A Different Monday

Elena usually works in a big office near the river. She takes the bus at eight and starts work at nine. But today is different. She is sitting in a small café, and her laptop is on a table by the window.

“Why aren’t you at the office?” her colleague Mitch asks on the phone. “There is no electricity there today,” Elena says. “I’m working here with a cup of coffee.” “Do you often work in cafés?” “No, I never do,” she says.

Elena normally drinks tea, but today she is drinking coffee because the café does not have her favourite tea. A waiter is bringing a plate of toast. She does not usually eat breakfast at work, but she is hungry.

Mitch usually answers emails slowly, but today he is writing very fast. “I like this change,” he says. “I’m sitting in my kitchen, and my cat is sleeping on my feet.” Elena laughs. “Does your cat usually help you?” “Never!”

At noon, the office opens again, but Elena does not go back. “I work well here,” she says. Outside, the sun is shining. She is smiling and writing a new message: “Maybe every Monday can be different.”