The Cafe

I felt like a fat bug that was waiting to be squished, after such a heavy lunch on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I then ended up in a cafe just after lunch pondering about a tricky part of the novel I had been writing.

“No, no… It’s not going to work out” I nodded my head as if I were talking to an invisible audience. The place was alive with the smell of fresh ground coffee, the quiet chat of the glassware, the slow whirring of the coffee machine, the incessant cacophony of quiet whispers, the air-conditioner breathing cold breeze in such burning weather.

“Yes?” Said an unexpected voice of a young girl distracting me.
“Yes, what?”

“Why you just staring at me like that?”

“What?” I couldn’t hold on to my laughter and had to spill it out.. “haha… I didn’t mean to.. just that… I…”

“You creep” anger radiated from her high-pitched words.

“No, no.. you’re mistaken. I just..” I coughed up the few words, and almost spilled my coffee.

It was too late. The girl was already talking to the security person. I could also hear her friends cheering her. “You go, girl! Teach him a lesson”

Their conversation was already starting to invade the peaceful atmosphere in the cafe. She’s probably also throwing her angry glance at me and pointing her index finger at me like the sharp tip of an arrow, I imagined.

I begin to hear distant footsteps; one was so distinct… high heels on a wooden surface, and the other more heavy than sharp.

I could feel my heart trying to let out a muffled scream and my palms were becoming moist with sweat.

“This guy here!” a deep perplexing voice of a girl, accusing me. I began to imagine how this would unfold… “It’s India after all.
Someone’s going to show me how much he cares about women by moping me up without even knowing a bit of truth” I smiled at my thoughts.

“Aray saab, what are you doing? I’m seeing you for two hours, you just sitting with one coffee. Just looking at girls, ah?”

I could feel the tables creaking to make way for him and the slow chatter of people on the other tables. Maybe he’ll push me out? That would be such a shame! Why are people so mean, I began to wonder.

He was very close to me. Too close that I could smell the sweat on his shirt, some cheap perfume, and the faint odor of coconut oil.

“I probably have only 30 seconds to reply to his question” I began to ponder.

His large shadow was all over me now. I couldn’t feel the warmth of the sun that I had been feeling up until now.
I could say that he’s stupid. He’s going to give me an extra whack then!

I can try explaining that I’m a writer. Well, no way he’ll believe that. It seems to me that maybe his intelligence is smaller than fried peanuts.

I started my conversation with a brand new sentence.
I said… “I… ” and before I could utter the next word, he was rushing at me.

I sensed his large hand somewhere above as if gathering force from some invisible power.

Well, If I’m going to be humiliated, I better close my eyes, right?

It wasn’t necessary. Just at that moment, I heard a voice.

“Stop!” in all firmness!

My rescue! A friendly voice! Yes, I remember this voice. Who was it?

“Off! Go away! He’s blind, don’t you see? I’ll call the police if you don’t move away!”

The security guy’s apologies flooded the air inside the cafe, and I had time to walk out and breathe a sigh of relief. This time I made sure everyone can see my walking stick so that no one would hurl their abuses at me.