Nocturnal
Tendencies
Continued
by Tim Bugansky
photos by Michele Lenn
Bottomless Cup
It's almost 1 a.m., and Steve needs more coffee.
A look not so much of satisfaction but of fulfillment spreads across Steve's face when he drinks coffee. It is the sign of an addiction being fueled.
"Coffee is his crack," Lisa says, laughing.
She and the others have received their orders and are digging in. Steve sips his coffee and lights another Camel.
If it's a long night, he'll sometimes drink three or four pots of coffee himself. With free refills, he says, it costs, "$1.09 for like 3 gallons of coffee." But he always tries to leave $5 after an all-night coffee spree.
"It pays for the coffee, and they have to put up with my shit," he says.
Steve drains his mug and automatically reaches for the carafe. Only enough coffee for half a cup remains.
"Cashed it," he says, watching the final drips dribble into the mug.
Chris
 The relaxed mood draws Chris Prosser to Country Kitchen. |
Insomnia originally brought Chris Prosser to Country Kitchen three years ago. Now he's a certified regular.
"I had insomnia for a while, so I just started coming up when I couldn't sleep," the Stow resident says.
Chris sits in a back booth with his back to the wall, smoking Marlboro 100s and drawing on a yellow legal pad with a blue Bic pen. He comes to Country Kitchen three to five times per week. Tonight he's alone.
"On a weekend, you're pretty much guaranteed you're gonna know someone here," he says. "Like most of these people – I can go up and talk to them, and they can talk to me. It's pretty much understood."
It's common for one regular to walk over to another table and join in on the conversation. But for now, Chris is content to sit and observe the interactions around him.
"The more you come alone, the more complex it seems," he says. "When you're with a group, you're not really paying attention to anyone else."
Chris smokes in a thoughtful manner, exhaling slowly. His voice seems to drift with the smoke as he talks, floating calmly through the air.
"It's got some subtle qualities that just make it easier to relax," he says. "It's kind of like a sanctuary, I guess. You really don't have to worry about anything in here. Or you can come in here to figure out what's going on in your life."