I sat with my friend in a well-known coffee shop in a neighboring town of Venice, Italy, the city of lights and water.
As we enjoyed our coffee, a man entered and sat at an empty table beside us. He called the waiter and placed his order saying, “Two cups of coffee, one of them there on the wall.”
We heard this order with rather interest and observed that he was served with one cup of coffee but he paid for two.
When he left, the waiter put a piece of paper on the wall saying “A Cup of Coffee”.
While we were still there, two other men entered and ordered three cups of coffee, two on the table and one on the wall. They had two cups of coffee but paid for three and left. This time also, the waiter did the same; he put a piece of paper on the wall saying, “A Cup of Coffee”.
It was something unique and perplexing for us. We finished our coffee, paid the bill and left.
After a few days, we had a chance to go to this coffee shop again. While we were enjoying our coffee, a man poorly dressed entered. As he seated himself, he looked at the wall and said, “One cup of coffee from the wall.”
The waiter served coffee to this man with the customary respect and dignity. The man had his coffee and left without paying.
We were amazed to watch all this, as the waiter took off a piece of paper from the wall and threw it in the trash bin.
Now it was no surprise for us – the matter was very clear. The great respect for the needy shown by the inhabitants of this town made our eyes well up in tears.
A truly beautiful thought. Probably the most beautiful wall you may ever see anywhere!
Author Unknown and greatly appreciated!
牆上的咖啡
一日，和朋友在義大利威尼斯附近一家有名的咖啡廳閒坐，品着咖啡。這時進來一個人，坐在我們旁邊的那張桌子旁。
他叫來服務生說：「兩杯咖啡，一杯貼牆上。」他點咖啡的方式令人感到新奇，我們注意到只有一杯咖啡被端了上來，但他却付了兩杯的錢。他剛走，服務生就把一張紙貼在牆上，上面寫着：一杯咖啡。
這時，又進來兩個人，點了三杯咖啡，兩杯放在桌子上，一杯貼在牆上。他們喝了兩杯，但付了三杯的錢，然後離開了。服務生又像剛才那樣在牆上貼了張紙，上面寫着：一杯咖啡。
似乎這種方式是這裡的常規，但却令我們感到新奇和不解。不過由於事不關己，我們喝完咖啡，付了錢，就走了。
幾天後，我們又有機會去這家咖啡店。當我們正在享受咖啡時，進來一個人，此人衣着與這家咖啡店的檔次和氛圍都極不協調，一看就是個窮人。他坐下來，看着牆上，然後說：「牆上的一杯咖啡。」服務生以慣有的姿態恭敬地給他端上咖啡。
那人喝完咖啡沒結賬就走了，我們驚奇地看着這一切，只見服務生從牆上揭下一張紙，扔進了紙簍。此時，真相大白，當地居民對窮人的尊敬讓我們感動得熱淚盈眶。
咖啡既不是社會的基本需要，也不是生活的必需品，但需要指出的是，當我們享受任何美好的東西時，也許我們都應該想到别人，有些人也喜歡這樣的東西，但却無力支付。
再說說那位服務生，他在為那個窮人服務時，一直都是面帶笑容。而那位窮人，他進來時，無須降低自己的尊嚴討要一杯免費的咖啡，他只需看看牆上。
多付款的那杯咖啡叫待用咖啡，你付錢了，但並不知道誰會享用它。這就是有愛和美的世界。
這短文讓我想起利未記的一句金句：「在你們的地收割莊稼，不可割盡田角，也不可拾取所遺落的。不可摘盡葡萄園的果子，也不可拾取葡萄園所掉的果子，要留給窮人和寄居的。我是耶和華你們的神。(利未記 19:9-10)
【註：人們提前買了咖啡，讓付不起的人享受溫暖。這開始於義大利Naples，現已傳遍全世界】
