Hannah

It was Thursday, 28th January 2024, at 9.45 in the morning, I was rushing for my presentation at 10.00. This is the only chance that is left for me to prove my worth and get a proper placement. This company allowed me to present a project I proposed to them even though I didn’t match their qualifications. They gave me an opportunity, I’m truly grateful for that and need to make it count. As a man who has been known for his failure throughout his life and who has been working hard every time to break out from it, this is my time. 

I rushed to cross the street but I was a few seconds late as the light turned green for the cars to go. I sighed and waited anxiously before looking at my watch as it was getting late for me. The only thing which was keeping me in place was the Weeknd song which was playing in my earpods. My eyes were moving up and down, checking the light and my watch literally every second before suddenly my eyes met an angel-like smile across the street. Suddenly my fast-beating heart starts beating slowly and I start feeling calmer. 

A girl with a writing pad in her arms, with a brown bag hanging from her shoulder, wearing a red dress with white flowers on it matching with black sneakers waiting for the light to turn green for the pedestrian calmly. She looked beautiful, well as I said earlier, with an angel-like smile, moving her body slowly listening to probably her favourite song in her earphones. She looked carefree and happy, the calm vibe of her plus gosh that smile truly did wonder for me, I was getting calmer.

I started smiling without even realising and our eyes met suddenly which made her stop her little cute dance and give out a shy smile. Out of nowhere, there was a small wave of wind hit us, she adjusted her hair while we still were looking at each other and smiling. The light turned red for the cars and it was green for us pedestrians, we started crossing the road, still looking at each other we walked past each other with a smile. My morning felt better, and my heart felt calmer, as I was done crossing I turned around and looked at her once again before walking away. 

I walked into the office building, walked towards the receptionist’s table and told her about the appointment I had at 10. She asked me to walk to the meeting room as I’ll be joined by the company director and the managing director in a moment. I walked in, adjusted my shirt and took out my laptop from my bag and the papers I’d prepared so that it would be easier for them to understand when I presented. A few minutes later I was joined by the Company Director along with the Managing Director and they asked me to start presenting. 

45 minutes went by and I was done with my presentation, both the Managing Director and Company Director looked pleased with my work. “I was not convinced to be honest till you started your presentation boy, but I got to admit, you did well, congratulations”, said the Company Director shaking my hand with the Managing Director followed by shaking my hand and handing me the appointment letter to join the company as their Executive Program Director starting next week. A sense of accomplishment was running through me, finally, I’d made it. 

I left the office building with a wide smile, my heart was beating smoothly and nothing felt better. I sensed a change in my life, a change which I’ve never sensed or felt in quite a long time. Finally, for someone who is known only for his failures even though I’ve worked so hard for something, this might be a change for everything, a change which might make my life better. I then took my phone out and texted my friend that I got the job as I was walking towards the cafe nearby. 

As I was walking down the road towards the cafe I remembered what happened in the morning before I got to the office. A small act which changed my entire morning and probably my life might sound a little exaggerated but for someone like me, it does feel like it. Her smile kept running in my head, making me want to know this person so badly, to find her, to know her and just another moment to see that smile which changed everything, I want that. “Your order Sir”, the voice of the cashier got me back to reality. 

I ordered my drink, paid for it and got to the table near the window. A few minutes later my drink was served to my table, an Iced Americano with no sugar, yeah it is also usually known as the psychopath’s order I know. I was enjoying my coffee while looking out the window and I suddenly remembered that the girl I saw in the morning was walking towards the park side. Maybe I can find her there if I go now, I told myself as I quickly finished my drink and rushed out of the cafe towards the park with a little hope that I would see her. 

Well, I guess I was a little late, because as I asked around if they saw a girl in the red dress with a brown bag and writing pads with her, one of the gardeners in the park said that she left the park around 5 minutes ago. “Ahh should’ve gotten the coffee later I guess”, I told myself as I walked away from the park towards the train station to go back home. As I got into the station, I took out my train pass and tapped on the ticket gate. When I walked towards my platform I was a few seconds late as my train was already leaving and to my surprise, she was on the train. 

“No, No, Not again, heck no”, I told myself as I walked closer to the platform seeing my train leaving and with her in it. I was so close to seeing her again today, but this time just a few seconds late. The good thing is I know she takes the same train as me and I also know that she’s usually in the park too based on what the gardener told me. Now, all I have to do is make sure I’m there at the right time and try to meet her. The next train came and I got in to start my 20-minute journey home. 

Days and weeks went by, work had been great and everyone in the office had been such amazing people, but my luck to be meeting the girl wasn’t been good. It’s been 3 weeks since I joined and not even once have I managed to meet her even on the train or at the station, yes I can’t go to the park during my work hours but I tried going during my break hours and no, I wasn’t lucky to meet her yet. Then on a rainy Thursday evening, I went to the cafe nearby after work before heading home.

 I ordered a hot black coffee with no sugar and took a seat by the window before texting my friend who is also my roommate that I’d be late today. A few minutes later my order arrived and I started having my hot coffee slowly during this rainy evening. As I was enjoying my coffee, suddenly the same smile I saw weeks ago captured my attention. I looked around again and about 3 tables away from me it was her, the girl in the red dress. With the same angel-like smile, enjoying a cup of hot cocoa while drawing something. 

