It all started with a cockroach in my coffee.
My wife works in one room and I in the other, both of us pounding on laptops much of the day. Coffee is our primary stimulant in the morning. I usually make the java, and it is strong. I can’t stand coffee that is weak.
We both use our cups to take action with the stimulant drug. She is probably a bigger drinker of the beverage than I am. I usually have had 2 cups by the time she has had 3. So, for some reason I was compelled to go to the coffee pot and taking the last cup of the hyper juice. I asked her first of course if she wanted more and she said “no.”
I didn’t notice it at first, but as I took my mug of coffee to the room I work in, I noticed it. Yes, that’s right, I had a roach in my coffee. Thank goodness I had the last cup. The roach must have gotten in there after my wife got her last dose. I thought quickly. Should I tell her? No, that would not be a great idea, especially since it did not directly affect her. She had, had pure coffee, no bugs included.
For a moment I stood there with my insect concoction. Obviously I wasn’t going to drink it. If it was a grasshopper I might think twice because I hear they have a lot of protein. But cockroaches are know as dirty, filthy insects that spread disease.
I walked back to the the kitchen were the coffee is made and poured the contents of my cup into the sink. I had intended to use a paper towel to pick up, kill and then dispose of the cockroach. But I never had a chance to do this. The bug, now dead, went down the drain with the coffee. Then to justify me standing by the slink, I began to wash the dishes that had been put there.
When I finished I took a breath and walked back to the room I was working in and started hammering away on my computer. I was working on this story of course. Then my 11 year old daughter entered the area I was working in. She was on a break from distance learning school and told me about an idea she had to do a reality show about two buff people, a man and a woman. They were staying home because of the Pandemic. And due to the fact they were body builders, the conflicts on the show would be topics like “Who took my protein powder! Did you take my protein power?! Where is my protein power!”
She became curious about what I was writing and moved over to me, looking over my shoulder and saw the first line of this post:
“It all started with a cockroach in my coffee.”
She said she loved the first line and wanted to read the piece. I managed to get her to go to my wife and tell her about the reality pitch. She agreed and left. Now Here I am. No one is aware of the bug incident, nor will I say anything. Though, knowing my daughter she will read this blog entry.
“So if you are reading this my precious daughter, please don’t mention this to mom. She has an insect phobia and it will not help to reveal this incident. Why? Because sometimes illusion is better than truth!”
