My boss is a horrible guy. An ambitious old man who is always watching the clock and doesn't share a penny with anyone. If we are late he deducts half a day from our salary and it is not possible to give an excuse, because whatever we explain he repeats in a cold and heartless way: I will forgive you this fault the day the pigs fly.

That's why the pressure at work is at the limit every day and there is no way to feel at ease. I often ask myself why I still work here. Then I remember that I love my job, I am a programmer for one of the most important computer companies in the world and even though my boss is a pain in the ass he pays the right amount and I feel happy doing what I love.

This morning I woke up at 7am as usual. Because of my rigid schedule I live 1 block away from the office as I can't afford the luxury of having half a day's work deducted if I'm late.

I went into the kitchen and the grinder was blinking indicating that I had no coffee beans. I didn't worry because in the pantry I always have supplies. I looked everywhere and there were none. I forgot to buy last time at the grocery store.

I am very superstitious and feel that if I don't start the day off right everything in the universe comes together to make the day terrible. And so it was.

No coffee shop opens before 8:30 and I have to punch card in the office at 8:15 am. Not a second later. The dilemma was where could I get coffee before I went into the office?

I put on my running shoes and ran like never before. I passed the coffee shop on the corner. The sign at the entrance was lit up we open at 8:30 am.

I remembered Mrs. Lucy from the building half a block from the office. When I was a kid my mother and she were close friends.

It was 4 flights of stairs because those old buildings don't have elevators. I stood on her cat mat that said welcome home.

I heard slow footsteps and it was her. She opened the door and her cotton cloud hair took my gaze.

Good morning Mrs. Lucy. It's me Anna, Mariana's daughter. Mrs. Lucy began to cry from homesickness. I told her I was in the neighborhood and I had a few minutes to say hello. When I said that sentence the clock on the kitchen wall struck 8 am and all the cats purred at the same time. It looked like it was cat food time.

I told her I would help her while she poured the coffee. Precious coffee! How many things I do for a sip of that delicious energizing liquid.

The old lady passed me the blender jar with a jar of crushed raw fish inside.

All the cats jumped on me. As I struggled to keep them from getting my work uniform dirty, the old lady shouted from the kitchen, "Will you stay for breakfast?

-Thank you, Mrs. Lucy, but I have to go to work," I replied, my voice cracking with the foul smell of that cat food.

On the verge of vomiting I left the cat aisle. I had about 15 cats. That scared me. My allergies kicked in and I started sneezing. Again and again "achus"... "achus***. By the time I made it to the kitchen my nose was red and swollen and I felt terrible.

The old lady approached me with a small cup of coffee. My hands were shaking with excitement. I slowly brought the cup to my lips and took a sip. I closed my eyes to enjoy it. I remembered that lady always made delicious coffee, it seemed she hadn't lost her touch.

When I finished drinking my coffee I looked at the clock and it was 8:10. I knew that no matter how hard I ran I was not going to make it on time. But I ran and ran so I could at least get in to explain to the boss what had happened.

As I ran at full speed past the bottom of the office building, I bumped into a man selling balloons. I apologized, but I think I inadvertently knocked over all his merchandise and the helium balloons came loose and flew into the air.

I walked into the office and the clock read 8:20 am. The secretary told me that the boss was waiting for me in his office. And I rushed in.

I walked in and the man was looking out the window. I apologized and told him it was all about having a cup of coffee before I got to work. I thought he would understand me because I know the boss is also a caffeine addict.

But that heartless and heartless man didn't even turn around to look at me. Without taking his eyes off the people walking down the street, who looked like ants, before him who was a powerful man and had a spectacular office on the 16th floor, he uttered a few words: you know I will deduct your day, don't you? Not just half a day, the whole day because 5 minutes late is an eternity.

I sighed with indignation.

But I went on to say: I would forgive you such a fault, since it was for a cup of coffee, the day the pigs fly. And I am a man of my word.

Before our eyes appeared a little pink balloon pig flying. There was total silence in that office.

The balloon went up and was lost in the clouds.

The boss turned to me and said: "Don't let it happen again. Go back to work, nothing happened here.