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the space time coffee-nuum

 

On roadtrips, I often get to stay at cheap motels
Many of them under 50$ a night
And I miss them.

Flickering bold yellowed signs
CHEAP WEEKLY RATES
FREE WI-FI
neon in red and blue
SMOKE FREE ROOMS
ON SITE LAUNDRY

the rooms were small and a crisp damp,
A/C freezing cold
an ice box in the great Summer
little stop of stolen time
in a large landscape

I remember the bathrooms
the calcium buildup on the showerheads
often, they'd forget to put out the free bars of soap
sometimes, a minifridge, sometimes just a microwave.

the beds were usually small
with rougher-than-usual brown taupe top covers
light beige polyester comforters underneath
that i never liked much, I would always take them out and drop them on the floor

the showers were fountains
not of youth, but of watery tiredness
the showerheads would rarely bear good hot water
the knobs would be eyes that taunted you
as you twisted and turned them to find the exact position
that would yield that elusive ~101°
and any slight misadjustment
and you would be burned, or sliced with frigid water
the limp shower head
thrown back by the ejection of water
unadjustable, the flow of water would beat at my back
whips, rending the dirt away
with a utilitarian and harsh demeanor
but in a way that was admirable
it had a use, and it certainly did it

at one motel
only two floors, tiny rooms,
swarms of insects clustering to the room lights in the late night
the hot summer darkness
encroaching on the roof's skull
you could feel the engulfment
through the air conditioning;
in the morning, a lady would knock on doors at 7AM
not room service, but

coffee!

coffee machines were absent in the rooms here
they did not serve breakfast
only a vending machine in the lobby;
and I answered the door
the light of the sun had not decided to appear yet,
in the gray light
a demure woman with a cart, and on it:
a large coffee machine and foam cups and many many cellophane-wrapped packets, you know the ones with a napkin, creamer, sugar, and little red straw all together,
she smiled a brisk smile
and handed me a cup,
full of cheap black coffee
the really cheap stuff
that tastes like not much
and yet was pretty strong anyways;
and handed me my cellophane packet
she said, "You can have up to two cups, would you like another?"
I said yes,
she handed me another set of cup and cellophane
she continued on
to the next room;
I stood there in the doorway
and then went inside to drink my coffee.
Written by asbr808 (Anthony R)
Published
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