A Coffee At Christmas

 

A Coffee At Christmas

By Paul McCann

 

It was a cold  Christmas night and he stood there by the docks looking out to sea thinking of his loved ones so far away .

He came across the water to find work but was unable to get a start and had just spent the last of the money he had left on a cup of coffee . As he stood there thinking about his children who wouldn’t get a gift this year and his wife who hadn’t answered his last few letters his tears poured down  into his coffee cup .

His life was so hard and he had to suck it up .

He drank the coffee slowly and thought , this cup of coffee’s not too bad and seeing as it was the last gold nugget that he had it somehow tasted even sweeter .

 It’s a bitter sweet thing sometimes when your attempt to improve things don’t work out how you had planned but then you realise there’s something else you found .

He thought of how it would have been for Joseph and Mary on that very first Christmas a long time ago with no place to stay and a baby on the way . 

Like himself , he also had no room or bed and needed  a bite to eat .

Then a last little sip and the coffee was gone .

He stood there and prayed at the end of the day .

Another man came and stood with him there .

Not a word was spoken between them . With the long night ahead 

the winter wind blew the empty paper cup into the water .

 Sure it’s a lonely Christmas when you’re far from home “

Said the man who seemed to understand the feeling .

They both shook their heads as the night fell down .

“Thanks for your company “

He said and the other replied 

“Sure just like you , I once came here on Christmas day a long time ago and a man came and stood with me and handed me a large envelope . He told me to open it after he left and with that he turned and walked away. Now I am here to do the same for you  “

He handed over a large envelope and walked away . 

A little while later he opened the envelope to find a bundle of cash

with a letter that read.

“Happy Christmas . You are chosen to receive this gift by providence however it has a condition that goes with the gift , if you find fortune you must return the same amount of money to someone else in need on Christmas Day .

After that Christmas he had money to start a little business making coffee and selling cakes from a stall near the docks .

He called the business 

Coffee In The Wind “ and found 

 fortune . Within six months his business had  become very popular with regular queue there waiting  by the docks where he stood .

He employed someone to take care of his business while he returned home across the water to see his wife and family with the good news of his business and the money he had saved .

When he got there his wife and children where no longer there  After making enquiries and asking people he knew , he found out his wife and children were evicted cause they never paid the rent which was probably the reason  why she never answered his letters .

Eventually with a lot of help he was able to find his wife in a homeless shelter and his children were in care of the church .

He soon was able to reunite with them and took them across the water to his small home .

As winter came and Christmas drew near , he placed all the money he had received into a large envelope.and wrote a little note to explain what it was all about .

On Christmas day  he went down to the docks where he saw a man standing there who looked like he had  no where to go . 

As his little coffee shop wasn’t too far away haven’t and made  two coffee’s in paper cups and brought them  over to where the man was standing near the waiting room by the docks .

He went and stood there with the 

 wind blowing around them and reached him a cup of coffee and said  

“Here’s a cup of coffee to warm

you up . It’s just enough to warm up a cold Christmas .“

“Thanks “

Came the reply .

As they stood there it was apparent the man had been sleeping rough . His shoes were coming apart and he was unshaven and dirty .

Taking the envelope from his jacket he said .

“A while ago someone gave me this envelope . You can open it after I have left . Happy Christmas  “

 

The End