Short stories -- Coffee shop by Mr.Zaki Badr
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| Short stories -- Coffee shop by Mr.Zaki Badr |
It was a stormy day. Much dust was everywhere. You can’t even see-through windows. However, there was someone walking in the street, he seems to be unaware of what’s happening, probably tired of a long day walking searching for something. He was looking for a nice coffee shop to drink his coffee. He always likes coffee. Most of the coffee shops were closed that day. The man was worried that he might not find a coffee shop. Finally, he found one. It was strange. Why! There was no one there. It had dust all over the place. So, he did not like it. He decided to go back home, but it was too late. He called his friends to drive him home safely. He tried calling so many times; no one answered –that was an unusual thing to happen. After he had been walking for some time, he felt tired; he looked at a chair near the place where he used to meet a girl named Nancy. The chair was chubby and old—it looks like no one had set on it before. The man had been waiting for hours since there were no cars or buses to drive home safely at that time. The time was moving slowly, and the wind was stronger than before on that day. The weather made him feel a little disappointed; he felt sad. He thought and said,” Can I see her again after all this long time?” The last time they both met, was not a good time because they were talking loudly and shouting at each other faces. After that, the girl cried and left him. Love can be complex and difficult to understand. They did not even know it was love or just admiring. He remembered the happy moments they had before the last fight: walking together near the beach where a nice hut was found nearby, sitting there for some time, getting some firewood to make lunch—“I am making a grilled steak, your favorite,” she said. They ate it together since there was not much food left. They were happy to share nice moments as lovers. He kissed her on her cheeks. He told her to thank her for taking care of me all those times. She smiled and said,” It’s nothing, my dear.” So after remembering those happy moments he cried a lot and wished she would come back again. He never thought the way he was screaming at her would make it harder for him to reach her again. After the wind had blown, he heard the sound of lighting—then the sky started to rain. The rain fell on his head, drop by drop, on his hat until it covered all his face. His tears were hidden under the drops of rain that are falling. He forgot his umbrella he never thought it would rain. He was thinking it might be just a windy day. While he was sitting in the chair, he saw a woman a little far from him, at the end of the street. He thought that woman might be the one he loves. It was dust all over the place because of the wind; he couldn’t see well if it was her or someone else. He looked for his glasses but didn’t find them. So, he waited until she came by so that he could look closer. After she came nearby him, he saw her—but she wasn’t the one he was thinking about, so he was disappointed again. Then, he waited until the end of the day; it was dark outside and so cold that he was shriving. He saw another woman near an old house. She was looking at him from the other side. He left the coffee shop and went to her. “Maybe she’ll be the one I was thinking about,” he said. Nancy was wearing a mask so no one could identify her identity. He came to her and asked,” “what are you looking for, young lady” She pretended that she was lost. Deep inside her heart, she wanted to let him know who she was, but she was afraid he would shout at her again. He told her “okay, calm down; how can I help you? “ She told him “ I live in a village near this coffee shop; I used to walk in this street many times in the past, “she said. “There were too many roads lead to my village, but I forgot which one I should take,“ she said. Of course, she knows the way, but she wanted to deceive her lover and wanted to talk a little bit to him again. She missed his voice. She asked him, “Why are you here?” “ it seems to be a really bad day, “he said. They chatted together for a while. From her voice, he thought about the one he has feelings for but wasn’t sure until she laughed. He knows her laughing very well. She smiled. She told him I have to go now, goodbye. While she was walking home, slowly, her heart was beating like a drum—he sensed her. He followed her and grabbed her hand and said, “I’m really sorry; please forgive me.” They both cried and were happy afterward. They left the coffee shop-- the place where they first met. Three years later, they became a nice family.