Little Do You Know at Lil’s
I sat down with a few friends holding a charger in one hand and my laptop in the other. Scanning the room closely, I pondered who I might catch on their daily routine this Sunday. Little does anyone know in this quaint coffee shop, they could be watched. Well, in reality, we are all watching each other all the time. But today was different, I am paying closer attention and only to a select few of individuals. Odd to think about on the forefront, right?
Nonetheless, I continued glide my eyes across the room from wall to wall. Bright colors of azure and ultramarine blue mixed with neutral shades of white and wood tones. They were not only amusing to look at, but allowed the two people sitting on the “comfy chairs” (I deemed) to pique my interest. I wonder what they’re doing.
They were a couple, one who looked to have been married for quite some time now. On the left, she was sipping a hot coffee from the white, gently stained blush pink ceramic that cradled the essence of its liquid; it had been accompanied by the soft steaming banana walnut quickbread. On the right, he had a humbling iced tea, possibly the Just Peachy Iced Tea from Lil’s Not Coffee menu. On his plate sat a pain au chocolat flaking at its toasted seams. With a calm smile from dimple to dimple, you can tell his world was sitting across the small table gazing into the features of the face.
A spark of the conversation spoke decibels reaching me after coasting swiftly past my friends, who had their backs turned. The blue water? Almost like the shades of blue in this very coffee shop. The mineral-rich sand? Almost like the tones of the whickered chair mimicking the grains of sand on the beach. They were cruising. It’s the only possibility. Now that I think of it, she does have a bit of rosiness under her eyes from the reflection of the sun bouncing of the salty oceanwater. They had to have enjoyed the buffets. Endless pastries just like the different decadents in the case near the ordering counter. I wonder where they went; my guess would be a few tropical islands. A bag of assorted fruits sitting beside the sturdy chair leg subtly pulled my curiosity in closer. Each deliciously sweet nourishment for the soul hinted at the love story just by being in sight.
Thirty-three years ago, in the middle of March one morning, the first Farmers Market of the season was ready to start up again. With ecstatic excitement, she waited for vendors to set up while in the parking lot. After what felt like forever, it was ten o’clock and finally time to browse. Her heart beating with joy quickly filled but suddenly overflowed when a fresh scent of cedarwood cologne wafting past her shoulder. She could feel the intensity and promptly turned her head. Dark hair and blue eyes with chiseling features stood before her. “Hi, I’m looking for blackberries. How do you know which ones are good?” he said. on the back, his number written in granite pencil filled the blank space. Four and a half years later, they were interwoven.
Fast forward to a few years ago, they both retired. He from the Operations Manager position at a corporate company and she from her position as a Public Relations Director. Every Sunday he picks blackberries, so they remember the day the met in the middle of March. Their kids know the story. But, they have their own lives now. With them all in STEM after many years of school and a lot of filtration from the bank account, it was just the inseparable twosome. The youngest child recently married, got back from their honeymoon and have started a new life with their partner. This was it, they made it. Not only should this couple a few tables away be proud parents, but global voyagers.
They made their kids’ dreams come true; now it was their turn. Cruising is just the start. Endless skies of opportunity stretch far beyond the horizon. And they had many more adventures to go on. A few long road trips here and there never deemed themselves out of the question. They had new foods to try, music to listen to, sights to see.
Just like that, he pushed out his chair and stood from the table. His wife, waiting patiently, was met by a warm hand gently gesturing to make their way out to the car.
Off to the next adventure.
About Them Beans
Who: The loving couple of thirty-three years
Where: Lil’s Coffee Bar
When: 11AM on the oddly crisp, August Sunday morning
