oh..if i am not wrong i din include my first story in this blog..haha..so i guess i will just add it in..Walking aimlessly, I reached here again, stepping on the steps to an Italian café. Greeted by a polite waiter, I was served to a rear corner seat with a great window view. From there I could see the serene view of mountains with bluely mist around the summit. It was quite a well furnished café which brought out an ancient Rome theme. I took a seat putting my briefcase next to my leg.
“What would you like to order, Sir?” A polite and exquisite waitress asked. One plate of Creamy chicken spaghetti, beef lasagna and a tiramisu as dessert.” I replied. “Hmm, you really do have a huge appetite.” She commented jokingly. “Maybe?” A smile from me ensured that I was not offended by her comment before she proceeded to the kitchen with my order.
My appetite wasn’t really as huge as she mention. I ordered to, perhaps just to enjoy it. As a waitress walked past, I grabbed her hands and ordered a cup of hot cappuccino.
The strong aroma of cappuccino blended around the small corner of my seat. The cappuccino was brimming hot as I could see the trace of smoke glazing up the cup lazily before it vanished into the thin air. I held the cup up and smelt the aroma before I took a sip after twirling the cup. The cappuccino indeed perked me up but on the other hand, it made me dwell onto some broken memories.
An acoustic melody filled the café and blended in magically. “It’s familiar.” I told myself. It was Beethoven’s Fur Elise. This was it, exactly the same piece, musician, café and seat. But something was lacking, something very important.
My eyes looked to the seat opposite of mine. It was now empty, cold and shady. She is missing. At the same time, the waitress came. “Hey sir, here is your orders. Hope you enjoy them!” I took a quick glance at her name tag. “Waitress- Chanel”. It was coincidental. Looking outside the window, I started thinking about the past.
It has been about a year since I last stepped into this café. But nothing has changed, except my heart was now frozen. I wasn’t lonely like now. I was with her. Her name was Chanel.
At our first date, we entered into this café. Both of us were Italian food lovers. We ordered creamy chicken spaghetti, beef lasagna and a tiramisu. It was her first time trying lasagna and tiramisu as I ensured her that will be delicious.
We were guided to the same place as I’m sitting now. We looked out of the window and she exclaimed that the scenery was beautiful. “I want to live like this!” she told me. With a smile, “I’m willingly to accompany you.” I replied, looking into her eyes. I could tell that she was touched with her watery eyes.
At that very moment, Beethoven’s Fur Elise was being played. “Nice music!” both of us commented at the same time. We had a nice time chatting before the dishes were being served.
“You were clumsy!” she commented as I accidentally dropped the fork. “I really embarrassed myself.” I told myself. After asking for another fork, we proceed for our meal. As we were eating the spaghetti, we came to the climax as we were sharing a strip of spaghetti. With only a short distance between or lips, we exchanged eye contact and the chemistry race deep within our heart; it seems like we know what each of us was thinking about!
Blood shot up our face as it turns red, I quickly bit off the spaghetti and we continued eating. Rubbing my stomach to indicate that I was full, she laughed saying that I have some leftovers on the edge of my lips. We ordered a cup of drink and continued chatting. We were really enjoying one another’s company.
We got to know one other through one of my friend when I am play tennis one day. To tell the truth, it was love at first sight. I asked for her number a few days later, disappointed to find out that she is already attached. Despite that, we still contact one another and meet up with a group of friends for tennis game.
In a dilemma, I didn’t know if I was doing the right thing as I feel like I’m trying to break a couple up. In the end, I still decided to carry on. We exchanges messages through mobile and also through instant messengers. We came to understand one another, although she was four years younger than me but it seems that our communication was there and she was more mature than I thought.
A few months later, I received the news that she broke up with her boyfriend. I was thrilled yet at the same time lost of words as I did not know how to console her. It was a break through to me as we began to call one another often. I remembered the very first time called me. The gentle voice of her melted my heart. “Hey, are you alright?”, “don’t be disheartened, it’s their loss not to select you.” That was what she told me after I failed to get in to my college’s tennis team. I tried my best and thought that I played well but I fell painfully as I felt like I was being pushed up high by my confidence level. I felt ashamed, sad and speechless. But her gentle voice calmed me down.
To tell the truth, I initially lost my passion towards tennis after my last relationship. I went hiding and became a workaholic, thinking it will drive all unhappiness away. But after I met her, I found back my passion and decided to strive hard for a placing in the tennis competition. An invisible force pushed me forward. I hoped to join in the competition with her, but I can’t. Even so, I still encourage her and cheer behind her back as she went for the college competition.
It was in a evening as she was having some event in school till quite late and
I find the guts within me and grabbed up my mobile and typed. “Are you going home? Can I ask you out for dinner?” I waited anxiously for her reply and finally she replied “Yeah, sure!” I jumped for joy as I was able to meet her up and maybe even send her home. I went to put on a piece of clean and nice clothing before spraying some perfume as I dash off to a restaurant near her college. I waited for awhile before I spotted her from far and we exchanged smiles before she entered the restaurant. She grabbed a seat opposite me and put her stuffs down. “How was your day?” I asked. “Erm, tired but funny.” She replied with a fake smile. “I can tell that you’re tired, grab a bite and let me send you home.” She smile and nodded her head. We ordered a 12 inch California Seafood pizza and shared it among ourselves. We chat for quite awhile before we check out the clock hanging above the cashier counter. “Let’s go girl! It’s getting late. Let me send you to the subway station.”
