"Oh, Cristian! Have you seen what they have done? They took tons of coffee out of all the stores and supermarkets and left that part of the shelves empty. Now what are we going to do?
"Now how am I supposed to wake up with a good attitude for work? How am I supposed to put up with my annoying boss? And importantly, how am I supposed to maintain a good working relationship with my new co-workers? I don't want to feel left out.
"It's all the fault of that radical political party The Green Crosses who convinced people to eliminate coffee everywhere, I can't believe the influence they have. Tell me, Cristian, now what are we going to do?"
Cristian twisted his eyes tired of my complaints, picked up his phone, and started typing.
"Hey! Are you listening to me?" I asked him annoyed.
He fixed his eyes on me in a cold way. "Of course I'm listening to you, and how can I not, if you go around complaining at the top of your lungs." He indicated I crossed my arms in annoyance.
"I just can't believe you're so calm, you're addicted to coffee too."
"Dwayne, if I'm calm it's because I have a solution. Come, I'll show you."
I put on a curious face and we boarded his car. We pulled into a parking lot and then walked a block to the alley of a building.
"Here it is, the solution to our problems!" Cristian pointed very excitedly to a wall.
I looked at him with half-open eyes, thinking it was all a joke. "Cristian, are you making fun of me?" I inquired very annoyed.
"No, I swear! Behind this wall, there is another street where there is a beautiful coffee shop that you are going to love. We just have to go through the wall and that's it."
"Through the wall? What is this, Harry Potter?" This time my sarcasm came out.
Cristian let out a laugh at my reaction. "I thought the same thing the first time, but I assure you this is much better. Come, let's go inside."
Cristian grabbed my arm and we both ran towards the wall. I closed my eyes so tightly expecting to receive the impact. When I opened them I found a very particular street of merchandise. It was nighttime and people were selling their various products; I could notice bags of coffee beans among them.
"It's amazing, we went through the wall as if it didn't exist and now we find ourselves in a different place!" I exclaimed in awe.
"And the best is yet to come," Cristian asserted.
Two stores away from where we were was the coffee shop "The smoking cup," a place I will never forget.
Upon entering, I noticed that the place was almost full. The ceiling was plagued with beautiful lanterns of faint light of a light yellow color. The tables were spacious; the place was truly big, even if the outside showed the opposite. Each customer had a cup of coffee in hand with a sweet as a snack.
We approached the bar and Cristian ordered two coffees; mine was ordered just the way I like it, and in less than a minute our order was ready.
I drank my coffee as if it were an elixir of life. It was delicious. I let the milk foam run between my lips and then closed my eyes in pleasure. I was craving another cup all at once, but I had to calm down.
"And are there more places like this all over town?" I asked Cristian.
"Oh, yes, they are everywhere, but not many people know about them and it's better to keep it that way, as the walls could be closed as a precaution and we wouldn't be able to access the coffee shops anymore," Cristian explained as he took another sip of coffee.
"Who created those walls, a wizard?" I inquired again with coffee sliding down my throat.
"No one knows, probably yes. What we do know is that they were created during the Civil War of '88 to hide rebels from the government."
The piercing sound of huge glass mugs clinking together interrupted the conversation. Cristian and I looked over to a corner where four men were celebrating with huge mugs that looked like beer mugs but were filled to the brim with coffee.
"What are they drinking?" I asked Cristian with longing.
"That, my friend, is a pint of coffee, it contains a high degree of alcohol, would you like to try one?"
"Yes, please!"
Immediately Cristian gave the order to the barista and the barista in no time brought a carafe for each of us. The men in the corner chanted as they fell into the ethylic effects of their jugs of coffee. They staggered. They babbled. We thought it was hilarious so we decided to join them.
We held up our coffee mugs. I was already half drunk as it was my third pint. The locals started singing along with us and the atmosphere became more pleasant and festive. After leaving there with my senses half functioning, Cristian made me promise not to tell anyone about this place, or the clandestine walls.
How could I do that to my friend? After having brought me to one of the best nights of my life, and where I found a place with a good arsenal of coffee.
THE END
