AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

 I am going into the café to get my favorite cup of coffee, trying to have a morning to myself, no stress, no fuss. The place is unexpectedly and unusually quiet for this time of day. Most mornings it is crammed with students, office workers, and people coming from the late night – early morning clubbing. I am ordering my latte and as I am paying for the coffee, my eyes catch a glimpse of a familiar figure sitting in one well-lit corner. The café is in my neighborhood, and no wonder she is in here too. No stress, no fuss, ha? I’m not used to seeing her so early in the day, but there she is and now my early morning coffee seems as if spilled, and a peaceful morning wasted. 

“Not her again”, I am thinking to myself, “It is as if everywhere I turn she`s there. I just can’t believe it”. 

But it is what it is. 

I am thinking why she keeps on popping up at different places I go to, including those where I rarely see her. I have a feeling like there is a hidden meaning behind all that popping up. I am an over-thinker but cannot be bothered to go into such depths so early in the day. She is not exactly my cup of tea, and the situation makes me want to throw up or be swallowed by the café floor. 

“Please, open up and swallow me”. Wishful thinking will not make things easier. I am having second thoughts right there two tables away from her whether to come up to her, say a simple hello and move on, or say a simple hello and sit with her, with a stupid insincere grin all the way pretending that I like her and trying hard not to show how much she gets on my nerves.

I decide to just go past her and not say a word. I am afraid if I sit with her she will send a surge of endless useless self-promoting information, and stupid questions as usual. I cannot do that to myself again. I am turning around, saying “Can I have this coffee-to-go, on the second thoughts?”. The lady amicably complies with my request and before you know it I am out on the street where the cars and life move one without anyone taking notice.