Fiction
She sat alone in a corner of a crowded cafe like Paris in December. Every 5 minutes she turns her phone on and turns it off again a few seconds later. People might think she’s waiting for someone, her friend coming home from college in Adelaide, or her 3 years long distance relationship boyfriend. But that’s not it
He glanced at her, surreptitiously glanced at her, but he knew once every 5 minutes she turned on the cellphone and turned it off a few seconds later. Maybe she was waiting for someone. But where is that person? It’s been 2 hour already.
When she entered the cafe, sat down, and offered a menu. The menus are confusing. Luckily the waitress understood her confusion. It’s nice if we have a person who understands us, not “ I know you’re “ like they are a master of you.
It’s raining outside, the tourists who brought umbrellas immediately took out their umbrellas from their bag, while tourists who did not bring umbrellas scrambled for shelter in front of a row of stores. How can you not carry an umbrella in a city where it always rains? what an irony, she said.
He’s now looking at her. She wasn’t the prettiest woman, but not a boring one. You know there are women who are very pretty but kind of boring. For a while maybe you will be attracted to her, until you finally get bored by her.
She now shifts his gaze from the rainy tourists to the people in the cafe. She looking around the cafe, The table behind her is a group of young people, the loudest, and laughing, while in front of her is a couple hugging each other, the temperature is 4 degrees Celsius, she just looked at her phone.
For a moment she felt jealous.
And there is also the man who also sat alone across from her.
He still looks at her. He didn’t dare. He had to level up his courage.
She knew that a man sitting alone was watching him. He is handsome, seems like a good person. But how do you know if you don’t know each other. she turned on the phone again and turned it off again a few seconds later. Then she saw that man standing and walking towards her.
He dared himself, with a trepidation he stood in front of her.
“Hey,” He said
She didn’t answer, she turned on the phone again.
His hands were shaking, his face was a little pale, “Hey..?” He tried again
But somehow she could ring her cellphone, as if someone out there had her number. “Oh yeah, I’ll be right there”
Then she left him alone..
Two hour and a half ago, she woke up from her afternoon nap, the worst time to sleep. And she realized that she was alone, she felt lonely, there was no one in her apartment. 5 years since she moved to this city, she doesn’t know any neighbors or have any friends. Then she went to this cafe.
Every 5 minutes she turns on her cellphone, because she is bored, she opens Instagram, there’s no DMs, opens Facebook and there’s no messages coming in. So a few seconds later he turns it off. What a lonely woman.
People might think, How can you not want to get to know that man, when you’re feeling lonely every day? really ironic.
There are people who are lonely but also refuse to socialize.
or she’s afraid, she’s afraid to disappoint, For a while maybe he’ll be interested in talking to her, until you finally get bored with her.
She has a record for that.
Hai, my Name is ZA. I am a writer who writes about whatever I thought and love and hate and trauma and sadness. Thanks for stopping and reading my story, if you like my story please consider giving me a clap, share(maybe), and follow me. Thank you again, have a nice minutes.
