Perfect

The notes were high in the bar. The sound was buzzing in ears as I sipped the cocktail slowly to the rhythm. 

I watched as the waitress danced her own beat as she served the last of the waiting customers. 

It was a Friday night and business was good. 

I was a usual, and I recognized the new faces opening up here. I was swirling my glass in the final sips, as the door opened with a  clatter and he entered. 

My heart skipped a beat.

A moment of a lost soul.

He walked straight at the bar. The 5ft 10 without a little lack of the perfection, still the same young man in my favorite blue coat.

I adjusted in my stool thinking he wouldn't notice me. He ordered in the usual. 

‘Hey madam, this ones for you’ said the bartender as he placed the glass of white wine with a wink, infront of me. My favorite and of course, only he knew it.

I sat in silence for a few moments, before I turned around to catch his deep black eyes  gazing into mine.

I could feel him from the distance, the soft touch of his hand on my cheek, a warm embrace that I longed for. I could see from the corner of my eye, he was gazing right through me. 

I stumbled in my stool trying to get hold of myself. He flipped.

He raised his glass and slowly started walking towards me. 

His clothes appeared more modern, except for my favorite blue coat. A pair of matching leather boots, a vehicle key dangling at his hip - I had no idea what type, a Rolex on his left hand and the glass on the other.

I was looking at the stage trying my maximum concentration at Ed Sheeran being sung. 

You were perfect for me 

“Hi!” he said 

“Heyy” I acted surprised 

“Nice to see you around. New here?”

He laughed. That smooth watery laugh that I was once infatuated with. A thing I loved. 

“Nothings new around you” and he smiled. 

We continued watching the show, speaking of the odd times and ups and downs of our daily routines. 

But I kept away from anything intense.

“I got to go, busy weekend. Good night Charly!” I said as I stood at nearly half past nine.

He stood, right next to me leaning on me. 

“Will see you around. Take care! Good night Asha!” 

The bar was in full swing on the beautiful Tuesday evening as I sat at the front enjoying the artist on his trumpet. I was having my coffee thick and black. 

A chair pulled next to me, and he sat.

Very calm and quiet in his posture, his clean shaven face poised in the exact beauty angle. He looked at the stage and then at me.

“Hey what a coincidence? You also weekdays here as well?” 

“Charly you are really surprising me eh?” 

I couldn’t believe I was saying this.

“Are you following me?”

He looked at me in surprise and chuckled his way into that laugh louder this time. 

“I am settled in close by now, and this is our right place wasn’t it?”

I was feeling uncomfortable in my seat. 

He had to go one-day and we were both devastated. We refused to know each other’s burdens as it wasn’t the right time. 

But now he is back and I feel I am not yet ready.

We chatted along commonly and he walked with me a few blocks before we parted to go our ways. It was a good night. 

I felt myself shifting over the week. The meeting was something I tried to forget but it clung on like the mosses spreading its way all along.

I was lonely. Yes it was a fact. 

But...

Every-time he came closer, I felt he was meant to be mine. That one day he had to go because of my parents. He wasn’t good enough for them. Tough cultural attitudes over which I had no control. 

I had cried my life in a million ways trying to get over him and the depression took me to extremes that they had to call him back to calm me. 

He said, “ I will come back to you soon, so you will hold on to me till I get back. My strong lil angel!”

And that was when I felt I had to live to be with him. The man I loved a million times to be mine and mine only.

He was close always but also far for not knowing anything.

It was Friday again. Valentines week was upcoming and the bar was romancing in the reddy velvet. Roses and cupcakes on bar benches and lovers in the darkest corners. The slow rhythm of the lovers playing in the background, I was scrolling Instagram. My best friend was off traveling in Sri Lanka and her epic pictures  kept me alive and loved. 

“This is one paradise island, you outta come here soon!” she had said last night as she called.

I could smell a familiar aftershave in the air. The sweet scent I adored, entwining in my brain clouding all my common sense of reflexes. 

He was standing right next to me, two wine glasses in hand. 

And he held out one. 

I took it in my hand.

“Asha, I never left. I was always there looking out. I have seen you grow all this time, the number of times you smiled and cried all in my counts. It was always you for me but i had evolve. 

On Sunday’s Valentine would you go out to dinner with me? “

He spoke softly in my head. The only handsome man in my dreams. 

“...yes” I said 

He took my hand and kissed it right away in his soft cherish. 

It was then we both looked up in surprise at each other. Both our silver couple rings we exchanged five years ago, still sitting on our fingers. 

We were tear-smiling. 

The bar was swinging in the perfect chill. 

“But you heard it, darling you look perfect to night” and the rhythm continued.