Afternoon Coffee by Mihaela Zaharieva

Every day was the same. Get up. Tie my hair up. Coffee. Go to work. Afternoon coffee. Back to work. Go home. Eat. Go to bed.
A repetitive schedule which repeats itself five times a week with the other two days being just a second. A brief stop to a cycle… or just a part of it. Before I realized it that cycle had become my life. Never ending repetitive actions. Nothing ever set apart one day from the other and it seemed that it would go on forever. But one day it changed.
That afternoon I was going to the usual coffee shop ordering the same sandwich and espresso as every day. The sky was covered with clouds as usual and the whole scenery was as gray as it could be. I sat down on the table, where I always sat and looked out. The scenery never changed. Tall buildings, people and cars rushing by and the big clock in the middle of the square.
Suddenly the sun shone through the clouds just as the bell on the door rang as a new customer entered. It was a man about my age with long hair wearing a bright red jacket. As he walked in the whole shop seemed to brighten up as if color spread around covering the gray of the afternoon. He was smiling as if it was the happiest day of his life and there wasn’t a place he’d want to be in more that this little coffee shop. I didn’t understand that. Why would this make anyone happy? It was just another day. The same as the previous one and probably no different than the next one. Thinking that way I didn’t even notice the time until my phone rang reminding me that my work was waiting. I quickly finished my meal and rushed out of the shop not even noticing the eyes glancing at me.
The next afternoon it repeated. The same man walked in this time in a green t-shirt smiling as the day before. The same thing happened again the next time I was in the shop.
The fourth time it was crowded. There weren’t many seats and I was lucky to get my usual table next to the window. When the door bell rang I wasn’t surprised to see him again. It had become usual but his smile still puzzled me. Looking at my clock there was still an hour and a half left from my break. The weather was strangely warm and the usual grayness of the city seemed to intensify it.
“My I sit next to you?” the sudden questioned startled me. I quickly turned to the source of the voice and saw the same man. He was with his red jacket and had that same unusual smile. Without realizing it I nodded.
That afternoon became unusual. I drank my coffee as I talked with this man that I didn’t know at all and it seemed unreal.
On the next day he sat with me again even though there were many empty seats this time. When I noticed it was about time for me to go back to work I decided to ask.
“Why do you always smile like that? Its not like the day is special but you still seem to be unusually happy with it.,” I had barely finished my sentence when he laughed. It wasn’t in a rude way or anything like that but it still seemed like a very strange reaction.
“Every day is special in its own way.”
“But… the city is the same shade of gray. And the people are the same rushing by. I am the same.”
“That is not true,” he looked at me a bit amused. “You see there are all those small details which change every time. For example a few days ago was the first time we saw each other. Yesterday was the first time I saw you smile. And today is the first time this week that you have had your hair down. And tomorrow will be special too. It will be Saturday and I hope you would go to dinner with me.”