A CUP OF COFFEE - STORY OF LOVERS WHO CAN NEVER BE TOGETHER

joeysison (51)in #contest • 6 years ago (edited)

“We’re tying the knot soon!” her Facebook announcement read.

I caught myself smiling as this update from an old, dear friend appeared on my newsfeed. I remember a time when I would have been one of the people she called on this special day of her life.

I wanted to call her and tell her how happy I was for her, but I suddenly remembered we haven’t spoken in years. I felt a pang of guilt.

What happened to us? Was it me? Was it her?

Despite the initial hesitation, I did send her a message.

The inviting aroma of coffee wafted through the air as I entered the cafe.

There were a few people since it was still a bit early. I chose a spot near the window and took my phone out of my pocket.

“I’ll be in town this weekend. Wanna meet and catch up over coffee?”

How many years has it been? Five? Six? I’m not sure when was the last time we saw each other. It felt like a lifetime.

We used to be inseparable. Together, we survived this rollercoaster ride called college. There were ups and downs and moments when we just wanted to scream and throw up.

What we didn’t know was that drifting apart from each other is part of the ride.

We promised to stay in touch, to talk all the time, to visit frequently, and to remain friends. However, as the years pass by, the texts became shorter, and Skype calls became less frequent.

We slowly stop speaking to each other. Instead, I only find out about her adventures through social media. And it is flooded with people I don’t know and things I didn't know she was interested in. Somewhere along the way, her tastes, interests, and peeves changed, without me knowing.

“Hey!”

I looked up and she was there in front of me, grinning from ear to ear. She looked different, more matured but in a nice way.

We both ordered a hot cappuccino.

Catching up with an old friend is never as exciting as you make it out to be. The silence over sips of coffee felt awkward. The distracted glances to our phones seem uncomfortable.

The distance between us felt so real even when we’re sitting across the table from each other.

As we talk, it became obvious that we are leading very different lives. We’ve taken different paths.

I realized that our lives are moving so fast that no matter how much we would like to save our friendship, we have to accept the fact that we can’t keep everyone close forever

We learn, we grow, and we let go.

As we get ready to leave, we were both surprised to see one empty mug on our table. The other cup is still full to the brim.

We laughed so hard, we can’t help but cry. During the entire conversation we had been drinking coffee from the same cup. I went home that day with a grateful heart.

She may not have stayed in my life for as long I as I wanted her to be, but there will always be a piece of her in the person that I am now. We remember that we belong to someone else's heart. She will be married to her fiance and I my heart is crying out because I love her so much, but sad to say I have my fiance too.