Mikiatures 16 - Welcome To The Machine

Welcome To The Machine Mick put the coin in the slot, made his choice – white, no sugar – and pressed the green button. The machine emitted a few optimistic whirring noises as it ground its imaginary coffee beans . . . and then ground to a halt. Mick pressed the button a second time . . . and a third . . . before writing off his latest donation to Crap Drinks Machines Ltd.             ‘Thank you for your visit,’ smiled the machine as Mick thumped it for good measure. How was he going to get through the day without his morning coffee? Or “coffee”, rather, for everybody who had ever been “lucky” enough to get their drink was unanimous in their verdict: “Disgusting!”.             If truth be told, nobody in their right mind should have been playing with the drinks machine in the first place; far better to nip across the road to JJ’s for a proper coffee. But the machine did have its plus points: it was handy, it was quick, and it was cheap – when you actually got served, that is.             Fortunately this was Spain, where everything started 15 minutes later than scheduled, so Mick decided to join his students for breakfast in JJ’s.