2
The Cafeneion
Doll enters the cafe. She marches up to the counter and says in a loud voice: "I had too much Tsekoudia last night and I have decided that I need some more today; as a cure and, while you're at it, please pour two shots of whiskey too!"
She looks at Glow behind the counter as if she is not going to process her orders and laughs her horse like laughter.
She continues to stare at Glow with blood shot eyes, but Glow doesn't mind her; she's just happy to have a paying customer...
Doll finally turns around to view the other guests this early Friday morning:
"Bloody Hell, what a sorry creed you are hosting here today, Glow! I think I will have my drinks served outside.
Out she marches without a glance at the others. No one complains about her outbursts; they all know her...
Jay was sitting in his corner, tapping away on his computer keypad: exactly what iswritten above.
"Sometimes I hate these two lost cases of humanity", he mutters to himself.
"They are ugly in all senses of the word, lost in this forsaken place. They are constantly grumpy and unpleasant to be around. They are drinking a lot, which doesn't make them any more edible..."
Doll is big as a walrus and can scare any man or woman out of their wits by lashing truly horrible sarcastic comments at them in a pitched voice that must blow any decibel measuring instrument in to pieces.
She is usually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt in dull blue-grey colors and she never wears a bra; everything dangling freely around on her torso; no walks on the cat walk for her; ever
Glow has a flare about her, but her grumpy and negative appearance kills it immediately...
Doll stumbles out the door sighing heavily with one hand on her forehead. Glow follows with the drinks on a tray and a huge glass of red wine for herself.
Before she can put the tray down on the table, Doll has grabbed the glass of Tsekoudia and gulped it down in one go. With the tray placed in front of her she immediately grasps for the nearest glass of whiskey and hoists it down her throat, followed by the other at the same pace...
Then she burps loudly with her mouth wide open. She licks her mouth and laughs her laughter again.
Glow has placed herself neatly with crossed legs on the other side of the table and is now sipping her wine like a lady.
There are still some British manners left in her, although she might not be aware of it.
Her face is shaped like the Himalayas as they can be seen on a satellite photo taken from space.
She constantly moans about the Café that doesn't bring the money she had anticipated 4 years ago...
For Jay it works like this: he cannot stay too long with any of these hippos. "No wonder people are shunning this place", he says to himself.
Jay feels like he is provoking them by his shear appearance; so he puts his money for his espresso on the counter and steps outside; saying good bye to the two beauties that have arrived at a more happy state now.
Doll's face has turned purple and he worries for her health, but why should he?
After a few steps Doll growls something that sounds like: "Honey, are you leaving? Don't you like us anymore?!" and then the laughter...
Jay hastens off, reminding himself that this must be the last time he visits this place, which is something he's told himself through grinding teeth many times before.
The Café is shabby and worn out by being old and in the latest years neglected.There's occasional leakage from the ceiling due to dried up concrete or, more likely; the remaining concrete is at a level of 20% compared to the rest of the compound which fills up the remaining 80% that is consisting of sand and pebbles...
When it rains the few guests must balance their steps in between buckets and pots that covers one third of the floor.
There's an old gas heater by the wall and it's lit during these wet circumstances; this mainly happens in wintertime and early spring.
The furniture is made out of the traditional Greek wooden chairs wound up with hemp string fitted as seats. Every 15 minute one should take a walk to ease up the tensions in one's but and back. There are wooden tables to match the chairs. There are no table cloths on the tables. The owners are not too keen on extra expenses forlaundry and the hassle of too much equipment in the Café.
In fact this is not a Café as a Northern European would see it. It's a traditional "cafeneion", where men used to smoke 60 cigarettes in 2 hours and have a glass of Ouzu and Mezes; a small dish of sardines, small pickled cucumbers and sweet red pepper and olives, all sprinkled with olive oil and served with white bread...
Jay lives just 150 meters down the street, so it's convenient for him to drop in and have his morning coffee there now and then.
He starts his stroll down the street and already after 20 meters he is feeling relieved; the air is fresher; the light brighter...
The Café is situated on a little Platia named after a once famous Cretan General
It could have been a cozy place, but with these owners it will never happen. They just want to get out of the business and sell the whole establishment.
Jay lives in a newly renovated old house. His friends would call it a luxury to live there, but he can afford it with his reasonable income in the form of a pension and disability benefits from his own country. He feels better here; his disease can take the Mediterranean climate much better than up north where he comes from.
Looking down the street he can see the fishing harbour which lies by the local beach - just a few minutes' walk away.
By turning his head up the street he has a full view of the "Lefka Ori"; “The White Mountains”. The name does not come from the snow covered wintertime scenario when there's snow down the mountain sides and the highland plateaus. The highest peaks reach up to 2500 meters. The white comes from the color of the building minerals of these mountains.
At this time of the day Jay goes for a bicycle trip into town to meet friends and to buy the latest newspapers; The Guardian is his preferred paper.
He puts his computer in the bedroom cupboard and straps the rucksack onto his back and when he's finally ready; he jumps the stairs down and fetches his bike in the shelf in the front garden. He's happy as a little boy every time he he's going for a ride on his bicycle.
In less than 3 minutes he's in the street saddled for the best event this day. He turns the corner where the talkative owner of the barber shop sits outside in the still cool morning air. Jay smiles and waves his hand at him; a gesture that releases a loud"Kali Mera, fille mho!" Jay is always impressed by the power of the little man's voice! No "sotto voce" there, but then he is a Greek man...
crnning@gmail.com
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