The Road Ahead

Coffee

     I woke up to my alarm blaring it's dull, repetitive tone at 5:30 A.M. I groaned, shifting groggily under my soft, warm covers. My brain still buzzed with scattered remnants of the dream I just had. What was it about anyways?

     My door crept open as my brother pushed an open palm into the thick wood,"Turn that off,"  he said, annoyance laced his slurred words. I waved a dismissive hand in his general direction, slapping at my alarming clock and finally hitting the snooze button. I groaned once more as I sluggishly lifted my legs out of the comfort of my bed.

     Being early as it was, my room was pitch black, the lurking shadows not daring to allow a hint of light. Bah! It's a childhood home. Suck it shadows. I navigated the darkness with ease, reaching my door and pulling it open. My nostrils flared slightly as my nose filled with a scent I knew all too well; coffee. I made my way into the kitchen, retrieving my favorite cat mug and pouring myself a steamy, hot cup of coffee. On my way back to the dining-room table, I caught a glance of my brother making a vulgar gesture in my direction. I quickly spun my head, my eyes narrowing in a question of confrontation, but he merely waved and smiled. Any trace of what I just saw was gone. Idiot, I mouthed. Ahhh, what brotherly love.

     Taking my customary spot at the dining room table, I took a delicate sip of coffee, allowing the comforting liquid to flow down through my body. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sweet, caffeine-pumped beverage, unknowingly for the very last time. Then I opened my eyes. The coffee in my hands was gone, my brother's presence all but a part of the past.

Now all that lay before me was a road. The cement cracked and filled with potholes, weeds and grass filling in wherever they saw fit. My eyes were accompanied by deep, dark circles, completely deprived of sleep. The craving for coffee was almost unbearable, it's luxurious taste almost on the tip of my tongue, but no. Coffee was but a thing of the past, something that I hadn't tasted in nearly a year.

     I sighed, and moved forced my legs to move once more. The road ahead of me was long, and I had only just begun.