Rain tapped gently against the cafe window like a visitor asking to be let in. It was the kind of rain that was so soft and made the world queiter,like everything decided to slow down for a moment.
I sat in my usual seat by the edge of the cafe,holding a warm cup of coffee between my hands. The steam curled upward disappering into thin air.
This cafe had become my refuge over the past few months.Life had become so hard and complicated. Not the kind of complicated you see in movies, but the quiet kind.waking up every morning feeling like something is missing, but you just can't tell what it is.
I smile everyday even when things feels so hard and frustrating. The cafe is the only place I come to ease all my worries.
I stared through the window watching alot of people pass by.
A lady walking gently with an umbrella protecting her child from the gentle rain that kept dropping, others laughed as the ran across the road, completely soaked.
Suddenly, the bell above the door rang softly.i didn't look up immediately, I was too busy pretending to read a book.I kept reading the same page over and over for the third time, like I was lost in my thoughts.
But suddenly something changed in the room.
The atmosphere became so intense, i felt a warm breeze. The cafe suddenly became quite, it seemed as if I could hear a rhythm in my head.
I became so so curious and I looked up .
A gentleman standing by the door, brushing raindrops from his jacket. tall with a well built body, his appearance and presence made almost everyone stare.his shoulders where broad, his jawline sharp. from the look of how he stood he had a strong posture that made him look confident.
He scanned the cafe looking for an empty seat. There was nothing extraordinary at that moment, no slow motion music like in the movies we watch, but yet everything felt different and warm.
I kept staring at his amazing structure, and suddenly his eyes met mine for a second .
Just one second.
But it felt like time had quitely stretched itself for just that moment.
He looked away walking towards the counter to order something. I quickly dropped my gaze back to my book, I couldn't even remember a single word I had read.
I just couldn't concentrate on my book.why is my heart beating so fast?
I could literally hear the sound of my heart beat, this is so ridiculous. I said to myself " he is just a stranger". Few minutes later I heard footsteps approaching my table.
"Excuse me" a deep voice said soflty.
I looked up and it was the same guy I couldn't get off my mind.he gestured toward the empty chair across from me.
"Do you mind if I sit here? The cafe is pretty full".
I looked around and there was barely an empty table left .
"Not at all" I said staring at my cup of coffee.he smiled, a grateful smile that somehow made my chest feel so warm."why do I feel this way" I said to myself.
"Thank you" he said.he placed his cup of tea on the table and sat down.for few minutes, not one of us spoke, it was as if an angel of silence had passed by.
The rain continued its beautiful queit rhythm outside.
He looked outside the window, watching the rain just as I did earlier. suddenly he laughed softly. I looked up from my book again.
"What?"I asked.
He pointed towards the street, "look at that" he said. I looked outside. A man had stepped into a mud while trying to avoid the rain, splashing water everywhere.
I couldn't hold myself from laughing too.
And just like that the silence between us felt less awkward.our eyes met again, and this time it felt more intense and warm. Immediately, I looked away and decided to stare at my book instead.
"Bad day?" He asked after a moment.
I was lost for some seconds because the question caught me off guard. "What made you think that?" I asked.
He smiled, "you have been staring at the same page for over 9 minutes".
I blinked.
"Was it that obvious?". He nodded with a soft playful smile. "A little" he said. For some reasons I found myself smiling back ."maybe it's just a boring book" I said.
He leaned forward, glancing at the cover of my book." I doubt it" he said, "you just seem distracted".
At that moment I didn't know what to say, I felt short of words and decided to ask the first question that came to mind .
" Do you always analyze strangers in cafes?"
He laughed again. "Only the interesting ones" he said and I don't really talk that much.
Something about the way he said it made my heart skip. immediately i looked down staring at the table feeling so shy.we kept talking, about the good pastries in the cafe, the coffee and the incident that occurred outside. Slowly the conversation became easier and warmer, it felt like he was no stranger to me. He told me he had just moved to the city few months ago.
"Amazing" I said. I have lived here my whole life and still get lost sometimes .
Before I realized it, the rain had stopped.he looked and it phone and sighed." I should probably get going" he said. Something inside me felt unexpectedly disappointed, its felt like I needed more time with him.
"Oh" I said quietly.
He stood up ,picking up his jacket . Then he hesitated. "Do you come here often?" he asked.
I nodded,and replied "Almost everyday".
His smiled returned, "Good" he said. He reached out for a small piece of paper and quickly wrote something down.
Then he slide it across the table towards me.
"If you are going to sit here reading the same page tomorrow" he said, "you might as well have someone to talk too".
I looked down, it was his phone number.when I looked back up, he was already walking towards the door.the bell rang again as he stepped out. I sat there for a moment, staring at the paper in my hand. And for the first time in a long time, something in my chest felt different, Lighter ,warmer.
As if, without realizing it, my heart has just found something it has being looking for all long.