A to B

An elderly man sat at a table outside a cafe slowly sipping his latte. He was never a very outgoing person but the days felt long and lonely and he missed his wife. She had always been one to enjoy talking just for the sake of it. So he today he thought he would brave a visit to the cafe.

"Ting" went the door and a businessman bustled out in his haste his gaze briefly swung by the old man. Catching the look the old man started "my wife and I," but he noticed the businessman had already looked away and brought his full attention to his mobile phone as he strode away. The elderly man flushed and felt some shame in his attempt at connection. He drank the remainder of his coffee and stood up and leave when a young women sat down beside him.

"Your wife and yourself?" She prompted. He smiled warmly and sat back down pleasantly surprised by her height. She was short like his wife was. He began his story.

Ben was tall and Lola was short. Not just in the sense of when they stood together he stood taller then her but the kind of height that people commented on.

" You're so tall! You could be a basketball player."

"How's the weather down there!"

It's actually what got them talking in the first place.

It was an early Sunday morning, 6am usually way too early for her. But the best time of the day according to him. They met in line at a small local cafe she stood behind him in the line, there were a couple of people already waiting (cyclist stopping along their morning ride) in front of them. Not his usual spot, but it was her favourite place to get her morning caffeine fix.

"Wow, haven't you got long legs!" A elderly lady entered the cafe with a ting from the bells attached to the door.

"Yeah, they get me from A to B," he muttered not loud enough for the lady to hear.

But Lola heard him and couldn't help but laugh.

"That's a good one," Lola said as he turned towards her "mind if I use it?"

He grinned, he was usually an introvert so appreciated the opening to a conversation.

"Of course," he looked slightly confused because she was clearly short.

"I get comments about my height to," she explained which was more then enough said.

So, it was enough to get them talking. They both decided to sit together once their coffees arrived and continue their shared experiences of unsolicited height comments.

Next Sunday at 6am Lola waited in line at the coffee shop. With a ting the doors opened Lola looked up and there stood Ben.

"Wow, haven't you got long legs," she grinned.

"Yeah, they get me from A to B," he laughed.

They both say at a table outside coffees in their hands nervously glancing at each other.

And so the tradition began. Until eventually they started arriving together, some weeks would be missed as life happened, but they maintained their regular appearance. Eventually with a pram and a baby. "Ooo I wonder whose height the baby will get" gushed a customer. Ben and Lola just gave each other a knowing smile. Another baby another Sunday. Adult children then accompanied Ben and Lola and then grandchildren. The cafe stood the test of time as it was the only cafe around a popular walking path in their home town. At times the cafe would close for a period of time for renovations and a re model. New owners would take on the cafe and at one point it was a bustling vegan cafe. Ben and Lola were in their sixties at this stage but they soon developed a taste for Oat milk. But the small table out the front was never removed and it became their spot. Decades passed Ben's life was long but Lola's life a bit shorter.

When COVID hit the nation Lola fell into a depression she was a very outgoing person who was at her best when she had a full social calendar. She did her best to embrace zoom and meet ups with a mask. But she didn't get the same feeling of company with the camera and she struggled to hear anyone when they wore a mask. It was hard on Ben to watching her sparkle dull and her constant chatter fade away. He offered her support and comfort he was her rock and her safe place which she would gently remind him. But the timing was poor as they also suffered the loss of an adult child a couple of years prior. Ben often wondered if Lola kept herself busy to hide from the grief and now that was gone she had to face her grief and the loss was too much for her. One day she had a fatal heart attack and Ben believes she died of a broken heart.

When she passed away Ben just couldn't bring himself to visit the cafe alone as it had always been a shared trip. Even if she went away Ben had never come alone.

The elderly man allowed himself to shed a tear as he shared his treasured story to the young women. She smiled at him softly and showed no discomfort in his shared emotion.

"We didn't have anything in common," Ben said "but that one thing, that was more then enough." He briefly closed his eyes and for a moment he felt like it was the first time at the cafe again the day he had first met Lola. As his eyes fluttered open and reality set in he felt grateful for his memories and the company this women had given him.

"Well I best get going," he said and stood up.

Spurred on by his successful outting last Sunday Ben decided he would visit the cafe again the following Sunday. Once again new owners had re modelled the cafe Ben thought he was seeing things when he read the new name of the cafe which had been placed beautifully in wooden lettering above the front double doors "Lola and Ben's" He entered the cafe and there was the women he was speaking to last week standing behind the counter when she saw him she immediately made her way over.

"Ben! Your story moved me so much last week I hope you don't mind me using your names!"

Ben smiled he couldn't find any words but accepted the hug she gave him. Outside he saw a mini van pull up and out stumbled a small group of people his age.

"No one should feel alone," she explained "I am making every Sunday morning senior morning 50% off for every senior citizen. Morning side retirement village are excited to start a new morning ritual."

Ben ordered a coffee and made his way to his usual table. An elderly man sat there he looked uncomfortable and wasn't speaking as much as the others in the group.

"Mind if I join you?" Ben asked.

"Of course sit!" He proclaimed.

"I must say," said the man as Ben sat down "you certainly have very long legs!"

Ben smiled as he never did get tired of this joke "they get me from A to B."