the blue glow of the early dawn

the son comes into the bedroom, a shadow more in the dark room. There is no light coming from the window, the electric light in the room is not on. He comes over to the bed, and asks to go to the cafe. The regular visits to the cafe are a thing of great importance to him, even though little is spoken about during these visits. It is just about being together, being in company.

Get up and put on clothing, put on the boots that are hard to lace up easily and neatly. The son is rushing about, now looking for his shoes. See them in a corner, pick the black shoes up, and hand them over to him.

He puts them on.

The street is dark, there are icy patches on the pavement. These are remainders of the snow that had fallen yesterday.

The cafe is lit inside, it is warm and cosy looking. It is really a bakery shop, but there are a few seats on one side. Order a cup of coffee and a sugary bun, the son orders a bottle of coke and a cake of some kind.

The son coughs. A young woman in workers overalls looks at him, and wishes him a good recovery. He very obviously has a cold. The young womans hair is dyed a bright crimson, she has a friendly and concerned expression.

The son says thank you for the wishes. He has good manners.

Sit at a table in the window, the son opposite to the father. The son really is not well, he is coughing regularly, his eyes are bleary, he is slouched over his coke.

The father drinks his coffee, and finishes the sticky bun. He only has the remains of a cold, it is almost gone in his case. The son has a fresh infection, one that may get worse before it gets better.

When the coffee is finished and the bun gone, the son asks to return home, and that he will take the remains of the coke home with him.

So return in the still dark streets, the castle on the hill just becoming visible in the blue glow of the early dawn