Straddling a corner wooden table on busy Columbus Avenue, a small steaming coffee is the centerpiece.
And old man, maybe in his 50s, is standing in the doorway, puffing on a cigarette. He's wearing a plaid jacket and has a greasy, wavy hairstyle, his double-buckled brown shoes a tribute to George Harrison.
The cool morning outside the dirty corner window has a spring-like feel, the fog oozing across the bay.
Fans loiter in the politically correct old-style ballpark entrance of SBC Park, the Giants hours away from hosting the Toronto Blue Jays in interleague play.
Inside the coffee shop, an Asian-American woman, no taller than 5 feet, confronts the old man puffing on a cigarette.
"No smoking in doorway," she yells. "Out. Out. Get out in street. Smoke away. Out of doorway."
The old man, his tattered jacket snug on his shoulders, stands menacingly outside the dirty corner window, defiantly staring back at the Asian-American woman, who is proving to be a jack-of-all-trades.
Selling croissants, ringing up Expressos, she patiently handles the customer flow until the drip stops. Then it's broom in hand, sweeping the front entrance, taking out the garbage, broom back in hand as she collects money for another caffeinated beverage on this Thursday workingman morning.
The man with the plaid jacket and wavy hairstyle loiters in front, tentative about confronting the nearly 5-foot Asian American jack-of-all-trades.
It's clearly a mismatch.
Nice word pictures, Dan.
Great work evoking the flavour of the moment.
Loved the ending! :)
--Cyn
Posted by: Cyn | June 19, 2004 at 02:37 AM
Thanks, Cyn.
San Francisco is a beautiful city. You just need to go slow to take it all in.
Dan
Posted by: Dan | June 20, 2004 at 01:56 PM