Coffee with strangers

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In my country the custom of street coffee sales is maintained. It is very easy to find someone on the street with a big thermos of coffee offering their product in small plastic cups and at a very cheap price.

Most of these vendors are concentrated in places where there are many people, such as bus stops, plazas, markets and health centers.

This abundant and inexpensive supply of coffee has made it possible to maintain over time the beautiful custom of buying coffee from a stranger.

Throughout my life I have always bought coffee from strangers.

One of those times that I remember with great affection was when my first son was born, forty-seven years ago.

That day I was very nervous waiting for the moment of delivery in the maternity ward. I could not be near my wife but had to be outside the maternity ward, in the street.

Every now and then a lady would pass by with a big thermos of coffee, the best drink to calm my nerves in situations like that. Every time the lady passed by I would buy her a small coffee and if someone was nearby I would invite them to have coffee with me. It was a way to feel company in such an important moment of life. That day I bought coffee for a large number of strangers.

During the time I worked as a teacher I also kept the habit of giving coffee to students I did not know.

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Every morning, before classes started, I would go to the canteen of the high school. There was always a student there and the first one I saw, I would ask him if he wanted a coffee. The boys were very happy that one of the teachers was kind enough to give them a coffee. The look of joy on the boys' faces when they received that coffee as a gift would stay with me throughout the morning. It was the best way I found to start a great day.

Recently something very nice happened to me. Sometimes when I passed by the bakery near my house I would see a lady sitting on the sidewalk. Nothing unusual because it is very close to the bus stop and there are always people waiting.

I would walk by and see the lady. She caught my attention because she is almost my age, about seventy years old. In my neighborhood it is not common to see older people sitting on the street.

One day when I was out shopping, the lady called me and asked me if I could give her a loaf of bread. I really didn't expect that question, because that lady didn't look like a homeless person at all. On the contrary, she always walks very clean, as if she was coming out of the shower, well groomed, with make-up on her face, with necklaces, long sleeve shirt and bluejean vest, very much in the style of the sixties.

That situation was repeated several times, I would leave the bakery, she would ask me for a loaf of bread, I would go back to buy her a big loaf of bread, and I would go on my way. But I was very intrigued by that lady.

One day I made up my mind and asked her if she wanted to have a coffee. I bought her the loaf of bread and a small black coffee.

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I sat down with her on the sidewalk, I couldn't resist and went straight to the point, I asked her why she asked for bread, if she didn't have enough to buy it.

Very kindly she answered me yes and no. She told me that sometimes she had enough to buy bread. That sometimes she had enough to buy it and sometimes she didn't. And what she said next left me speechless. And what she said next really surprised me. In the most natural way the lady told me that the main reason for asking for bread was not economic, she sat every afternoon on the sidewalk of the bakery to feel company. And she would entertain herself by asking for bread and watching the answers each person gave.

After that afternoon, every time I see the lady sitting on the sidewalk, I sit with her for a small coffee. I now know that her name is Monica, that she lives in a neighborhood about a kilometer from the bakery.

Like many elderly people in our country, Monica is living alone. Her daughters and grandchildren emigrated to Peru two years ago. This issue of loneliness has hit her hard, but she promised herself that she would overcome it.

So some afternoons she walks from her house to the sidewalk in front of the bakery, and sits for a while to distract herself with the bustle of people getting off the buses. Occasionally he is provoked and asks anyone for a loaf of bread. With that he entertains himself until sunset when he returns home.

Monica's decision seems to me to be a very intelligent one, she has found a way to get ahead.

Many times I think that if I had not given her that coffee I would not have met her, and I would not have known that we are part of a common history. My children are not with me either, they also emigrated out of the country.

To offer a coffee to a stranger can be an excellent way to start a friendship.

I am making this publication in response to the initiative proposed by the friends of the Cinnamon Cup Coffee community, in its part number one. For more information click on the following link.

Thank you for your time.

Images edited in Photoshop.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

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All your comments are welcome on this site. I will read them with pleasure and dedication.

Until the next delivery. Thank you.


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The photos, the digital edition and the Gifs are of my authorship.


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15 comments
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An interesting friendship over a cup of coffee. Coffee is a socialising drink. Dear friend @ivinc, although your children and grandchildren are not by your side, they are always present. We have to learn to live the virtues of solitude. A hug full of blessings.

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A great idea: "learning to live the virtues of solitude". Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting dear @amigoponc . A big hug.

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A very interesting story, they are experiences that leave you thinking about the aspects of life and how some people face the harsh conditions of life.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us.☕

Excellent day.

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We all have the capacity for resilience, sometimes we forget that. Resilience in the face of adversity is always the best option. Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting dear @rinconpoetico7 . A big hug from Maracay.

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Wow, this story really moved me, how much need of company many elderly people have at this moment, this lady seems to me very brave, in spite of everything she keeps on struggling with loneliness, coffee always brings great stories like these, nothing is a coincidence, long live coffee and long live new friendships.

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I think Monica's attitude is a great example to follow. In the face of adversity you have to find a way to move forward. I'm glad you liked the story. Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting dear @carisma77 . A big hug from Maracay.

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Greetings from Playa Grande, La Guaira! 😊

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Thanks for sharing this story! I can't even imagine buying drinks from a total stranger on the street nowadays.. I would not trust that, but I love reading that there are still parts of the world where this is part of the culture.

Coffee definitely connects and I'd love to be surrounded with people who share their coffee on the streets. I loved reading your story when waiting for the baby to be born as well as the lady at the bakery. What a sad but touching story.

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Yes, here it is still common to give coffee as a gift. It happens a lot in the health centers in the mornings and evenings. There is always someone who shows solidarity with someone in trouble. But don't think that everything is a garden of roses. There are also those who take advantage of the innocence of others. Thank you for stopping by and commenting, dear @thisismylife . A big hug from Maracay.

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I think it's a great thing that it still exists there..

But yes, all places have rotten apples too, sadly.

I had to look up Maracay.. Do you like living there? I've never been to that part of the world (sadly) .. maybe one day..

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I have almost fifty years in this city. Here I raised my children and have my home with my wife. I live in the northern part, far from the hustle and bustle, where a beautiful cloud forest mountain rises. I cross that mountain and after 40 km I reach the sea. I am very happy to live in Maracay. Sometimes it is a little hot, but normal for people from the tropics like me. Happy evening dear @thisismylife

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Monica's story is impressive, perhaps many people who beg on the street want much more than to satisfy their hunger.

You are a very generous man and that is felt in the vibe of your noble soul.

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I was also impressed by Monica's need for companionship. She is a brave woman trying to do what is best for herself.
Thanks for stopping by and for your generous words. A big hug from Maracay, my dear @verdesmeralda .

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