God Bless Coffee and Donuts

May 10, 2004

As I headed to work today, I stopped off at a coffee cart down the block from my office. "Coffee + Donuts $1" the sign says. And then, underneath that, in fancy script: "God Bless America."

What a fitting and symbolic way to ease back into my good ol' American lifestyle after being in Godless Europe for a couple of weeks. Not to mention that it also sounded like a cheap breakfast.

"Good morning, sir," the Indian guy inside the rickety metal cart said as I walked up to the window.

"Good morning. A regular coffee and a plain donut, please."

"Sugar, sir?"

"Yes, a tiny bit."

The guy filled the little paper cup with coffee, poured in some milk, and then dumped in a heaping mound of sugar before snapping a plastic lid on top. He put it in a brown paper bag and placed it on the narrow counter. Then he reached onto the lower shelf, pulled a plain donut from the top of a crooked stack, and put it in the bag as well. Rolled the top of the bag down tightly and slid the package toward me.

I held out a single dollar, which he took as he said, "One twenty, please."

I gave him a puzzled look.

"Please, sir, do you have twenty more cents?" He pointed to a paper sign that had been taped over the painted price list with cellophane tape. "You see?"

"You're kidding me," I muttered, as I dug into my pocket for change.

"Thank you, sir. Everything go up. Sugar go up, milk go up, coffee go up..."

"Yeah, I get it. You gotta do what you gotta do."

"Thank you, sir. Have a nice day."

God Bless America.

Oh yeah, and then, when I got to work and began sipping the coffee, it tasted like incense and cologne. I couldn't even drink it.