A greedy thought
As we reached the cafe, I prepared two coffees and placed them in our usual seats.
“So, are you happy now?” Zidan asked.
“Yes!” I said excitedly.
“I will be leaving for London in 10 days,” he said.
“Why so soon? You said it would be after three months,” I asked, surprised.
“Everything happened quickly,” he replied.
‘What kind of answer is that?’ I thought to myself.
“When are you leaving from here?” I asked.
“Tomorrow,” he said.
“So, once you go to London, I suppose you’ll forget me,” I said.
“You can come there,” he suggested.
“London? Me? Impossible,” I said.
‘London, wow! Is it possible?’ a greedy thought poked in my head.
“You thought being a teacher was impossible, but now it’s happening,” he pointed out.
“That’s true,” I agreed.
“So after I settle there, if I ask you to come, will you?” he asked as if London were the next stop.
I chuckled.
“I’m serious,” he said.
“Zidan, can I talk to you in private?” Our conversation was interrupted by my colleague, Hala.
“Yes, tell me,” Zidan said, glancing between me and her.
Hala turned to me, “Aya, please,” she said, gesturing for me to leave. I hesitated in my seat. A voice inside screamed, ‘Don’t go. Do something.’ She will confess her love to him. He will say Yes. I will lose my best friend. So many thoughts started to run around.
I’m always protective of my loved ones, whether they’re family or friends, shielding them from negativity. Their happiness means everything to me, just like in the movies where I boldly declare, “You’ll have to get through me to harm them!”
The fox’s grape story
As I approached the cashier’s counter, one of my colleagues at the cashier asked, “Hey, Aya, are you free right now? I need to make an important call. Could you handle things for a bit?” Despite feeling distracted, I responded with a hesitant “Sure.”
Shortly after, a customer ordered a coffee. While entering his order on the computer, I couldn’t help but notice Zidan’s expressions as he chatted with Hala. They seemed to be having a lively conversation, leaving me curious about the topic. Did she confess? Did he say yes?
Suddenly, the customer exclaimed about the expensive bill. Upon checking, I realized my mistake—I accidentally added an extra zero to the coffee quantity, making the bill ten times higher. Quickly, I apologized and corrected the error. Glancing over at Zidan, I saw he was still engrossed in conversation.
Just as Hala approached me, the cashier returned, taking over his post.
“So,” I asked her.
She gave a glance as if nothing.
“What did …Zidan say?” I asked her.
“He said that he has someone,” she said.
I smiled. She widened her eyes. I pretended to be sad.
Internally I’m laughing to death. He has never mentioned about any girl to me.
“He is not my type,” she said. I remembered the fox’s grape story – sour story.
“Yes, he is not,” I repeated as I moved to Zidan.
Our intelligence shines when we recognize that what seems beyond reach may not be worth pursuing after all.
Memories
There was a brief silence between Zidan and me. “Do you have a girlfriend?” I asked, referring to what Hala had said. “No, if I did, you’d be the first to know,” he assured me. “If I go to London, and I’ll be back after two years,” he added. “Why so long?” I inquired. “I want to focus on my career,” he explained. “Okay,” I replied. He continued, “My parents are pressuring me to get engaged before I leave, and they’re even looking for a girl. But I’ve refused. I want to settle down first.” “That’s a good decision,” I said. “Maybe after two years, I’ll think about marriage. What about you?” he asked. “My situation is similar, maybe in 2-3 years,” I responded.
“Alright then, I’m off. My bus is early tomorrow, so this is goodbye for now. We’ll meet in London if you make it there, or back here after two years,” he said, preparing to leave. “Let’s see what the future holds!” I replied as we said our farewells. “One thing’s for sure, in two years, I won’t be able to order ‘two coffees please, Aya’ from you anymore,” he remarked. “Yeah, that’s true, but we can always come back as customers and order them,” I joked, sharing a laugh with him.
Some memories stand out in my memory book, and the “two coffees please” moment is one of my favorites. It’s amazing how such experiences add excitement and joy to life, making it far from dull.
[The End]