Coffee for The Rain

I am woken up by the sound of the falling rain outside the house. The smell of the wet land outside makes me feel relax. Now is 7.00 a.m. I glance at the dressing table there is a beautiful scarlet carson rose bouquet. Last night I got it from someone I’m madly in love with. Today I decide not to go anywhere today. I just want to enjoy my time with myself.

I walk to the kitchen and make a cup of coffee. Suddenly something in the past appear when I smell the coffee. I sit on the window in my room. The taste of the coffee brings me back to the past. It was several years ago before I became me today.

“Stevie!" shouted a voice behind me. I knew whose voice it was. Joshua, my BFF (best friend forever). The first time I met him was in the elementary school. He gave me a chocolate bar in my 6th birthday. Since that time we had become friends. “Hi, why do you bring your camera here?” “As usual, do you have a free time after school?” “Yes, I do.” “Good. Come with me. I have a new place for us to take the pictures. I promise you’ll like it.” “Have you done your home works? You remember to hunt a picture but you always forget to finish your home works.” “I can do it after we go, right?” “Whatever, I told you, Josh. If you get a bad score again in this semester that isn’t my responsibility.” “Yeah, I won’t ask you responsible for that,” he laughed at me before he left.

Actually, he wasn’t a good friend. We didn’t have the same perception about everything. I loved coffee and chocolate, but he hated it. He loved rain and photography very much, I really hated the rain. The only reason why we were always together was we were different.

After school I waited for him in the café nest to the school building. That was my favorite place to spend my time and enjoyed a cup of coffee. I ordered a cup of Americano Coffee. Not so long I was waiting, Joshua came. “I know you are here.” “You know me so well, Josh. Do you want to drnk a cup of coffee?” “No, thank’s. I hate it. I will buy Strawberry Sundae for myself.” I didn’t know why he didn’t like coffee. As long as we were together he never drank coffee. I tried to guess the reasons, but I never found the answers.

We went to the place he meant after he had finished his strawberry sundae. A long the way, I realized that the place was nice. It surprised me very much after we had arrived in a hill. There was a little river flowed on the right side of the hill. I could see the farms in the distance. The grass was really green, the air was clean and I guessed it would be very romantic in the evening because we could see the sun set in the west. Perfect place!

“Alright, welcome to the paradise. Do you like this place?” “I hate to say it, but to be honest, Josh, this is the perfect place that I have ever seen.” “I know you’ll love it.” Suddenly I remembered something about us. He could made me smile every time, gave me a little surprise and he would do everything that I asked him to do. My mind became awkward when I reminded my classmate’s word that we looked like a couple not an ordinary friend. They said that I was here for Joshua, and He was here for me. I ignored it. It didn’t make sense, because we had known each other for almost 12 years. I had no idea if I had to build a relationship with my own best friend! But I realized that we couldn’t always be together forever. I imagined that we had our own couple, could we become the close friend like this? Could we do everything together? I became scare to think about that. “Stevie, come!” he shouted at me. I come to him. He took my pictures. I like his style took a picture. We had fun until we were tired. We took so many pictures there. Unluckily the rain came. Ok, I was wet! I hated te rain!

Joshua brought me to a cottage near that place. There was a man sold corns. Luckily the man had coffee. It could warmed me who was felt so cold. Joshua still didn’t want to drink it. “Josh, why do you like the rain?” “Stevie, have you a reason why you love coffee?” “Excuse me?” “It is just like you. I just like the rain as you like your coffee.” Again, he smiled at me and it didn’t answer my question at all. But I enjoyed the time with him today. “Yeah, I know now. Thank you by the way…. You don’t answer my question.” He laughed again and looked at me deeply, “Stevie, it is a simple reason why I love the rain. If you are dancing in the rain when you are sad, nobody knows that in the same time you are also crying. For the rain come down and wash away your tears.” I just could smile at him. Why I didn’t realize that he was different. I could say it romantic want

I always thought about him after that day. But I tried as neutral as I could to control my feeling in front of him. I hated to confess it, but I began to love him.

Until that afternoon when I saw him in the canteen he was laughing with Amanda, my schoolmate who I hate. I didn’t have a good relation with her. She often brought me to the bad conditions where I always went to be the loser in front of people. Although I know that she did it because she wanted to have friends like me. Yeah, she didn’t have a friend actually. And that afternoon I had to see her laughed with my Joshua. Oh, great! “Am I jealous?! C’mon, Stevie… you don’t need to do that!” I scream in the heart. “It doesn’t make sense if I am jealous with Amanda. But…. Why her?! Ok, I’m jealous now. I’m really jealous!”

I avoided Joshua after that day I saw him with Amanda. My feeling was so bad. Joshua wanted to know what happened to me. But I run away from him. He tried to meet me, but I ignored him. It didn’t solve the problem, in fact it burned of the flame. We never talked each other. I was busy with my activities, and of course he went out with Amanda. Perfect!

