wondrous scene, this Disney animation.
A prize for the underserved, the under-represented, the underclass.
Gourmet treatment for those normally gifted leftovers.
Thank you, coffee man.
Elsewhere across town, there is rebuke.
The coffee man didn’t show.
What? He didn’t show?!
Well, this is an unwelcome disruption.
Someone obviously screwed up.
Morning coffee is my form of self-care. Now what?
Well, I skipped Starbucks. It’s too late to go now.
Well, why would you have gone?
We were expecting custom drinks here.
This morning, we were expecting custom espresso drinks here.
Instead, we have nothing?
We’re standing here in a line to nowhere? To nothing?
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, and we — we have nothing?
This is an outrage!
Teachers at Roosevelt are drinking our drinks?
Aides at Roosevelt are drinking our drinks?
KITCHEN STAFF AND JANITORS ARE DRINKING OUR DRINKS?
At Roosevelt?
Pack up your things, coffee man.
You’re at the wrong campus.
You’re on the wrong side of town.
You’re on the labor end of the spear
The business end is over here — across town, at the academy.
Here. Now.
And the common Roosevelt workers drop their shoulders. They scuff their feet and drift away.
Some with full cups. Others, empty.
But all whispering thank you for the very sight of coffee man.
IN THIS ISSUE
Heroes and Villains
Image
“Open Clouds Blue – Gratitude by Nakeva” — photo by Nakeva Corothers, FlickrCC, https://tinyurl.com/yyhxnst7 (beverage added)