(7) Sugar by nicholaiv
(7) Sugar a short story by nicholaiv An older man well into his 60s was sitting at an outdoor table in an old corner coffeeshop that faced a small but active intersection; it was one of those ancient coffeeshops that had been renovated a dozen times in its half-century of life but could not scrub itself clean of its original grime, which had sunk too deep into its foundation. A cane, presumably the old man's, was leaning against a chair that was pulled close to him. Across from him was an empty and worn orange seat. A newspaper was laid on the table in front of him; a visible title in bold letters read: "42 Dead in Freak Fire Escape Collapse." It was one of those interchangeable bright weekend mornings with the congenial peace brought on by the gentleness of its breezes and relative freedoms. Young couples hung off each other in self-conscious pride. Aerodynamic cyclists gathered their wits and bicycles on the grass. Toy dogs trotted along with territorial purpose on lo...