Wednesday 5 March 2014

The All Dayer


Beth looks surprised to see me so early this morning; I have a long day ahead of me. Breakfast. Lunch. Cake. I settle myself at a table, plugging the laptop into a wall socket behind the bench. Today I'm not sitting at my favourite window seat, I can't have any distractions - not cars or lorries or passers by in lurid yellow jackets - I have to get my head down, finish the final chapters of my novel; it's taken far too long. So I decide on a small square table near the counter instead; tempting croissants, scones and teacakes behind the curved glass panel. I'm hungry.

I overhear a conversation on the table opposite. A stocky bloke has had his working day cut short. He began at six, crashed his van, has to spend the rest of his hours getting the damage sorted. What a shame I think, to have the day turned over like that, like a spoilt pancake. I am curious about the pile on his plate. Quesadilla, poached egg, avocado, round fat slices of chorizo sausage. I change my mind. I can't have toast. I can't have porridge. I need protein. 'Beth, can I have eggs benedict with bacon please?'

...Eggs ben, yummity yum. Thick comforting hollandaise sauce, yolk soaked muffins; this will fill the spot, just the ticket for the words ahead.


Coco, the chocolate brown labrador, insists on curling under a table next to mine. I have to mind my legs, wouldn't want to squash her soft splayed paws. Coco is an old, sad eyed dog; the cafe's mascot and namesake. She lifts her head, her legs, and takes a lumbering stroll about the place; under tabletops, the odd sniff of a chair leg, flops her body back down, expends a doggy sigh.

A mother makes herself comfortable with her fourteen month old toddler. A wriggly pig. Her daughter won't sit still. She smiles a mouth of sharp front baby teeth, giggling, tapping on her mother's ipad, prodding it like a puddle of mud. We are all enchanted by her, the way she points at a cup, and spits out tested syllables. They don't stay long, time for a play in the park...


By lunch time I am lost in nouns, verbs and sentence structure. Customers come and go. I pay little attention, if any, to their shapes and textures; only the vague hubbub of chatter around me. I need something simple. I look up at a black board on the wall. Soup. That's what I'll have. Vegetable and white bean soup. Lower on calories, a compliment to the morning's egg fest. Slurp. Tap. Slurp. Tap. I can write more this way... but it's not as easy as it looks; I have to wipe thick gloop off the keyboard several times.

A group of tanned women, dressed in bright lycra and track suits, talk exercise and detox. I feel guilty. When was the last time I did yoga? Surely it wasn't three days ago? I don't care. I will have a slice of cake. I will. I will. I will...

A three year old jumps up and down on his sister's pram. She screams with bubbles and delight. His parent's don't seem to mind, he's entertaining his sister, a window for proper chat. The pram wobbles, making an unsteady lilt to the side. A parental hand stabilises the carrier. 'Stop that,' a voice reprimands, 'stop that right now.' I need another cup of tea.


A pit stop. The cake. A moist slice of lemon and blueberry drizzle. An all time favourite. Tart in my mouth, crumbling on the plate, fuel for the afternoon. I order an extra mug of hot chocolate; forget the calories, I need the word count...

And I don't leave until Coco closes, until I'm past two thousand words.

If you like my writing, you could do two wonderful things for me (pretty please);
1. Vote for me in the MADS (best writer). 2. Preorder my anthology, Seasons Of Motherhood (published in March). Thank you. 

26 comments:

  1. well done you! id be horribly distracted all the time by everything! cant wait to read it x

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    1. Thank you very much.... funnily enough, the noise helps. At least another year of editing to go! X

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  2. The food in Coco looks delicious. I don't blame you for having a slice of cake... and as for yoga, I've never done any in my life (well, one failed attempt) so think of that next time you feel guilty about a 3 day gap! x

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    1. It is very yum scrum... and no, in hindsight I don't blame me for having a lovely slice of cake (helps with the word count). And I will no longer feel guilty about a three day yoga gap! X

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  3. Are you their best customer do you think? Glad you had a productive days writing, it sounds delightful. Mich x

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    1. I think I am probably one of them :o). And I had a great day thank you, a fab place to write. X

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  4. I'd be very distracted, too busy listening to other people and watching who comes and goes. The food sounds delicious: how lucky you are to have such a place on your doorstep!

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    1. I have to discipline myself... there are so many opportunities for watching the world go by. The food is fab, and great having it so close by!

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  5. Well, if the beautiful food served at Coco's inspires such wonderful writing then I'm packing my bags and moving over! 2000 words? Well done you :-) xx Jazzy
    (PS I voted for you in the MADs ;-)

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    1. Coco does it for me and when it comes to the writing.... a lovely light and airy space. And please pop over for a cuppa :o). X (and thank you very much for voting).

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  6. "Forget the calories, I need the word count..." Love this!
    Such a wonderful place, just perfect. xx

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    1. Thank you very much lovely! X (I am off for more cake today!)

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  7. This sounds like a perfect place to write and you describe it so beautifully I felt I was there with you xx

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    1. It is a great place to write; nice light and very laid back.... Where are you? Why don't you come and join me? X

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  8. Wow what a productive day for you and beautiful food too...bonus ;) xx

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    1. It was thank you, and I had an exceptionally productive day! X

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  9. Sounds like a delicious day in so many ways - Coco sounds gorgeous, love choc labs! xxx

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    1. It was a fab day indeed; food and words - very pleased with the results. Coco is lovely and so is their dog! X

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  10. When you're a famous author they'll be talking about the days you used to come and write there. And no doubt you still will anyhow! XX

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    1. Don't hold your breath :o) LOL... and if a miracle did happen, yes, I will still be writing at my little window table! X

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  11. Older Single Mum is so right! It's going to be like the cafe in Edinburgh where JK wrote Harry Potter!

    Another really beautiful post, Sarah. Wish I could join you in Coco for some of those delicious eggs. xx

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    1. It's a lovely dream but I'm not holding my breath :o).... Thank you very much lovely..... I would love for you to come and join me but alas *sniffs* you are in Tas. Do you have you very own 'Coco' over there? X

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  12. Yum yum, cake and writing all day - sounds like heaven to me! Good luck with the project xx

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    1. It is my idea of heaven, and the project is going well (ish). X

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  13. You make me want to be a writer. I would love a day like that. A head filled with words and a belly with cake.

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    1. I am very lucky I have such a nice place to zone out and write in.... does make me eat lots of food though :o).

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