Coffee and Milk
by pnnm
Tags: Cafe, Tragedy
Content warnings:
Implied character death
Winter is the season where everything just seems to stop. Buildings are covered in white, and people start to bundle themselves in layers of thick clothing. The streets are sparse with pedestrians, roads become empty, its like everything had vanished in an instant.
Dropping temperatures meant dropping customers.
And Asta was left alone in his little cafe, cleaning the tables, checking the stock, waiting for the faithful moment the welcome bell chimed just for a little conversation. Somehow there was always something to do despite the quiet scene in front of him, maybe that was a good thing, it takes his mind off the loneliness.
His ears perked up when he heard the bell ring, turning to the entrance to see an old man, shedding off his snow-covered jacket. He was very quiet, and there was a solemn, sombre air around him. Even so, Asta makes haste to greet him in this empty cafe, finding the man a suitable table for him, waiting to take his order with a notepad in hand. The silence was still so awkward, until that man finally spoke.
His voice was soothing.
It was a nice voice to listen to.
Nevertheless, Asta started to prepare that man’s order.
He specialised in making drinks that not only heated the body, but also warmed the heart. It was important not to burn anything. It was delicate work, watching as the espresso in the glass slowly mixed with the steamed milk, swirling together to blend the unique rich aroma of coffee with the subtle sweetness and lightness of milk. The honeycomb gold top remained, painted with a silky white rose. The flower is difficult to draw with just milk foam, but Asta is more than skilled enough to attempt such artwork.
The Latte is no less complex than the cappuccino or flat white, but holds a stable balance in flavours compared to each drink. It’s a drink that’s on the sweeter, milkier side, yet fused with the richness and slight bitterness of the coffee.
Asta set down the Latte on the man’s table.
…
“Is there anything on your mind? Shall I listen to your worries and woes?”
Asta kept his eyes on that man, whose heavy eyes looked back up at the young-looking barista. Taking his coffee in hand, he gestured for Asta to sit in the seat opposing him. Then, he asked a strange yet so common question.
“Have you ever fallen in love before?”
Asta couldn’t answer.
The man continued.
“…I fell in love one day. I think it was destiny, fate or whatever you could call it.”
We met by accident, he mixed up his laptop with mine. He was a bitter individual, someone who I thought I’d never get along with.
As we continued to meet under coincidences, we eventually got to know each other. Maybe fate was trying to push us together even then.
Being young and fearless idiots that had just become adults, we had similar mentalities when it came to life, just different ways of handling it. He was sharp and closed off, but he had a complex character beneath that layer, it took me so long to understand him as a person. But I think getting mixed up in each other’s lives was perhaps one of the best things that had ever happened.
I think I knew I’d loved him when we shared a drink together. I hated anything bitter, but I remember having his coffee as a joke. I remember that cup of coffee tasting sweeter than any candy I liked back then.
I think he knew I’d loved him when we kissed under the shifting autumn trees on campus. Time seemed to stop at that moment, even though the winds were getting colder, I felt so warm holding him close to me. I loved his slight smile that always looked more like a devious smirk.
We knew we truly loved each other when we got matching earrings. Every little thing he did was filled with his love for me, I did my best to give that love back. He would hold my hand, saying he’d just keep them warm as an excuse to hold them. He’d sneak kisses every now and then.
We knew we would keep loving each other forever when we got married. Gods above, I knew I’d never stop loving him even if he was gone.
“You’re a very devoted husband.”
Asta had a smile on his face. The man laughed.
“I’d like to think so.”
“…Then, sir, what makes you so sombre on this clear winter morning?”
Those clouded eyes, it was like rain was pouring in that man’s heart.
Asta couldn’t imagine how much pain that customer was going through.
“…He left me on this day, so many years ago.”
But that gentleman had a small smile on his face.
“I wonder if I’ll meet him soon, my bones are growing old and my heart is slowing down. Even if I’ve aged like spoiled milk. If I could still love him even after so long, I’m certain he’d still love me after waiting so long.”
“I’m sure he’d be filled with joy to be meeting his husband again after so long.”
The coffee is finished, and so was their conversation.
Asta stands up and begins to tidy the table.
When the man opens his wallet, Asta stops him from even taking out a single bill.
“Sir, it’s alright, I don’t need the money.”
“…How could I not pay a kind worker who listened to a love story from an old man?”
Asta smiles.
“I’ve already been paid by your story, you possess a wonderful love. Besides, someone’s waiting for you outside, I think you shouldn’t keep them out for so long.”
The old man looks over in confusion, seeing a younger man wave at him.
With a gasp of disbelief, he suddenly stands from his seat.
Tears pour from his eyes, slowly walking over to that figure giving him a familiar smile, one that looked more like a devious smirk.
He exits the cafe, the bell ringing as the door closes.
