Hace unos días decidí dejar de tomar café. De pronto tuve la idea de qué me estaba haciendo daño en la garganta, tenía la sensación de que algo me raspaba. Apenas llevaría unos cuatro días sin tomar café. Esta mañana me sentía algo desanimado, más bien creo que estaba agotado. En ocasiones el camino al trabajo cansa más que el propio trabajo. Tiene que cargar botas para la lluvia y una playera por si acaso. Este día hubo menos lluvia pero aún así, decidí seguir cargando el paraguas. Qué más da una taza de café más. Llegué a la fila de la carrocería de la ciudad, por Dios solamente había una persona adelante de mi, se me hizo eterna la espera, pero no dije nada, en cambio la dama que venía detrás de mí se veía mucho más impaciente.
-Pero qué barbaridad-, dijo en voz bastante alta.
-Tanto rollo para pedir solamente un café.-
No dije nada, nada más sonreír y pedí mi café negro sin azúcar y sin leche, como siempre. Pagué con un billete grande por lo que la chica del mostrador me pidió que esperara a un lado mientras se atendía a la dama.
Casi al mismo tiempo que me entregaron la feria, le entregaron a ella también su pedido.
-Te están dando mucha feria como, hubieras pagado una vez lo mío- me dijo mientras sonreía muy feliz con su café.
No dije nada. Tomé mi cambio y me retiré de ahí.
Cómo diablo se le ocurre que iba a ofrecer pagarle el café a una desconocida. Uno ya no sabe en estos días. Tal vez hasta le hubiera parecido acoso. Como sea. Apenas con 4 días de abstinencia de café, he roto mi promesa.
A few days ago, I decided to stop drinking coffee. Suddenly, I had the feeling that coffee was scratching my throat. I'd only gone about four days without coffee. This morning, I was feeling a little discouraged; I think I was exhausted. Sometimes the commute is more tiring than the job itself. You have to carry rain boots and a T-shirt just in case. This day, there was less rain, but I still decided to keep carrying the umbrella. What's one more cup of coffee? I got to the line at the city body shop; for God's sake, there was only one person in front of me. The wait seemed endless, but I didn't say anything. On the other hand, the woman behind me seemed much more impatient. "What a pain," she said in a rather loud voice. "All this nonsense for just a coffee." I didn't say anything; I just smiled and ordered my black coffee without sugar or milk, as usual. I paid with a large bill, so the girl at the counter asked me to wait to the side while the lady was served. Almost at the same time they handed me my change, they also handed her her order. "They're giving you so much change, you should have paid for mine," she said, smiling happily into her coffee. I didn't say anything. I took my change and left. How the hell did she think I was going to offer to pay for a stranger's coffee? You never know these days. Maybe it would have even seemed like harassment. Whatever. After only four days of abstaining from coffee, I'd broken my promise.
A few days ago, I decided to stop drinking coffee. Suddenly, I had the feeling that coffee was scratching my throat. I'd only gone about four days without coffee. This morning, I was feeling a little discouraged; I think I was exhausted. Sometimes the commute is more tiring than the job itself. You have to carry rain boots and a T-shirt just in case. This day, there was less rain, but I still decided to keep carrying the umbrella. What's one more cup of coffee? I got to the line at the city body shop; for God's sake, there was only one person in front of me. The wait seemed endless, but I didn't say anything. On the other hand, the woman behind me seemed much more impatient. "What a pain," she said in a rather loud voice. "All this nonsense for just a coffee." I didn't say anything; I just smiled and ordered my black coffee without sugar or milk, as usual. I paid with a large bill, so the girl at the counter asked me to wait to the side while the lady was served. Almost at the same time they handed me my change, they also handed her her order. "They're giving you so much change, you should have paid for mine," she said, smiling happily into her coffee. I didn't say anything. I took my change and left. How the hell did she think I was going to offer to pay for a stranger's coffee? You never know these days. Maybe it would have even seemed like harassment. Whatever. After only four days of abstaining from coffee, I'd broken my promise.