Finding the Light
The light is blinding. The light is cold. Everything is warm. The coffee tastes a bit like dark chocolate.
Waking up early in the morning is difficult for Mel, so when she began commuting to teach at EIU I started waking up first to get started on coffee, bagels, and lunch. If there is time, we drink the coffee and eat the bagels together. If I don’t open the blinds for Rudy, she will put her paws up on the side of my leg and meow her raspy meow. Sometimes she gets her claws stuck.
During the winter, Rudy must rest her front paws on the windowsill while standing on a chair meant for a bar. She looks strangely human stretched out this way. If I remember to open the window before she requests, she will run at full speed up onto the chair; making an abrupt stop that doesn’t seem possible.
If it has snowed, the light will bounce off the ground and through the windows. These mornings, I do not need to turn on any lights. Bumping the heat helps Mel get out of bed. Much of this routine is quiet until the coffee has been made. We both drink it black, no sugar.