Machiatto Encounter

Final Coffee Cup

"What?"
"You heard me."
"Wait. What's with the question? I don't understand?"
"Answer the question. Please."

Now I sounded like I am about to explode if he won't answer my question.

"Well?" I said.

Things became more awkward. Everything seems so silent. I can't hear a foot step approaching. It's like the universe purposely let this moment happen for us to finally talk things through after the breakup. I am still staring at him while he on the other hand is staring at the wall few inches away from him while he is holding his cup of coffee. A few seconds after, he loosened up his tie from tightness, took a deep breath and faced me with a weak stare.

"Sefi," He started. "I know you are a great woman. In fact, you are a brilliant one. You are someone that a guy would like to have as a long time partner. You are someone that should be treated well because you deserve it. You are someone who is not hard to love because you are a lovable person. You are even the most loving person I have ever met. You are someone who should not be played around." Now my eyes started to become a bit watery. Okay. I'm crying. "You are someone whose heart should be well taken care of." Then, I wiped my tears and decided to respond before he can continue on.
"You're not answering the question. Why? Why Joseph? Why did you cheated on me?" Tears from my eyes are falling again. "Why did you do that? Didn't I love you enough?"
"You did. And I can feel every bit of love from you." He said.
"But why?" Now my voice started to crack. "If I am someone precious to you...back then...why did you cheated on me?" He took a very deep breath this time.
"When I met you, I was planning on settling down for real. Like do things seriously. As weeks pass by since the day we met, I had this thinking that you are the woman I needed in my life. Like the type of woman I should settle down with and have kids. I've even dreamt about you. You doing your job in the coffee shop while me and our kids waited for you to get out from work."
"You're bluffing." I said.
"No, I'm not. Believe me." He continued. "Then, I came across a girl from my past. This was the time when you got so busy at work wayback. She became my outlet for everything. I even had fun being with her since she was always there for me. So, I had a thinking that time that at least I have someone in case you're not around." Without thinking twice, I gave him a very hard slap on his face.
"How...dare...you?!!!" Now I'm agitated. I placed my coffee on the ground after that because I might throw coffee on his face. "How dare you? So you're saying you cheated on me because I got busy that time? What the hell? I even made it sure back then to finish my work on time so that I won't go on overtime more than an hour for me to spend time with you because you were telling me before that I might not be able to spend more time with you once I started with my training classes." I wiped my tears again. "And now you are telling me these things? Crap!" Okay. I think I'm going to breakdown but I have to control my emotions. "But I still don't get it. Why Joseph?...Why?!!!" Then, I stood up from the couch and walked a few steps away from him because I might do something I will regret for the rest of my life. When I turned around, I saw him holding his forehead as if he was having a severe migraine. Seconds after, he took a sip from his coffee cup, probably to calm himself. Then, placed it on the floor, stood up from the couch and started talking.

"When you broke up with me a few years ago, I stopped seeing that girl. I wanted to get you back into my life back then. But I realized that I might hurt you again. My friends even left me for a while because they want me to realize how awful I was to you. Actually, until now, I haven't seen them nor spoken with them even after leaving our previous company." Before he continued talking, he picked up his coffee cup from the floor and took a sip from it. "Coffee is the only reminder I have of you because coffee is where everything started between us. It took me a while to move on from everything even if I have already transferred to a different company. I still wanted you back even after a year ever since we broke up. That is why I drop by the coffee shop where we met on my way home almost everyday. Then, I realized that if I do want you back, I have to become a better man for you...like the better man who deserves you. However, I realized even more that I have to become a better person not for you but for myself. I have to pick myself up to be someone better because I can be more. So, for the first time in my life after how many years, I became selfish. Not being selfish in a bad way but being selfish in a good way." Then, he walked a few steps away from the couch to come closer to me. "I know you wanted some answers why I did such things to you. This is it. This is the time. These are the answers you've been wanting to hear." Seconds after, tears started falling from my eyes and my body started to chill from sadness. "I am sorry for hurting you. I am truly sorry for breaking you. I know in myself now that I am a much better person and maybe I am now a man who deserves you. I always knew from the start that you are the kind of woman I deserve to be with. The type of woman I'd like to fully commit with and live with until my last breath. But reality speaking, you deserve someone better." Then, he caressed by right cheek and wiped my tears. "I'm letting you go. You also have to let me go. That's what I thought back then before we met at the Coffee Shop a few weeks ago. I didn't even expect to meet you there." Then, he let go of his hand. I took a deep breath. Then, I finally decided to respond.