Raindrops Cafe #1

The story of Raindrops Cafe might as well begin with the phrase "Once upon a time, in a land far away" just like any other stories you've ever heard before. It began in the land quite far on the other side of the desert, beyond the mountains, across the ocean to the next island where people speak a different dialect. There once lived a man who was passionate about growing coffee beans and to brew the best beverage. He lived high up on the mountain where the forests are blue-green and ordinary day is misty and cold. From his adobe, he could see in all four wind rose directions. Once in awhile an airship will stop by to ask for direction and he never failed to offer them a place to sit and listen to his stories. He served all of his traveling guests a cup of freshly brewed coffee which work like magic on a misty day on the mountain. If they like it, he will give them a bag as a parting gift. If they don't, he will give them a bag to go just as well. Soon, many travelers will stop by just to taste his coffee and listen to his stories. He never failed them and never once take the money they offered in return.

One day, a traveler who have heard about his reputation came by and asked the man why has he not open a cafe where more people will know about his passion in coffee while listening to his story telling. "Oh I never thought of that" he said. "I only had a small patch of land to grow my coffee and to keep my children busy. I want them to learn the secret and it will serve them well when I am gone. It was more of a personal desire to grow and make the best coffee and share it with those who happened to stop by." Never occurred to him that he would make this into a full trade, not until the traveler convinced him that this treasure ought to be shared with the world. So the traveler offered him a place to serve his coffee in one of his establishment with only one condition, that the coffee grower will stop by once in awhile at a designated time to share his stories with friends and visitors.

That my friend, what most people considered to be the first Raindrops Cafe, also known as Raindrops Cafe #1. But as far as I am concern, the first Raindrops Cafe were established long time ago high up on the mountain, where the forests are blue-green and ordinary day is misty and cold.

Lella Calustra

by Azam Asmudian

Forest of Laudera
It's quiet and peaceful
I can hear birds singing
On the giant willow tree

Sunshine filtered through the forest
Monarch butterflies dancing with the light
Albino frog resting lazily on the lily pond
Silverback swimming among the rocks

From the rock where I sit
I can see the end of the rainbow
There across the stream, behind the Oracle
Between the hermit house and aviary

I walk deep into the forest
The forest of Eden-Lamore
I found the circle of mushrooms
Where Cantalbuya fairy gathers to musical charade

Crystallized dew drops to the ground
Creates a diamond sparkle like the salt of the sky
Wild irises grown among the pines
Perfectly shaped, magically undisturbed

Hummingbirds all over my head
Drop me a honey from Siloam
"We have tasted the nectar,
and we will return for more"

The magic of the wild
Enchanted throughout the forest
Lord of the tree is in disguise
As the lady of the seven moons

The emerald green of the grass
Brings out the light of heaven
Levitate me higher than ground
To swing with birds and the butterflies

The owl start to sing its song
Nocturnal are awaken from their sleep
I have lost track of time
I wonder how long I've been here

I see a bright sparkling dust
Pouring down from the sky above
Green, red, blue and yellow
Purple, gold, silver and white

Is this really true?
That the fairies are here now?
The guardian of the forest,
Never worries about tomorrow

The secret garden revealed in front of me
There behind the rock, above my head
A water fountain of eternal bless
Bring storm to calm and disperse the sadness

Lights are everywhere as far as I can see
The forest is awaken, spirit of the delights
Woodwind and flute, playing its cantata
Music of the night magic of the soul

I want to stay forever until the end of time
But I can't hide forever, in the dream of a dreamer

It's time to go home
To leave this enchanted forest
The soul were embraced, and it speaks in return
As the tree speak to the grass and everything in between

The forest will always be there
Hiding its serenity from the world outside
The spirit of the green will stay eternally
Magic and lore, they are the eternal recluse

I land my foot on the grass
Taking my step out pass the gate
From fantasy to reality
Taking a piece of love with me

No one will ever know
No one will ever care
That someday I will return
To the forest of Laudera

"Where the gates are hidden
There you must go
Look for bird that sing twice
And a deer that never look back"

I belong there...