“Do you have a problem with Joshua, Stevie?” asked my classmate. “No, we’re fine.” “Are you sure? But why do I often see him go out with Amanda? And you’re never look together again.” “That’s not my business.” “Stevie, your answer has already shown me that you’re not ok.” I ignored her.  But I know she was right about it. Only the stupid blind person who didn’t realize that. I did as if I didn’t know Joshua and I didn’t care about him. But my heart always said that I really need him that much.

October 18th, my birthday came. Everybody gave me congratulations. I was waiting for him but he didn’t come. Alright, he ignored me. That wasn’t funny. Too obvious that he hated me. That was my birthday and my friend who I counted on didn’t come to congratulate me. I felt that it seemed like drinking a big cup of dark coffee. Too bitter than I could imagine.

I went home…. Alone…. I thought that nobody cared for me the sky was crying.it made me wet. Ok, I began remember him again and again about the situation, about my birthday and about the rain. But that day I just wanted to dance in the rain until nobody knew that I was crying. After that I didn’t remember everything. All that I knew I was lying on my bed when I opened my eyes.

“Mom….” I looked for my Mom. “Over here, sweetheart. Do you feel better?” “Hmm…. I think so…. What happened?” “You fainted on the way back home. Your friend brought you home.” Oh great. Everybody would think that I depressed because of Joshua. I couldn’t thing something. I just wanted to take a rest.

That night Joshua came to my house. He asked my Mom about my condition. I didn’t want to meet him. I told my Mom that I wanted to take a rest. I thought that Joshua understood what I meant. Finally he went home. I missed him but I hated him. “Why did you do that, Stevie? He looked so sad.” “It’s ok, Mom.” “Stevie, I know you. You have to talk with him, sweetheart.” “We’re ok, Mom. There is no something to talk.” “You’re not okay, Stevie. You know which friend of yours who brought you home this afternoon, Josh did. Whatever what your problem is, just remember what I say, you are friends, honey.” After my Mom left me in my room, I cried because I couldn’t do anything to clear this problem.

The next day in the school, I didn’t feel like doing anything. I decided to leave the class. I went to the café and enjoyed a cup of Espresso Con Panna. It was better to spend my bad time there.

After several time I was alone, Joshua came and sit beside me. “What are you doing here?” he asked me. “It’s not your business.” “Why you are here? I thought that you are in the class now. But I don’t find you everywhere. So I know you must be here.” I just kept silent. But he tried to make me talked to him. I let him keep talking about this, that, those and everything without I gave him a word. He realized that I didn’t interest with him. So he stopped for a moment and ordered Caffee Au Lait. I surprised since when he drank coffee?

He drank it a little. His expression showed that he didn’t like it. He forced himself to finish his coffee as fast as he could. “Are you crazy or something?” I commented. “No, why? I just want to try what you like,” he caught my eyes. “What?” “You know, Stevie. I can do everything to make you forgive me. Including to do something that I don’t like. I have tried drinking for several times, but I can’t lie to myself that I still hate it.” I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t believe that Joshua did everything that he hated just for me? Did it make sense? Only the stupid guy who was willing to drink something he didn’t like.

“Ok, Stevie…. Let’s talk. What happen to you? Did I do something wrong to you?” “No, Josh.” “So why do you like this?” “Where did you go in my birthday? I was waiting for you but you didn’t come.” “I’m so sorry, Stevie. When the rain came actually I wanted to make a surprise for you. But I saw you so happy to dance under the rain. So I stopped myself and let you enjoyed your time. But something happened. You fainted.” “I think that you have found your new friend who better than me?” I couldn’t stop my tears dropped on my face. “What do you mean? A new friend? “Amanda.” “I have guessed it. Oh, Stevie. I’m so sorry if you felt like that.” “Why you did it?” “She needs a friend, Stevie. I wanted to talk to you about this before but you never let me. I tell you, we have to change her life to be better. She is also our friend. But if you don’t like it I will stay away from her.” “No, Josh…. I’m sorry. I was jealous.” He looked at me in surprise. He didn’t say anything. But suddenly he gave me a hug. I felt warm, felt comfort.

“Stevie, when you were far away from me, I realized that I need you so much,” he said. “I drink coffee everyday, but it doesn’t change my mind. I don’t like coffee.” “You don’t like it? Really?” “Hmmm…. Maybe I begin to love it…. A little bit. So what did you do in the middle of the rain in your birthday yesterday? I had to brought you to back home.” “Oh, I’m so sorry for that. I just wanted to know what kind of feeling when I danced In the rain. And I like it.” “I told you, you’ll like it.”

That story happened five years ago. Now we’re together. And next month Joshua will marry me. My friends were right. Joshua is made for me and I’m for him. Coffee for the rain and the rain is created for the coffee. That is strange. But that is the story about a cup of coffee in the middle of the rain.