Word Play over Coffee

Trrrring...the tiny brass bell, hanging over the door of Micke's Cafe jingles as Simone peeps in.
"It just opened or am I too early?" Simone's smile is like sunshine and her presence brightens up Micke's cafe and life.
"I am yet to set the ingredients inside the coffee maker and there are those baked items for which I need to find a proper place to display. But you are not really too early, the man who delvers newspaper just left this place 15 minutes ago." Micke's smile is Simone's morning.
"I will be extremely glad if I get to help you with all these. The sooner it's done, the longer I will get to spend the day's time with you."
Micke nods with a smile on his face and gestures her to come inside.


Micke and Simone had been childhood friends and neighbors, who had been residing in Mulberry Oaklore since they were born. Micke works part-time in Pentown Bakery and goes to St Puttinson College of Commerce. Micke, who is a year older than Simone lives with his mother Rosey, who is a retired school teacher and her elder brother Fisher, the owner of the only departmental store in Pentown, in their 2 storeyed wooden ranch-house. It's because of Rosey, Micke's mother, this economic buy had always looked like the tidiest nest adorned with natural beauty. There were vines that hung from the roof, then potted petunia on window sills, wild flowers of different hues and type bordered the picket fence that separated their ranch from the house Simone and her family was residing in. Simone's family consisted of 6 orphans and their guardian Miss Davis, a 60 year old retired bank officer. Miss Davis was the only female bank officer of her time, living in California. She was without any family member and never got married. Instead, with the money she had earned she opened up the Orphanage in Mulberry Oaklore that homed Simone and her other 5 orphan sisters. Simone is the oldest among them. The story of Simone's real parents however is not known to anyone, Simone's couldn't recall as to when she had seen them last.

"There, so it's all set now. Have your seat, I will just go and get your cream java." Simone smiles and sits just beside the wide glass pane, overlooking the streets of Pentown. She turns her head side-wise and gazes out of the window and her mind drifts away to something belonging to someplace and so on...


Micke catches a glimpse of her, being lost in thought, through the corner of his eye.
"Just like any other day..." He murmurs to himself. He stops for a while and looks towards her. Shall I tell her today itself? She's my best buddy, she has the right to know! And then he looks down with a sheepish smile, his cheeks fully on fire.


Simone was still ignorant regarding the changing expressions and colors on Micke's face. She had conflicts in her own mind regarding her feelings. I wonder if Micke will ever understand what he is to me now...it's getting difficult for me every passing day. Shall I confess today that I am in love with him and that I have been loving him since 8Th grade? He looks up to me as a sister and best friend only...but how long can we stick to being cute friends type?? Why can't he see that there's more than just friendship between us?! It's now or never for me...I just got to let him now how I feel...


"Hey...here's your coffee". Micke puts the cup down on the table and sits opposite to her. Simone looks at him and then instantly looks down. Micke bends the neck down to scrutinizes her face and asks, "Hey is everything alright?"
"Ah yeah...haven't slept properly last night...too much of that sick project work." She stammers while still looking down.
"Hey...I gotta tell you something..." Simone looks up with an odd expression on her face...this time Micke was looking away.
"No, it's nothing serious." He looks at her and smiles. Simone's silence bothered him a bit though. Anyway he continued. "I met a girl few days back in the Cafe..."
"You met a girl?"
"Yeah, I met this girl Hailey and.."
"And?"
"I don't know what had happened but she did make me feel as if my search for a partner for life was complete! I swear! The feeling was awesome...she got my sight transfixed at her...she had smiled and blushed when her eyes had caught mine....."
The words were not entirely making an impact in Simone's mind. It was all fading away...as if she was not meant to be there and time was sucking her out of the place slowly... Why? Why are you not realizing that the girl for you, is seated just opposite to you..stop her from going crazy...please stop it now...


"Hello?? You listening to what I just said?" Micke was staring at her with a very eager face.
"Umm...yeah...good..I mean wow..." Simone was trying pretty hard not to be upset, but her thoughts were running wild.
"So shall I ask her out...the next time I see her?"
"Sure why not...do whatever you feel is making you and her happy." Her words made Micke smile.
"Thanks...yes I would definitely try to keep her happy when she's with me...ahhh this is the first time some girl is driving me crazy!!!!"
"Aha, it happens...hey I gotta go...gotta hit the college early today." Simone got up, slung her bag across her chest and made towards the door.
"But you haven't finished your coffee yet...", Micke was quite surprised at the turn of events, he had expected Simone to be super excited and be a tease and all.
Simone stopped for a while, turned behind, "You know...? There's always a next time for talks over coffee, today it's just not the day." The brass bell jingles as she opens the doors and walks off.
Micke was shocked on seeing her behave like this. "I will never get to understand this jerk!"


 Simone could not control all that were going through her mind, tears had welled up in her eyes and she had started running. "This can't be...Why...? Why? Why??? Why me all the time?
How can he do this to me...?? How can he be interested in some other girl and not for once think about all the time we had been together and all the things I had done for him...?"


