Waiting on Providence

“That will be ten fifty, sir.”

Gabe handed over his plastic card over, “I would like to pay it forward.”

The brace faced cashier nodded “How much?”

Gabe shrugged with a grin “Whatever they order I’ll pay for. Oh but ask them to pay for the next person, or at least what they can afford.”

The teen girl raised an eyebrow “okay...”

As he walked away he could hear the cashier whisper “Weirdo.”

Gabe found the table his friend Mike had picked out in the corner of the shop. Gabe set his steaming cup down, as his friend read the newspaper “Why are we here?”

Gabe was taken back, “What do you mean? We were supposed to ‘pay it forward’ at eleven thirty am.”

He looked at his watch, “And I have to say we followed the instructions to the letter.”

Mike set down his newspaper, “Yes, I know our orders. BUT, why?”

Gabe fiddled with his new facial hair, it itched and he hadn’t figured out how to make it stop. “-well, for providence.”

Mike shook his head, and chuckled. To others he might have looked like he was laughing at a joke but Gabe had known his friend for a very long time. His friend was tired. “Gabe. Don’t you miss the old days. Where we made a difference in the world. When we were doing such important things that it was protocol to tell people ‘don’t be afraid’.”

Gabe looked at the checkout counter, a middle aged man with thinning hair had walked up to it. He rubbed his head “I am running late can I get a large coffee to go.”

“Of course sir and- “

He pulled his credit card out “Here is my card.”

“Um- well sir you see. That man over there actually paid for anything the next person ordered. But he asked if the next person would do the same” 

Gabe watched as she pointed to him. The business man waved, and Gabe waved back. The man paused and handed his card over “I-I guess I will pay it forward.”

 Gabe blew on his drink and thought, is he the reason? The man waved and again and walked back outside, and Gabe thought, - no I don’t think so… He turned back to his friend, “This work might not be dramatic, but it is important.”

Mike rolled his eyes, and Gabe sighed as they had gone through these conversations at least a hundred times before. His friend turned his chair toward the check out “Fine, shall we make a bet on what type of providence we helped create?”

Gabe took a sip of his coffee, it was warm and the creamer took the bitterness out of it. He let the warmth of his drink wash over him. I see how humans can get addicted to this. Gabe adjusted his chair to face the check out “They say gambling is a sin of sorts.”

Mike rolled his eyes “you know what I mean.”

A jogger came in and brushed off her sweat. She went to the checkout. Gabe’s friend said “she is going to buy her drink and meet her prince charming.”

“Again? You lead with that everytime. You won’t admit it but you're a romantic at heart.”

“Oh, shut it. Providence meetings are thirty percent of them. It’s the largest category.”

The woman made small talk with the cashier, they hugged. “Oh look at you! So cute! You know I remember my first summer job.”

“Oh thank you again for the reference here, sis.”

“Sure thing! Oh, since I am here can I get a water.”

 The teenage girl handed her older sister a water bottle. “So, the thing is. A pay it forward got started. So your water is paid for. Would you like to pay forward also?”

The jogger smiled and pulled out her card, “Yes, such good people in the world.”

The card was scanned and handed back. The sisters hugged and the jogger went back to her run. “Well that was romantic.”

“Oh, shut it.”

Gabe grinned and sipped on his coffee. One person after another came through the door. A line of ten people formed, his friend sighed “I don’t think we will be able to see the’ moment’. Thirty five percent.”

Gabe looked across to his friend. “thirty five percent?”

His friend nodded “That is the biggest category, unknown effect.”

“I thought romantic meetings were the largest?”

“Largest known result.”

Gabe chuckled and shook his head. His empty cup sat next to him, he wanted to get another one. But it might mess with the result. Mike knocked on the table “I say we should take off.”

“Let’s wait just a big longer.”

The lady next in line looked tired. Her hair was a mess, and looked half combed. She looked like she got dressed in scrubs in a hurry. She kept looking at a watch on her wrist. She talked to the cashier she reached into her purse. “Oh I seem to have forgotten my card at the house. Just forget my order. I am such-”

The teenage cashier cut her off “Its free, there had been a pay if forward. Each person pays for the next. So your drink is free.”

“Thank you so very much. I woke up late today and had to rush my kids to school.”

She sighed and relaxed her shoulders “Thank you.”

The nurse took her drink and sat down at a nearby table. She looked embarrassed, the light glow of red filled her cheeks. She pulled her phone out and started the process of scrolling.

Mike pointed at her “That's what we waited for? It seems like a let down.”

Gabe shrugged “Who can say…”

Mike stood up and took one last look around the room before turning to Gabe. “I am leaving, you coming?”

Gabe raised his hand “No, I will stick around a little longer.”

Gabe grabbed his arm “It may lack drama, but this smaller miracle is province.”

He let go and his friend gave a weak smile and vanished. No one around noticed, it was if he was never there. Gabe sat there looking at the women as she scrolled, she must play some role? A few minutes later an old man in the line with what looked to be his grandson gripped his chest. He gasped for a wall or a shoulder. But he failed to catch anything and fell to the ground. The woman dropped her phone on the table, knocking her coffee on to the floor. She rushed to his side, moving him face up. She started CPR, in between breaths she yelled for someone to call an ambulance. Gabe smiled and was gone. All that was left was an empty coffee cup and today's paper.