Mystery

So, I know this person, like, I only know his name. Not his life.

What I see is.. He seems to be a kind of quiet person. He doesn’t talk much. He only talks when somebody asks him something. I thought he was some kind of arrogant person who doesn’t really need to talk with other people who got different interests with him. He has great talent in certain sport (clue: involving bouncing ball), he was in this sport club in my uni.

One more fact. He was my junior high school friend's friend. Our junior high school is in the same municipality back in my hometown. When I first see him, I saw something familiar. I asked one of my junior high school friends to ensure that. Turned out, my friend said, they know each other.

I was in the same class with him a semester ago. Still, I saw him as a really quite person. My girlfriends and I only could watch him from afar and talked about how cool he was, even though we were in the same class.I never had a chance to talk to him because, yeah, you know the point. Besides, I didn’t know what to ask. It’s not that I have crush on him. No. It was just--okay, he’s not even that ugly, but I can’t read his mind. Err.. I don’t mean that I can read people’s mind. Ugh. How to say this.. You’ll figure out yourself after I finish telling you all of this.

I rarely saw him in campus cafeteria or even in campus itself. I, once, in my second year in uni, had a chance to work with him in a team (though we were in the different divisions). He came hurriedly to every meeting and always watched his watch so he could get to campus gymnasium on time after meeting, for him doing his routines with his team with campus sport club. I remembered that he could laugh at those girl freshmen who attended our organization’s initiation. (Of course he can do it, the fact that he is still a human, silly me)

It’s been a long time not to see him in campus. I never looking for him, but, you know, by the fact that his height is incredible; in the crowd nothing can be seen but his figure. Now, you got my point. See now that I don’t have crush on him? He’s taken, anyway. Just don’t wish me so. I hardly ever see him in campus. I repeat. I hardly ever see him in campus.

Until, I met him the last Monday. I stunned.

Monday.

I got home in the afternoon, leyeh-leyeh, had lunch with my parents. And there it was, the electricity was off.It was around 34°C, damn hot. My parents were going to daily fellowship service at my neighbor’s house which I didn’t really want to go for some excuses. I didn’t want to stay at home also, which I felt like laying on a pan in heated oven. Where to go.. where to go..I IM-ed my friends where they were at the moment, they were still in campus. Go to campus? I can’t see the point to make myself even more comfortable there. I “lived” in my campus for over 2 years, day and night. Why bother staying there?

Light bulb above my head blazed. Hey, air-conditioned mall, see you soon!I rode my scooter motor to the mall. I headed directly to the café I often visit with my partners-in-crime. There was this sweet barista we always talked about had resigned since September 30^th. He majored in International Relations, which the huge major I admired the most. Since he had resigned, we always wondered who will be replaced him there. I couldn’t see anyone behind the counter and around the cafe. I guess all the baristas are busy both in the office and the other cleaning the outdoor table.

I turned my head back and my eyes looking around the café. My eyes catch the familiar figure brought the cleaning tray from outdoor smoking area, I guessed he was just finished cleaning the table there. He approached the counter.

I stunned.

“I’m sorry for the waiting..” He smiled.

“You-- work here?” I asked, almost stumbled.

“Hehe. Yes, I’m new here. What do you want to order?”

I ordered a tall-sized cup of green tea frap and I chose java chip frap as the free gift from Octofest promo the café gave to those café card holders. I asked him to put the java chip frap in the tumbler I brought. I ordered cinnamon roll too, my favorite snack every time I visit the café. He asked me whether to heat it or not, I chose yes.

I wondered why I never saw him in campus since a semester ago.

So I asked, “Are you now working on your thesis?”

“Hahaha. I’m not. Not yet.” He laughed.“Ooh.. It’s just, I'm rarely seeing you in campus these days.” I just smiled, didn’t know what to say anymore.

“Yeah. I'm rarely going to the campus indeed—Oops. The cashier machine can’t get the bill paper out, I’m sorry. But your card balance already set.”
“Oh it’s okay.”
“Hey, thanks for the order.” He smiled again while passing me the fraps and a plate of cinnamon roll.

”Okay. Thank you.”

I nodded and smiled at him as I carried what I ordered. I’m looking for specifically unoccupied table and electrical plug near it. None. Those were full with people plugging they’re gadgets. Ouch. So I sat on the table on the corner near the door to the smoking area. I take out my laptop and book on the table and started making summary of the chapter 8 for my upcoming presentation. While I was making the summary, eating the c-roll, and drinking my frap, I couldn’t stop wondering why. I know that this is not even my business. I guess my mind is somehow overbearing my brain with the curiosity and it’s not good. Until now.

It's not that he’s bad for doing his job in the café, in fact, I often think that having job before I get graduated would be fun, let alone the other fact that this hospitality service is really needed to those who will face various characters of persons living their daily life. How to face them, how to deal with them. How to be best at communicating with other people.

I looked my watch. Whoops. It’s 21.00. It  has been 3 hours.

I put all the stationary, laptop, and my book to the backpack. Checking if there wasn't anything left on the table. Done.

I went to the counter again. It was still him there.

“Hi. What do you want to order?”

“I want to top-up the card deposit and take away the espresso brownies, please.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. There’s a crash on this cashier machine, it can’t processing the card.”
“Didn’t you say it was only the bill?”
“The bill is okay right after you ordered a moment ago. But about the card, it crashed just now. Hehe..” He slightly laughed.
“Haha.. I see.”

“1 espresso brownie? You want it warm or not?”

“Not, it’s okay. I want to eat it tomorrow.

”He wrapped the brownies and took the money I gave.

I still wondered, so I asked, “Are you still doing basketball?”

“Not anymore. This job really occupies me. You still go to campus, right?”

Finally, he asked me something. 

“Yes, of course. I just had a class this morning.”

“Okay, here you go. Thank you so much for coming!”

“Okay. Thank you!”

Actually, the brownies is still in my fridge. Hahaha. I plan to eat it either tonight or tomorrow. And if one of you thinks that this story will has the ending with him dating me, you just have to get out from your bed, stop watching those cheap FTV-drama-sinetron-you name it, and try to get used to watch Disney Channel instead.

I always remember that: Curiosity sometimes kills. You just have to filter what you really need to know, and what you shouldn’t know. If you destined to crack the code, then you’ll know what really happens inside the box. If the universe doesn’t even give you the chance to meet another coincidence more than twice, let it be just the mystery.

"You don't need to actually know the person, you just need to feel related to their story. Then you will understand." - @catwomanizer