Friday, March 29, 2013

Coffee

Liya sipped the coffee.
She had never liked coffee, she didn't understand why she had ordered it now. She had already added three spoons of sugar and stirred it furiously.
Not that it made much of a difference.
Not that it ever made a difference.
Ed was late by half an hour now.
She sighed. She remembered the short phone call, and it ran through her mind again.
"Ed. Hi." She had said a little quietly.
"Oh hey." he had said, as usual indifferently.
"How are you?"
"Am okay."
He didn't ask how she was.
"It's been a long time. Let's please meet?" She said nervously, her voice breaking.
There was a silence.
"Yeah, sure. I don't mind."He didn't even ask when she had returned.
The last sentence put her off. Mind? He really had no sensitivity, sometimes.
"Let's have coffee tomorrow? I miss you." She said softly.
"You and coffee? Since when?" He laughed a little.
That small laugh made her feel a little better.
"Well you have coffee, I have hot chocolate. I suppose that's how it works."
"Alright. Where do you want to meet?" She wished he had said something more.
She suggested the time and place. That was too inconvenient for him. He suggested a place which was far away from her, and she agreed heartily. He then said,
"They don't serve hot chocolate there. So you'll have to stick with coffee."
"Okay." she said.
"Is there something specific you want to talk about?" He said suddenly.
"No. I just want us to forget what happened. That fight. I'm so sorry for what I said that time. I shouldn't have said it." She was apologizing for the millionth time. It wasn't entirely her fault, he had said some cutting things too.
He was silent for a while.
"Ed?"
"I have to go right now, but I'll see you tomorrow."
And before she could even say bye, he had cut the phone.

He was an hour late now. She wrapped the tissue around her fingers. She wondered if she was fighting for a lost cause.
She observed the raindrops falling down the window. It was beginning to rain heavily. Maybe that's why he was late. She hoped that was the reason.
"Would you like the bill?" The waitress asked.
"No, no. My friend is coming. I'm waiting for him." she answered.
She took another sip of coffee. It tasted even more bitter, all of a sudden. What was keeping Ed?
He burst in suddenly.
"Sorry, am late."
He offered no reason why he was late.
"It's alright." She tried to smile.
There was a deafening silence. He raised his eyebrows.
"So when did you get back in town?"
"Just two days ago."
Another silence.
He ordered a coffee.
"Ed, listen." she said slowly.
"What?" he said suddenly interested in the pattern of the napkins.
"Let's start over? I've written so many letters to you, but I'm guessing you're still angry. Let's forget everything and start over please? You were the best friend I ever had, and I miss you."
He nodded.
"Please say something."
"I have nothing to say. It's okay, I'm not angry with you anymore. It's fine."
This was getting frustrating.
"Then what is the problem?" she asked impatiently.
"There is no problem, Liya. Can you stop?"
She got up.
"Where are you going?" He asked casually and took another sip of his coffee.
"Home. To get myself a hot chocolate."
She swung her bag over her shoulder and left him with the bill.

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