The Death of the Peppermint Mocha Twist

This morning, I wanted to write about the scent of the rain, the crispness of the air after a shower, the blinding green of the shrubs and bushes around my home, and the surreality bestowed by the rain… instead I opted to write about the demise of the Peppermint Mocha Twist.

I was an avid coffee drinker in India but after I came to the US, I stopped. Nothing could compare to my Mom’s Sunday morning Bru concoctions or even the chocolate-topped cappuccinos served in Ghasitaram Halwai, Bombay. So I made peace with that and never missed my cuppa. A few months back, I stopped at a local Starbucks and on a whim, bought a Peppermint Mocha Twist. Oh, it was love at first sip! The tang of the peppermint coupled with the richness of the whipped cream and the random dark chocolate flakes topping the coffee made me a very happy commuter indeed. And then it became more of a regular morning ritual for me – a fact that I fought very very very hard with. It was a battle that could turn either way – me succumbing to the lure of the coffee, me driving into the drive-in and then driving out, or me changing my mind at the very last minute. Then I started rationing myself – a cup every week? Plus when I teach the YES! course, I stay off tea and coffee, starting a few days before the course. So, the day after my course ended, I joyfully drove into the drive-in and ordered my favorite coffee. Oh, it was such an anti-climax and the bitterness of the coffee jarred my taste. And then it happened again as I ordered it from the store near school. And then again this morning.

Hmmm, then it dawned on me. That one dreamy cuppa which changed everything and nearly converted me into a coffee drinker – it was the stuff of dreams and it left behind a powerful memory. It was so damn powerful that it succeeded in trumping the bitter reality of the coffee every morning… until today. I guess, not any more.