"Triiing...!" a small golden bell hanging above the green door with a carved motif of a strange creature like a silver-colored tiger and dragon that originated in medieval times rang when Friks opened the door of the coffee shop, immediately the scent of coffee stew burst into the nose and traced into Friks' lungs, hmmm it was so fragrant, it is really comfortable to feel the sensation of coffee fragrance in the morning before going on an activity, especially in this coffe shop.
The coffee shop that he had been to since childhood with his father and uncle, although he came to this coffe shop every day but the sensation of the smell of coffee when he opened the door was something that could not be described in words. Only that he felt that there was something warm in his chest as if to touch the bottom of his heart that really made him very comfortable like a longing for a treated hometown.
This coffee shop is Friks' second comfort zone, of course after his home, when there arehis friends or anyone who wants to meet him they can know his whereabouts if he is not at home, yes he is in this coffeshop, Friks is a true coffeholic.
Friks walked in and oops! He slipped when he stepped on a rather thick mat in front of the door, even though he already knew there was that mat but almost every time he came here he still slipped in the same place. Fortunately this time he didn't fall off like yesterday. Friks stuck out his tongue and scratched the back of his head, routine carelessness, he thought.
"Friks, how are my favorite customers? Wow, you almost fell, huh? Even though I told Elaine to move the doormat! Are you injured?" greeted the owner from behind the bar counter, smiling kindly as soon as Friks entered his coffee shop.
"It's okay." said Friks.
The man's name is Robert Tullen, a middle-aged man of uproar descent from a country in Europe. Maybe from Germany or its surroundings, characterized by a distinctive face with his graying blonde hair and sparkling green eyes always soothing anyone who comes to her coffeeshop coupled with her friendly attitude, guaranteed to make anyone feel at home and comfortable lingering in the coffeeshop. Robert has settled in this city since birth, he inherited this coffeeshop from his father who was passed down from generation to generation. Elaine is Robert's daughter, she is three years older than Friks. Like Robert, Elaine is outgoing and friendly person whenever she replaces her father to look after the coffeshop.
Friks' uncle Miilo once said that this coffeeshop itself is more than two centuries old. Back when Friks was a child, his uncle often told him that this coffeeshop was a place where miracles often happened, what kind of miracles until now Friks still doesn't know.
For little Friks, it was a fun thing to run around every corner of the coffeshop or just hide under a table and surprise his uncle. Miilo always says that everyone who enjoys being in this coffeeshop is a good person who likes to socialize, 'a true coffee connoisseur is a person who understands the meaning of life and knows how to enjoy it through a cup of coffee, of course a good coffee! Coffee that can warm not only the body but also the heart and soul' is Miilo's admonition.
There is a story that he never gets tired of hearing from his uncle, about this coffeeshop which he said is a gateway between worlds, a kind of parallel world that connects this world with other almost similar worlds. A world where good and evil are still fighting each other to decide which side has the right to rule the world. A world that is still green with many extraordinary scenery whose beauty cannot be described in words as if heaven is in that world.
Friks used to be very happy to hear the story from his uncle Miilo and hoped that he would also be able to see the dream world, but gradually Friks felt that his uncle was a bit excessive in telling stories, this kind of old coffee shop period can be a link between the worlds, there is indeed just a story of his uncle Miilo's, he thought. after all, even if there is a gate between the worlds that Miilo's uncle said but Friks never found it, even though since he was a child he had memorized it correctly every inch and room in this coffeeshop. Robert did not mind and allowed little Friks to explore his coffeshop, sometimes Robert also liked to hide a few packets of chocolate in the corners of his coffeshop and told Friks to find him. For Friks it was a fun game, being able to explore as well as get free chocolate.
Now that Friks is too old for the game, now Friks comes to this coffeshop to drink coffee as was the habit of his uncle and father in the past, although he doesn't really know about his father but from the story of Uncle Miilo, Friks knows that his father is also a coffee holic and used to come to Robert's coffee shop.
"Coffemix as usual?"
Friks nodded, Robert's coffeemix is the coffee concoction he likes the most, not too heavy like black coffee but also very delicious because the scent of the coffee can still be obvious. Friks tried several times to make his own coffeemix in his house but the mixture made by Robert could never be imitated. Robert really knows how the right measure is in mixing coffee, creamer and honey instead of sugar.
Friks pulled a chair and then sat down in the far right corner of the coffeeshop room, putting his backpack on the table. This is his favorite place, from this angle he can see almost the entire coffeeshop and is in a straight line with the entrance of the coffeshop until he can know who is coming. Especially in this corner, there is also a large window that shows the street so that Friks can pay attention to the traffic of people walking or vehicles going back and forth, he is very happy to see the activities and crowds of the city, at least this can be his entertainment, relieve boredom and fatigue after a day of school.
But today he had another plan, he took out a novel from his backpack. Later Friks was very happy to read especially light readings such as comics and novels, especially fiction novels, with novels he felt he could explore his imagination and for a moment take it out of all the routines and realities that he felt were getting closer and closer to shackling him. A high school kid's scheduled routine is accompanied by a pile of tasks that always oversaturate him.
Friks had just turned 11th grade in high school and two days ago that he celebrated his 17th birthday, people say. 17 was the most beautiful and tumultuous age of adolescence in the soul of every human being not least Friks, for the first time also his face was covered with acne.
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