Emma worked at the marketing department of BrightTech, a small tech startup in London. Every morning the office buzzed with phones ringing, keyboards clacking and people shouting “Coffee!” The break room was the centre of the chaos because the coffee machine was the only one that could make a decent latte.

One Monday, Emma arrived to find a long line of sleepy colleagues waiting for their caffeine fix. At the head of the line stood Mr Patel, the boss, tapping his foot impatiently. “What’s taking so long?” he asked, his voice louder than usual.

Just then, the coffee machine sputtered, coughed and stopped working. A thin stream of water dribbled out, leaving a bitter smell in the air. Panic spread faster than a spreadsheet error. “No coffee! This is a disaster!” whispered Lucy from accounts, clutching her empty mug.

Emma, who loved puzzles, decided to investigate. She opened the panel and saw a tiny piece of paper stuck inside the filter. It read: “Please do not remove the safety cap – thank you.” Someone had ignored the warning and the machine had jammed.

She called Tom from IT, who arrived with a toolbox and a grin. “Let’s fix this before the boss loses his mind,” he said. Together they carefully removed the jam, cleaned the filter and replaced the safety cap. After a few minutes the machine whirred back to life, spraying hot coffee into waiting cups.

Mr Patel took his first sip, smiled and declared, “Well done, team! You saved the day.” The office erupted in cheers, and even the grumpy accountant laughed. From that moment on, a new rule was posted on the fridge: “Respect the coffee machine – it respects you.”

At the end of the week, the staff celebrated with a cake shaped like a coffee bean. Emma felt proud. She had turned a minor crisis into a funny story that everyone would remember. And the office, once again, ran smoothly, powered by fresh coffee and a little teamwork.

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Vocabulary Notes

buzzed: verb (past tense)
Meaning: to make a low, continuous humming sound; used figuratively for a place that is full of activity and noise.
Story example: “Every morning the office buzzed with phones ringing, keyboards clacking and people shouting ‘Coffee!’”
Similar words: hum, whirr, thrummed, hummed, teemed (with activity)

jammed: verb (past tense)
Meaning: blocked or stuck so that it cannot move or work properly.
Story example: “Someone had ignored the warning and the machine had jammed.”
Similar words: blocked, stuck, clogged, obstructed, frozen

grumpy: adjective
Meaning: bad tempered; easily annoyed.
Story example: “Even the grumpy accountant laughed.”
Similar words: irritable, cranky, sour tempered, cross, ill humoured

crisis: noun
Meaning: a sudden, serious problem that needs immediate attention.
Story example: “She had turned a minor crisis into a funny story that everyone would remember.”
Similar words: emergency, dilemma, predicament, trouble, catastrophe (more severe)

declare: verb (present)
Meaning: to say something officially or publicly, often with confidence.
Story example: “Mr Patel took his first sip, smiled and declared, ‘Well done, team! You saved the day.’”
Similar words: announce, proclaim, state, assert, pronounce

Story written by Lumo AI.

Image created by imagiyo AI.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

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