“Free”. I stop walking, my head turns. What's free? Nothing is free these days, or at least nothing good. My mother always tells me, “Nothing is ever free, you always pay for everything somehow”. Wise words. But, this was something free. Coffee? McDonalds? I don't know... I'm not a big drinker of coffee, but then again, it is free. It pops into my mind: Why? Why is it free? Marketing genius? But McDonalds doesn't need to attract customers, they've already done the “marketing” they should be taking over the world by now. Talk about inefficiency.

I hurriedly shuffle inside the McDonalds, confronted with an unwavering aroma of fried artificial potatoes. The lines of people. Everyone was inside! Everyone wants the free coffee, it was free after all. Ten minutes later, with a small coffee in hand, I exit McDonalds with a childish smile on my face. It was free! Free coffee! I feel so sophisticated, drinking coffee, free coffee! I look up from the warm brown cup, the smell of cheap coffee wisping through my nose. I see my bus rush past me. Instinctively, I jolt to chase it. The poorly manufactured plastic lid wasn't sealed properly. Coffee spills on my hand. The unique burn causes me to drop my coffee, onto the cold concrete ground.

Gone. What was free, is now gone. My bus rumbles off into the distance, bringing happy people home. I look at the coffee splattered ground, waiting for the next bus, left much more unhappy than how I started. The free coffee robbed me of a happy day. Free. My mother was right, nothing is free.