It was about two in the afternoon and Caddie’s parents were not home yet. She looked at her magenta colored planner to check for assignments she could've missed, but found nothing. Satisfied, she put on her new black off-shoulder top, and slipped on her favorite jade green sequined flats. Her blue denim jeans fit her physique perfectly. Her chocolate brown hair complemented the heart-like shape of her face.
Getting her keys that were attached to a Winnie the Pooh key ring, she headed for the front door and locked it gently. The cotton candy-like clouds greeted her as she walked on the stony path in the center of their beautiful flower garden. The new hydrangeas her mother bought the other day were a stunning addition to the colorful display. She smiled while touching the petals of her favorite flower— columbines. Caddie picked up a fallen columbine on the ground and exited the perimeter of their house.
Pretty normal. She thought while glancing at her surroundings.
Caddie began walking towards the park. She had a special connection to the place. The mere idea of sitting on one of its benches made her calm. Finally reaching her sanctuary, Caddie took the whole atmosphere into her system. Walking along the cemented path of the park gave her mind some space to think about herself. Selfish as it may seem, Caddie wanted this time all to herself. No pressure, no demands from other people. This afternoon will just be for herself.
After a long time of not reflecting on her past activities, Caddie felt her emotional tank reach the brim. The pressure regarding school activities took its toll on Caddie. She was chosen by her teachers to participate in the upcoming Outstanding Student of the Year. The prestigious competition has produced a number of successful people in fields like medicine, engineering, law and many more. The said award will also give the winner an advantage for scholarship applications. Caddie was up to the challenge but she hasn’t thought of college much. The idea of looking for scholarships made her feel suffocated. College was fast approaching, and she had no idea how to cope with the big change.
Forgetting the stressful college idea, she re-focused on the forthcoming contest. She still lacked one requirement for her application—an essay. The said essay must showcase the contestant’s ability in dealing with problems regarding the youth. They were free to choose any issue, but they should include practical solutions for their selected topic.
Caddie had a lot of situations in mind, but she knew her topic must be an interesting one. She didn’t want to deal with vices or failing school. She wanted to have a different type of problem— a different approach on a problem that does not necessarily deal with materialistic themes.
What could other contestants write about?
Her confidence towards her writing and problem solving skills dwindled.
Alone and quiet at last, she closed her eyes for a moment. It was the perfect time to clear her mind of negativity.
Breathing deeply, she felt the soft breeze on her face. The euphony of the birds’ chirping was a pleasant bonus to the experience.
Finally, she was in synch with herself. Caddie began to understand how everything could fall in line with her expectations. Finding new rays of hope pushing through the darkness of her pessimism, Caddie smiled. I shall conquer every problem of mine. Beginning to feel more at ease with her revised schemes, Caddie felt annoyed when two drops of water fell on her cheek.
It’s nothing. Concentrate on silence.
The dripping continued, bothering her contemplation and eventually, destroying the harmony she would love to have experienced longer.
What in the world—
The breeze became cooler, but Caddie did not entertain the thought about heading back home.
She frowned in disappointment.
A few seconds ago, nature soothed her anxiety. There was just no way she would give in to the weather’s progressive curse. But the downpour slowly reached its climax, and Caddie was definitely losing. The weather gave its strongest reply. She brushed her arms back and forth as the chilly wind penetrated her skin.
Things weren’t working as planned. Her mother’s famous words played in her mind: “Caddie, my dear, don’t forget to bring a jacket. It shall be your best friend during windy weather.” Caddie shrugged the seemingly mocking reminder, and continued walking. She couldn’t help but think that a pair of gloves, or even a plain scarf, would feel like heaven at the moment.
Raindrops kept on falling from the dark clouds above her. Knowing the downpour won’t stop in the next few minutes, she briskly walked her way out of the park.
Caddie didn’t know what to do. Should she try to cover her head from rainwater? Or place her hands above her eyes because the wind was blowing hard on her face, making her eyes close a bit. Following the blind lead of her feet, she immediately found the door into a newly opened coffee shop.
Amazed by the structure in front of her, Caddie went inside without second thoughts.
This is pretty cool.
Caddie stood beside the half-full umbrella stand, and began to scan for vacant tables. Unfortunately, there was none. Well, there was a chair available located under the table in the left corner, near the window. Caddie could’ve easily gotten the space she needed, but the stranger sitting across the empty chair gave off an uneasy aura.
He was a teenager like her, probably one or two years older than her. His hair was tousled—a good kind of mess that gave him a certain appeal that Caddie couldn’t explain. The color of his jacket had the uneven mix of beige and grey. A weird color for a guy his age. The hue of his clothing shouted 'rich' in every bit of the word’s meaning. Nonetheless, Caddie had fewer impressions than expected because she couldn’t see his face. He was preoccupied by the scenes outside the window. Or probably just preoccupied. Whatever it is, Caddie couldn’t figure out the stranger’s mood.
Caddie shook her head briefly. Come on Caddie. Are you that desperate to have a chair?
A lady, most likely in her mid-twenties, walked towards Caddie. She was wearing a white short-sleeved blouse tucked in a crisp pair of black slacks. A badious apron with the café’s logo (The logo was composed of the letters S and E in the form of steam coming from a coffee cup. The letters stand for Sweet Escape, which was the name of the café.) covered her clothes. Her nameplate, which was perfectly pinned on the right chest pocket of her blouse, had the name Gina written on it.
“Excuse me ma’am. We are not encouraging by-standers here. If you have no personal business to attend to, may I kindly request you to leave? Our customers may feel uncomfortable because of your presence. I hope you understand.” Gina whispered sincerely while showing a fixed smile.
Caddie nodded.
She looked outside to check on the weather. Rain continued to pour. Show off. The wind was obviously stronger, and only a few gutsy people were walking with their thick jackets on. Some people even had gloves. Caddie felt jealous of them. Very jealous in fact, that her fingers clasped into fists. I could only blame myself for this.
Instead of looking at people’s jackets or gloves, Caddie concentrated on their umbrellas. Together, it looked like a colorful display of a wonderful art exhibit.
How can I be this unlucky? Of all days… what should I do now?
