A cup of coffee on the way home

I’ve loved coffee since I was a child, and I enjoy it to the fullest—every cup I drink is a special moment that comes just when I need it, whether it’s in the morning, at lunch, or in the afternoon. This time I bought a black coffee in a paper cup—simple, quick, and held steady only by the precarious balance of the car’s dashboard. I bought it on my way home, and as traffic moved slowly, I enjoyed my drink and some background music, since the drive was long.

Drinking coffee from a glass is very different from drinking it from a cup, since the glass keeps it hot and is perfect. Plus, I ordered it black and it was pretty strong—the kind that doesn’t ask for permission, but wakes you up and gives you the energy to get through the rest of the day, because after so many hours of struggles and sleep deprivation, I really needed it. At first, it was a little hard for me to drink because I wasn’t used to it; however, that first sip of coffee was a bit of a shock and I choked a little, but then, as the traffic started moving, I got the hang of it and began to enjoy the drink.

Soft music to keep me company and drown out the sound of the engine, the screech of the tires, and the thoughts that come and go, just like the cars on the highway. Then, the scenery shifts to a beautiful sunset that catches my eye—a nearly perfect blend of colors, with a tree and the sun setting in just the right spot. As the sun set, my coffee was finished.

After a few miles on the road, I finally arrived home, where exhaustion set in, and I was surprised by just how much coffee that paper cup could hold—given how much I’d drunk. At that moment, the coffee served as a bridge between what had been and what was to come: home, rest, and the silence that truly soothes. With that last sip of my coffee, I realized that not all coffees are meant to kick things off. Some are made, precisely, for the return.