The Cris Gray Show

The barista handed the man his double espresso. Ladened with shopping bags, he sat down heavily while precariously balancing the saucer and tiny cup in an attempt to not spill its contents. I watched wondering where he had been shopping so early this morning. This being a time when the rest of the city was hurriedly purchasing their morning caffeine on the way to their place of employment. This mystery man appeared normal to the casual observer. His hair was neatly combed. He wore a sport jacket over a t-shirt and designer jeans. Decent shoes adorned his feet and he wore glasses with clean lenses. Nothing that would give the less observant any pause. It appeared as if he exited a department store sometime the night before, passed through a hole in time and space, only to be deposited in the following morning at 8am. I contemplated this mysterious man’s imagined journey just as he reached into one of the shopping bags and produced a small package wrapped in wax paper. With the dexterity of a classically trained pianist, his fingers unwrapped the package and produced the remnants of a half eaten cheeseburger. He slowly raised the offal to his lips and, over the next 5 minutes, I watched him eat. He enjoyed this food scrap more than I’ve observed any man of means enjoy a fine steak or an excellent glass of red wine. My mouth agape in wonder, the man finished his meal. He calmly wiped his mouth with a napkin, gathered his belongings and strode silently and mysteriously through the door and into the morning. It wasn’t until moments after he was gone that I noticed his espresso remained untouched on the table.