The air was ice cold but Elvin’s hands were colder. His knees were beginning to soften as the cushion of the sofa where he was sitting. Spinning above at the ceiling was the wooden electric fan. This caught his attention for a while. It was only now he is realizing it wasn’t really that extraordinary to be gaped at, he was only trying to shift his attention, a s ort of an escape since by that time it was again directed wrongly. Somehow, it’s painful to say, but wrongly, really
Music was good that time. Aired through the concealed sound system were love songs that would have had brought him to mirage of love and sweet nothings. But it seemed that the notes of the songs were piercing, fierce. When did love songs become fatal? He kept on asking himself. But of course, the songs never knew what’s happening within him.
Walking to and from, in and out, of that small homey space were people. Some have familiar faces. Some were strange. Some even greeted. Seeing these people, Elvin would have had given them a comforting smile and silently gaze back to the magazine he’s staring at. But his smile seemed timid that windy afternoon. He forced it really hard but it won’t give in. Yes, he wasn’t frowning but not smiling, neither.
“Are you okay, Elvin?” asked the man at the other side of the table. Like Elvin, he was sitting on a cushion. Unlike Elvin, he reclined comfortably seeking for the linen’s warmth at his back. Once in a while, he would lift the mug from the table, sip some come from it, and lay it again on the table.
Elvin’s fugue halted. “Huh?” he sounded in enigma.
“I said, ‘Are you okay?’” the man repeated teasingly. If you saw him that moment, you can say that this man really has a nice smile. He’s not handsome, not even special, but his smile is good, comforting, and seeing his teeth all out, you would be ashamed not to give him back a smile. “You seemed restless? What’s eating you?” the man continued.
“Nothing,” Elvin responded mindlessly.
“Really? Nothing?”
“Yeah, nothing. Just stupid thoughts.” Elvin forcibly smiled.
“Okay. I’ll not insist.” The man uttered and followed it with a guttural laugh. “So, how have you been doing now?” the man continued, interested.
“I’m fine. Work’s fine. Life’s fine. Everything’s fine.” Elvin responded ridiculously jolly.
“Nice to hear that! When we were in college I always though you’d be living a great life after school. You know that?”
“You always told that to me.” Elvin answered, laughing. “And until now I still don’t know if I’d take it as a compliment or as an offense.”
“Of course it’s a compliment! I saw it even before that you’re going to succeed. And now I’m really happy that you are.”
Elvin just smiled. The man smiled, breathed deeply and looked at the mug. There was silence. The air was cold still and now, the coffee inside Elvin’s mug, too.
“Oh! Have you heard the news?” the man broke the silence.
“What news?” Elvin was curious.
“Oh come on! Deborah is getting married,” excited, the man spoke.
Elvin was flabbergasted. “I can’t believe it! She said she don’t want to get married. But see!”
“I agree. I also thought then that Deborah would be the one to get marry earlier among us. She’s so beautiful and dainty and sweet.”
“Yeah.”
The two reminisced moments before. Elvin somehow loosened up the tight. They did not anymore mind the cold air. And the coffee, too. It’s good to be in that same café again where they used to go years ago. The laughing subsided, and the man spoke.
“Hmm, Elvin.”
“Hmm?”
“I still have something to tell you.”
“What’s that? Something important, I guess.”
“Yeah. For me. It’s something important.”
“Go on. Tell me.”
The man hesitatingly spoke. “I’m getting married.”
Everything stopped for Elvin. He felt the cold air again but sweat started dripping off his forehead. His face tightened and his dark eyes began to shimmer.
“Did I hear it right, your getting married?”
“Yes, I am getting married.”
Elvin gripped the armrests of the cushion hoping to borrow some strength from them.
“Yeah, right. You’re getting married. Hahaha!”
“Yes I am. Aren’t you happy for me?”
“Of course. Of course I am.” Elvin said, shivering.
“Thank you.”
“Sure.”
“The wedding is on 23rd, I hope to see you there.”
Twenty-third? August? Years ago that was such a memorable date. That was the first time Elvin and the man first met.
“I’ll surely be there.” Elvin gave a tight smile.
“You can’t be not there. Or I’ll kill you.” The man again laughed gutturally.
Elvin kept his smile. His eyes shimmering.
“Promise. I’ll be there.”
Then the man’s phone rang.
“Hey! I got to go Elvin. Someone’s calling.”
“Huh! Can’t you stay for a few moments more.”
“Sorry! Me and Deborah still got to go to the pianist.”
“Huh?” Elvin sounded confused.
“You got it right man! Me? And Deborah? Hehehe!” The man gave a wide smile and rushed out of the café. “Bye!”
“Bye.”
Elvin was left. All alone.
