n-e-vitare

12 2 0
                                    

INEVITABLE


         Once inside, I let the door closed behind me. The aroma of coffee welcomed me as I'd enter the coffee shop. I took my glasses off since it fogged up due to the weather outside. Wiped it and immediately wore it again. A decent number of people crowded the shop. Well, it's raining, so there's only one choice people could come up to, step on the food establishments in the Plaza's side—warm and dry, with coffee and food or will be drench outside. I sighed, I could easily point out to myself that coming here was tough. It will be difficult for me to find an unoccupied seat.

      The coffee shop was a two story building. Where it overlooked the busy plaza. It was narrow and wide. It was also decorated with some small retro fluorescent lights. The walls were covered in a dark colors that emphasized the lines of black and white photographs, exhibiting the culture and architecture of the Philippines in the early twentieth century. There were also some random sketches and poems.

      As I roomed the ground floor and thought that it was futile to find a seat there. I decided to come up to the upper floor, hoping to find a unoccupied chair. The upper floor contained a mini library, while on the left side of it were filled with tables and seats. Luckily, I have spotted a unoccupied table meant for two people at the very corner.

      I asked the couple beside if it was taken, it was not. I immediately sat on the shabby chair and put my bag on my lap.

     A little while later, a young waitress came up to me and took my order, which was black coffee and a slice of Ube cake. After that, since I sat beside the glass, I have the moment to appreciate the view outside the plaza. I could see the heavyness of the rain outside, it was soothing yet angry.

       I smiled bitterly and look at my wristwatch on my right hand. It is now one fifteen in the afternoon. What could hurt on being absent of my first subject by the way? Besides, Professor Dimansalang of Understanding Self only left us with a PowerPoint which made us—the students—bewildered about what were our lessons. I just shook my head. Erasing my thoughts. Thinking about school, only brings migraine to my brain.

    I have heard a soft thump in front of me, the vacant seat was now taken by a young woman. She was short, with a shoulder length hair, the tip of her hair was the color of ash, wearing a trend fashion of half the women population today—a high waist ripped jeans and a red hanging blouse, it says CHIVALRY IS NOT DEAD! I looked away as I saw her glanced at me. I straightened on my seat. Feeling uncomfortable.

    Fortunately, the young waitress came up to me with my orders. Smiling. Afterwards, she took the order of the woman across me. And then a minute after, she left us.

    Silence.

    The woman glanced at my direction, and I am now confused. Why does she keep looking at me? Nobody did that before. Shocked. I saw her gazed at my right wrist... on my scarred wrist. I immediately hide it, assuming that she did not saw it. I remained holding my right wrist. Feeling it.

    "Wanna talk about it?" She asked. Her voice was soft, comforting. I was horrified. What kind of stranger would ask about scarred wrist? Does she find it disgraceful? It's just a scars. Besides, we have only met few minutes ago. I think she was just bored and only want someone to talk to.

    Sensing my inner struggle, she asked me the second time around, "You know, you can tell me about that. I know it's very inappropriate to tell someone you just met about something personal... but sometimes it's better to voice out problems to random strangers."

    I felt such emotions I couldn't decipher by the words she just muttered. "And how would you know exactly?"

    She gave me a weak smile. "Well, I could easily tell the sadness in your eyes. It's lurking, it's there, but you hid it very well that only few people could recognize it."

InevitableWhere stories live. Discover now