Fabio had walked for more than an hour the streets of the frozen city, the winter devoured the warmth of the souls and the streets remained empty when the sun began to set; that hour when the temperature dropped even more, people preferred to be at home in the warmth of the fireplace or the stove, wrapped in the embrace of a loved one. But Fabio had none of that, he had forgotten what it meant to have a physical space to come to every night or loved ones waiting for him; hunger and misery had made him lose part of his sanity and now he was just another madman in the streets of the merciless urban landscape.
Every afternoon Fabio would walk to a bakery on a more or less secluded corner of the city center, where Mrs. Martinez would lend him a thermos full of hot coffee and give him a loaf of bread left over from the day's sales. Fabio would sit on the sidewalk every afternoon to sip the coffee slowly while savoring the bread, most of the time that was the only food he tasted all day. That afternoon was no different, Fabio walked to the paradisiacal corner where Mrs. Martinez was waiting for him, he received the thermos, the bread and sat on the sidewalk to drink and eat.
Just as Fabio was devouring the bread a stray dog approached him, Fabio looked at it suspiciously, he made some noises to scare it away but the dog did not move. It looked at him with eyes that seemed human, Fabio hated it even more for having in its eyes the same sorrow that he carried inside. Fabio stood up awkwardly, he no longer had much strength, he crossed the street to continue enjoying his food away from the animal, but the dog walked behind him and arrived almost at the same time on the other sidewalk. Fabio yelled at it and threatened to hit it, but the dog did not move, it kept staring into Fabio's eyes.
They continued walking for a couple more blocks, Fabio running away and the dog in diligent pursuit, until they reached an alley, Fabio ran to the bottom and was trapped between the brick wall and the animal. He shouted in desperation addressing the dog.
"Stop chasing me you bastard, don't expect anything from me."
Fabio's scream echoed in the dead end alley, the echo made Fabio realize how alone he was. Despite his madness he didn't expect any response from the animal, but he was surprised to hear a voice coming from the dog.
"I just want a cup of coffee buddy, the streets are just as cold for both of us. I'm sure there's enough coffee in that thermos for both of us."
Fabio was surprised, but immediately reacted against the animal.
"You must be crazy to think that I will share my coffee with you, of course there is enough, the problem is that they gave it to me. Get your own dinner."
"You call me crazy, but it's you that's in an alley fighting with a dog. I'll let you think about it for a bit, I need a hot drink and maybe I have something to offer you in return."
Fabio tried to think while he listened to the animal talking, it didn't make sense, maybe he was making it up, the cold and the hunger were playing a trick on him. However, the dog was very gentle and eloquent, he used words that Fabio never used, he seemed much more intelligent than him. Fabio poured himself a glass of coffee and drank the steaming liquid as if strutting in front of the animal. He bit into a piece of bread and spoke with his mouth full as a few crumbs flew from his lips into the air.
"What could a mangy like you offer me? Do you have a warm home where I can spend the night? Will you give me a family to offer me love and companionship? You have nothing I want."
"You're right about that, I have nothing you want, but I have everything you need."
Fabio looked defiantly at the dog, although he tried hard to deny it, that was interesting to him, it was probably the best thing that had happened to him in a long time. The dog continued to speak in his gravelly, calm voice.
"As I was wandering around I heard a couple of men say that this may be the coldest night of the year. I offer you a warm hug, my fur will keep you warm, I'll keep you company and we'll talk until we fall asleep How long has it been since you've had a good conversation?"
Fabio was perplexed, the dog was right, he couldn't offer him a home or a family, however he could provide warmth and companionship, the two things he needed most at that moment. Fabio thought about it for a few minutes and looked at the dog again, but this time the sad eyes seemed more bearable, he was seeing himself in the animal, but in this one he looked less miserable. He poured another cup of coffee and extended it to the dog as he curled up, the dog drank desperately.
After sharing the bread and the whole thermos of coffee, the two of them lay down on some cardboard, the dog curled up on Fabio's chest and Fabio wrapped his arms around him, it looked like they were hugging. They woke up the next day, they had survived the coldest night, they remained in each other's arms for a while longer. A beggar and a dog, anyone who had seen it would have thought it was an unfortunate or unpleasant scene, but in reality it was a loving display of how a cup of coffee brought two beings together to save each other's lives.
