Over Coffee

Chapter 10

Over Coffee

Today I went to Billy’s studio.  He said there was something he wanted to discuss with me over coffee.  

If you know Billy then you know that this was meant literally.  

Billy didn’t mean he wanted to drink coffee with me and talk something over.  

What he meant was that he wanted me to climb up on the little wooden bridge he has set up in his studio.  Under the bridge, he has ten fifty pound bags of unroasted coffee beans.  When he says he wants to discuss something over coffee, he really means it. 

Over coffee he asked me how I was. 

Over coffee, I told him I was fine.

Over coffee, he asked me if my daughter was doing okay.

Over coffee, I told him that she was fine.  I also mentioned over coffee that she was becoming a very fine printmaker.

Over coffee, He said he was having problems with an image.  Would I look it over and tell him what I thought.

Over coffee, I told him sure, as soon as we get down from here.  I don’t want to talk about it over coffee. 

So we got down. 

Not over coffee, I looked at his picture.

Not over coffee, I said, “Well this simply looks like crap.”

Not over coffee, Billy smiled and punched me in the nose.

Not over coffee, I hit him back.

Not over coffee, we had a fine little fistfight.

Not over coffee, when Billy had the fight knocked out of him he said

I really needed that, thank you. 

Then we stood up, shook hands and walked into his kitchen, where he put on a pot of coffee. 

Over coffee really (talking it over while drinking coffee this time) we seriously discussed his picture which was, really, quite good.  Over coffee really I told him I didn’t know what his problem was.  Over coffee really, I said if any other artist had painted this picture, he or she would be proud.  Over coffee really If any other artist had expressed this, they’d be rich and famous right now.

Over coffee really he said, but not me, because I don’t want to be rich and famous.

Over coffee really I told him I’d probably like to be famous even for a little while.

Over coffee really he said be careful what you wish for.