Friday, July 15, 2005
Sitting by the window, finishing up my Swiss Mocha, I think about how pleasant the world is outside as it is here in this small cafe. Summer has turned to Autumn, and a small breeze dances through the air. Beyond the cafe, people are strolling slowly, drinking in each word of their mesmerizing conversations. Even though most are walking in pairs, a specific twosome stand out. Making their way towards the cafe, they are perfectly in unison- their step, their body language, and their expressive eyes. The yin and yang incarnate.Cafe Intermezzo I
The woman-slender and tall,carries herself gracefully. Long, blonde, flowing hair parted on the side, accentuates her bright face. Her big blue eyes are emphasized with a dash of mascara and eyeshadow, and lightly glossed lips gently bring out her natural shade. Her neatly fitted navy blue suit, slightly reflects the long hours at the office. The pleasant breeze twirls a few fallen leaves, and cheerful laughter escapes those perfect lips.
A tall, dashing Italian stands by her side. His athletic, toned body is intensified by the warm tan that radiates through him. His black hair is neatly trimmed, and his piercing hazel eyes look softly at the angelic being beside him. He wears the classical "I-work-in-a-cubicle" outfit, yet somehow on him it reflects his strong character and brilliance.
A gust of air breezes through the cafe as the large oak doors open.
"Where did you find this place?"
"Oh, I've been coming here since my freshmen year of college. I'll never forget the night that my friend showed me this place. After that, we made it a point to ritualistically come here every year when something magnanimous happens in our lives. Although, I haven't been here ever since I moved to Washington D.C."
The young woman looks around the cafe, breathing in the aroma, and trying to remember those years when everything was relatively simpler.
The years when she saturated in new experiences, and constantly expanded her mind. Life was ever changing back then. She used to live in the future, and now that future had come.
She worked at a high paying firm- the kind of job that only a Yale Law School diploma could give you. The job was every lawyer's dream, and even though she loved the people she worked with, her quotidian workday left her wondering if she could do this for the rest of her life. She had passed the Foreign Services Exam with flying colors, and been promised a position abroad in the next couple of years. Everything was perfect except for one piece of the puzzle.
"So, what are you going to order?"
"I don't even know yet; the menu is so long. I can't believe there is a table of contents in here for all of the drinks. What are you going to order?"
"I'll just have Turkish Coffee. 6 years ago I was in Russia, and I tried their Turkish Coffee and it was better than any fancy White Chocolate Mocha or Creme Brulee drink. Intense, strong, and with just a hint of sugar. I never drink anything else anymore."
" I guess I'll go with my usual. Green tea."
As the waitress left their table, the conversation picked up again.
"So how long has it been since we've seen each other?"
"Oh I don't know. Maybe 3-4 years?"
"How's life in Washington D.C.? Is it everything that you wanted and more?"
"Yeah, it's really great...really everything I wanted," sighs the woman as she gently lowers her gaze.
"Oh, and I almost forgot to ask! How is Max? Are you guys still together...what's going on with that?"
"Yeah, we're still together." Pause. " We're actually getting married."
She fiddles with her ring as the young man begins to shower her with congratulations.
At 29, he was being pressured from all sides-family, co-workers, and society- to get married. It wasn't that he hadn't tried either. He was constantly in the dating world, averaging about one to two healthy relationships a year. It wasn't that there weren't beautiful women out there. He just had never found the One, to whom he could say, "I can't spend the rest of my life without you in it." He thought about the women who had been in his life: the women he had never given a chance, his female friends, and the woman he knew would never be his.
(to be continued...)10:18 AM 2 Falling Stars
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