For the Man with the red drum sticks
By: Niczxz Segui
I was having a particularly bad day, I came to the burger joint and saw you standing there, waiting for the line that went from the 22nd street to the post office. It was so long that it made me anxious just to get that famous burger, I don’t know what it is about food it just makes me feel better. Sure it doesn’t talk back at me and give me pep talks but it makes me smile even it’s just for a while.
Anyway, when I was babbling and fidgeting, I suddenly dropped my keys and you picked it up and gave it back to me. The look in your eyes and the smile that you gave me was the glow that I needed it made me feel happy and jolly that I skipped the line and went all the way to the bakery store down town to get some chocolate croissant. It was a long ride but it made my day, I skipped the line which could probably take 30 minutes and skipped all the drama that could happen in the long wait.
After that I went home and made some salad, tossed in some fresh dowry fish and grilled it. It also had some of that sweet and acidic taste that I love, and if you’re wondering what I do for a living, well you got it right, I’m a chef from an upscale Italian restaurant at Soho.
Anyway, after making dinner I sat down, the view from my condo was gorgeous the city was filled with glistening lights and funny noises. And all of a sudden a pamphlet that someone gave me for an opening in another restaurant flew from the window down and so I had to chase it down and grab the thing coz I really needed a new job.
The pamphlet got stuck on a tree and I was really frustrated, I needed that job all because I hated my present work. I was trying to get the thing off with my slippers, but it won’t fall, so I just gave up and started walking to my condo. While my eyes were wandering around, I bumped into someone and said sorry I didn’t saw who it was so I just kept on walking, as I was making my way up to my condo I felt my heartbeat raise at first I didn’t understand why I was feeling this way so I just went up and sat down again.
I still don’t know why my heart was raising like that, so I stood up and step back took a deep breath and closed my eyes. It kind of worked, and then when I looked down I saw someone playing a guitar, it was dark so I couldn’t really see his face. But then again I got distracted coz he was playing such a good piece, I can’t remember what song it was , though it really made me feel good , it was like his music was cleansing my soul.
As I slowly went back to my room, I suddenly stopped and went back to make sure that what I saw was really it. I saw those red drumsticks conveniently hanging from the back pack of the stranger playing the guitar; it had those indentations and initials of A.L which was probably his. My breathing was becoming heavy and my heart was beating fast again, I’d remember those drumsticks anywhere, it was the accessories that the man from the burger joint had.
It took me a minute or two to realize that the person or rather the stranger playing the guitar was him, the person that made my day. But why can’t I stop my heart from beating this fast? I can’t stop staring at the man, can’t stop being choked up by this moment.
And so I try to step back coz I don’t want to feel stupid, but my feet won’t move, so I stand still patiently staring at the man who’s still playing the guitar, then I toppled the plate that still had the food that I prepared, the sound of the plate smashing made me feel uneasy but suddenly the music stopped. I looked up and saw him standing under the street light holding something; he then looked up at me and smiled.
I can’t help but be startled by the shadow of the stranger’s smile, so I stood up and then tried to walk inside my condo.
It wasn’t long before I was ready for bed, I can’t stop thinking of that man, even though for some people it might be creepy, I don’t think that way at all. Coz my heart knew that he was a nice man, my mind was running wild thinking of an explanation while my hand lay over my chest trying to listen to it , trying to understand why I feel such beat whenever I see this man.
I completely brushed off the idea that this could be love at first sight, I actually don’t believe in this kind of thing coz it has never happened to any of my friends. Except, my sister who has so openly married someone who she met online, and now there happily living under a roof with two children. Is it really possible though? Possible that I’m in love with a man that I barely know, if so then what should I do? Can I just forget him and walk away knowing that he’ll be there somewhere playing his guitar?
I don’t think I can fathom the idea of just leaving this feeling behind, so tomorrow I will start by finding some clues and leaving this story on the internet so when he reads it he’ll know that I’m looking for him. I’ll even post some on the streets , I just hope this works coz this is all I got on him, so Man with the red drumsticks please be patient I hope when we meet you still know who I ‘am. Goodnight for now. I love you man with the red drumsticks.
-M-
