I'm walking down the road, attracted to the pub as if it was magnetic.
The cold breeze of yesterday has matured into a lashing wind that steals the air from under my nose, as if it were easy to breathe with a mood like mine...
The whole day has been a complete disaster.
If I could measure my disappointment with a mercury column, the glass bottom would shatter.
I gently pull down the handle of the front door and get inside.
A gust of wind almost snatches the handle from my grip, but I close the door nontheless.
It's still early, but there are a couple of patrons already sitting in the lounge.
The crackling wood and the sound of glasses tapping together accompany a quiet conversation.
I walk to the counter and greet the keeper.
He recognises me from yesterday, but my face tells him I'm not here for the same reason.
I wonder how many times he has seen the same facial expression I'm sporting. Probably a lot in his career.
While he's not old, he surely isn't in his 20s anymore. What's sure is that he must know the secrets of his trade at this point.
A reassuring " Welcome back teacup, bad day? " comes as a confirmation.
I tell him a bit of my day and he listens, meanwhile carefully preparing something.
My eyes follow him while he goes from a kettle to a shelf full of labelled jars.
At the end of the story, he surprises me with a glass on a coaster, though, the glass is empty.
He starts talking.
" Life is a complicate matter, but it always follows a trend. It starts with nothing, then... "
He pours a steaming liquid into the glass. Amber color, unique flagrance. It's black tea.
" ...then good things happen. You're happy, sometimes even euforic. "
This time he pauses to add in a couple of ice cubes.
" However, one's life can't be so unbalanced. Everything has to reach a balance, hence bad days make their entrance on the stage. "
The ice cubes suddenly shatter.
The lights over the counter swing softly as someone enters the midnight.
Finally, the content of a squeezer is added to the tea. A citrusy smell reaches my nose. Lemon.
" This makes living a bit sour, but even a sour drink is definitely worth a try. This also applies to you, martin. "
martin takes a seat next to me, greets the barkeeper then places his order.
I replay what has just happened in my mind, then I smile before diving into my drink.