Simone was in no mood to go to the college. Instead she had taken the path that leads to the town park...one of her favorite places. The park was where she and Micke had promised each other to be the best of friends and never part ways, no matter what happens. That was some 10 years back though, but it meant a lot to Simone, atleast she has never thought of going against her words. But Micke, according to her, was straying away from their friendship and supposed relationship of bonding. And at that very moment, Simone felt she could  run away to no other place other than the Park. 


Micke was feeling more impatient and drained that morning. Something is really bothering Simone...running off early to the college is not a usual thing for her. I should have asked if everything was okay with her, she was being totally weird, shouldn't have left her like that. I am so insensible...I guess I shouldn't have blabbered so much about my thoughts...
The ring of the brass bell brings him back to cafe counter. With melodious humming and the swinging of soft golden beach wave like mane, entered Micke's lady of interest. She was alone today. The young lady smiles at Micke, on entering and delicately catwalks to the place where she and her friends were seated the day before.. All the while, Micke had been standing like a statue, struck by the aura of sweet feelings, emotions and beauty of the girl, whose name he remembered was Hailey. He couldn't help blushing when Hailey turned her face towards him and gave a sheepish smile. I will ask her out today for sure. Micke was confident about the fact that things might just click between Hailey and him. The first move was obviously, taking the orders from the lady.

This is so fucking wrong!!! Simone sits on the stone bench and rubs her boots harshly against the soft grasses surrounding the seat. Too many things were going inside her mind...anger, pain, betrayal.. Micke...I love you...don't do this to me... She breaks into sobs again... Heartbroken, that she was, it was impossible for her to convince herself that Micke was denying any feelings for her. 


She was getting flashbacks of the time they had spent together in the Oaklore. Skinny dipping at 6 in the pond, campfire, they would never attend a single party without each other, the first flower that Micke had given to her- which was a four leaved clover and what not of out of the world stuffs. Simone had always seen Micke and herself as the Prince and Princess of the fairy tale...they had always lived happily ever after. But Micke has ruined it all...he has got himself a different princess and has forgotten about her. Things wouldn't have been so bad, if she was not in love him. But her feelings were truly deep. She had been pining for him since middle school...and now that they are both in college, she finally had procured the guts to tell him of her feelings, she was damn sure that Micke felt the same. But it was not how she had dreamt of always. Firstly her forever missing parents and now her first love...there are no hopes. 




"Hey"
"Hi"
"Hailey right?"
"Ummm..yeah. So nice of you to remember my name". Hailey was all smiles and Micke couldn't help blushing.
"Yeah...nice name for a beautiful young lady.."
"Oh, thanks...I am flattered... Hey! You aren't pulling my leg right?"
"Oh no, seriously you are very pretty..."
"Is that what makes you blush so much, every-time I visit this place?" Hailey gave a very cheeky look but it was all too sweet.
"As if you come here on purpose everyday just to see me blush?" Micke was thoroughly enjoying the conversation. Hailey burst out laughing.
"Nice try huh! Hey sit down..and talk."
"Ummm...actually I can't do that now...gotta attend the customer call here..we can go out to some other place you know, if you really want to talk with me."
"Oh sure! I will leave for my college some few minutes from now and I will be free after 5 in the evening."
"Cool, I will be done by 7. So we can meet up somewhere around 7.30?"
"That's okay, but I have to reach home before it's 9. The meeting would be very brief, I am afraid."
"It's okay with me, we will just talk...so it's set..and we are friends now right?" Micke smiles and moves forward his hand.
"So nice of you, yes we are friends now. So it's 7.30pm at the cafe." Hailey slips her palm inside Micke's grip and they shake hands as a mark of their new found friendship.




By the time Simone got a hang of herself and her sobs were lessening down, it was almost twilight. The breeze that was blowing through the town and through the leaves of the maple leaves and dry twigs around the park, was the harbinger of winter season. Autumn was waning away as days progressed. She picked up a dry leaf and started twirling it between her fingers.
What if the girl rejects him? What if she is already in love with some other person? Micke will forget that girl right..? He will have to get back to me then.....right? Simone gets up and shakes off all the dust and leaves from her coat. She started walking slowly towards the park gate, anyway it was too late...and it was a long way back to the Oaklore. Moreover the sight of children playing around and lovers strolling about the park pathway, hand in hand, was too much for her to take in. She had also fantasized the same things with her and Micke too, but now, it felt as if her own conscience was mocking her fantasies. 




Can this story be ended....? If they meet up...it becomes a typical love story of boy-realizing-girl's-love and even if they don't meet, it's just another love failure story.
We can just let them be there right? I know it's unfinished...but then why deduce something from the story....let the characters be...let's not play anymore with the emotions....characters, though fictional, have emotions in the story right....let's just for once be one of them and leave them in peace. That's all I had intended to do. What my readers will want to do with it, is there wish.