The 7 Days

Day 2

Tyler woke up to the thunderous sounds of blaring trumpets, hollow tubas and smashing cymbals. Since his rented apartment was located next to the local university’s field, he had to put up with all sorts of noises especially on a weekday. The worst being on Friday mornings when the marching band conducted their weekly practice. This was one deficit that wasn’t highlighted by his 84 year old landlord when they negotiated the tenancy agreement and when Tyler brought the subject up, the landlord defiantly told him that he could now save on an alarm clock. The nerve!

He got dressed and headed out to his usual coffee place at the end of the street. He had been frequenting this café for his daily dose of caffeine since he moved into town 3 weeks ago and had learnt that by being there between 7:20 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., you get to beat the morning crowd. There’s just something about the pleasing jingle from the clinking of mugs and whirring from frothing milk that gets his mornings started on a sweeter note. But most of all, he preferred to fill his lungs with the bitter sweet aroma of freshly brewed java instead of being intoxicated by Chanel No.5 and the latest Armani Black Code the yuppies these days love to cloak themselves with.
Today, only one customer was lined up in front of him. The barrista was taking her order and something familiar struck him.
‘Would you like any syrup with it miss?’ the barrista asked.
‘Just two pumps of vanilla please,’ the customer answered.
‘And you name miss?’
‘Lisa’
‘Here’s your receipt Lisa. Please wait at the corner for your coffee. Thank you and come again’. The barrista scribbled Lisa on the paper cup and passed it to her colleague manning the machine.
Tyler couldn’t take his eyes off Lisa. This is Lisa from the train. Lisa who witnessed one of the most embarrassing moments of his life. Lisa who laughed at him. Lisa who offered him wet wipes. Lisa who went into the opposite direction. Lisa whom he thought he will never meet again. Lisa who left a twitch in his heart when she walked away. The phrase love at first sight was creeping into his mind when the barrista interrupted him to take his order.
‘What’s it going to be for you today Sir?’
‘Ummm, just straight black,’ he replied without taking his eyes of her. She was now standing at the other end of the counter, iPod plugged in and reading Dickens.
Tyler thought to himself if its possible for someone to read and listen to music at the same time.
‘Anything else Sir?’
‘No. That’ll be all. Thanks.’
‘Your name Sir?’
‘Lisa.’
‘Huh?’
‘Oh God. I mean Tyler.’
‘Your coffee will be with you in a minute Tyler. Please proceed to the corner. Thank you and come again.’
He caught the barrista sniggering as he walked away and was sure that this was going to be topic of the day for the staff at the cafe. Bloody punk Tyler thought to himself.
Lisa was too self absorbed in her book to notice Tyler or anything else for that matter. So when her coffee came, she knocked it over by accident, spilling the brown liquid all over the counter top. She gasped, more from shock than the scalding of her hand. She took two steps backwards a little too hastily and bumped right into Tyler.
‘Sorry,’ Lisa said before even looking at him.
‘No worries,’ he replied, holding her shoulders firmly.
That was when she saw and recognised him.
‘Here you go … Lisa,’ he said, handing his packet of Kleenex to her.
The barrista was done cleaning up the mess and said ‘Here’s your coffee Tyler.’
A hesitant pause, a little smile and she took it from his hands. ‘Thanks Tyler.’