Page 49 - 2024-2025 Creative Writing

Working at a Café

As soon as I opened the café, I barely had any time to get to the counter before the first

customer came in. He was one of the regulars here, a middle-aged man in a worn-out suit who

always orders extra bitter black coffees. He didn’t say anything, just handing me the $10 bill
before sitting down at the table nearby. I printed out the receipt before moving towards the

coffee machine. Hands moving on their own, as a result of the many mornings spent brewing

coffees, I thought about the man. His eyes were bloodshot and sunken, always staring into

empty spaces, caused by the deadly amount of caffeine he consumes every single day. Before I
could think further, the pungent smell of the coffee hit my nose. After putting the lid on the cup,

I grabbed a small protein bar from the shelf before handing it to him. “Have a great day ahead,

sir!” I called out to him as he exited by the front door.

With the soft music playing in the background, I took a seat at one of the tables, gazing at the

outside scenery through the glass windows in boredom. Despite it being an early hour, I could
sense that business was going to be slow that day. It was one of the days where people preferred

hot drinks in the comfort of their own home instead of the iced drinks I offer. The wind was

strong, picking up dust in its way, making the outside world seem like a completely different

universe compared to my small cozy, pastel coloured cafe.

Waking me up from my day dreaming, a group of girls, possibly in their early twenties, entered

the shop. Unlike the last customer, they were all smiles and giggles, talking with each other

animatedly, spreading their positive energy everywhere around the place. They all ordered
different drinks, ranging from strawberry cream teas to pumpkin spice lattes, all sweet

regardless. As I prepared their drinks, I let myself listen to their conversations. They were

talking about what they were going to do that day, which made me a bit jealous. It would be
nice to also take a day off for myself just to hang out with friends. The sweet aroma of the drinks

filled the room as I finished the last touch for the drinks. After the girls went outside, I let the

smile on my face linger a bit longer. Maybe it wasn’t going to be a bad day after all.

10B Ariunzaya Altansukh