“It seems like yesterday
But it was long ago...” -Bob Seger
Tuesday night. I had just gotten off work, dropped off my badge and stuff at my apartment and had a little bit of time to grab some coffee from Heine Bros. up the street. 6:50 I walk down to my car and go up to the coffeeshop. The first entrance was too crowded so I took the roundabout second into the lot and drove down to it. As I rounded a group of cars to find an open parking space I spotted a car.
Blue Hyundai Accent. Indiana plates. Really familiar.
I parked and walked up to the double glass doorway but saw her before I was even 100 feet from my car. Jennifer. She sat alone at a table looking through a book; was probably doing homework. I got up to the doorway and stopped. My heart pounded like the diesel engine of a U-boat evading capture. I wanted to turn around. Maybe take the drive-thru. I decided against it and opened the door. Briskly I beelined to the front counter and gave my usual order: medium mocha, no whipped cream, hot. While they were making it I cooled down for a moment and made a decision.
I had to talk with her.
It didn't matter what I was going to say. John wasn't around or there as far as I could tell and I had no idea if I would ever see her again. Call me crazy but it had been eating me up not talking with her.
My coffee was done so I grabbed it and walked along the wall and turned toward her table. I think she saw me and delved back into her book, writing in the journal beside her. I went over to her table looked down and said “Hi.”
(I'm going to interject here for a moment. We all have that “If I saw this person again I would...” moments. It's only human. God knows I've had multiple imaginary conversations in regards to her...)
She looked up and responded. I asked what she was doing, how she was doing, etc. I told her that I was on my way to see a movie and stopped in for some coffee. We were cordial. She smiled a few times and I told her that I had to go but it was nice seeing her. She paused for a moment, looked up and said, “You too,” and went back to doing her work. I left and looked back once or twice to see her attention on what she was working on.
And so I can close this book for now. She wasn't livid when she saw me; she was actually being nice. I think she was happy to see me. She's one of the smartest I've ever been with.
As I've said before: take the good things.
“And her memory is all that's left for you now...” -Fleetwood Mac
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