He imagined himself in all sorts of clothes as he walked down the street. Every window was a new world, offering the chance to be a new him. Of course he never went in to buy anything. He was just a window shopper.
She couldn't see him anywhere. The venue was getting crowded. He wasn't picking up his phone. She considered searching for him, but the lines outside the crepe stand were growing longer.
After this, she said to herself. After the crepe there would be time enough.
They had been fighting all day. Now every line simmered with the heat of a cold war. Going out for a walk didn't even solve it. But then it began to rain, and they had only one umbrella. She made sure to give him an "I told you so" look before opening it.
There is something about huddling under an umbrella together, protected from the rain, that melts away our differences.
Time had slowed down for Anita to the point where she could follow every drop of the coffee trickle down from the tip of the filter to the bottom of the pan. Had the people around been quieter, she might have even heard the little droplet splash. How many would fall before the line would move again, she wondered. A hundred? a thousand? A million? But Anita would wait. She needed her triangular treat, the solitary scone that sat behind the counter display. Crumbs on the outside, hard on the inside and a soft mid section. Anita gazed at the glass display like she would into a mirror. Like her, the scone stood alone, unmoved, and awaiting attention on this glacial day at the cafe.
Apr 12, 2022·edited Apr 12, 2022Liked by Nishant Jain
“FedEx man”
He’s the last-mile band-aid for everybody’s anxiety and procrastination in life. That FedEx tagline “when it absolutely has to be there overnight” is his burden and his raison d’etre, and his truck is packed with other people’s neediness. Twice a day a customer will get in his face over a late delivery, as if he had anything to do with when it was stuffed in the envelope. As he punches in the delivery codes and searches for street numbers, he thinks: maybe I’ll become an artist, like that guy who’s sketching me. He clearly doesn’t have anything to do all day.
She can see everything from way up here - the people walking their cute little dogs, the tiny cars that are driving far away, and the big tall buildings. It is her favorite place to be. She feels like she is on top of the world.
It is her dad's favorite place for her to be, too. He loves to carry her around the city, pointing out all of the interesting things as they walk together. He knows there will come a day when he can no longer carry her this way, so he treasures this time and soaks in every moment.
She was on her way to the see Odile when she decided to turn around. She walked one block in the other direction, then two, then eight. The sun came out. She was at the Tuileries already. She paused at the entrance; a smell wafting from nearby. She turned to see the vendor, making a wide sweep on the broad pan. The batter crisped almost immediately. She handed over three euros and walked to a bench to eat while it was hot. By the time she finished, she was ready.
The two grad students bumped into each other outside a cafe near campus and exchanged pleasantries. They had last met almost half a year ago, a fact they laughed about. The conversation eventually found its way to the reliable and relatable topic: the doldrums of grad school life, how they were perennially busy but never seemed to be getting "there". This was followed by an awkward silence which prompted them to go their own ways, each wishing the other luck and each feeling a little better about their journey so far.
"Window Shopper"
He imagined himself in all sorts of clothes as he walked down the street. Every window was a new world, offering the chance to be a new him. Of course he never went in to buy anything. He was just a window shopper.
"Crepe in hand"
She couldn't see him anywhere. The venue was getting crowded. He wasn't picking up his phone. She considered searching for him, but the lines outside the crepe stand were growing longer.
After this, she said to herself. After the crepe there would be time enough.
"Protected"
They had been fighting all day. Now every line simmered with the heat of a cold war. Going out for a walk didn't even solve it. But then it began to rain, and they had only one umbrella. She made sure to give him an "I told you so" look before opening it.
There is something about huddling under an umbrella together, protected from the rain, that melts away our differences.
“Bored in line”
Time had slowed down for Anita to the point where she could follow every drop of the coffee trickle down from the tip of the filter to the bottom of the pan. Had the people around been quieter, she might have even heard the little droplet splash. How many would fall before the line would move again, she wondered. A hundred? a thousand? A million? But Anita would wait. She needed her triangular treat, the solitary scone that sat behind the counter display. Crumbs on the outside, hard on the inside and a soft mid section. Anita gazed at the glass display like she would into a mirror. Like her, the scone stood alone, unmoved, and awaiting attention on this glacial day at the cafe.
“FedEx man”
He’s the last-mile band-aid for everybody’s anxiety and procrastination in life. That FedEx tagline “when it absolutely has to be there overnight” is his burden and his raison d’etre, and his truck is packed with other people’s neediness. Twice a day a customer will get in his face over a late delivery, as if he had anything to do with when it was stuffed in the envelope. As he punches in the delivery codes and searches for street numbers, he thinks: maybe I’ll become an artist, like that guy who’s sketching me. He clearly doesn’t have anything to do all day.
"Super Dad"
She can see everything from way up here - the people walking their cute little dogs, the tiny cars that are driving far away, and the big tall buildings. It is her favorite place to be. She feels like she is on top of the world.
It is her dad's favorite place for her to be, too. He loves to carry her around the city, pointing out all of the interesting things as they walk together. He knows there will come a day when he can no longer carry her this way, so he treasures this time and soaks in every moment.
Awkward first date:
“Four doughnuts please” she told the Timmy’s worker.
“Oh, no I just wanted a coffee but thank you”, Matthew interjected.
“They’re for me.”
“Right.”
“Crepe in hand”
She was on her way to the see Odile when she decided to turn around. She walked one block in the other direction, then two, then eight. The sun came out. She was at the Tuileries already. She paused at the entrance; a smell wafting from nearby. She turned to see the vendor, making a wide sweep on the broad pan. The batter crisped almost immediately. She handed over three euros and walked to a bench to eat while it was hot. By the time she finished, she was ready.
"catching up"
The two grad students bumped into each other outside a cafe near campus and exchanged pleasantries. They had last met almost half a year ago, a fact they laughed about. The conversation eventually found its way to the reliable and relatable topic: the doldrums of grad school life, how they were perennially busy but never seemed to be getting "there". This was followed by an awkward silence which prompted them to go their own ways, each wishing the other luck and each feeling a little better about their journey so far.