Middle of Everything

CHAPTER 15 : Is this seat taken

I enter my brother's dream once. It is beautiful. Lots of colors. Lots of joy around. In his dream he is with his friends, laughing. They are in a huge park with different plants and trees around. The ground is covered with green grasses and different flowers. The breeze is calm and the sun shines brightly but not too hot. The weather is good enough for a picnic.

I am just there watching them seated behind them, but not too far and not too close to them. They are seated in the middle of the park near a small lake with different people fishing, riding in their small boats. John is seated between L.J and Kate, in front of them there goes Cass and Jonathan. And not that far from them I saw my brothers dog Puppy, wiggling his tail and enjoying the moment.

Then just like that, it gave me an idea. I have now a reason to talk to him. I've been trying to visit John for quite some time now and every single time I try I woke him up. I learned that in a dream you need to act normal "not dead" for you to make someone dream pleasantly. Because when you enter someone dreams and you made a mistake it will turn into a nightmare.

"Hey!" I shouted to get the attention of Puppy. As I plan the dog run towards me. I pick something in my pocket and I imagine that it is a ball so it happens. A red small ball just fitted to Puppy's mouth. As Puppy saw it I threw the ball quickly. Then it runs really fast, just like before.

"Brother?" John said as he saw me playing with his dog.

"Hey, John!" I reply acting as normal as I can. "How are you?"

"I'm fine!" he grinned.

"You look -"

"What? Fat? I know! I eat a lot this past few days." Then Puppy runs towards me.

"Puppy is still quite strong as his age you know," I laughed.

Then he pauses and looks at me like he is seeing a ghost.

"What?" I asked.

"That is not Puppy." Hearing those words made me feel I made a huge mistake again because after that night he woke up sweating and terrified. I turned his dream into a nightmare because of one mistake. That day I realized that he bought a new dog that looks like our Jack Russell terrier Puppy that he called Ruzzel.

I don't like turning everyone's dreams into nightmare so every time I try to enter dreams, I make sure to know everything first. The environment, the topic we will talk about, the situation and even the things I will pull out of my pocket. It needs to be as normal as possible.

Ting-ting

The sound of the doorbell clang as the door open. Parisa ended up entering an unfamiliar coffee shop inside a mall a few blocks away from my coffee shop. The interior of the place is very stylish and modern. The classic type of a coffee shop with a dark color wall with few light color tones blends to each other. The curtain on the windows keep the lights out, making the inside of the shop look shady. A ray of light falls directly to the counter with different machines use in making a coffee.

To the right part of the shop is where the tables are located with customers seated and sipping their usual morning coffee in anticipation from their long working day. Although the furniture is not new it still brings out the elegance of the place. The atmosphere, on the other hand, is incredibly amusing. The smell of the place is soothing because of the number of coffee aromas mingled in a mixture of nuances.

'I talk a lot'

Parisa waited in line inside the crowded shop. She looks at the list of coffees and teas on the side of the counter. This time she didn't order the same coffee she uses to order before.

"One Cappuccino please and one blueberry cake."

This is the first time she tried something new. Its been a while since she tries something unfamiliar to her. Even this past few months of following her, she still ends up doing the things we use to do. Even she tried to avoid the places we used to go, she still makes sure to do something that makes her remember me.

But this day she went to a new place and order something she doesn't order before. I am not sad seeing her doing this. Actually, it makes me feel happy. But I still know she is sad and it is because of the light that connects us to each other. The light is bright red but cold this time. I may not understand everything about the lights but observing these lights for years now it made me understand some of it. Every emotion changes the temperature of the light. For example whenever Parisa is happy like genuinely happy or whenever she feels love the light turns really bright and its temperature rises, turns really warm. Like a comforting kind of warm. But when Parisa is sad like today the light turns gloomy and cold.

She sat on the spot where few people go. The far side of the shop where readers and introvert people go, staying away from the crowd. This day she sat quietly on the corner alone watching people passed by doing there busy routine. Actually, Parisa is celebrating my birthday today.

"Happy birthday baby." She whisper.

'Thank you'

That is all I can say. Looking at her smiling from far away whispering every word she can think off.

"Baby it is your birthday, I'm sorry I can't go to your shop for now. It is hard I know you know that right? Knowing that you are not there as we celebrate your birthday is hard. Waking up today is hard. Texting you and waiting for your replies is hard. It is hard to pretend that you are still here."

But I am here. That is what I want to say. I want to tell her that for a very long time now. Every single day she woke up, I want to tell her that I'm here.

"Sorry, I don't want to be sad on your birthday. I love you Ae. It never changes and no one can take this love. I will be yours until the end." She smiles as she takes a sip from her cappuccino. Then suddenly I felt something that pushes me away from where I am seated. I fell on the ground and for the first time, I feel something painful. It is like my body is being crashed into pieces, my vision turned hazy and my hearing turns to silence. Like sudden darkness occur me. As my vision adjusted and my body can able to move once again suddenly I heard a voice. Not so familiar voice. It is a man and that man is talking to Parisa.

"Excuse me," the man said in polite "Is your seat taken?"

I am not sure about what I notice but for a second I thought he was looking at me.

*To the readers. If you reach this part of the novel. Thank you so much. This chapter is dedicated to my fellow writer for helping me out with my editing skills. Hehe.