The Beautiful Grey — Part A
As raindrops fall, a steady beat drums from the street surrounded by cafes. The afternoon sky is gloomy, with the wet streets warmly lit by light filtering off large windowed cafes.
A sigh, gently escapes her, calm as the steady light drizzle. She sits beside the large window, thoughtful, in a small chocolate shop. She sips a warm chocolate while resting her forehead on the window. The thick glass is all that is between her and the wet busy pedestrians walking briskly under their colourful umbrellas.
The traffic outside the window slowly builds up. Some stressed, some restless, some calm; working people in their tired working clothes in their tiny air-conditioned vehicles; Creeping ever more slowly homewards. She doesn’t know if they enjoy this light rain as she does, maybe some caught unawares got into their rides with damp clothes. Perhaps some, like her, must be calm and happy in this grey world. A grey world where, strangely, colours pop, and, where the constant sound of the rain soothes the tired soul.
As she scans slowly the street with her big brown eyes, she spots a couple sharing a large umbrella. Midst the somber crowd of frowning shrugged shoulders, they cut a contrast deep. Staring at each other, eyes dancing in happiness, their lips fixed in a broad smile! She can imagine; How oblivious the two are to the world around them. The girl in a light pink skirt and a white blouse exclaims now and again so expressively at what the boy says. The boy, dressed in dark grey trousers and a light blue shirt, holds the umbrella tall above her. He has fixed his gaze on the girls’ eyes. While looking out the window, she tries to remember how it must have felt for her and how she might feel if she was in that bubbly girl’s white sneakers. She doesn’t quite know if to be happy, jealous, or annoyed. She simply stops herself. The world is too beautifully grey today to invest so much thought in a couple still discovering each other. For her mind, while wondering, only sometimes stopping here and there, is still as steady as the light rain. It’s in this strange and tranquil state.
For she has had a long day. She had to prepare and present a proposal last minute. She also had to fill in on a meeting for a work colleague who felt sick. She thinks about all these for a few seconds. Then, shaking her head while her forehead is firmly placed on the glass, she quickly dispenses them. Right now, the world is beautifully grey, and her forehead is resting on a window slowly tapped by raindrops.
She is cupping a warm chocolate drink in her hand and enjoying the warmth of the cup against her palm and fingers. She slowly, almost timidly, brings the cup to her lips and takes a sip. The heat and taste that are spreading through her tongue make her smile subtly. She takes a deep breath, smelling the aroma of the cocoa, and exhales with a happy sigh. The small part of the shop window mists over with her breath. She contemplates drawing something. Should she draw an umbrella?
He is seated on a stool in front of a bench desk facing the drenched street. A large glass window in front of him affords a view of the street with pedestrians passing by with their umbrellas held above their stooping heads. He works on his laptop only occasionally stopping to take in the view and enjoy his warm mocha latte.
As he takes in the view in those brief repose, he notices the very strange calming effect the grey day has. Maybe, because he is comfortably seated and dry inside a nice cafe while it’s raining out.
“Just one final e-mail”, he motivates himself. Hurriedly typing away a summary of several discussions held with a client. A quick tap on the trackpad, and with a satisfied sigh, he quickly shuts the lid of the laptop and takes in a deep breath while closing his eyes.
For a moment he let the darkness consume him, focusing on the absence of light. Then slowly listen in to the moderate volume of smooth jazz filtering in from the speakers behind him. The subdued chatter from the couple seated a few seats away from him. The clatter of the dishes and cups from behind the counter. The faint sound of the raindrops hitting the pavement outside. The smell of hot coffee and chocolate whiffed about the shop. This ritual he does is to always switch his mind away from work. A sort of hoisting of the anchor in mind, to let it wander more freely.
As he opens his eyes, the beautiful grey welcomes him. The rain still falls lightly at a steady rate. As the traffic builds up he slowly scans what he sees. A day like this, inside a cafe! How wonderful, he thinks. As he scans the outside world, he notices her. A beautiful lady with a definite prominent forehead, staring with the most serenely calm face into the street. She is seated in the chocolate shop on the opposite side of the street, sipping away something in a mug. She seems utterly satisfied! He catches her calm happy face, for a split second, changing into a slightly annoyed look. Wondering why, he follows her gaze to find a young couple, under an umbrella in the rain.
He smiles seeing the couple. Cute! A cute couple he thinks. There is an energy of happiness and excitement emanating from them. He can sense those two are right now oblivious to their surroundings. They briefly break the spell and take a step or two before again disappearing into each other's excited eyes and conversation.
Yet his eyes can’t escape that forehead resting against the window. Such a captivating sight, especially as he can make out the large round eyes she has. He closes his eyes again and freezes the image of her face calm and happy. What a soothing sight he thinks.
He thinks…
Then pauses…
What a beautiful day he thinks…
A beautiful gray..
Beautiful eyes..
…. A pause …….. …….. …… for dramatic effect for the end of Part A …..
