I woke up at 4 this morning to make a cup of coffee for Prima Donna who was going away on a business trip. I put the coffee to perk in the electric coffee maker, and soon the air was filled with the aroma of a good coffee. It brought to mind a memory of making coffee, a very long time ago, a memory that comes to mind every time I make a cup of coffee early in the morning.

I can still remember it clearly, almost as if it were yesterday. Making coffee in the early morning hours while the rest of the household was still sleeping. Even the morning birds hadn’t begun chirping and the milk man hadn’t begun his delivery round.

It was our annual family holiday to celebrate the end of yet another successful school year. This time we were visiting our family friends in Dehra Dun. My friend M and I were meeting after three years, and we wanted to spend every precious moment gossiping. So we woke up early and crept into the cold, dark kitchen to make ourselves a cup of hot coffee.

We had no idea of how to make a cup of coffee. But we felt all grown up as M hunted for a pot and poured some cold milk into it. She was more grown up than I because she had just finished her school leaving exams two days before we arrived. I would be going back to my last year of school when we returned home.

Confidently, she struck a match, and the gas flame came to life. I was in awe. She really had grown up! Adding some instant coffee and sugar to the milk, we watched the pot bubble and boil while the smell of coffee escaped into the air. She lowered the heat, allowing the coffee to brew some more. Then, pouring it into two cups, we wrapped our shawls tighter and sat outside on the steps waiting for the sun to rise.

I can’t wait to meet her again later this week. We still have a lot to talk about.

Ciao,