We Are The People

Marie and John

They met in a coffee shop. It was truly the most cliché of evenhts but that coffee shop on the corner of San Isidro and Dolores Street was the birthplace of something that was extraordinary.

She was a student and a tea lover. On the corner away from the window and other customers she sat as she concentrated on the notes she was revising. It was her final exams and her eyebrows were scrunched together in concentration. She was wearing a plain black t-shirt and a red skirt, and a pair of tsinelas adorned her dainty feet. Her name is Marie.

He was a barista on the said coffee shop. Three months the contract stated and this was his last week before he upped and left to find another job to make ends meet. His mother at home was sick but is still strong enough to sit and manage their little sari-sari store. But his poor mother was not the thought occupying his mind right now. His eyes and attention were focused on the little creature sitting at the back of the coffee shop. He contemplated coming to her table and give her more tissues but that would be ridiculous. Judging by the fact that his heart was beating a million times a minute every time she would lick her lips, he was definitely in love with this stranger. If only he was brave enough to ask her name and say to her that his name was John.

Marie could feel a pair of eyes watching her so she paused from her reading and looked around the small coffee shop she was in. She loved coming here mainly because the milk tea they served was just what she wanted. The aircondition was awesome and there was free wifi. She could read and revise in peace without people troubling her much. Marie looked towards the counter and she momentarily was taken aback. The barista was staring at her. He immediately looked away but Marie's gaze lingered a bit. He was tall, mestizo, and had a pair of warm eyes. When he talked and smiled to another customer, she saw that he had a dimple on one cheek. He was very cute. Marie was a bit shocked that the whole time that she was coming and going here, she failed to notice a guy as cute as him. Hmm, I may talk to him on the way out, she said to herself. She placed her elbows on the table in front of her and pretended to read again. After a while, she looked up and caught the gaze of the barista on her again. He turned away with a blush on his face while Marie struggled not to laugh out loud. Definitely talking to him later, maybe tease him a bit, Marie said to herself and chuckled.

She concentrated on her revision and didn't give the barista another bad time but she could still feel him staring at her. After her milk tea was gone, she started to pack her things to leave.

John saw that she was already leaving and panicked a little bit. This might be his last chance to see her again and he didn't know what to do. When she approached the counter again, his mind went blank. She spoke and he swore the gates of Heaven opened.

"Hello," she spoke timidly.

"H-hi," he struggled to get out. She giggled when he blushed.

"Can I get two chocolate-chip cookies? To-go?" her smile at him was utterly radiant. He scrambled to prepare her order but he kept on dropping the cookies, to which she only laughed at again. Finally, he handed her the cookies and she thanked him.

"Thank you for the cookies and for the wonderful tea. Would you like to hang out after your work here?" Marie smiled at the shocked expression on the barista's face. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. He let out a breath and stared at her.

"Of course, I finish here at three. Where do you want to go? I'm sorry but I didn't catch your name," He told her. She smiled again. It was a smile that reached her eyes.

"That's alright. My exam finishes at three too so I'll come back here. We can figure it out later," she looked at him seriously before she spoke again. "My name is Marie."

With a wave, she left the coffee shop and he followed her with his gaze as she disappeared around the corner.

That afternoon, she never came. He waited outside the coffee shop but there was no sign of her. He would never see her again.