She tapped her fingers on the table. She had been waiting for a while. Anxiety was building on her face. The old couple seated across wondered who she was and why was she waiting. A sweet little young girl sitting alone in a coffee shop seemed a bit unusual. She was barely 8 years old.
The waiter walked up to her and asked her if she needed something else while he picked up the empty cup from her table. Her answer came as a quick nod. Her childish face could not hide that she was upset.
She looked into the menu again and pointed at the cappuccino on the first page. The waiter smiled and left.
A little boy in a yellow Tee and blue jeans walked into the coffee shop. He held a black helmet in his hand. He looked the same age as the little girl. He stopped in the door way and looked around for someone in particular. And he found her.
He straightened his disheveled hair. Tucked in his tee and pulled up his jeans. Smiled and walked up to the little girl sitting alone on the corner table in the coffee shop.
He said a hi while standing next to the table. She ignored.
He fumbled with his helmet and placed it on the table. He then quietly passed her the red rose he pulled out from one of his pockets.
She took the rose and while keeping it on the table, she looked at him from top to bottom. The anger was visible on her face. Apology was necessary. He reached out for his ears and uttered a sorry. The genuineness was visible in his eyes.
She gave a cursory glance at him and nodded. The apology was accepted.
She straightened his tee and tugged on to it and directed with her eyes for him to sit.
He sat down while looking around the coffee shop. The girl immediately patted on the table and pointed towards the menu which lay in front of him.
He looked at the menu and under the table his hand reached out for his pocket to confirm his bulky wallet. He smiled.
He peeked into the menu and with a confounded look on his face looked at the girl. She took away the menu from him and stopped the waiter passing by with the wave of her hand. Another cappuccino it is.
The two cappuccinos arrived.
The boy remembered something and frantically started to search his pockets. He found it. He pulled out a small little gift box and placed it in front of her. There was a tiny smile on her face.
She opened it to find a tiny little coffee mug with I love you written on it. Her smile turned bigger.The girl warmed up to the boy’s efforts and it seemed like a relief for the little boy. He pulled back and made himself comfortable. She held her coffee cup with both her hands to feel the warmth of it and then she touched the boy’s hands and held them. They smiled at each other.
He pulled the cup close to him and bent down to take a sip while looking across the table where sat a nicely dressed older woman. The little girl caught his eyes and hit him on his hand. They both burst out laughing.
The Sunlight dimmed and the sky was turning dark. The girl looked out through the glass and shrugged. The boy understood that it was late and they need to head home.
The bill had arrived on their table.
The little boy struggled with his pocket to pull out a fat wallet. He placed the money carefully into the bill folder.
The little girl picked up the rose which still lay on the table. She kept it into her blue note book she pulled out from her pink bag which was lying on the floor next to her seat.
The boy got up and picked up the girl's pink bag and put it around his shoulder. He lifted his helmet too. They walked away towards the door of the coffee shop holding each other’s hands.
A couple emerged out of the coffee shop, a young man in a yellow tee with a black helmet tucked under his arm and a pink bag on his shoulder holding the hand of a pregnant young lady. She held a blue book in her hand with the red rose visible in it.