- Azam was a traveler like myself. He used to make his trade route between Palankur and Palandune. No one knows exactly when he is truly gone, for a traveler may be away for weeks before returning home. All we know that his uncle found this poems in his room back home. No one knows what happened to him. There is only one place in this world where one can find Silverback fish, but I tell you for sure that there is no forest there...

a tale of a coffee merchant part 2

My acquaintance with the coffee merchant began one day when I was only a youngster. My mother worked as maidservant at a seaside cafe at Silver Sand beach. I used to hang around after school swimming in the ocean among the reefs, collecting rare sea shells, and once in a while trying my luck to hunt for Caribuster. Folks nearby called it fighting prince because it has a belligerent attitude and its pearl-like shell is strikingly beautiful. I can't blame their aggressiveness because they were largely hunted for its highly priced shell and their meat were a delicacy for a king. I apologize for not being clear in what I was talking about. Caribuster is a giant lobster with a unique spear-like head. It can propel itself for approximately 6 feet forward in a harpoon like manner. The adult caribuster can weight up to 7 lbs. Its exoskeleton has a pearl like quality and can fetch good money from the jewel merchant. Supposedly it has some kind of magical property as well but I wouldn't know much about it. To make a long story short, I was trying to catch one of this dreadful creature but it strike me first because I swam to close to its territory. I came home empty handed and an open wound from my left thigh. It just so happened that the coffee merchant was there taking his break on the way to his destination. He offered his assistance to my frantic mother. He took a good look at my wound and took some coffee powder from his bag. Then using only his finger, he mixed it with the extract from an alligator-tongue plant. I know for fact that the plant extract has soothing anti-inflammatory effect on the skin, but the coffee? I have no idea. Well I tell you, my ignorance was quickly enlightened by what I saw. The paste he smeared at my wound stop the bleeding almost instantly leaving only a cooling sense with a slight numb on the area. I got up and didn't even feel any pain. My mother was astonished and the rest was history, literally.

Before he left, we had exchanged many words and he promised to stop by on his way back. He was almost twice my age but he has a vigor of a hunter. My mother sent him away with a bag of house special. At first, he refused to take it but after some time he decided to gave in because no one ever say no to my mother and prevail. The meal was on the house as well. The owner of the keep thought that it was a good entertainment and will help his business. Thanks to the coffee merchant, everyone had a happy ending that day. Everyone, including the caribuster.

a tale of a coffee merchant

Once upon a time, there live a coffee merchant in the land called Duneshara. He was only a merchant, or so he said but I seen much more than what meets the eyes. He spent most of his life traveling the world, looking for a perfect coffee beans to be purchased and later on sold to a prospect buyer far away. He also a coffee connoisseur and greatly respected for his knowledge of the perfect brew. Well, you can't be a coffee merchant if you don't drink what you sell. You see, not every coffee merchant have the aptitude to brew perfect coffee, let alone priests. A priest you asked? That's correct my friend, for this highly coveted trade has been inherited and passed down by the brotherhood of The Gangin Monastery for hunderd of years. Legend said that their forefathers once travelled across the Great Dune and met with the Pharaoh of the time. Another legend said that they served the spiced coffee to Queen Sheeba herself. Whether it was true or fiction, I have not find anyone who can brew those beans as well as they do. They invest much of their time, when not praying or chanting off course (not to make fun of them), making those excellent coffee. People flocked into their monastery to taste the heavenly brew and in return they will pay a small fee as token of charity. This small charity kept the monastery alive and also used to help those who in need of helping hand. Not a bad idea if you asked me. Those priests know a thing about coffee entrepreneur or two. Having God on your side didn't hurt either.

Now where to begin you may asked? Obviously you need to have good beans to begin with. Not too light and not too dark, not to oily but waxy is acceptable. Preferably grown over temperate soil in high altitude surrounded with berries. An inch of rain every other week and misty in the morning but not to gloomy. Some sunlight is required nevertheless. Once the beans were harvested, it must be kept in cold and dark places away from vermin and mold. Keep it dry at all time. And that's the start my friend. If you make it this far, you have a very small chance to be a master brewer or Brewmeister.

In order for one to achieve a title of Brewmeister, one must learn from the brotherhood. Studying closely with the priests and to learn their secret, the history of the beans, the apparatus, to read the weather, from the wind and the rain and finally to become the alchemy of beans one may say. Although we are not try to change the beans into gold nugget but essentially, the beans are black gold in itself. Nothing else that grow in the land is more precious than the beans.

The coffee merchant achieved the title of Brewmeister couple years ago from this day. He no longer sell coffee from day to day, but he still call himself a coffee merchant. People who knows him will refer to him as the coffee merchant of Gangin. He is not of Gangin nor is he an alien reside there, but once you have step into the monastery and learn the secret, where you came from does not matter anymore for you will always be know as the one who has given the honor to be Brewmeister of Gangin Monastery. One no longer an old self but a new one. Have a good coffee...we will continue our conversation some other time.