Coffee from a stranger renewed my faith in love..
Last summer I was spending a short time in the Sun basked San Francisco.One lazy afternoon as I was taking a stroll across the downtown and crossed a coffee shop ,my little girl looked upon me in askance me for a hot chocolate.I did not wish to disappoint , still tried to dissuade her. However, her innocence made me act otherwise and we were in the coffee shop.I ordered hot chocolate and a coffee.As the drinks arrived she relished all the whipped cream from her cup and greedily eyed mine.I gently squeezed her cheeks and put my cup in front of her to lick it all. She is a connoisseur of whipped creams.Then ,I blowed the simmering hot beverage cold and gave sip by sip to my daughter as a mommy bird does.We both were deep dived in our own pleasure pulse cuddling each other, doing silly things with straws ,playing tic-tac-toe and laughing out loud.
Despite this delightful disposition , my heart and thoughts were in an emotional entropy. I was out of job.It was my anniversary sans my husband.My body had started emitting distress signals on my skin, hair, eyes..BUT I wanted my daughter to be happy and was indulging her in all the niceties of the vacation not knowing how to pay the credit card bill.Still her twinkles and dimples somewhere asserted in my heart.. all will be managed. I did not wish her to get an inkling of the tempest inside me.
The waitress came and before I could ask her for the bill, she stated, “Ma’am, you dont have to pay anything for this.Someone has already paid for you”. Surprised I said, I dont know anybody here, it might be a mistake.She said, “No ma’am this is certain, a gentleman has paid for you and wishes not to disclose his identity.” My curiosity piqued, “..but I really dont know anyone here.. .” Discerning my anxeity, she revealed a bit, “ok I’ll tell you but please neither look back nor approach him as he insists to remain anonymous.It’ s the man in green shirt two tables behind you.” I thanked and requested the waitress to convey my gratitude for his generosity.
I was bemused and confused as to why would some stranger buy me a coffee?I wanted to see the man who paid and while moving out I gave a side glance to a man in green shirt two tables behind me,our eyes met for a fraction of a second and he quickly turned his face the other side. In that minuscule moment, I saw his misty eyes and something transcended upon me , there was an influx of vibrancy , tiny undulating wavelets of lifeforce flowing inside me.In him , in that moment, I saw my late father who always stood by me in turbulent times , who was my bastion of courage and hope whenever things went haywire and his word echoed in my subconscious, “ Every adversity is an opportunity.Face it head on.”
And I realized, am not alone.This stranger became a medium of unveiling the truth that am not alone. My father always treated me on special occasions so he just treated me with my favourite coffee and hot chocolate for my daughter on my anniversary( even if it was without my husband, my daughter was with me).Love travels beyond space and time and and my father was sending his love through this blessed man.
That coffee from a stranger was a revealation of love , a sign, an omen, that unconditional love is never lost.It is beyond the realms of life. It transcends all boundaries and envigorates us with hope an life and that’s exactly what that bountiful moment communicated to me.I felt exalted and newly alive.I sensed the tempest inside me sobering , paving way for coherency of mind, heart and soul to make my life meaningful for my daughter and myself.
