Coffee is made early in the morning

Brigitte Lunguieki Malungo

by Brigitte Lunguieki Malungo

Story

»Here you go, an espresso macchiato, a pretzel roll with salami and a raisin bun to go.« My warm smile accompanied the careful placement of the tray, adorned with a paper cup and neatly wrapped pastries, upon the counter. »Your total amounts to six euros and ninety-eight cents. Will you be paying with cash or by card?« I inquired with unwavering geniality. The lady, likely in her fifties, adjusted her vibrant red glasses, their lenses magnifying her gaze, and stared back at me without uttering a word.

Attempting to decipher the depths of her gaze proved perplexing. Was she taken aback by the price, perhaps still drowsy at this early hour, unable to hear my question? Or was her hesitation linked to an underlying discomfort with being served by a Black woman? Sadly, such scenarios were all too common, transpiring almost daily, and despite the frequency, I found no fortitude in facing them.

Yesterday, my experienced coworker, Annelore, and I manned the sales counter together. An older man had the audacity to repeatedly admonish me against touching his coffee cup with what he crudely referred to as my »dirty African fingers«, loudly insisting on being attended to solely by my coworker. Annelore responded curtly, asserting, »Mr. Kirschhaus, as you can observe, my hands are occupied. If you refuse the service of my esteemed colleague and continue to insult individuals here, I must insist that you promptly depart our bakery. What shall be your choice?« Annoyed and grumbling inaudibly, he turned on his heels, leaving us to hear fragments of his discontent: »This cannot be…customer is always right…I come here every…« We exchanged knowing glances, our patience waning.

»If you hadn’t intervened, I would have given him a piece of my mind«, I confessed, my voice trembling, as Annelore gently touched my arm. »I understand, and you would have been entirely justified, but I didn’t want him to further spoil your day«, she reassured me with a kind smile, for which I felt immensely grateful.

Today, standing alone behind the counter, I braced myself for yet another potential altercation that might echo from the expansive windows. However, the lady with the conspicuous spectacles remained silent, gazing unwaveringly at me. Eventually, she averted her eyes, retrieving her purse from her handbag to settle the bill with a ten euro note. I accepted it gracefully, placing the change upon a metal tray before her. »Here you go, have a wonderful day«, I said, earnestly hoping to bring closure to this peculiar moment.

Unexpectedly, the corners of her lips twitched. »Thank you, and the same to you. Your German is remarkably proficient«, she expressed her astonishment, her immense eyes focused intently on me. With an amiable smile, I replied, »Thank you, and yours as well.« As she left the bakery, equally bewildered and evidently offended, I found myself softly chuckling.



© Brigitte Lunguieki Malungo 2023-09-14

Genres
Biographies
Moods
Emotional, Inspiring, Reflective, Sad
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