My Favourite Sound

Rufus wakes me by pushing his dog food bowl across the tiled floor. The sound is meant to create a pavlovian response; I can almost feel him smile as I prepare his breakfast.

After breakfast I head to the bathroom for my morning shower and the sound of water falling into water. The note deepens as the floor pan fills.

As we leave the house the front door knocker bounces, brass on brass, and the door clicks closed behind me.

Then there’s the coffee shop. Tapping, grinding and steaming all merge together into one word. If you translated that word into English it would be a hearty ‘good morning!’ Some days it’s so loud I put my hands over my ears. The barista laughs at me; a warm friendly espresso laugh.

I sit outside the café and slowly sip my morning coffee. Nearby people rustle the business pages and talk in serious morning tones. Rufus sits quietly at my feet. He likes biscotti and eats it open mouthed for full crunch effect.

The pedestrian crossing buzzer sounds like a crazy cartoon creature. Rufus leads the way and people swish past us noiselessly.

Automatic openers rattle glass doors. Voices echo in the foyer and hard heels clip and clop on marble floors.

A pleasant ding. Rufus and I head up to 8, three dots, I’m already thinking about work. People are quiet in the elevator but you can still hear then.

The receptionist says a polite “hello” to me and a gusty “Hi there fella” to Rufus. We head into my office.

And there it is; the source of my favourite sound – my Braille writer. I love the snap it makes as it creates. I put on my headphones and transcribe.

There’s nothing like reading a good book in silence.