I couldn’t contain my happiness as I was smiling so wide after finally seeing her in person once again after weeks of looking for her. I then stood up and walked towards her table with my glass of black coffee. “Is the seat occupied”, I asked her while standing in front of her to which she said no and slowly looked up at me. Our eyes met once again, and a smile automatically appeared on both our faces, I was surprised that she could remember who I was even after all these weeks. 

“There’s no way this is happening right now”, she said covering her mouth before asking me to sit. I took my seat and asked her if she remembered me to which she said “How can I not, it was such an embarrassing moment for me when we first met”. She covered her face as she was embarrassed but gosh she looked even more beautiful during that moment. She then looked at my cup and asked “Black coffee”? To which I added no sugar too which made her give me a very weirded-out look. “Yes, I know, a psychopath drink”, I said while sipping my coffee. 

“You wouldn’t believe this, but I’ve been looking for you since the day we met in the street and I’m not even kidding. On that day I was just seconds late to be on the same train as you but yeah it is what it is.” She was listening to me say all that while sketching something looking at me and handed me a sketch of me talking to her. “Did you want to draw this or do you just want me to shut up and leave you in peace”? I asked her jokingly to which she laughed out loud. I smiled looking at how beautiful she was and how that smile of hers changed my life till day. 

She then started to pack her things and was about to leave, I told myself that this could be the only chance to confess what I felt or at least get her number. “Hey, we’ve been here for the past 30 minutes and I don’t even know your name or anything about you, but what I surely know is, if I have you for the rest of my life, it would be beautiful and heavenly. Yes, this might be cringe for you but since the day I met you my life has been amazing, and that made me realise having you in it would make it even better”, I said while looking right into her eyes. 

She was shocked and said, “Look, this is too fast for me, we have met once yeah and now is the only second time, we barely spoke–how on earth did, no,” she said with her voice breaking and looking all confused with what had happened before leaving the cafe. “You should’ve asked for her number first idiot,” I told myself as I hit myself on my head before leaving the cafe with the sketch of my face she drew. I took out a cigarette and lit it up on the way to the train station, it was keeping a little warm as the weather was still chill after the heavy rain. 

I threw the cigarette bud on the ground and stepped on it before walking into the station. I took my train pass and tapped it on the ticket gate before walking down to my platform. A few minutes later the train arrived, I got on the packed train and put my AirPods on before playing The Weeknd’s music as the train started moving. 20 minutes later my stop arrived and I got off the train looking quite defeated with the cold weather and the packed crowd. I walked out of the station and saw the fried chicken stall was still open by the station entrance. 

I called my friend and asked whether he wanted the fried chicken to which he said yes. I then bought 4 pieces of fried chicken and returned to our place. I opened the door, took off my shoes and placed the chicken on the hall before walking to my room to bathe. 20 minutes later I got out of the bathroom and changed into my shorts before joining my friend at the hall. “You look defeated today Leo, a bad day at work eh?”, Jake asked looking at me with a fried chicken in his hand. 

I sighed and told him it was not about work but what happened after meeting the girl. Jake coughed and smacked his head after hearing what I told him. “Seriously?? You didn’t even get her name? Not even her number? But you went confessing and asking her to be with you forever?”, he said out loud before hitting me on my head. I just sat there looking at him while feeling dumb definitely. “That’s it, just bury the dream of you seeing her again or anything happening aite”, Jake said before continue eating the other chicken. 

Weeks passed and it’s now a month since I joined the company, thank God that our sales and shares in the market have been doing good. The Company Director was really happy as he came to our department and congratulated us on our good job, he even announced that we will be getting a bonus this month. Everyone in our department was so happy and cheered after the Company Director mentioned the bonus. It was lunch break already and I went down to get something by the bakery beside the office building.

As I left the building, I took out a cigarette and lit it up on the way to the bakery. I was interrupted as I was walking using my phone towards the bakery, “Maybe if you don’t smoke this often I can approach you”, someone said in a sweet voice. I looked towards the side the voice was coming from and I was surprised to see her, the girl in the red dress once again after nearly a month now. “Wait, you, how come–how did you know that I work here?”, I asked her as I was surprised seeing her here suddenly. 

She covered her nose and pointed at the cigarette which I quickly threw it down and stepped on it. She then moved her hands from her nose and looked at me with a stern look, I was slightly surprised. “So, what brings you here, and how did you know about my workplace”, I asked her with an excited voice. She pointed towards my office building and I nodded yeah pointing the building too saying I work there. She then sighed and pointed at the office before saying “My dad works there, he’s the Company Director there”. 

The smile on my face just faded when she said that, the girl of my dreams is the daughter of my Companie’s Director? This is not good, what if she tells my boss about what I did? Am I going to lose my job, oh god, so many things were running through my head after what she said as I just stood there frozen. She hit my hand and asked whether I was okay, I just replied I was okay with my voice breaking which made her giggle. “My name is Hannah, and I guess I have the answer to the question you had the last time we met”, she said before looking down shyly. 

-THE END-