~ +++ ~ "Entry for Last Short Story Contest" ~ +++ ~
young ziller woke up early as usual ~
but this particular morning it took him a few moments to realize where he was ~
the smell of potpourri ~
the steady tick-tock of the ancient clock on the wall ~
the antique dresser in the corner ~
the smell of bacon and breakfast cooking ~
all quickly reminded him ~
grandmother’s house ~
ziller made his way up the darkened hallway ~
it sounded like a medium-sized dragon with metal lungs was huffing and puffing in the kitchen ~
but it was only the old percolator style coffee pot performing its magic ~
“good morning ziller” ~
“good morning grandmother” ~
grandmother was seated in her usual spot ~
her cup of coffee and open bible were set on the white tablecloth in front of her ~
“did you sleep well ?” ~
“really good grandmother ~ thank you.” ~
grandmother turned again to her bible ~
ziller poured himself a glass of milk and selected a piece of toast and several strips of bacon ~
the streetlamp outside was taking its last peek through the window blinds before the sun came up ~
every now and then ziller would stop to listen to the sound of a car driving past the house carrying people somewhere they needed to go ~
as ziller ate he studied the toast crumbs on the little china plate and organized them with his finger ~
“grandmother ?" ~
"yes baby ?" ~
"do you think jesus was real ? ~ did he really exist ?” ~
“well of course he did, baby” she said looking up ~
“he is real ~ he lived ~ he died for us ~ he rose from the dead ~ he lives today.” ~
“but how do you know that grandmother ?” ~
grandmother closed her bible ~
she took ziller’s hand and sighed while ziller prepared himself for a loving lecture or gentle scolding for asking such a question ~
instead of scolding she began to softly sing a song that ziller had heard her sing many times at her old southern babtist church:
“i serve a risen savior he is in the world today i know that he is living whatever men may say i see his hand of mercy i hear his voice of cheer and just the time i need him he is always near”
“he lives, he lives, christ jesus lives today he walks with me and talks with me along lifes narrow way he lives, he lives, salvation to impart you ask me how i know he lives ? he lives within my heart”
and that made more sense than anything ziller has ever read in a book ~
be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come ~ that ziller, hereby, as soberly as possible, grants permission for this work to be permanently displayed, spread upon and archived on exmormon.org ~ all usernames were used without permission ~ ziller knows of a surety and bears record that this work is not true. ziller lies not. amen.
Ziller never said the percolator was on the stove. It may well have been electric.
An electric percolator pumps hot water up and over the basket until it reaches a set temperature, then stops. It will cool, and then re-perk (sending water, again, over the coffee in the basket) until it returns to the shut-off temperature. It's also louder than a stove-top percolator.
Ziller heard the percolator on the 2nd or 3rd re-heat.
How to set up a morning to move fast: Take a small (2-4 cups) Farberware percolator, and fill with the desired amount of water and (coarse) ground coffee. Put in refrigerator. (Colder water means a slightly longer perk cycle.) When morning alarm goes off, GET UP, take percolator out and plug in. Then head to bathroom for teeth, quick shower, etc. The coffee will be ready when you finish. Drink, enjoy, and get going!
Ziller gets his morning brain off to a good start!