Over visiting a neighbor the other day…

“Would you like a cup of coffee?” he asks. “I just roasted the latest batch.”

“Yes. Coffee sounds great.”

“How do you take it?” he asks as he grinds the beans.

“Black; no sugar, no milk.”

“Well, we have no milk anyway, only cream.”

“In that case, I’ll have it with no cream.”

“We could water the cream down to make milk, I suppose, if you’d prefer.”

“That’s ok,” I say, “No cream is better than no milk anyway.”

“Well, actually, I prefer cream also,” he says, “but like you, I don’t put it in my coffee.”

“What about milk?” I ask.

“Never.”

“Unless it’s a café au lait?” I venture.

“Of course,” says he, “or a cappuccino.”

“Exactly.” I say.

“Just so.”

“Sartre sans sucre?” I ask.

“No. Nein. Niet-zsche, pas de lait.” He gets in the last word. Almost.

I sip my coffee (black) in silence (white).