Release Date: October 1, 2024
Thank you for visiting the free, online version of the “What Ben Didn’t Know…” series. I hope you enjoy “The Coffee Journey.”
The free versions of the “What Ben Didn’t Know…” series are planned to be released a few weeks after the official releases for e-readers and in print.
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Thanks!
Andy
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For everyone who forgets their umbrella.
A “Take the Train” Morning
The email read:
“Hi Ben,
I know you prefer online meetings, but we are going to need you at the downtown office for the next update meeting. It will be held in the conference room, and we’ll serve breakfast and lunch. Be prepared for a presentation updating the team about your current project.
It will be great to see you in person for a change.
John”
“Shit.” That was what Ben wanted to reply, but instead he ended up with:
“Hi John,
See you then.
Ben”
Ben, for the most part, hated going to the downtown office. His normal commute time was around 20 minutes, 30 if the weather was bad or there was an accident, but the trip to the downtown office ranged anywhere from 50 to 90 minutes. He always had to plan for 90 minutes because if he were late for the meeting, he would never hear the end of it from his boss, John.
The saving grace was that he had the option of taking the commuter train which was a ten-minute walk from his house, and then a taxi or ride-share to the office. The time was still about 90 minutes, but at least he could relax on the train instead of being in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the expressway.
His decision of driving or taking the train hinged on the weather. On a rainy day, Ben would drive, even if it meant risking being late, mostly because he would dread the walk in the rain to the train station. He also had a habit of leaving his umbrella in his office, usually forgetting to bring it home at the end of a rainy day. Inevitably he would need it on the way to work the next rainy day, not have it, and then finally bring it home.
Ben’s success rate in having his umbrella when he needed it was about 30%, resurrecting the same thought in his head every time, “Why don’t I just buy another umbrella?”
Lucky for Ben, on the day of the downtown meeting, the weather forecast was trending cool with barely a chance of rain.
He set his alarm an hour earlier than normal so he would have enough time to make the train. Trying to be as quiet as possible, Ben swung his legs off the bed and lifted his eyeglasses from the nightstand. He tried to lift them straight up so the metal of the frames wouldn’t make noise against the wood, but this was a skill he never could master as a gentle scraping sound emerged from the nightstand.
As Ben shook his head in wonderment as he again failed to silently get his eyeglasses, his wife, Amy, woke up.
“Ben, why are you getting up so early? Did you decide to go to the gym?”
Ben had forgotten to tell Amy about his need to go to the downtown office, and with the little comment came a touch of guilt as Ben hadn’t been to the gym in months.
“No, I have to go to the downtown office today. Didn’t I tell you?”
“I don’t think so. Did you want me to get up and make you breakfast?” said Amy in a hesitant voice, hoping the answer was “No” so she could go back to sleep.
“No, you can go back to sleep. The office is providing breakfast. I’ll try to be more quiet.”
Amy rolled over and instantly fell back asleep, much to Ben’s dismay knowing if it were him, it would take him an hour to fall back asleep.
Hoping not to wake Amy up a second time, Ben gathered his clothes from the closet and went to the guest bathroom to get ready. In his failed attempt at a silent departure from the bed, Ben had forgotten to put on his slippers. Walking down the hallway, the lack of footwear became readily apparent as the coldness of the floor was just another annoying reminder of his having to go to the downtown office.
Ben finished getting ready, got dressed, and grabbed his shoulder bag. Remembering that the weather forecast called for it to be a little chilly but no rain, Ben put on his jacket and began the ten-minute walk to the train station.