The setting is a small corner in the TMC with room for maybe half a dozen people to stand comfortably in a line. One side consists of a silver machine that dispenses different sodas when you poke the correct sequence on the screen; a shelf with brightly colored packages with labels like “Sun Chips;” and a large, self-contained, shelving unit with containers of varying size full of sandwiches and salads that projects cold air into the area. Opposite this wall is a counter at average waist height with two cash registers and a glass display box with various bars and cookies. At 4:30 on a weeknight, the area is sparsely populated.
After five minutes, the first of what will be become many people over the next hour and a half approaches the counter. His gait is slow, but sure. Glancing to the registers, he appears to notice that no one is standing behind them and smoothly swivels his head to …show more content…
At the first syllable, he grabs the object and jumps up, walking towards the counter. Before the sentence is finished, he has placed it on the counter, sliding it towards the woman, who receives it and places it on top of a stack of similar objects.
She pushes the plate towards him with a smile; he receives it in kind, walking away to another part of the cafe with the plate held in both hands, expression neutral. She walks towards the back again.
The woman on the couches does not react to this exchange, nor the voice. Her green object is on her lap when it goes off a moment later. She lets the voice get through the first phrase before getting up and walking towards the counter.
The other woman has returned from the back and is waiting with a plate of food in hand. She trades for the green object, placing it with the other and walking off towards the back again, though with a more relaxed paced than before.
Having received her plate of food, the woman walks back to her spot on the couch and settles down to eat
After five minutes, the first of what will be become many people over the next hour and a half approaches the counter. His gait is slow, but sure. Glancing to the registers, he appears to notice that no one is standing behind them and smoothly swivels his head to …show more content…
At the first syllable, he grabs the object and jumps up, walking towards the counter. Before the sentence is finished, he has placed it on the counter, sliding it towards the woman, who receives it and places it on top of a stack of similar objects.
She pushes the plate towards him with a smile; he receives it in kind, walking away to another part of the cafe with the plate held in both hands, expression neutral. She walks towards the back again.
The woman on the couches does not react to this exchange, nor the voice. Her green object is on her lap when it goes off a moment later. She lets the voice get through the first phrase before getting up and walking towards the counter.
The other woman has returned from the back and is waiting with a plate of food in hand. She trades for the green object, placing it with the other and walking off towards the back again, though with a more relaxed paced than before.
Having received her plate of food, the woman walks back to her spot on the couch and settles down to eat