The Heart of The Matter

I told Island Irv, who'd followed me into Cafe Luna, with something important to discuss, or so he said.

 "I can't think straight before I've had about four shots of espresso and a blunt, loving critique from a good friend I trust to set me straight."

As I turned back to the patient barista, I remembered a crucial clarification for Irv. "When I say 'set me straight,' I mean my posture. Ms. Wonder says I tend to stoop in the tender light of dawn. Of course, anyone would stoop after wrestling Jacob's angel all night."

"What the hell are you driveling about?" Irv asked.

"Nice try," I replied, "but you'll have to do better than that to get my sparkplugs firing, and that's not happening without a coffee infusion."

I turned back to the barista, giving her a friendly, business-like gaze. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth, but no words came out.

"Sixteen-ounce hot latte?" she suggested with a knowing grin.

"Right," I said, "with..." My mind drew a blank.

"Oat milk," she finished.

"Oat milk," I repeated.

"With an extra shot?" she prompted.

I nodded. She handed me a steaming cup of Jah's mercy, saying, "I got it ready for you when I saw you park." It hit the spot--her words, not the coffee-- instantly making the morning brighter and friendlier.

When I faced Irv again, he was shaking his head, giving me the look a father gives a son who chases butterflies instead of catching a pop fly in his first Little League game.

His obvious disapproval made me feel like Lot's friends must have felt when he chastised them for partying in the local dens of iniquity. "That's better," I admitted, "though my usual 'roughing up' comes from a friend who uses more quotable phrases."

Before either of us could say more, Ms. Wonder materialized in the café, looking as fresh as a dewy violet. She flowed like a morning mist drifting above a river. It's a mystery how she manages it in mid-July's heat and humidity.

"How do you put up with him?" Irv asked her. "Isn't there anything you can do?"

"I appreciate your concern," she replied, "but this is a necessary part of his creativity."

"Creativity! What has he ever created?"

"Café society is essential for gathering genuine experiences that he carefully transforms, with the aid of his imagination, into blog posts that delight his reading public."

She turned and floated out the door with her coffee in hand. The barista knows her favorite drink, too. It's nice not having to wait; it's like going to the front of the line without being rude.

I can't say how Irv reacted to her words, as I was left in a sort of shock. I felt like Aladdin must have felt when he wiped the sand off the lamp and the genie popped out.

After a minute or two of considering her words and recognizing the truth that there are logical reasons for my behavior, I got back on my feet, so to speak, and decided to re-energize my life. I had a new attitude. Life was good, and the future looked bright!

When I returned home, I found Wonder reviewing her latest batch of photos from her river outing. I was still amazed at her ability to see clearly through the fog. And I'm not just talking about the fog on the river. I often have foggy mental machinery.

"Back already?" she asked, her eyes still glued to the screen. "You wouldn't believe the shots I got today, even with that thick fog rolling in."

I just shook my head, still a little dumbfounded. "It's incredible, Wonder. Most people would have just seen a blurry mess, but you always manage to find the clarity."

"It's all in finding the proper settings of aperture, shutter speed, and depth of focus."

"I'm not talking about photography, I'm talking about your ability to assess my behavior, but I suppose it's true of both," I said. "You really do work in mysterious ways, your wonders to perform. What do you do to stay like that? Is it all the wild-caught salmon you eat? Brain food, right?"

"Nope," she said. "I'm just being myself, living in the moment."

"So it's just a natural gift then? Nothing I can do if I wasn't born that way?"

"Exactly," she replied, perfectly summing it up in that way she has of getting to the heart of the matter.