A Coffee Story

Bittersweet

"Good morning! Your order ma'am?" Tanong sa'kin ng lalaking nakangiti na nasa harap ng cash register.

Uhm, espresso con panna... again? "Espresso..." I prefer that one... again, tsaka ko inabot ang bayad.

"With whipped cream po ba?" Tanong nya ulit habang nakatingin sa monitor sa harap nya at nagpa-punch. Akala ko alam nya na, espresso lang pala ang sinabi ko walang 'con panna'.

"Ah, wala." Bigla syang napatingin sa'kin. "—joke lang! Pakilagyan, pakidamihan ah!" What a lame joke! Nahiya ako bigla kaya umiwas ako ng tingin. Sana damihan yung whipped cream. Hindi s'ya natawa sa joke ko pero napangiti naman s'ya.

"Okay, coming right up ma'am." Inabutan nya ko ng number imbes na paghintayin sa hand-off area kaya dumiretso na lang ako sa pinaka dulong table dito sa café. Wala namang problema sa'kin ang maghintay do'n, isa lang naman ang kape ko but seriously? Hindi nya kaya talaga matandaan ang mukha ko? Madalas akong magkape sa shop na 'to. 'Yon ang madalas kong inoorder lalo na sa umaga at halos tanda ko na nga ang mukha nya, kahit magkasalubong kami sa daan, tanda ko pa din na nagtatrabaho sya dito, and he's Miko, nakalagay sa nameplate na nakapin sa kanilang uniform. Pero hindi yon e, lagi nya pa din tinatanong kung lalagyan ng whipped cream e hindi pa naman ako umorder ng walang whipped cream or maybe that's their rule. Well, anyway...

Ilang minuto pa ang hinintay ko bago... "Ma'am, here," sabi ng isang crew na may dalang service plate, maingat na ipinatong ang coffee cup and saucer sa table at kinuha ang number na inilapag ko dito. "Enjoy your date, ma'am." At ngumiti bago sya umalis. Wait, date? O baka day? Nabingi lang siguro ako.

Magbabasa muna ako ng libro. I think this day will become a lovely and sweet day kahit na bitter ang inorder ko, but at least I started my day with my favorite—coffee. Yeah, I think so. Both of my evil goddess and angel subconscious agreed with me, while my evil goddess is grinning. As devil as always.

6:36 am. Binuklat ko ang librong hawak ko and turned it into 'About the author' section na nasa likuran. Una kong binasa ang reason ng author kung bakit o paano sya nagsimulang sumulat ng libro. "...it's because of a title of an article that caught my attention, 'Why You Should Read Books You Hate'," pagbasa ko.

Nabalingang tingin ko sa kape, inilagay ang teaspoon sa cup at bahagyang inihalo ang kauntingwhipped cream sa kape at humigop dito. Read books I hate? I don't like cliché stories. At satotoo lang hindi ako fan ng romance lalo na ng mga nagsisikatang istoryang maymga naggugwapuhang nilalang na pinag-aagawan ang isang simpleng babae or the commoner, yung mga kwentong maykinalaman sa sobrang yayaman at miyembro ng mafia o kaya ay mga gangsters namagkakagusto sa isang nerd na cool pala. Fine, I don't like reading any lovestories or romance or even fairy tales. I don't know, ang tingin ko sa mgaganong istorya, clichés at walang dating at... nakakasawa ang paulit ulit naistoryang alam mo na ang magiging ending—happyending. At itong librong hawak ko? For me, this is a trash but...Ibinalik ko ang tingin sa libro at itinuloy ang pagbabasa sa About the author section, '...it says 'I'm giving you a challenge: Pick up a book you're pretty sure you won't like — the style is wrong, the taste not your own, the author bio unappealing. You might even take it one step further. Pick up a book you think you will hate, of a genre you've dismissed since high school, written by an author you're inclined to avoid. Now read it to the last bitter page...' as I finished reading the article, instead of picking up a book, I picked up my pen and notebook, I started to write what I hate, I started to write a story—

"Would you mind if I'll sit here?"

Narinig kong tanong but I don't bother myself na tingnan ang istorbo. Maraming vacant seats at hindi ko alam kung bakit dito sya makikiupo.

'...I picked up my pen and notebook, I started to write what I hate, I started to write a story of my life that I hated the most... a fucking cliché love story. That's why I write 'A Second Cup'...'

"Miss?" Wait... his voice.

This time, naramdaman ko na ang pag upo nya sa upuang kaharap ko. Tumingin ako sa kanya...

Ilang segundo akong natulala. Bahagyang nagulat.

"Long time no see, Tristen."

'Why does it have to be him?

Really, destiny and I are not good friends.'

If I'm still bitter about what happened then, if I'm still hurt maybe that's what I'll say but...

"Ilang taon tayong di nagkita."

"Yeah, I mean long time no see... Axl," sagot ko.

Huli naming pag-uusap ay sa bus at huli kaming nagkita ay nung swimming pa—outing ng batch namin matapos ang graduation. After the incident—I mean that night, I deleted all my social media accounts—Facebook, IG and Twitter and I even changed my phone number. I wanted to disconnect from everyone at mag-focus sa mga bagay at tao na nakakasalamuha ko personally. Hindi na 'ko nagparamdam online at nawalan na din ako ng communication sa kanila except Fritz and Iyou. Nagkataon naman na dito ako sa Manila nagkaron ng trabaho at nag-stay kaya bihira akong umuwi sa province namin.

I realized na lahat ng nangyari, it was a lesson. A big lesson. And I think everything that happened and every person I've met, they aren't bad really, they simply are what they are.

"Hm... kamusta ka? Buti nakita kita dito." Wearing a corporate clothes. Ibang-iba sa Axl noon.

"Ah, okay lang." 

It's weird that after a long time, hindi ko ine-expect na kapag nagkita kami ulit, I am calm. Walang inis or even excitement. Just... calm.

"Ten, I'm getting married with Liezl."

"Really? Congrats!"

"Sorry wala akong dalang invitation pero sana makapunta ka." Tsaka nya ibinigay sakin ang details ng wedding nila.

"You know I'm happy for you... for the both of you." Sincerely.

"Thank you, Tristen."

Hindi na 'ko nagtagal sa shop dahil kailangan ko ng pumasok sa trabaho. At last, I waved at him a goodbye and smiled back. Thank you din Axl for all the lessons... and friendship. And I know, in life, there are some questions that are better left unanswered.

Not everyone has a perfect story but I think this is still a good one. They say if it stays, then it is love. But if it ends, it's a love story.

But this one, this is not a love story. It is a bittersweet story. This is... a coffee story.

xXxXxXx

A Coffee Story
by Zi Alexandria
(thecxfiwritxr)

(2023)