The Coffee Shop Located on St. Richard Street - Essay Example

of the English of the Teacher 19 January Observation The Coffee Shop located in the St. Richard Street happens to be a very popular place that attracts people of all age groups. It is a nice place to have a cup of good coffee, to sit down and talk to friends, to work on some short assignment or just to observe the general flow of humanity as people enter and leave the shop. The shop is an ill maintained but spacious place, poorly lit and somewhat shabby with old and creaking chairs and benches. Yet, the good thing is that the coffee and the sandwiches served by the owner happen to be really awesome. The place is run by old Joe, a middle aged man in his early fifties. He is one of those people who have the talent for making a person feel really welcome. Though the shop is located in the suburbs, in a sparse neighborhood, yet all sorts of people prefer to visit this place owing to its rustic appeal, the social variety it offers, the jovial nature of old Joe and to have a cup of good coffee and a hearty cheese sandwich at a warm and friendly place. It is early morning and I am here to have breakfast after working long hours on a particularly difficult English assignment. As usual old Joe is sitting behind the counter, placing his chubby hands gently over his generous belly, passing a broad smile to every new visitor. I am rubbing my sleepy eyes, trying to get rid of the fatigue that has overtaken me. Going by the early hours most of the tables are still unoccupied. An aged couple is occupying the table to the left of me. They must be in their seventies. The husband is slowly munching a cheese sandwich while the wife is looking at him with tender eyes. Both of them are quiet, focusing more on the breakfast. The table in front of me has three young people sitting there, one boy and two girls, all the three in their early twenties, loudly laughing and chuckling as they talk over the breakfast. The table in the ill lit corner is occupied by a tall man with grizzled hair who looks really handsome. He is accompanied by a lady who seems to be a bit over weight, but otherwise cute. Both seem to be engaged in some intimate conversation, totally oblivious of other people in the shop. The place is gradually warming up with more people walking in. Here come a group of college students, five of them, three gents and two girls, all of them really loud. Being lost in my reveries I am not able to grab much of their conversation except for the bits and pieces like “History”, “Kills’, “missed the class”, “What a bore!”. Perhaps they are talking about the history class they missed. The young people are settling on the long table placed by the back wall. The eager waiter is coming to take the order, impatiently rubbing his hands over the apron that certainly needs a wash. The old women sitting to the left of me said, “No Mike, it will do you no good!” I am able to hear it owing to the concern and assertiveness traceable in her voice. I look to my left to find out what happened. The old man is holding a spoon full of sugar over his coffee cup, while the lady is holding his hand, trying to stop him from adding the sugar to his coffee. The old man mewls, “Martha, it’s just a spoon full of sugar. A spoon full won’t kill me.” Seeing me looking at them the two old people get a bit embarrassed, suddenly shifting to a silent mode with the old wife nagging the husband in a hushed and racy tone. Perhaps the husband is diabetic and the wife does not want him to add sugar to his coffee. I am just smiling at the childish tussle between the two old people when the chubby lady sitting with the tall man breaks into a hearty laughter, “Paul, you are incorrigible!” The tall man is looking at her quietly with a smile discernible in his eyes. Suddenly all the eyes in the room are looking at the charming couple, the three young people sitting on the front, the old couple, the loud college students, old Joe and of course me. Both of them revert to their intimate talk, little bothered by the sudden public attention they just received. I could perhaps hear the lady whispering, “You are a real sport”. There enter a mixed bunch of office people, perhaps coming from the nearby office block to grab a quick cup of coffee. The one with the striped shirt and blond hair blurts out “It is going to be a hectic day.” The one walking behind him responds, “Things are getting really bad.” The youngest one walking in the front is busy chewing gum. The pass by the charming couple, all of them looking at the cute chubby lady through the corner of their eyes, as they finally settle down. The uproar being made by the college students is acting as a standard backdrop to the general social conversations taking place here. I am not able to find a pattern in their conversation that is of course audible to everyone sitting here. “Just ignore them Bill, they are a bunch of losers.” “How can you put up with such a nerd?” “It’s my favorite class!” “Gonna shopping this weekend.” “Don’t say it again.” They are busy erratically shifting from one topic to other over mouthfuls of cheese sandwich. A police car is gradually receding to a halt before the shop. A young officer of slim built is getting out of the car. He turns back and gives some instructions to his partner driving the car. He is moving into the shop with a swagger. He stops at the counter. Old Joe is welcoming him with a node and a broad ruddy smile. They are shaking hands. They seem to know each other. The officer bends his head over the counter and is asking something from old Joe. His words are really not audible. Old Joe is scratching his head, as if he is trying to remember something. “You buffoon!” One of the college students blurts out in a loud noise. The officer is turning back. He is looking at the college group. The group on seeing the officer settles down to a hush. The officer is again talking to old Joe. Old Joe is telling him something. They shake hands and the officer swaggers back to his car. Old Joe is looking at the officer and did not take his gaze off him till he sits in the car and the car moves forward. The tall man and his charming companion are getting up. They are holding each other’s hands. They are still busy talking about things, giving little attention to the world around them. Again all eyes turn towards them. They are gently walking out of the door. Old Joe is watching them go with appreciative eyes. The scene before the shop is getting real dense. The life outside the shop is picking up pace. One could readily listen to the noise being made by the traffic outside. Things are getting noisy. The voices within the shop are getting less conspicuous, as they blend with the noise outside the shop. The old couple is standing up. They are gently moving towards the glass door, with the old woman holding the elbow of her husband in a gentle manner. Old Joe as is typical of him is giving them a gentle nod and a broad ruddy smile. They are smiling back. They seem to be really loyal and frequent customers. The coffee is good and I am feeling a little refreshed. The English assignment is still half finished. I am sitting languidly in the chair, planning to leave as a stocky man with long hair, enters the shop, passing a friendly smile to old Joe, “Howde Mr. Joe!” Read More