Café de Flore

       

 

At Ritz Hotel in Paris, It was 9:45 in the morning; she was sleeping like a child at that night, when her phone rang…… It didn’t wake her up, it rang again, she opened her eyes, took her phone, looked at the screen, realized his number and picked up.

 

Her: Hello (with her husky & sleepy voice)

Him: Raise and shine

Her: Hey

Him: How are you dear? Hope u slept well

Her: Yea, I’m in love with their bed

Him: Come on lady, it’s almost 10 and you supposed to be in a café right now meeting that poor gentleman unless you changed your mind about it

Her: No no no please, it took me a year to get to meet him again, I’m getting up now

Him: Is 10:30 fair?

Her: Fair enough

Him: I’ll be at the lobby

Her: I’ll see you then

 

They met last year at one of the embassies event in Paris. Since that day, they were contacting each other from time to time. It was special, a different relationship, neither friends, nor lovers; it didn’t have a specific category. It was just special for both. By time, they start exploring more about each other lives, their pasts, she was open but he wasn’t, he always had that thing to hide. He never talked about it to anybody, but he felt he want to talk to her about. He told her that he will be very open only when he meets her again. And the time has come; they’re both at Paris again.

 

She got dressed, looking simple and elegant, and went down to the lobby were she found him setting and reading the newspaper.

 

Her: Any good news?

Him: Hi, “shaking hands”, the only good news is that I’m meeting you today

 

He was always impressive about her innocence face, her look and her warm voice; she attracted him from the first meeting.

 

Her: I still can’t believe that it’d been a year since we met “Smiling”

Him: Me either, it feels like we just met last week, now lets not waste more time and go enjoy it out there.

Her: D’accord

 

They went to Café de Flore, she always loved that café, they’ve ordered black coffee and apple pie.

 

Her: Alright monsieur, I’m listening, you will do all the talk this time as you promised, I’m just going to sip my coffee and listen, so go ahead

Him: Well, this happened five years ago, I was in love with a girl, and when I say in love I mean every letter in that word. I was the happiest person ever. We got engaged after 4 years relationship. We were about to get married and live happily ever after, when she suddenly called me that night telling me that she wants to break up. I thought it was a joke at the beginning, a night mare that I will wake up from, but unfortunately it wasn’t, I asked her what happened, but she doesn’t even want to explain anything to me, she just want to break up and that’s it, that easy, after 5 years of relationship, after getting engaged, and after all the time we spent together. We broke up.

Her: There must be a reason behind such a decision

Him: I swear to God, till this moment I don’t know what was her reason, all our family members tried to ask her and find out, but no one got an answer, she said that she just felt like its not going to work and she doesn’t want to do it. Just like that.

Her: What did you do after?

Him: I traveled and lived 4 years out of country

Her: And is it the reason behind what you’ve told me before, that you don’t want to go through any relationship or engagement?

Him: Yes, since that day I promised myself that I will stay alone all my life and not to go through relationships anymore. I got enough from my past, and I’m much better now alone

Her: Do you think that’s fair for yourself? Do you think you are solving your problem that way? Do you think that life has stopped in 5 years? Don’t you think life is brighter than the darkness you’re putting yourself in? Don’t you think that there is more happiness and success to be achieved than to stop in a 5 year old failed? We all fail in away or another but we don’t stop, and we’ll never learn if we don’t fail. You failed in a relationship? So what! There are more to comes   

Him: I know all that, and I’ve heard it several times and I’m not thinking anything, I just took my decision, I’m okay with it and nothing will ever change it.

Her: If you say so then no need to discuss this with you

Him: Don’t get me wrong, but I’m fine this way, I’m just telling you this now because I wanted to tell you, don’t know why, and you wanted to listen so…

Her: That’s okay

Him: I can feel that I’ve changed your mood

Her: …………

Him: Let’s change the subject

Her: Sure

 

Saint-Germain, Paris

Location: Café at Saint-Germain, Paris.

People: Me and Parisian Painter.

 

I was having my hot chocolate in a café at Saint-Germain, Paris alone. And I’m used to do this whenever I want to clear up my mind, settle my thoughts, and just enjoy myself. If you don’t get it, it’s simply my favorite place especially when it’s cloudy and the smell of the rain is expanding everywhere combined with Benzene molecules from the cars driven in the side road {and don’t ask me why do I love such a combination smell} (“,).

 

A French gentleman, in his 50’s (I guess), came to me …

 

Gentleman: Parlez vous le Français (smiling)

Me : No

Gentleman: But you speak Anglais (In French accent)

Me: Yes (with a smile)

Gentleman: How you do?

Me: Doing fine thank you

Gentleman: May I set?

Me: Sure

Gentleman: Hot chocolate is the best here (The is pronounced as Za)

Me: Yea I love it

Gentleman: Where you from?

Me: Middle East (I usually say ME because they don’t know where Gulf countries exist)

Gentleman: Oooh, very nice

Me: …………………

Gentleman: You’re here for vacation

Me: Oh yea

Gentleman: How long?

Me: 5 more days

Gentleman: Good

 

Silence for seconds…………

 

Gentleman: Tu es belle

Me: Execuse me!

Gentleman: Beautiful… Beautiful face

Me: Oh,, thank you

Gentleman: Hamm,, I paint.. paint people, you know, you have beautiful face and,, and your look I want to paint

Me: thank you (I really didn’t know what to say!)

Gentleman: If you want,, hmm I can paint

Me: That’s sweet, thank you

Gentleman: I have studio at Saint Martin, if you want to come

He pulled out his business card and gave it to me

Me: how long does it take to finish a painting?

Gentleman: 2 or 3 days

Me: That’s too long

Gentleman: other paint take me 7 days, 2 weeks… hmm depends

Me: aha

Gentleman: Try to come, I’ll make a beautiful painting like you

Me: And are you going to put it in your gallery (Smiling)

Gentleman: Of course, my gallery is after 2 month

Me: Cool, ok I’ll think of it, and if I have time I will call you

Gentleman: My plaisir (Standing)

Me: ok monsieur

Gentleman: i will be waiting, au revoir

Me: au revoir

 

I’d love to see how that French Gentleman could paint me, but as the trip was short, and that it will take 2-3 days, unfortunately I couldn’t make it.

 

But thanks anyways to that Gentleman as he made me feel very special that day