The Trip

^{Photo by cocoparisienne on Pixabay}

^{Clock by freepng}

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It had been a while since I went to a coffee shop, I thought they were not the ideal places for me. Now that I got used to the turbulence of the noise, I feel that this is what I need most in my life.

One day I was sad and decided to try something new; out of my comforting thoughts, I decided to go into the new coffee shop that opened downtown near my house. I always passed by there and saw it empty; it was strange because it had a lovely appearance and a cozy atmosphere.

It was as if the place had appeared out of nowhere, and no one else could see it, since people passed by ignoring the bright colors and lights displayed.

Although I had some doubts, I decided to enter the cafeteria. It was more beautiful inside than outside. Everything was carved in varnished wood and the seats looked so comfortable that I couldn't help but sit on the first one I found.

I touched the table I was at gently as if it were a beautiful velvet cushion. I liked the feel of it in my hands and my mouth drew into a smile of affability.

"Can I help you?" said a sudden voice, it was an elderly man with white, matted hair; he reminded me a lot of the Doctor from the movie Back to the Future, his appearance was almost similar.

"Yes..." I replied as I finished glancing at the menu. "I'd like an espresso latte, please."

The man smiled and wrote it down in his notebook. "On my way," he said before walking away and getting lost somewhere in the coffee shop.

I was surprised that there was no one else in that place. It was a very nice, flashy place, with yellow, dim neon lights giving the feeling of being under a warm sunset.

I felt like I was in a traditional house, with comfortable furniture, and a cozy feeling that reminded me of my childhood.

"Here you go, enjoy," said the man, who suddenly appeared again with my coffee.

"That was quick, thank you," I replied. I was glad to have my coffee in front of me. I took a sip right away and the first thing I noticed was how delicious it was.

Suddenly, I felt my whole body heat up. I felt dizzy. Walls, tables, and objects distorted and changed. I suddenly found myself in another place that I recognized.

"Damn, I think there's something about this cafe!" I said to myself, as I glimpsed around me, I realized I was now in the living room of my parent's house. I held my coffee cup tightly as I saw a child walk through one of the doors; I realized it was me.

Yes, I was crying at that instant, because my mother had said cruel things to me, and I always took refuge in any corner of the house when I was suffering. I remember those words; they had to do with my father. My throat turned into a lump as I saw myself cry. My eyes watered and to pass the agony I took another gulp of coffee.

The surroundings changed again, I was no longer in the living room, but in a train station. I saw again my childhood self saying goodbye to my father. He was leaving us that day; he left my mother for another woman. I gave him a tight hug before he left, then he pushed me away in the coldest way and got into the carriage without another word.

I decided not to watch that scene anymore and took another sip of coffee even bigger than the previous one, and found myself now in a store, where I worked for a long time when I was a teenager. There was my younger self flirting with Katherine; a girl I always liked.

She was very pretty, kind, and understanding; she was always very nice to talk to. She would come to the store to buy the same kind of coffee every week. She always brought me a cup with a funny sticker on the lid. She knew how I liked it; strong and with milk. She always said she would open a coffee shop where people would find happiness. I smiled, for to me her dreams were very tender.

That was the last time we saw each other, as she had to leave for college and I never saw her again. I watched the happy moment like a romantic soap opera, but I inadvertently interrupted it by taking another sip of coffee until it was over.

I returned to the present, right where I had started. The cup was already empty and I couldn't go back to the past. Different degrees of emotions swirled in my gut; the image of Katherine stuck in my mind.

"Did you enjoy your coffee, sir?" the waiter asked me. I wanted to tell him what happened to me but decided to omit it.

"Yes... it was very delicious," I replied matter-of-factly.

"By the way, the woman at the bar asked for you," the man said as he pointed to someone sitting at the other end in the low light.

My heart skipped a beat, it was impossible that this was happening, but it did. She stood up and came towards me until a howl of happiness escaped my throat, "Katherine!".

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THE END