The Coffee Shop

April 10, 2010

 

Rain pouring down heavily that night, hazy lights of orange down the street.  Sharing an umbrella, Jasper and Hanna were walking together.  It was cold.  There was nothing else but silence and tears.  “I love you and you know it, that is why I’m letting you go.  I am not going to make this hard for you.  I want you to be happy even if it means losing you.  I know, winning your heart back would be the hardest thing for me to do now.  I have done my part, you’ve done yours.  I’ll be standing at the edge of the earth to wait for you just in case you’d come back to me”, Jasper telling this in a sad but light tone.  The two then finally arrived in a coffee shop.  The smell of roasted beans enshrouded the very soul of anyone that pass by it.  A small cafeteria with dim lights, perfect, a lover’s atmosphere.  You should go and see him now, he is there inside waiting for you I’m sure.  Jasper forcefully smiled to signal her, and then she left the shade, wiping her tears.  A simple goodbye.

 

Through the windows, Jasper clearly saw how invigorated, charming, and happy she was.  It reminded him of how lovely she was when they first met.  He smiled while trying to relive the memory of them, then turned his back and slowly started walking.

 

Time passed swiftly for both of them.  Hanna, having Jasper in her thoughts, decided to return home and finally make amends with him.  She went through people who could possibly know of his whereabouts, but none of them could ever tell where he was.  She persisted but was beginning to lose hope.  Until one day, she met one of his closest friend.  After a brief talk, that person then requested her to visit the coffee shop.  The place she and Jasper used to hang out.  The place where Jasper had set her free.  The place where she left him for another man while he was out standing by the window. 

 

A lot of things changed in the shop; from the window panels, the doors, but most especially the walls.  It was covered with folded papers, stationeries, and envelopes in variety of colors.  And then she saw a big painting of her and Jasper hanging up in the center walls.  Why is our picture here?, Hanna pointing into the direction of the painting.  The barman gazed and later realized it was her.  You are Hanna, Jasper’s Baby!  The two of you made this place very special y’know.  That painting you may ask, well, he sent me about some 15 years ago but the letters arrived here almost on a daily basis for those succeeding years.  Obviously, he wanted to send these letters to you but I suppose he had no idea where you went.  Instead, he addressed them all here.  Couples don’t just visit this place to meet, drink and chat, but also to read his letters and writings for you, and with that, they would understand true love really exists.  With these, he was able to prove that he loved you until his death last year. 

 

Learning that he died, streak of bright tears began to gather up in her eyes.  The barman brought up a wooden box with an unread letter inside and handed this to her while saying “This was the very first I received from him, and I have always thought it was special so I never opened it.  Do us the honor.”

 

The Letter Reads:

 

As I write this, I can feel my soul losing its grip on my body.  Its as if Death itself is crawling upon me.  As you have wished for me before we parted that night, Yes, I will live my life happy and without regrets.  I would be able to fulfill it by continuing to love you through the upcoming years.  I will live happy for I know I have loved and still love you, and there will never be not a single regret as loving you was unregretful.  I made something for you and I hope you can spare time to read it to ease you of your fears or anything that may bother you.

 

Gently and slowly I will heal

            Over that so called pain I’d feel

Orderly in time I’d be happy

            Do not hold Yourself guilty

 

But in this way do remember me

            Your man, Promise, I’d still be

Edge of earth, I’d be there standing

            Hereafter, You, I’d only be loving

 

Outcast, consider me in that way

            Newcomer, others will always say

End of story for the two of us

            Yes, I lost and I am the doofus

 

I Love You, vertical and horizontal

            Leaving traces of me being poetical

Our love would be just another memory

            Veiled, still, for the eyes of the majority

 

Ease yourself for I already know

            Your love for me has lost its glow

Over years, this will be something very true

            Under the stars, I’d be thinking of only You

 

Loving you still…

Jasper

 

Hanna then whispered to herself “I stood on the other edge…waiting to come back to you, waiting for this day to come true.”

 

There were no words to say, only teardrops to pay.