The air was ice cold but Elvin’s hands became even colder. His knees were now as soft as the cushion of the sofa where he was sitting. Spinning above at the ceiling was the wooden electric fan. This caught his attention for a while. It wasn’t extraordinary to be gaped at, but at least it’s not wrong to gape at it. Not at all. Somehow, it’s painful to say, but it’s true, really.
Music was good that time. Aired through the concealed sound system were love songs that would have had brought him to mirage of love and sweet nothings. But it seemed that the notes of the songs were piercing, fierce. When did love songs become fatal? He kept on asking himself. But of course, the songs never knew what’s happening within him.
Walking to and from, in and out, of that small homey space were people. Some have familiar faces. Some were strange. Some even greeted. Seeing these people, Elvin would have had given them a comforting smile and silently gaze back to the magazine he’s staring at. But his smile seemed timid that windy afternoon. He forced it really hard but it won’t give in. Yes, he wasn’t frowning but not smiling, neither.
“Are you okay, Elvin?” asked the man at the other side of the table. Like Elvin, he was sitting on a cushion. Unlike Elvin, he reclined comfortably seeking for the linen’s warmth at his back. Once in a while, he would lift the mug from the table, sip some come from it, and lay it again on the table.
Elvin’s fugue halted. “Huh?” he sounded in enigma.
“I said, ‘Are you okay?’” the man repeated teasingly. If you saw him that moment, you can say that this man really has a nice smile. He’s not handsome, not even special, but his smile is good, comforting, and seeing his teeth all out, you would be ashamed not to give him back a smile. “You seemed restless? What’s eating you?” the man continued.
“Nothing,” Elvin responded mindlessly.
“Really? Nothing?”
“Yeah, nothing. Just stupid thoughts.” Elvin forcibly smiled.
“Okay. I’ll not insist.” The man uttered and followed it with a guttural laugh. “So, how have you been doing now?” the man continued, interested.
“I’m fine. Work’s fine. Life’s fine. Everything’s fine.” Elvin responded ridiculously jolly.
“Nice to hear that! When we were in college I always though you’d be living a great life after school. You know that?”
“You always told that to me.” Elvin answered, laughing. “And until now I still don’t know if I’d take it as a compliment or as an offense.”
“Of course it’s a compliment! I saw it even before that you’re going to succeed. And now I’m really happy that you are.”
Elvin just smiled. The man smiled, breathed deeply and looked at the mug. There was silence. The air was cold still and now, the coffee inside Elvin’s mug, too.
“Oh! Have you heard the news?” the man broke the silence.
“What news?” Elvin was curious.
“Oh come on! Deborah is getting married,” excited, the man spoke.
Elvin was flabbergasted. “I can’t believe it! She said she don’t want to get married. But see!”
“I agree. I also thought then that Deborah would be the one to get marry earlier among us. She’s so beautiful and dainty and sweet.”
“Yeah.”
The two reminisced moments before. Elvin somehow loosened up the tight. They did not anymore mind the cold air. And the coffee, too. It’s good to be in that same café again where they used to go years ago. The laughing subsided, and the man spoke.
“Hmm, Elvin.”
“Hmm?”
“I still have something to tell you.”
“What’s that? Something important, I guess.”
“Yeah. For me. It’s something important.”
“Go on. Tell me.”
The man hesitatingly spoke. “I’m getting married.”
Everything stopped for Elvin. He felt the cold air again but sweat started dripping off his forehead. His face tightened and his dark eyes began to shimmer.
“Did I hear it right, your getting married?”
“Yes, I am getting married.”
Elvin gripped the armrests of the cushion hoping to borrow some strength from them.
“Yeah, right. You’re getting married. Hahaha!”
“Yes I am. Aren’t you happy for me?”
“Of course. Of course I am.” Elvin said, shivering.
“Thank you.”
“Sure.”
“The wedding is on 23rd, I hope to see you there.”
Twenty-third? August? Years ago that was such a memorable date. That was the first time Elvin and the man first met.
“I’ll surely be there.” Elvin gave a tight smile.
“You can’t be not there. Or I’ll kill you.” The man again laughed gutturally.
Elvin kept his smile. His eyes shimmering.
“Promise. I’ll be there.”
Then the man’s phone rang.
“Hey! I got to go Elvin. Someone’s calling.”
“Huh! Can’t you stay for a few moments more.”
“Sorry! Me and Deborah still got to go to the pianist.”
“Huh?” Elvin sounded confused.
“You got it right man! Me? And Deborah? Hehehe!” The man gave a wide smile and rushed out of the café. “Bye!”
“Bye.”
Elvin was left. All alone.
The air was ice cold but Elvin’s hands became even colder. His knees were now as soft as the cushion of the sofa where he was sitting. Spinning above at the ceiling was the wooden electric fan. This caught his attention for a while. It wasn’t extraordinary to be gaped at, but at least it’s not wrong to gape at it. Not at all. Somehow, it’s painful to say, but it’s true, really.
