paenguin.photo

It was supposed to be just one cup. I had agreed to meet for coffee. It was an odd decision coming from an introvert, and even odder that it never crossed my mind to cancel. Just one cup of coffee, I thought. And I had it all planned out. It wouldn’t be anywhere near my city, and I’d have to have another appointment. So after Friday night didn’t work out, I decided I’d finally try this treatment I’ve always wanted to try. I mean, I was on a roll feeling adventurous: I had just come from a weeklong solo trip to Hokkaido, was newly single, was meeting a complete stranger (just this once!). So why not finally get my face zapped, right? Right. But I digress.

August 11. Just before 10:30AM. I see the “old” guy (he wasn’t), smack middle (that’s a very middle middle), in a white/red shirt. I walk up to you and call you by the name you gave. You look up, say something, then seemingly go back to watching a video on your phone (to my confusion). You put away your phone and look back up at me, and tell me your real name.

I held out my hand to shake yours to establish that it was not a date. When you suggested that I had to get to my appointment (a little too early, I thought with a tinge of disappointment), I walked as fast as I could to get the door for myself. I purposefully scheduled an appointment one hour after our agreed meet-up so I would have an excuse to get away. Heck, I even wore the baggiest hoodie I could find! The only thing I probably didn’t plan out was how utterly boring my story was compared to yours. But all of these were for naught when you shared your life story with me (normally that would have weirded me out, but this time it amused me), held the door for me (yes, the door I tried so hard to get for myself), and walked me to the clinic. Like the way your advice struck me in an odd way, so did you. I didn’t know it then, but you struck me right at my heart.