Chapter II
So often she had been dumped or she had broken up with people that her memory was hazy about the encounter except him, maybe because he was the last. After that day, she had resolved to not fall for anyone however intelligent, witty or good looking the person maybe. She knew she had hard time keeping the resolution but she did nonetheless. So many different worlds she travelled in her love. She had fragmented memories of her visiting a coffee shop when she was a tea-drinking class citizen in love with a coffee-drinking class boy *1or she got addicted to flavored yoghurt as she fought hard to recover from addiction of her lover*2 or she as Reality fought tooth and nails her lover or ideal, Dream-man who once professed his love for her*3 or she had been an oatmeal cookie who had been nibbled often*4 or many such live she had lived*5. These fragments made her bleed and nothing stayed except pain. Carmine, on the contrary said, said, “It’s your problem. You have only remembered pain. All love affairs or relationships, however manufactured and manipulative they have been, are a store house of varied emotions.” Her words only forced loneliness in her. She believed that all the humanity was against her and it was better to be alone. She would often yell at Carmine and barge out of her apartment.
“Look up and around you. See the blackness of wall and roof.”
“Yep.” She looked around.
“Do you see white circles?”
She focused intently on the walls but failed to see anything apart from blackness.
“Do you?”
“You will see them.”
“How?”
“This blackness has the supernatural powers to suck up all the negative and haunting thoughts that had stuck obstinately in your head.”
She stared at Carmine before saying, “You want me to believe all this.”
The coffee beans had been grounded again and had been put in the coffee brewer. The steam came out and wafted over the counter. It floated a little while like a white hazy cloud in the coffee shop before disappearing. Though the cloud had disappeared but the smell travelled invisibly and mysteriously to them, instilling in their thoughts a priming desire to get the dose of caffeine.
At that very moment, she salivated and licked her lips. She would want to sip her coffee and get out of this place, where she started to feel cloistered. She knew she needed a full cup of joe to turn her into robotic version of herself. She can’t get thing done and at times she felt that she can’t think straight without the caffeine.
“But how does it work?” She asked, just to continue the conversation.
“You go and talk to barista.”
“Really? But how will that help me?”
“I don’t know.” Carmine said to her and then added. “You never have told any of us. But you better know what’s wrong with you: your childhood, breakups, relationships with family members or some existential or metaphysical matter like how fucked up the world had become, where no one gives shit about you or fellow humans or god knows what.”
Carmine took a deep breath and whispered. “Also, this place has connection with someone supernatural also known as GOD who is supposed to treat any possible anomaly, you may have. And one look at you, anyone can tell you that you have at least one of them, if not many.”
She look at Carmine. For a moment, she felt perplexed, then unconcerned or then a mixed emotion took over her. Carmine waited for her to say something.
“You are kidding.”
“No, I am not.” Carmine resisted.
“Not only you sound unscientific but ludicrous too.”
“I maybe. But a barista, whom I had dated, used to work here, told me all this.”
“And you believed all that.” She reasoned.
Carmine stared at her. She continued.
“Even if I agree with what you say, tell me how and why will GOD help me out?”
Carmine stared.
“And how GOD will help me via this coffee shop?”
“In return to His help, I have been told, GOD will acquire the first hand rights of haunting thoughts attracted by the black walls of this coffee shop. He had realized that his stock of haunting thoughts don’t challenge the new generation properly. And without the proper challenging how can He expects us to be wise humans.”
“You mean to say that GOD is lazy.”
“He is crazy busy with many things, apart from creating a breed of humans which aren’t swayed by mob mentality, so instead of writing the algorithms for novel haunting thoughts, He buys them from places where people come to get rid of them, like coffee shops, bars, and even to little extent from libraries. Where else will He find better and already tested haunting thoughts?”
“Preposterous! I don’t believe a single word you are saying. Let’s go.” She was ready to get up but stayed when she saw no response from Carmine.
“That’s okay. I didn’t believe these words until my boyfriend dumped me and left for a job in the city. In hope of finding him here, I often visited this place but no he never returned. Over time, I realized that I felt better whenever I visited this place.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. Before we go, let’s get free coffee.”
“What?”
“Yes. It won’t cost you a single penny to get coffee here.”
“How can a local coffee shop afford to sell coffee free of cost without going out of the business?”
“I wanted to ask this question from you.” Carmine seemed impressed.
“The place maybe supported by some non-profit organization.”
“Maybe! Can you explain gold pleated gates, gold coffee cups, gold lined grinder and brewer, and barista wearing gold bracelets etc. And the rent of this place, as it is in the heart of the city, you know what I am talking.”
“What do you mean?”
“That it all link back to GOD. Nothing else.”
“Still…I don’t believe you. But if you want to give me a try, I’ll do.”
“Great.” Carmine got up, went down and whispered to her, “If possible ask for a cookie with you dose of caffeine, it’s just pure bliss.”
“Stay here. Don’t leave me alone.” She whispered back.
“You are on your own from here on, babe.” Carmine replied, as she turned to the doors.
*1 to 5 will be made available soon.
To be continued…