As I walked past a large café window in central Reading, I spotted an old lady swirling coffee at the bottom of her cup before her last sip. I thought of my father at once. This was one of his late habits I found vaguely distasteful. Why distasteful, though? This is something I am yet to figure out, but I would not be caught dead swirling coffee at the bottom of my cup. The pits!

Addendum (January 13, 2003)

Why do people swirl coffee at the bottom of their cups? Is it to dissolve the sugar at the bottom, so as to enjoy that additional bit of sweetness with their last sip? If this is correct, would this not be typical of old people, who are dimly aware of the finality of their days, and thus their cups of coffee? And why would such behavior exhibited by a father be distasteful to his son? Could it have anything to do with something entirely different—like the son’s fear of losing his old father? Can any of these questions ever be answered? Even if not, does this mean they are pointless or even meaningless? By posing so many questions without answers, do I sound a bit like a child? Or like a son who has already lost his father? And why am I crying now?