It was a relatively short walk from the restaurant to the subway station. We exchanged conversation as we stroll. “Do you remember I told you I’m afraid of three things?” I asked. “Yes. What is the third? You haven told me yet” she replied. “You will find out when the time comes.” I answered with an evil laugh. I accompanied her to wait for the next train to come before I left. “I felt comfortable with you.” I told her. “Me too, I felt relax and happy.” She blushed as she replied. “Drop me a message when you reached home if possible!” I shouted as she got up the train. Sitting on the waiting bench, watching the train zoomed pass to heading to her destination. I turned around and smiled. I felt like I was in heaven. I walked with smiles on my face till I reached home.
“I just had a dinner with Chanel and I can’t believe it!” I told myself. My mobile phone rang. It was her, telling me that she had just reached home. I replied, asking her if she is interested in the third thing that I am afraid of. She replied a yes. I pick up my phone and rang her. “Hey Chanel, the third thing that I am afraid of is...” a sudden pause and I continued “it is losing you” immediately I hang up my phone.
A few moments later, she replied back with a message. “I appreciate your liking but I still need time to re-consider as there still confusions in my mind” though after reading, my heart still carries a 50-50 percent feelings but I still replied her “take your time.”
It was a few days after, something unexpected happened. She was meeting up with me for a movie. As I arrived at the cinema earlier, I called her and asked where she was. She picked up and replied “coming soon, sorry to keep you waiting” I replied ‘it is alright, do take care” just as I finished my sentence, a loud bang was heard through my mobile. I stood rooted and shocked. Back to reality, I shouted in the phone “Chanel Chanel, Answer me!!”
But, what I heard was the passer-by discussing about the situation and the continuous beeping of the vehicles. Just then, the siren of ambulance could be heard over my mobile phone. Upon hearing that, I immediately rushed to the cross section of the street that is around the corner. What I saw was Chanel lying on the floor with pool of blood flowing from the back of her head and I saw the civil workers carrying her to the stretcher and covering her body with a piece of white cloth. I dashed across the street and kneel down beside her body. Tears rolled down to the pale cheek of mine. I pulled her hand as the civil worker carried her body to the ambulance. I followed the ambulance to the nearby hospital, unknowingly, the movie tickets dropped from my pocket.
She was pushed to the emergency operation room as soon as she got to the hospital; I sat down in front of the operation room. Holding my hands together a place them on my forehead and prayed hard. ‘Please be alright, please, please god”. I repeat this prayer till the light of the “operation” sign went off. I quickly stood up and approached the doctor. I shook him vigorously. “How was her!” I shouted out. “I am afraid to tell you sir, that we have tried my best as she can’t be saved due to the huge impact landed on her during the accident” he replied with a pad on my shoulder with a consoling tone. I let loose of his surgeon clothing and kneeled down onto the floor with bursting tears. Crying out loud, I clenched my fist and smashed it hit against the floor. A nurse walked to me and passed me a note and told me that at was found in her pocket. I unfolded it and read. “Hey Derrick, it was really my fortune to have known you. You are the only one that made me felt so loved. I am really touched of what you have done so far but the feeling I have for you is more prone to a brother rather than a lover. I can’t bring myself to look at you as I see someone that treated me so well but yet I can’t reciprocal the loved you have given.” Upon finishing this line, tears dropped onto the letter, smirching the words, I continued reading, “I am sorry that I can’t accept your love, but I can’t refuse it too, but I think we are more suited to be friends as I am a person that prefer freedom and don’t wish to be tied down, as my past relationship experience did not turned out well.” I stopped reading and put the letter into my pocket. I closed my eyes and whisper “Chanel, I understand and I will still love you.
As she was an orphan, I went to mortuary to collect her body and gave her a simple burial ritual on the remote small hill behind the house of mine. Every year, I will be bringing her favorite purple orchid to visit her tomb and to help her clear up the tomb area.
I felt a pad suddenly and I turned my head around. It was the Chanel, the waitress in her plain clothes. She sat beside me and told me not to dwell on it too much. “Did I tell her my story just now?” I asked myself. “Well, I read your mind.” She whispers into my ears.
Still being in confusion, I walked out of the café and went to a nearby flow shop to get some fresh purple orchid. It was 18th May today. Time flies, it has been 2 years since Chanel passed away.
“Hey your briefcase Derrick!” someone shouted. I turned my head and saw Chanel, the waitress. “Oh. Thanks anyway.” I replied politely. “I’ve got something to attend to. See you again soon” I continued and turned away to the exit with my briefcase and orchid.
She grabbed my hand and look at me with her watery eyes. “Can I go with you?” she pleaded. Looking at her makes me feel that Chanel was right in front of me and I agreed without a second thought.
I took us some effort before we reached her tomb. I was busy trimming away the wild grass and was cleaning up the tomb while Chanel, the waitress was look at the tomb, looking as if they were chatting very well.
After cleaning up, my whole back was sweating. I closed my eyes and started praying. Telling Chanel how much I missed her over the years and so how I got past those feel days.
Out of a sudden, I felt someone helped me cleaned my sweat with tissue paper and I opened my eyes thinking it was the waitress Chanel but I saw no one with me, only to find the tissue paper with my sweat gliding in the air before hitting onto the grassland.
I was shocked and I went around looking for her but to no avail. “How fast and far can she walk by herself?” I asked myself in doubt. Not wanting to think so much, I headed for home as it was turning dark.
At the very next morning, I decided to look for Chanel at the café again but she wasn’t there. I approached the manager and asked “I would like to know if Chanel was working today?”
“Channel, she was not working here since 2 years ago!” the manager replied in a mono tone. “She quitted?” I continued asking. “She was killed in a car accident 2 years back.” He replied sadly.
I stood rooted to the ground and was speechless. “Who is the girl that served me yesterday and accompanied me to Chanel’s tomb?” I asked myself and I finally realized. Chanel was always been with me for the past 2 years.
Labels: story