tamm0449

Joe’s Café

Sitting alone in the café staring at my coffee I slowly stirred it with
the little plastic straw that the waitress with the short brown hair
placed before me. Absently I was waiting, waiting for whom I did not
know. I only knew that the terror of lonesomeness was killing me just as
if I had twisted a knife in my heart.
These feeling were real although very infrequent. I stared at the
coffee, willing someone to come sit with me. I wondered why they would,
when I looked like a drowned rat after standing in the rain before
deciding to enter Joe's Coffee House.
I watched indiscriminately as a few couples walked in laughing and
enjoying a joke between themselves. The loneliness was there, aching
like a pain in your heart that you cannot get rid of.
Jealousy is my name today, how I longed to be one of them in their
crowd. Wiping tears from my cheeks and sitting there after three
coffees’ I saw him enter. He seemed uncertain as if he wanted to be
here. I prayed to God that he send him my way.
I thought there is a man that could pique my interest, an ordinary man,
indescribable yet attractive to me. Our eyes met and I lowered my head
ruining the moment. I cursed myself for not smiling.
Nevertheless he meandered to my table and asked if I were waiting for
someone. I assured him that I was, but that he could sit down for a
while. Shrugging with half a smile, he sat down and apologized for
intruding.
Looking into his eyes as quickly as I could, I saw an interest for my
thoughts. He asked what I was doing sitting here by myself. I hoped that
this was a sincere caring question from a man that I had not a clue
about. Still, I hoped that his interest in me was genuine.
I answered looking for companionship and a friend that I could pour my
heart out too. He said that his heart was aching for a friend and
perhaps we could fulfill each others needs.
He slipped his hand over mine and I felt a chill as if I were sitting in
the morning snow. He smiled slowly at me as I dared to look him in the
eye and smile back. The ice was breaking between us and I felt that we
were beginning a friendship that would last as long as any one else's,
and perhaps forever.
He said that he was a writer and never seemed to find the time to go
out. He had made himself go to Joe's tonight. He needed to relax and
find himself a new horizon to set his sights on. Thoughts of new books
were coming rather slow these days and he was despondent for that
reason.
I almost laughed if that was his only trouble in this world. I needed a
friend that needed me; and I knew that I could fit his expectations. After
all, I was attractive when I smiled and wanted to be interesting. There
were many things that I had done, and many places that I had traveled to, so I
knew that he would find me intriguing if he gave me half a chance.
I glanced up at the dark night sky for we were on Joe's night terrace,
and I thanked God for my fortune and my lucky stars. Perhaps this was my
knight in shining Armour? Perhaps, but he needed a little oil and
polish to satisfy me. Still, there was something about this man that drew me in.
I was so thankful that God had answered my wish. Unknowingly I had
pulled him to me that night with a will that I had never experienced
before. My thoughts and belief’s in me had brought him to me through my
faith in God and my Angels.
Sitting there the silence between the two of us seemed like a million golden
moments. I relished them and I am sure that he did likewise. It seemed as
if we were reading each others resume’ and the answers were complimentary
to what we needed. Glancing up nervously, I looked into his eyes seeing an
inquiry as to what I was feeling. I could feel his hand tremble as he caressed mine.
Our touching silence was beckoning us to leave to get to know one another more
intimately. He suggested that we go back to his place, if I was comfortable enough to
get to know him. He promised we would talk and take it slow. He said that his apartment
was right around the corner. Nervously, I agreed. For some reason I
was not afraid of him, and knew that this was the man of my dreams if only I would let
him into my heart.
Leaving with a stranger without a name was not my style however; I
felt safe in his arms as he lovingly caressed my hair staring into my
eyes that had lost their fear. We walked to his place around the corner, whispering
quick questions wondering if we were sure what we were doing.
The little brownstone was small and unobtrusive but it was his style.
There was a gentle elegance about it that I new that I could fit into.
I admired that he grew ivy on the brownstone and had roses of pink
twisting and winding up the wall. He smiled and unlocked the door waiting for me to
enter. I entered and was mesmerized by the beauty and serenity that I
felt. Our fate was sealed, and we were content to have found our true
love from just a wish and a thought of better things to come.
Cautiously I allowed him to remove my coat as I took in the view of his
home quickly. His computer still on, had a screen of fish swimming
lazily by. I sat down. The sofa consumed my tired body as he made me
tea. I felt like the fish, lazy and comfy.
I was finally home. His feelings showed the same thoughts. Now, was the
time to get to know one another. He whispered something in my ear, which
I did not hear, but it didn't matter. What is time but a fury of many words,
mixed with enough emotions to pass between two people looking for
solace and companionship? We exchanged some of our life’s history and decided
that some of it could wait. There was an urgency between us that we could not deny.
Hanging up his coat and closing the door, he sat beside me and handed me
a hot cup of tea. What a touching gesture I thought thinking this was so like the
old black and white movies. I knew then as his hand touched mine that he had given
me his heart as I had given mine to this total stranger from Joe's Café. The question fleetingly drifted through my mind where I would be were it not for Joe's Café for I had
been at the end of my rope with sadness.
Thankfully I had found solace in a man that would hold me dear to him
and not push me away, nor ignore my thoughts. We, together as a couple were going to work on a story line about our wonderful meeting in a little nighttime Café. Sitting closely, wrapped in his arms we gave our names to one another as if giving the gift of life. We kissed and knew deep in our hearts that love at first sight had struck us like lightening. We exchanged many words of our past and many questions of what we wanted in the future. Somehow we knew that we were right for one another. We fit together as closely as pieces of a puzzle making a picture.
Cuddling on the couch we made plans to move my clothing and the few items that I owned over tomorrow to begin a life of love, friendship and romance. Silently we held onto one another intimately, knowing that the stars had guided him to Joe’s Café’ for a new beginning in our empty life of loneliness and insecurity. Smiling into the
depths of my heart, he picked me up and gallantly carried me into his room of romance and peaceful sleep to dream of our future and the story that one day we would tell our friends, children and grandchildren. Love at first sight I had never believed in but here we were cuddled together like two birds of a feather never to let the other one go.

Written by: Tamara L. Lesley