From inside the cafe, cleaning the Latte glass, Asta could see two young lovers finally reunited within each other’s embrace once more. Enduring the winds, they walk off together, holding each other’s hearts close.
Winter is the season where everything just seems to stop.
But Asta’s work continues on, like nothing had vanished in the first place.
Author's Account:
Woow, Asta feels a little mysterious after that ending! It was so sweet to hear that old (???) man's story, and then he gets to be reunited with his husband...who is Asta, though?!
Thank you for sharing this!
That was so cute!
Really enjoyed the reminisced love story.
Amazing that you made a dark ending so happy.
A shot of bitter espresso enveloped in sweet, light milk... You nailed the title of those story right off the bat. And the sour feeling in my nose telling me I'm close to tears said you pushed the right emotional buttons for me, at least.
There no need to know their names, just their story. What a nice way to frame this story. And I'm very sure Asta is waiting somewhere for another one.
Thank you for this lovely concoction that did indeed warm the heart in a very bittersweet way.
I must say, I know very little about the work of baristas, but I quite liked the initial narration setting the scene at the cafe - that thing about how the weather affected the number of customers in particular.
Personally however, I wish that we could've seen more of Asta. In its current form, the story feels sort of unbalanced. Sure, Asta is not an active participant in the romance but rather a listener and observer - but I feel that he could've been included more regardless. Like, instead of having seven paragraphs of 1st POV as the man tells his story, the stuff he said could've been included as regular lines, interspersed with for example Asta's observations about the man's behaviour and the surroundings and whatnot. Also, if I had been the one to write this story, then I would've probably had Asta continue working a bit and *then* had the man asking "Have you ever fallen in love before?"
People don't usually go about confessing their whole life story - or love life - to a stranger even when prompted - and if they talk, then they're usually a bit more hesitant about it (unless they're intoxicated, I guess?)
I mean sure, maybe Asta being what he is makes people more inclined to talk, but given the atmosphere that was built up in the initial paragraphs, it's a shame that there's not more description about what the man does as he continues talking - he could've been smiling fondly and/or fiddled with his old wedding ring or stirred his coffee or whatever.
On a final note, something that irked me: The inconsistency in terms of tense - Things started out with verbs in the past tense, but then the present tense started getting mixed in more and more. Please be consistent - keep the story in the same timezone
Also, should we really call this a tragedy? Is it not a warm reunion?
@Zaiakuma I would call it a tragedy in that the husband had been dead for a while which made the older gentleman be alone all those years. And then more of a tragedy by the fact that he had also died.
'-'
That's just my opinion on that, though.
X
That was a pretty fresh take on a grim reaper story. Or maybe Asta is more like Charon, if he ran a cafe instead of a ferry across the Styx.
I like how we don't really figure out until the end that the husband left because he died, and that the cafe is the old man's stopping place on the way to the afterlife to be reunited with his lover.
That was a sweet (and simultaneously devastating) story! Sooo Asta is a matchmaker? A diviner? Neat twist!!! Thanks for sharing it!
Short, bitter and sweet yet simple.
Although the opening, I wondered why Asta was so open with listening to an old man talk out of the blue, at the end of the story, sounds like there is more to Asta than meet the eyes.
I don't really have much to say about this other than well done. You were worried about it being a mess, though I for one, believe there is room for improvement but that is for the way you write and tell the story. As for the plot, you did good. You took one scene of Asta's daily life and showed it to us. You didn't over-explain anything. I didn't feel like I need to know more either which is good for a short story that may or may not have a continuation. I do wonder about Asta but at the same time, I don't feel the need to pry his secrets.
As for character development, I wish you spoke more about the old man. His demeanour, his personality or maybe his aura because we only learnt about his husband from his story. Not much about the elder gentleman himself, to which, this could've done by Asta.
Thank you for sharing a short and simple story. One that doesn't require overanalysing or understanding anything else that is outside the cafe.
Thank you for sharing your story with us. You should have more confidence in yourself.
Simplistic enjoyer, Heart 🤎
Although short, it still vibrantly describes the love that old man had! I aspire to be able to write like this. Although the fact that the old man's partner left him was sad, in the end I felt warm because we got to see them reunite together again! Asta is very curious however... perhaps he is also Death?
Thank you for the story!!!
WAHHHH THIS WAS SO FUN!!!! It was short and to the point--and it does it so well!!
The detailed coffee-making truly sent my cravings to another level
I'm gonna go make myself a cup now hahah! Seriously, wonderful descriptions when talking about the coffee. I could taste it in my mouth, grahhhhh!!!
I loved all the peppered hints to the reveal at the end that all isn't as we think. The man doesn't need to pay and is reunited with his lover..! I wonder if this could be some kind of transition place to the after life? And Asta had some sort of role in helping souls move on? Regardless, it was a wonderful window into Asta's work and one of many people he must interact with! Thank you for the story!