One of those days

I'm exhausted from another long day at the bakery. Most days I'm able to sneak in a sandwich at lunch time, but today a steady stream of costumers flowed in like a line of ants on the back porch patio. The heat only adds to my exhaustion.  93 degrees is not a comfortable temperature, and even more so when I am taking trash to the dumpster.  O how I hate the screeching noise the lock makes on that dumpster door. It cries out as if it too cannot bare the scorching heat.  My hand burns as I lift and drop the heavy lock.  The cruel sun has brought the metal handle to an untouchable temperature. While walking back inside after dumping the trash I try to catch a gust of wind that races across the crowded lot. Everything outside reflects the hot sun: The bakery windows, the car windshields, the bleach white sidewalks. They cast back the sunshine just like our floors inside do after I've mopped them. Though it's fatiguing, I like mopping the floors.  Their copper red color turns to a glossy cinnamon shade. I see my face staring back at me as I run the sloppy mop over the sticky floors. Like a mirror reflection, the gleaming floor catches the windows and even the rare birds that pass by them.  It catches the hanging black ceiling lights and the counter of sweets. But this upside down world lingers but a short while.  As the floors dry up,  the glimmer of lights disappears too.  

picture taken from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090419170112.htm

Sometimes I imagine the bread in my bakery is alive.  A little scone waits for a buyer.  It sits on a clean white tray among eight other scones. Below it sit the chocolate chip scones.  These are exceedingly popular.  By closing time there are usually no more than three left.  So this little blueberry scone waits with little hope.  Small children peer into the sneeze guard, the glass window.  Some press their noses up against it.  Old ladies press a shaky finder, while hungry business men just give a nod to the one they'd like. The biggest scones go first.  Next are the ones with the most cream cheese. The cream cheese is swirled into the scone like a marble design. Beside it sits a Red White and Blue scone.  Inside this delicious treat you'll find white chocolate chips, blueberries, cream cheese, and cherries.  In this patriotic season with the fourth of July coming up, these scones sell faster than you can say Uncle Sam. But along comes a somebody. They order a coffee, small of course.  For some odd reason no one ever orders a large coffee.  Along with their coffee they ask for a scone, and I give them the little blueberry one.